HANOI, Vietnam — The biggest obstacle to President Obama’s hope to improve relations with Vietnam on his visit, which began Sunday, will be the communist nation’s dismal record on human rights.

Some residents can’t practice their religion. Other activists aren’t allowed to run for political office. And an increasing number of bloggers face retribution for calling for more freedom and transparency. Human rights groups say nearly 100 dissidents are imprisoned in Vietnam.

The country has what a group of U.S. senators calls one of the most repressive regimes in the world, after other nearby communist countries like China and North Korea.

All political power lies firmly with the ruling Communist Party, which carefully monitors public and private lives. There is no independent media, and civil society groups cannot legally register unless they submit to the Communist Party’s control, said Rafendi Djamin, director of Amnesty International’s South East Asia and Pacific Regional office.

That will force Obama into a delicate balancing act as he tries to boost economic and military ties to the former enemy while not appearing to accept Vietnam’s actions on human rights.

“Obama should stand next to Vietnam’s leaders in public and call on them to respect the right to freely choose government representatives, stand for office, and peacefully advocate for democracy,” said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch. “If this trip is partially about legacy-building, as some suggest, there can be no more meaningful legacy than helping the people of Vietnam achieve fundamental reforms.”

The president will get his first chance Monday when he meets with Vietnam’s president, Tran Dai Quang. Obama’s visit also will include a speech to the nation.


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