mr president vietnam and laos sadly remain the only vestiges along with cuba and the people's republic of china of one-party communist dictatorships where parliamentary democracy pluralism of debate including freedom of the media and internet blogging and peaceful practice of religion are alien concepts
in vietnam outspoken buddhist monks and catholics are not tolerated by the hanoi government and in laos the hmong people are persecuted and many have fled to thailand
i agree that with all the good will in the world and in spite of endless international and un commitments including those made recently to the eu in trade agreements communist dictatorships can never be liberal democracies
