FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2005

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) will present its 2005 Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award to t he U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), its Expedited Removal Study experts, and their team of researchers on June 25. The Award was established in 1983 to recognize outstanding service in advancing the cause of human rights and is being presented to the Commission in recognition of the Expedited Removal Study and USCIRF's efforts to promote the protection of asylum seekers who flee to the United States. The Award will be presented at the annual conference of the AILA in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In February the Commission released the findings of a Report on Asylum Seekers in Expedited Removal and recommendations for the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice. Congress authorized the USCIRF to appoint experts to conduct a study examining how Expedited Removal is implemented and if the process is sufficiently protecting all legitimate asylum seekers. Congress asked for the study to examine whether asylum seekers subject to Expedited Removal are being detained under inappropriate conditions and whether they are being returned to countries where they might face persecution.

The study found that while DHS has established several sound procedures and practices for asylum seekers in Expedited Removal, there are also serious and systemic problems in the implementation of the process relating to the protections enacted by Congress. Some of these problems may result in the improper removal of refugees to countries where they may face persecution. In addition, asylum seekers are being detained in inappropriate conditions. Poor intra- and inter-agency coordination at and between the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice has hampered the resolution of these problems, and Expedited Removal has been expanded despite these flaws. This study provides recommendations to address these problems, and examines issues of concern to all asylum seekers in Expedited Removal, not just those fleeing religious persecution.

Founded in 1946, AILA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that provides its members with continuing legal education, information, professional services, and expertise through its 35 chapters and over 50 national committees. AILA is an Affiliated Organization of the American Bar Association and is represented in the ABA House of Delegates.

To access the Commission's Report on Asylum Seekers in Expedited Removal, visit our web site at www.uscirf.gov .

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2005

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) will hold a public, on-the-record  hearing  on Thursday, June 30 on "The United States and Pakistan: Navigating a Complex Relationship." The hearing is scheduled for 2:00pm - 4:00pm in the Senate Dirksen Office Building, Room 138.

The State Department continues to characterize Pakistan's human rights record as "poor." Yet, Pakistan is considered by the Administration to be a key ally in the war on terrorism and the country has received a substantial increase in U.S. assistance since 9/11. There is concern among some observers, however, that current U.S. policies have resulted in a muting of U.S. criticism of the Musharraf government's democracy and human rights practices, which may ultimately be undermining U.S. anti-terrorism efforts.

Since 2002, the Commission has recommended that Pakistan be named a "country of particular concern," or CPC, for severe violations of religious freedom. To date the State Department has not designated Pakistan a CPC.

What: "The United States and Pakistan: Navigating a Complex Relationship"

When: Thursday, June 30, 2005, 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Where: Senate Dirksen Office Building, Room 138.

To examine the current state of U.S.-Pakistan relations, Commissioners will hear expert testimony from the following confirmed witnesses:

Christine Fair, Research and Studies Program, U.S. Institute of Peace

Husain Haqqani, Visiting Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Ambassador Karl Inderfurth, Director and Professor, International Affairs Program, The George Washington University

Danielle Pletka, Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute

Witness testimony and a transcript of the hearing will be made available on the Commission's web site at  www.uscirf.gov  after the event.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2005

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240 

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush announced yesterday that the United States and Vietnam had reached a "landmark agreement that will make it easier for people to worship freely in Vietnam." The agreement to which the President referred was first announced on May 5, 2005 by the State Department. The agreement, however, has not been made public, and the Commission calls on the State Department to disclose the substance of this important human rights agreement.

That agreement was the first diplomatic accord reached with a "country of particular concern" (CPC) since the passage of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). The IRFA legislation stipulates that a country designated as a CPC can avoid sanctions by entering into a "binding agreement" that details specific steps toward progress on religious freedom.

In testimony this week before the House International Relations Committee, USCIRF Vice Chair Nina Shea said that the Commission found it troubling that an agreement whose details are secret could be cited as evidence of progress because there was no way to monitor its provisions and no promise of access to regions, such as the Central Highlands and northwest provinces, that have experienced the most human rights problems. Shea called for the creation of a monitoring mechanism to ensure that the agreement is fulfilled and other issues of concern are addressed. "Until there is independent monitoring, any claims of progress on religious freedom should be viewed with skepticism," said Shea.

Over the past six months, the Vietnamese government has made several gestures to address religious freedom concerns, including the release of several prominent dissidents, a directive to stop forcing Protestants to recant their faith, and another to streamline the application process for religious groups seeking government approval. However, in her testimony, Commissioner Shea noted that the actions taken thus far only signal promises of improvement and not actual measurable progress. She added, "Promises do not mean progress in addressing the tangible reasons that landed Vietnam on the CPC list in the first place. Religious prisoners remain behind bars, churches remain closed, and restrictions and harassment on all of Vietnam's diverse religious communities continues. Moreover, troubling reports continue to arrive of new arrests and harassment of religious and ethnic minorities in Vietnam, despite promises that the new laws would improve religious freedom conditions." Commissioner Shea's HIRC testimony offered specific examples of ongoing forced renunciations of faith that occurred in the last month.

In addition, the Commission also has made specific recommendations for Congressional and Administration action in the areas of public diplomacy, economic development, education, and rule of law programs for Vietnam which would help to advance freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief. These may be found in the Commission's2005 Annual Report.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.