[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 431 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 431

 Urging the Government of Vietnam to provide to the United States all 
     information in the possession of Vietnam regarding Americans 
     unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 19, 2004

 Mr. Collins submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Urging the Government of Vietnam to provide to the United States all 
     information in the possession of Vietnam regarding Americans 
     unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, and for other purposes.

Whereas diplomatic relations between the United States Government and the 
        Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam were established in July 
        1995;
Whereas diplomatic relations between the two countries were established 
        following assurances from President Clinton and Vietnamese officials 
        that improved bilateral relations would result in expanded cooperation 
        to achieve the fullest possible accounting of Americans captured, 
        missing, or killed during the Vietnam War;
Whereas the United States lifted a trade embargo against Vietnam in 1994 and 
        signed a bilateral trade agreement that was ratified by the Senate in 
        2001 based on repeated certifications to Congress by President Clinton 
        that Vietnam was fully cooperating in accounting for those Americans 
        captured, missing, or killed during the Vietnam War;
Whereas on March 20, 2002, President George W. Bush issued Presidential 
        Determination 2002-11, stating that ``Vietnam's unilateral provision of 
        POW/MIA-related documents and records should be improved, focused 
        initially on archival data pertaining to Americans captured, missing, or 
        killed in areas of Laos and Cambodia under wartime Vietnamese control'';
Whereas President Bush further stated that ``Vietnam should also focus greater 
        attention on locating and providing information on discrepancy cases, 
        with priority on those last known alive in captivity or in immediate 
        proximity to capture'' (Presidential Determination 2002-11);
Whereas President Bush urged the Government of Vietnam to take unilateral 
        actions aimed at ``locating and repatriating the remains of those who 
        died while in Vietnamese control that have not yet been returned'' 
        (Presidential Determination 2002-11);
Whereas in November 2003, the U.S.S. Vandergrift docked in Ho Chi Minh City, 
        Vietnam, symbolizing an improvement in military ties between the United 
        States and Vietnam;
Whereas despite the improvement in military ties, Vietnam continues to refuse 
        requests by the United States to permit a United States Navy vessel to 
        conduct humanitarian underwater recovery missions along the coastline of 
        Vietnam;
Whereas Vietnamese officials have invited Members of Congress to visit Vietnam 
        and judge the level and sincerity of the cooperation provided by 
        Vietnam, assuring Members of Congress open access to archives in the 
        possession of the Government of Vietnam;
Whereas Members of Congress have traveled to Vietnam to seek access to relevant 
        archival records and witnesses with information about Americans 
        unaccounted for from the Vietnam War; and
Whereas despite existing evidence that many specified documents could be made 
        available, the Government of Vietnam has failed to provide any useful 
        documents or records relating to Americans unaccounted for from the 
        Vietnam War to Members of Congress and has asserted that all such 
        documents and records have previously been provided to the United 
        States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) urges the Government of the Socialist Republic of 
        Vietnam to immediately provide to the United States all 
        documents and records relating to Americans unaccounted for 
        from the Vietnam War, including documents relating to Americans 
        unaccounted for in areas of Laos and Cambodia that were under 
        wartime Vietnamese control;
            (2) welcomes the improvement in military ties between the 
        United States and Vietnam, including the port call of the 
        U.S.S. Vandergrift in November 2003, and urges the Government 
        of Vietnam to respond positively by the end of 2004 to requests 
        to permit a United States Navy vessel to conduct humanitarian 
        underwater recovery missions along the coastline of Vietnam; 
        and
            (3) will consider statements by President George W. Bush 
        and the response of the Government of Vietnam to the request by 
        the United States Government to use a United States Navy vessel 
        to conduct humanitarian underwater recovery missions along the 
        coast of Vietnam before taking further steps beneficial to the 
        economic and political objectives of the Government of Vietnam.
                                 <all>