Đặt điều kiện nhân quyền cho Việt Nam để tham gia TPP
Ts. Nguyễn Đình Thắng
Tôi thiết tha kêu gọi các tổ chức người Việt ở Hoa Kỳ nhanh chóng tham gia chiến dịch ngăn chặn TPA do các công đoàn Hoa Kỳ phát động.
TPA, viết tắt của Trade Promotion Authority, là thẩm quyền mà TT Obama đang muốn có. Với thẩm quyền này, Hành Pháp có toàn quyền thương thảo các hiệp ước mậu dịch quốc tế, và Quốc Hội chỉ có thể bó phiếu chống hoặc thuận chứ không có quyền góp ý hay tu chính.
Chúng ta cần chặn TPA ngay lúc này, để sau đó còn vận động Quốc Hội cài các điều kiện nhân quyền vào TPP đối với Việt Nam.
Xin vào đây để ký tên vào thư kêu gọi các lãnh đạo trong Quốc Hội không ban quyền hạn TPA cho Tổng Thống Obama: http://goo.gl/forms/ZA8evW0ZCA
Xin lưu ý là việc tham gia chỉ áp dụng cho các tổ chức hoạt động ở Hoa Kỳ.
Hạn chót để các tổ chức ký tên tham gia là cuối ngày Thứ Tư 15 tháng 4 này.
Chúng tôi vô cùng xin lỗi về sự gấp rút này.
Kính thư,
Nguyễn Đình Thắng
Tổng Giám Đốc & Chủ Tịch
BPSOS
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Date
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Harry Reid
Minority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Reid, Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi,
As organizations that represent Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, we urge you to oppose “Fast Track” legislation, also known as Trade Promotion Authority (TPA).
We are very concerned about the unprecedented level of secrecy that negotiations have been conducted in. Leaked texts have shown that the Fast Tracking of sweeping trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will have serious implications for AAPI workers and families.
AAPIs are involved in all parts of our nation’s economy and workforce—from small business owners to farmers, our community plays a diverse role in the labor force. A large share—65 percent—of the AAPI community is foreign born.
The TPP extends beyond traditional trade issues like tariffs and quotas, and will have very real consequences for our daily lives. It will not only lead to further offshoring of jobs, but undermine our food safety, internet freedom and access to affordable medicines.
Just three trade deals–the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), China into the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the U.S. – Korea Trade Agreement—have resulted in the loss of nearly 4 million U.S. jobs. States with large AAPI populations have been particularly hard hit. Additionally, AARP has warned that the TPP will increase prescription prices and place a number of Medicare and Medicaid programs at risk. Medicaid provides stable health coverage and services for 11% of Asian Americans and 14% of Pacific Islanders. In addition, over 14% of Asian seniors rely on Medicare and Medicaid for health coverage.
We are concerned that the TPP would also reward some countries in Asia that violently suppress civil, human and workers’ rights. For example, one of the countries that would benefit from TPP, Brunei, has adopted a new penal code, supposedly based on Sharia law, which threatens the rights of women, religious minorities as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Previously Fast Tracked free trade agreements such as NAFTA have already demonstrated that this free trade model harms our communities by putting corporate profits over workers. This has led to a global race to the bottom. NAFTA and subsequent pacts not only led to millions of American jobs being lost through offshoring, but also devastated farming communities in Latin America, exacerbated inequality and spurred economic migration to the US. The TPP will only worsen this race to the bottom.
Fast Tracking the TPP would mean that neither Congress nor the American people will be able to thoroughly debate the TPP or make amendments to make sure that the agreement protects AAPI communities here in the U.S. and abroad. Members of Congress should not give up their constitutional right and responsibility to make sure that trade policies represent the needs and priorities of their constituents. We urge you to stand with us in opposing Fast Track.
Sincerely,