Joe Biden accused of trading goals to ignore Vietnam & India's rights

Joe Biden accused of trading goals to ignore Vietnam & India’s rights.
The White House issued a fact sheet during Joe Biden’s visit to Vietnam.
The White House also revealed Vietnam Airlines’ purchase.

The White House issued a fact sheet during President Joe Biden’s visit to Vietnam, totaling more than 2,600 words.

However, the section focusing on human rights was notably brief, containing only 112 words, including a sub-heading.

From both business and strategic standpoints, President Biden’s recent visits to Vietnam and India, which took place on Sunday and Monday and late last week, respectively, are likely to be perceived as efforts to strengthen ties with countries that can assist the United States in countering the growing influence of China.

Nevertheless, for advocates of human rights, President Biden’s trips were a source of disappointment, especially considering his administration’s initial commitment to prioritize human rights upon taking office in 2021.

During his visit to Hanoi, President Biden announced that the U.S. was elevating its relationship with Vietnam to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” and expanding collaboration in areas such as cloud computing, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence.

The White House also revealed Vietnam Airlines’ purchase of 50 Boeing 737 Max jets valued at $7.8 billion.

While the lack of emphasis on human rights was not unexpected, rights advocates are concerned that this approach may not lead to improvements in Vietnam and India and may even worsen conditions in other regions.

Carolyn Nash, Asia advocacy director at Amnesty International, expressed concern, stating, “The Biden administration is clearly sidelining human rights in the interest of advancing partnerships with governments it sees as strategically important – and sending a message that the U.S. is willing to tolerate blatant failures to protect and uphold human rights.”

Rights groups have accused India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of systematic discrimination against minorities, particularly Muslims, and have noted violent attacks against targeted groups by its supporters.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has highlighted bias in India’s justice system stemming from the government’s Hindu majoritarian ideology and increased efforts to silence activists and journalists through politically motivated charges.

Regarding Vietnam, HRW reported that the country held at least 159 political prisoners, individuals imprisoned for peacefully exercising basic civil and political rights, with at least 22 others in detention awaiting trial before a court controlled by the ruling Communist Party. HRW also noted that in the first eight months of 2023, at least 15 people were sentenced to long prison terms in violation of their right to a fair trial.

During his visit to Vietnam, reporters asked President Biden if he was prioritizing U.S. strategic interests over human rights, to which he replied that he had raised human rights issues in every meeting.

However, Nash and John Sifton at HRW argued that private discussions were insufficient. Sifton emphasized the need for governments to understand that there would be consequences for human rights abuses, either through pressure or the withdrawal of incentives.

Sifton particularly emphasized the importance of publicly criticizing Prime Minister Modi’s rights record, as this was the most effective way to compel change. Modi had previously denied the existence of discrimination against minorities during a press conference with President Biden in June. Vietnam’s government similarly denies committing rights abuses.

During his visit to India, President Biden did not publicly address human rights issues.

However, he stated during a Hanoi press conference that he had stressed the importance of respecting human rights and a free press in his discussions with Modi.

In India, the White House did not publicly protest the Indian government’s restrictions on reporters covering Modi’s meeting with Biden, which resulted in the U.S. press corps being confined to a van while the leaders held their talks.

U.S. Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell declined to address the press access issue in a briefing with reporters, explaining that President Biden preferred to address such matters privately.

Campbell emphasized the need for respectful dialogue with India on human rights, acknowledging that India had work to do in this regard but also stressing the challenges faced within the U.S.

The White House Hanoi fact sheet highlighted an “enhanced commitment to meaningful dialogue” in the U.S.-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue.

However, some U.S. officials view this annual dialogue as a somewhat superficial exchange of talking points. Notably, when Vietnamese Communist Party Chief Nguyen Phu Trong met with President Biden, the closest Vietnamese official to him on his left was To Lam, the influential minister for state security responsible for cracking down on dissidents.

Derek Grossman, a regional expert at the RAND Corp, noted that President Biden’s primary objective in courting India and Vietnam was to gain their support for America’s Indo-Pacific strategy aimed at countering China.

Consequently, the Biden administration has tended to downplay or avoid discussions on human rights, which may embolden these nations, as well as others like Saudi Arabia, to continue with business as usual.

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Joe Biden accused of trading goals to ignore Vietnam & India’s rights

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