[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 152 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 152

           Concerning human rights and democracy in Vietnam.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 1993

 Mr. Skaggs (for himself, Mr. Peterson of Florida, and Mr. Gilchrest) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
           Concerning human rights and democracy in Vietnam.

Whereas the ending of the Cold War provides an unprecedented opportunity for 
        democratic reform and improvements in human rights throughout the world;
Whereas the government and citizens of the United States view positively recent 
        improvements in resolving POW/MIA cases by the Socialist Republic of 
        Vietnam and wish to promote even greater openness in that country;
Whereas recent economic reforms and initiatives undertaken by the Vietnamese 
        Government can best be encouraged and built upon through political 
        liberalization;
Whereas the interests of the United States and the people of Vietnam, and the 
        international community would best be served by having a friendly and 
        democratic government in Vietnam;
Whereas the United States currently has no program to support political reform 
        in Vietnam; and
Whereas greater respect for internationally recognized human rights and a 
        peaceful transition to democracy in Vietnam would greatly reduce the 
        threat to the stability of Southeast Asia, allow for the rapid 
        resolution of the POW/MIA issue, and enable the creation of a free-
        market economy in Vietnam: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the United States should support the process of 
        nonviolent democratic reform in Vietnam;
            (2) the Secretary of State should declare United States 
        support for the democratization of Vietnam and reaffirm that 
        measurable progress on the MIA/POW issue is critical to 
        normalizing economic and diplomatic relations with the United 
        States;
            (3) the Administration should take the lead in mobilizing 
        the United Nations, ASEAN members, human rights organizations, 
        and the various other interest groups to work toward the common 
        goal of promoting basic human rights, the rule of law, and free 
        and democratic elections in Vietnam; and
            (4) the United States should increase its support for Voice 
        of America programming in Vietnam.

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