Under the Religious Freedom Act, the United States has designated China, Iran, and Russia, among others, as countries of particular concern due to severe violations, but it has not taken any action against India.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated in a statement on Friday, “Around the world, governments and non-state actors harass, threaten, jail, and even kill individuals on account of their beliefs.”
“The United States will not tolerate these violations.”
He went on to say that Washington would like to meet with all governments to lay out specific steps for getting off the lists.
Vietnam, Comoros, Algeria, and the Central African Republic were added to the watch list.
Around the world, governments and non-state actors harass, threaten, jail, and kill individuals because of their beliefs. Today’s designations keep with our values and interests to protect national security and advance human rights around the globe. https://t.co/ilUY48Bh4i
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) December 2, 2022
The Wagner Group, a private paramilitary organization that is aligned with the Kremlin and is active in Syria, Africa, and Ukraine, was also identified as an entity of particular concern.
“Sow division, undermine economic security, and threaten political stability and peace,” according to Blinken, violations of religious freedom.
From 2021 on, Blinken kept Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan on the blacklist.
The US added Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Nicaragua to a blacklist of countries that violate international religious freedom, paving the way for possible sanctions.
Under the annual determinations, Cuba and Nicaragua were both newly designated as “Countries of Particular Concern,” indicating that the two leftist Latin American nations already subject to US sanctions may face additional measures.
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No action against India, warning to Vietnam
Blinken took no action against India, a warning to Vietnam, as expected. The United States views India as a crucial new ally against China.
The decision disregards a recommendation from the independent US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which stated that the Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “significantly” worsening the treatment of minorities.
India had already voiced its disapproval of the State Department’s annual report on religious freedom, which detailed allegations of discrimination against Muslims and Christians and incendiary remarks made by Indian officials.
“Given their own reporting of the country’s violations of religious freedom, it is inexplicable why the @StateDept did not designate #India as a CPC [country of particular concern]. The USCIRF stated on Friday that “their documentation shows that India’s violations are systematic, ongoing, and egregious.”
Vice Chair Abraham Cooper: “The @StateDept’s failure to designate #India a CPC is inexplicable given their own reporting of the country’s religious freedom violations. Their documentation shows that India's violations are systematic, ongoing, & egregious." https://t.co/OXmuVAG01t
— USCIRF (@USCIRF) December 2, 2022
CAR and Vietnam are on the watchlist
The US Religious Freedom Act of 1998 mandates that the president-designate as countries of particular concern states that are deemed to violate religious freedom on a systematic and ongoing basis. The president delegated this responsibility to the secretary of state.
The Central African Republic, or CAR, was added to a watchlist by Blinken, which means that if nothing changes, it will be added to the list of Countries of Particular Concern.
Vietnam was also recently added to the watchlist.
Rights activists have been urging the United States to designate Vietnam due to the communist government’s treatment of Buddhist and other religious groups. However, subsequent US administrations have been establishing relationships with Vietnam, which was once a US adversary.
