On the recordDecember 15, 2010
The International Religious Freedom Act, or IRFA, requires the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to prepare an annual report on the state of religious freedom throughout the world. IRFA also provides that any country which commits systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom be placed on a list of countries of particular concern, or CPC, which opens these nations up to economic sanctions by the United States. After several years of urging from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Vietnam was eventually designated a Country of Particular Concern in 2004 and 2005, and this designation led to modest but unprecedented improvements in the government's treatment of worshippers. Since 2006, however, the U.S. State Department has declined to designate Vietnam as a CPC, and during the ensuing 4 years there have been no further significant improvements and even some backtracking in the progress made on the ability for those of faith to freely practice their religion. The October 2009 report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom found: "There continue to be far too many serious abuses and restrictions of religious freedom in Vietnam. Individuals continue to be imprisoned or detained for reasons related to their religious activity or religious freedom advocacy.
