The Hanoi regime has not ever accepted the concept of democracy as seen and practiced in the Western world. For them, all political powers rest automatically with the Communist party which has the supreme leadership by virtue of Article 4 of the Constitution. In order to exercise firm control over innocent citizens, the regime continues to use their trusted and loyal police and secret agents to crush all forms of opposition. As a result, the desire for human dignity and rights has always been a dream for millions of Vietnamese. Basic freedoms such as freedom of the press, freedom of expression , freedom of religion and freedom of movement that Canadians used to take for granted never exist in Vietnam under Communist rule.
Quiet diplomacy seems to work well in helping to improve human rights practices.
In theory, perhaps. In reality, it is very hard to achieve. Recently, Canada has tried this approach which , regrettably, did not produce the expected results. History has shown that Canada's firm position in denouncing the apartheid regime of South Africa in the 80's was highly regarded by countries and people around the world. By adopting measures to enforce political isolation and economic embargo and by showing solidarity with the innocent victims of South Africa, Canada has become the symbol of hope for the oppressed.