Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Michelle Steel (CA-48)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam set to headline an event at Columbia University tomorrow, Congresswoman Michelle Steel (CA-45) is calling on Columbia to cancel the event and clarify whether suffocating basic human rights comports with the university’s values.
In a letter to Columbia, Steel notes that under To Lam’s leadership Vietnam has doubled down on the repression of human rights, limiting free expression and detaining prisoners of conscience. Such abuses largely occur due to the communist regime’s crackdown on dissent from journalists and activists as well as those seeking to practice their faith.
“To Lam is a dangerous authoritarian who has stifled free expression and taken many prisoners of conscience in Vietnam. Columbia must reverse course and refuse to grant legitimacy to someone who jails his own citizens simply for speaking their mind,” said Rep. Michelle Steel, who represents a large population of Vietnamese Americans in Orange County, CA.
“Columbia cannot claim to foster a campus environment of free speech and expression while hosting one of the most prominent leaders of authoritarianism. Going forward with hosting To Lam would unfortunately signal more of the same from an institution that has too often identified itself with civil rights while disregarding the circumstances of those most affected,” Steel added.
To Lam, who recently took over as Vietnam’s head of state, will be in New York for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly followed by a trip to Cuba. Even prior to his current human rights abuses, To Lam has a documented history of stifling free speech in his prior role as Vietnam’s Minister of Public Security.
Below is a copy of Steel’s letter:
Dear President Armstrong,
I write to you today to express my serious concern regarding Columbia University’s planned event on September 23 with To Lam, the General Secretary for the Communist Party of Vietnam, and Columbia University’s promotion of an individual who is chiefly responsible for the ongoing repression of the Vietnamese people. Columbia University should immediately rescind its invitation to To Lam and clarify whether suffocating basic human rights comports with its values.
Since Lam assumed the role of General Secretary, the Communist Party of Vietnam has doubled down in adopting the Chinese Communist Party model of repression. In turn, there are currently over 170 prisoners of conscience detained in Vietnam.
Prisoners of conscience in Vietnam face lengthy prison sentences, endure solitary confinement, face unfair trials, and are arbitrarily detained by the one-party police state. In addition, Vietnamese prisoners of conscience are unable to seek care for their health conditions, subjected to forced labor, and banned by prison authorities form religious practices, such as prayer. Some have succumbed to unspecified medical issues and have died while serving life sentences.
Just this week, Vietnam’s Hanoi People’s Court sentenced Phan Van Bach, an independent journalist and prominent activist, for “distributing anti-state propaganda after voicing his concerns about the Communist Party of Vietnam on Facebook and YouTube. While in custody, Mr. Bach’s health has seriously deteriorated according to his wife and attorney.
Additionally, noodle vendor Bui Tuan Lam was jailed for the same “anti-state propaganda” charges last year after posting 19 videos on Facebook and 25 on YouTube that “affected the confidence of the people in the leadership of the state,” according to the indictment. Days prior, footage surfaced of then-Vietnam Minister of Public Security To Lam eating a $2,000 steak after he had visited the grave of Karl Marx.
Sadly, Columbia University’s welcoming of To Lam is yet another example of its lack of moral clarity. Columbia cannot claim to foster a campus environment of free speech and expression while hosting one of the most prominent leaders of authoritarianism. Condoning this level of repression will only embolden further persecution of the Vietnamese people.
Now is the time for Columbia University to define its posture toward the Communist Party of Vietnam. Going forward with hosting To Lam would unfortunately signal more of the same from an institution that has too often identified itself with civil rights while disregarding the circumstances of those most affected.
Sincerely,
Michelle Steel
Member of Congress
Rep. Steel represents parts of Los Angeles County and Orange County, including the Little Saigon community, which has the largest population of Vietnamese anywhere outside of Vietnam.
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