Thank you, Chair.
Thank you to our witnesses for your time and your presentations.
The ongoing harassment, arbitrary detention, and imprisonment of human rights defenders illustrate Vietnam's failure to live up to its repeated pledges to protect human rights. Last year, for instance, Vietnam detained or imprisoned at least 11 bloggers and human rights defenders, and it currently holds about 200 political prisoners, the largest number in Southeast Asia.
Is more international pressure on Hanoi needed to ensure that arbitrary arrests and imprisonment stop and that all political prisoners, including human rights defenders, are released? In your opinion is the Vietnamese government likely to cave to international pressure?