[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 23, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H4967]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ADOPT A RELIGIOUS PRISONER IN VIETNAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 21, 1997, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Sanchez) is recognized during morning hour debates for 3 minutes.
  Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to 
participate in the Adopt a Religious Prisoner in Vietnam Campaign, 
sponsored by the Hoa Hao Buddhist Church of Southern California. 
Religious believers around the world often suffer abuses, including 
beatings, tortures, extended incarceration and, yes, even death at the 
hands of their government, unless their leaders intervene.
  As Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to highlight the 
ongoing repression against religion in Vietnam and the plight of many 
clergy members and lay leaders who are being detained because of their 
faith. Reports show that the Hoa Hao Buddhist Church continues to be 
suppressed. All religious activities and ceremonies are prohibited. 
Assembly of more than three persons is forbidden, and all assets and 
properties are being confiscated.
  Religious expression is a fundamental right of all people, both here 
and abroad, and I believe that we should do all we can to affirm this 
principle. For too long, imprisoned people of faith have been 
forgotten. With Members of Congress adopting prisoners, we can 
successfully advocate for religious prisoners suffering persecution at 
the hands of the Vietnamese government. I adopted Mr. Tran Huu Duyen 
and Mr. Nam Liem to raise awareness among U.S. decision-makers and the 
public about religious repercussion in communist Vietnam. What crimes 
did these men commit to suffer such hard prison sentences?
  Mr. Liem is a 58 year old Buddhist priest who practices religion at a 
small family temple in Vietnam, and since 1975 he has been arrested and 
detained by the communist authorities over 50 times for having refused 
to abandon his religious practice. To date, he has not been released 
from prison.
  After the Communist takeover, Mr. Huu was arrested and charged with 
plotting to overthrow the people's government, for participating in a 
political party that was affiliated with the church. Mr. Huu is last 
known to be in a labor camp in Xuan Loc and, despite his 78 years of 
age, he is still forced to do hard labor 8 hours a day.
  By adopting these prisoners, Members of Congress can generate 
constant pressure on the Vietnamese authorities to release these 
religious leaders from detention and to truly respect freedom of 
religion.

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