Human Rights in Vietnam is a Hot Topic in the US House of Representatives.
Courtesy of BBC - 11/07/2007

American official said: "Vietnam needs to improve the way to treat their people in Vietnam in order to get a better relationship with America." Scott Marciel

During an appearing before the US House of Representatives, Mr. Scot Marciel, Asst. Secretary of State said that Vietnam has released some political prisoners in the last couple years, and also allowed the world freely to contact with Vietnam. However, reported by AP news, Mr. Marciel has said that Vietnam still does not seriously respects the freedom of political and civil liberty. Political activists would be arrested if making any comments. Media, using the Internet, freedom of groups meeting and freedom of speech are limited.
In his report, Mr. Marciel said that Vietnam has changed from the Marxist country, which had been damaged by war to a fast growing economy country. Vietnam is still slow in political reforms but has improved in freedom of religion.
Some other House Representatives has been pressured the Congressman about the Human Rights bill that has been passed with an impressive ratio in September 2007.
With that bill, when becomes law, the U.S. will not be allowed to increase humanitarian aid to Vietnam if the government does not raise the standard of Human Rights.
Republican Representative Ed Royce said, "We must strongly against the violations of Human Right in Vietnam". Mr. Royce urged the American Ambassador in Vietnam, Mr. Michael Michalak, to focus on human rights issue in Vietnam.

Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2007.

American Congressman Meeting

Chris Smith, a Republican Congressman, who prepared the 2007 bill, HR3096, which ties the future humanitarian aid to the improvement of Human Rights in Vietnam. US House of Representatives passed this bill with an impressive ratio of 414 "ayes" votes to 3 "nays" votes. All sponsors of HR 3096 have shown their reaction to Vietnam violations to the civil rights of political, religious and human rights activists.

According to Mr. Smith, violation of human rights in Vietnam has been worst in the past few months, and Hanoi continues to confine and detained a number of activists.
As of now, Vietnam receives about eight to twelve millions dollars of humanitarian aid per year.