In an Aug. 21
Washington Post op ed, Robert George and Katrina Lantos Swett, chair and vice-chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, strongly criticize the Administration for failing to redesignate "countries of particular concern" (CPC) under the
International Religious Freedom Act. CPC designation indicates that a country has a particularly egregious record with regard to religious freedom. The op-ed says in part:
The Bush administration issued several designations in its first term but let the process fall off track in its second. The Obama administration issued designations only once during its first term, in August 2011.
The result? Violators such as Egypt, Pakistan and Vietnam are escaping the accountability that the International Religious Freedom Act is meant to provide.
Even those nations currently designated as “countries of particular concern” could escape accountability if there are no designations this month; under the law, countries remain designated until removed, but any corresponding penalties expire after two years. Without new designations, sanctions attached in 2011 to Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea and Sudan will expire this month. And while those countries are subject to sanctions under other U.S. laws, allowing the International Religious Freedom Act’s sanctions authority to expire would send the disturbing message that the United States won’t implement its own law on religious freedom.
