Vietnam

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2008 – A chain of about 750,000 motorcycles ridden by Vietnam veterans and military supporters blazed through the nation’s capital today as part of the 21st annual Rolling Thunder rally.

In addition to offering vets a chance to reconnect with their brothers-in-arms and honor fallen comrades, the ride aims to raise awareness about issues concerning prisoners of war, troops missing in action and veterans’ benefits.

President Bush this afternoon arranged for Rolling Thunder founder Artie Muller to be delivered by helicopter to the White House, where the two discussed topics at the heart of Muller’s nonprofit group.    » read more »

31 March 2008 -- Japan's jobless rate has risen for the first time in five months, and Chevron Corporation has discovered large offshore natural gas deposits in Vietnam. Naomi Martig in Hong Kong has more on these and other business stories from the region.

Japan's unemployment rate has risen for the first time in five months, partly because exports to the United States fell. Japanese officials say the jobless rate rose to 3.9 percent in February, up from the 3.8 percent recorded the previous month.

Analysts say the increase is not worrisome, but that it does indicate that companies are concerned about hiring workers as they deal with rising costs and slower U.S. consumer spending.    » read more »

Senator honors Nevadans who died during Vietnam War

January 31, 2008 -- Washington, DC— Nevada Senator Harry Reid made the following statement today on the floor of the U.S. Senate to commemorate the victories of the U.S. forces during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam:

Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Mr. President, I rise today, the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the Tet Offensive, to commemorate the valor and courageousness with which our Armed Forces fought to repel this massive attack.    » read more »

January 25, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein (both D-CA) today sent a letter to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam, calling on him to release Nguyen Quoc Quan, a U.S. citizen and democracy activist from Sacramento who has been imprisoned in Vietnam since November 2007.

“We write today to request that you help facilitate the release of Mr. Nguyen Quoc Quan…who traveled to Vietnam to promote non-violent democratic change,” the letter states.    » read more »

12 December 2007 -- Vietnam has released three of the four Vietnamese-born United States citizens it arrested in November and accused of involvement in terrorism. The release comes a day after the U.S. ambassador criticized the detentions. Matt Steinglass reports from Hanoi.

Vietnamese television reported Wednesday morning that Leon Truong had left Vietnam, bound for his home in the United States. Truong had been arrested in Ho Chi Minh City November 17 with five other activists from the Viet Tan party, a U.S.-based pro-democracy group.    » read more »

07 November 2007 -- Vietnamese officials say floods have killed at least 77 people in central Vietnam since late last month, and now a new typhoon is approaching.

Typhoon Peipah is working its way across the South China Sea and is expected to dump heavy rains on Vietnam's central provinces as early as Friday.

Since late October, heavy rains have ravaged parts of central Vietnam, damaging rice crops and forcing schools to close. State media say at least one million people in the region are facing shortages of clean water and food.    » read more »

07 November 2007 -- Human rights in Vietnam was the subject of a congressional hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill. U.S.-based Vietnamese democracy groups and human rights organizations urged Congress and the Bush administration to take stronger steps to pressure Hanoi to release political prisoners and end suppression of religious freedoms.

The hearing in the House foreign affairs human rights subcommittee was the latest effort by lawmakers to focus attention on the human rights situation in Vietnam.    » read more »