[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 88 (Tuesday, July 11, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING VIETNAMESE AMERICANS AND OTHERS WHO SEEK TO 
           IMPROVE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS IN VIETNAM

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 10, 2000

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong 
support for H. Con. Res. 322, a resolution which expresses the sense of 
Congress regarding the sacrifices of individuals who served in the 
Armed Forces of the former Republic of Vietnam.
  I introduced this resolution several months ago to honor the brave 
Vietnamese men and women who fought alongside American forces during 
the Vietnam conflict, and yet were never given the proper recognition. 
It is my strong belief that the individuals who served in the Armed 
Forces of the Republic of Vietnam should be commended for their bravery 
and courage in the face of severe adversity and hardship.
  This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fall of Saigon to 
Communist forces. The Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam suffered 
enormous casualties during the Vietnam Conflict. From 1961 to 1975, 
over 750,000 Vietnamese men were wounded and over 250,000 Vietnamese 
men were killed in action. These brave men made the ultimate sacrifice: 
they died fighting for freedom and democracy in their homeland. 
Although their homeland was lost to Communist forces, their sacrifices 
must never be forgotten.
  After the war, the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 
forcibly rounded up intellectuals, political leaders, teachers, poets, 
artists, religious leaders, and former officers and enlisted personnel 
of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam and sent them to re-
education camps--a more appropriate term would be ``Vietnamese Gulag.'' 
These camps evoke images akin to the Nazi death camps during World War 
II. The prisoners, deemed security risks by the Communist regime, were 
regularly beaten, starved, tortured, and forced to endure inhumane 
conditions. Unfortunately, many, if not most, did not survive.
  As one former prisoner told the Seattle Times, ``The Communist did 
not need reasons to kill. Prisoners were expendable, worked to death . 
. .'' Or told through the eyes of another former prisoner, ``They [the 
Communists] don't kill everyone all at once, but slowly, slowly.''
  I would like to mention some remarkable individuals who survived the 
Vietnamese Gulag and have personally shared their stories with me. 
These stories speak of courage, spirit, and the human will to live. 
These individuals now live in Northern Virginia. Mr. Nguyen Cao Quyen, 
Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Mr. Tran Nhat Kim, Mr. Dinh Anh Thai are all 
former prisoners of the Vietnamese Gulag. Their crime: they were 
officers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam or worked for 
the South Vietnamese government.
  Mr. Vu Hoi--an artist, Mr. Nguyen Chi Thien--a poet, and Professor 
Doan Viet Hoat, all were intellectuals who were imprisoned by the 
Communist government for expressing their beliefs about democracy. In 
total, these three men spent over 50 years in the Vietnamese Gulag.
  Finally, I would like to mention Father Nguyen Huu Le and Father Tran 
Qui Thien who were also imprisoned for many years because they would 
not use their influence with their parishioners to propagandize 
Communist ideology. I am proud to represent these courageous 
individuals and others like them in Virginia's Eleventh District.
  Although the current government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 
is a signatory to eight international covenants on human rights, it 
continues to treat members of the former Armed Forces of Vietnam and 
their families as second-class citizens. The government of Vietnam has 
established a two-tiered socioeconomic system, reminiscent of the 
apartheid regime used in South Africa and implemented by the Nazis to 
isolate Jews in the 1930's.
  A good example is education, which is highly valued in Vietnamese 
culture and society. Yet relatives of the men who suffered in the 
Vietnamese Gulag cannot enroll in schools because of an official 
government-endorsed policy of exclusion. Likewise, many relatives of 
these former prisoners find it difficult to obtain employment for the 
same reason. The government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is 
adding insult to injury to these principled men who
  The end of the Vietnam conflict produced an exodus of over 2 million 
Vietnamese who fled the country, many in rickety boats that were over-
crowded and dangerous. They suffered treacherous seas, pirate attacks, 
dehydration, lack of food and medicine, and risked death rather than 
live under a Communist regime. Many of these refugees came to the 
United States where they have resettled, and are now proud Americans.
  While the Vietnamese-American Community has been successful in 
rebuilding their lives here in the United States, they have not 
forgotten those who fought in the name of freedom. Traditionally, the 
former Republic of South Vietnam and presently in Vietnamese-American 
communities all across America, June 19th represents a day to 
commemorate and honor both fallen and living heros who have dedicated 
or are continuing to dedicate their lives to bringing international 
attention to freedom and the human rights situation in Vietnam. It is a 
day on which the community memorializes those who gave their lives and 
recognizes former prisoners of conscience for their commitment and 
sacrifice in the struggle for democracy and freedom.
  This is why on Vietnam Human Rights Day, I introduced, H. Con. Res. 
322, a resolution honoring the sacrifices of individuals who served in 
the Armed Forces of the former Republic of Vietnam. As an original 
sponsor of the Congressional Dialogue on Vietnam and the Adopt-A-Voice-
of-Conscience program, it is not only my honor, but my privilege to 
have introduced this resolution on behalf of all Vietnamese-Americans 
and especially, the tens of thousands living in Northern Virginia. It 
is imperative that we never forget the sacrifices that the members of 
Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam made so that future generations 
may live in freedom.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution because it 
reaffirms Congress' commitment to Vietnamese-Americans and others whose 
work helps to keep the spirit of freedom alive for those still living 
in Vietnam.
  It is my strongest hope that the citizens of Vietnam will one day be 
free: free to elect their own leaders and government, free to worship 
as they please, free to speak and print their own opinions without fear 
of persecution or harassment, and simply free to live their lives 
without government intrusion. This is the will of democracy and the 
Vietnamese people.

                          ____________________