12-22-06

美称越南宗教自由有进步 (US Says Vietnam Has Made Progress in Religious Freedom)

布什政府为最近把越南从世界上违反宗教自由最严重的国家名单上除去的决定提出辩护。美国国务院国际宗教自由办公室负责人利斯通星期四对国会的一个委员会说，越南在推动宗教自由方面取得了真正的进步。他说，在过去两年里，越南政府在这方面实施了一系列新的法律。他说，其中包括将几百个宗教集会地点合法化，并允许数百名新教士接受培训。

美国独立的国际自由委员会负责人表示，这些进步不足以把越南从世界上违反宗教自由最严重的国家名单上去除。美国一些国会议员也对此表示关注。新泽西州共和党议员史密斯说，他2005年曾前往越南访问，那里宗教自由的匮乏让他感到震惊。

The Bush administration is defending its recent decision to remove Vietnam from a list of the world's worst violators of freedom of religion. Liston, the director of the State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom told a congressional committee Thursday that Vietnam has made real progress promoting religious freedom. He said over the past two years, Vietnam's government has put in place a series of new laws on the issue. He said they include legalizing hundreds of religious meeting places and allowing for hundreds of new clergy members to be trained.

The head of the independent U.S. Commission on International Freedom said the progress is not enough to warrant Vietnam's removal from the list of the world's worst violators of freedom of religion. Some lawmakers also expressed concerns. New Jersey Republican Christopher Smith said he was appalled by the lack of religious freedom he saw in Vietnam during a 2005 visit.

六方会谈结束未获突破 (Six-Party Talks End Without Breakthrough)

最新一轮有关北韩核项目问题的六方会谈星期五在北京结束，没有取得任何突破。六方会谈主席发表声明说，谈判人员期望尽早再次举行会谈，并表示会谈六方同意尽早分阶段落实2005年9月达成的联合声明。

星期五结束的5天会谈是有关六国一年多以来举行的第一次会议，也是平壤方面10月进行核试爆以来的第一次。

日本首相安倍晋三说，国际社会可能会加紧对平壤施加压力。2005年，平壤原则上承诺解除核武器，但是拒绝讨论协议的实施，除非美国先解除去年针对北韩据称造伪钞和洗钱而实施的制裁。韩国总统卢武铉星期四说，北韩解除核武方面没有进展，美国要承担部分责任。

The latest round of six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program has ended in Beijing without a breakthrough. A statement released by the chairman of the talks says negotiators hope to reconvene at the earliest opportunity and said that the six parties agreed to implement the joint statement of September 2005 as soon as possible, and in a "phased manner."

The five-day talks that ended Friday were the first held by the six nations involved in more than a year, and the first since Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test in October.

Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, says the international community is likely to increase pressure on Pyongyang. North Korea promised in principle to disarm in 2005. But it has refused to negotiate implementation until the U.S. lifts financial sanctions imposed last year in response to North Korea's alleged counterfeiting and money laundering. South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun said Thursday that the United States bears some of the blame for the lack of progress over North Korea's disarmament.