US President Barack Obama told communist Vietnam on Tuesday that basic human rights would not jeopardise its stability, in an impassioned appeal for the one-party state to abandon authoritarianism.
In a sweeping speech, which harked back to the bloody war that defined both nations but also looked to the future, Obama said that “upholding rights is not a threat to stability”.
Vietnam ruthlessly cracks down on protests, jails dissidents, bans trade unions and controls local media.
But the US leader said bolstering rights “actually reinforces stability and is the foundation of progress”, in his speech to a packed auditorium including Communist Party officials.
The visit is Obama’s first to the country and the third by a sitting president since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Direct US involvement in the conflict ended in 1973.
Obama’s visit has formally reset the relationship between the former foes with the lifting of a US arms embargo.
Trade has dominated the trip, with multi-billion-dollar deals unveiled, as well as further endorsement by both sides of the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Immediately after his speech, Obama flew to Vietnam’s boisterous southern commercial hub Ho Chi Minh City, where he will meet tech-startup entrepreneurs later on Tuesday.
He has been cautious to avoid hectoring his hosts — an increasingly important regional ally — on human rights.
“Vietnam will do it differently to the United States,” Obama said.
“But these are basic principles that we all have to try to work on and improve,” he added, referring in particular to the importance of a free media.
His speech, punctuated with humourous asides and references to Vietnamese culture and history, was greeted with warm applause and cheers.
Earlier Obama met civil society leaders, including some of the country’s long-harassed dissidents.
What nonsense this slave is saying. While he blatantly violates human rights and goes on to kill people and violates sovereignty of another country he has the gall to preach about human rights?
What drove US President to visit a Foe-country which it said could destroy it when the Communist country launched a ICBM ? Warning ? Change of heart ? or what ?
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