[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 68 (Friday, May 14, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING AND HONORING THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIETNAM HUMAN 
                               RIGHTS DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. RAHM EMANUEL

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 11, 2004

  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 
613, recognizing Vietnam Human Rights Day. This resolution marks the 
tenth anniversary of the day the Manifesto of the Nonviolent Movement 
for Human Rights in Vietnam was announced. This landmark document was 
written in 1994 by the great human rights leader Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, 
who called for an end to human rights violations in Vietnam.
  Dr. Que is one of the most prominent advocates for democracy, freedom 
and human rights in Vietnam. He has remained in Vietnam since 1975, 
after the fall of Saigon and the departure of the last American troops. 
Even in the face of significant peril, Dr. Que defied the communist 
regime by speaking out in defense of human dignity and the rights of 
all Vietnamese people. He has been imprisoned intermittently for the 
past 20 years, and remains under constant supervision and subject to 
frequent harassment by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. He continues 
his struggle in order to focus the world's attention to the thousands 
of his countrymen and fellow dissidents who are also harassed, tortured 
or imprisoned for openly criticizing the government.
  One such dissident is Father Thaddeus Nguyen Ly, a Roman Catholic 
priest who was invited to testify before the United States Commission 
on International Religious Freedom in 2001. Although he was denied 
permission to leave his country to testify in person, his statement 
cited several specific actions taken by the Government of Vietnam that 
violated religious freedom and which he described as ``extremely 
cruel.'' He called for a ``non violent and persistent campaign'' to 
achieve full religious freedom for all people in Vietnam.
  The Vietnamese government imprisoned Father Ly on the basis of that 
testimony. He was branded a traitor for ``slandering'' the Communist 
party, and ``distorting'' the religious policy of the government. 
Father Ly was arrested and tried without the benefit of counsel. In a 
trial that lasted only a single day, he was convicted of all charges 
and sentenced to fifteen years in prison and an additional five years 
of administrative probation. Father Ly's nephews were also imprisoned, 
further demonstrating this case of egregious oppression of human rights 
and its devastating impact on Father Ly's family.
  Mr. Speaker, it has been ten years since the United States ended its 
trade embargo with Vietnam and normalized relations with Hanoi under 
the policy known as ``constructive engagement,'' which has proven 
effective with our previously closed societies in which human rights 
violations were prevalent. While the U.S. continues to open diplomatic 
relations with Vietnam, we must continue to advance constructive 
engagement to ensure a more open, democratic and prosperous Vietnamese 
society. It is our responsibility to promote greater freedom of speech 
and religion and greater respect for basic human rights in Vietnam.
  Mr. Speaker, human rights shall always remain a firm pillar of U.S. 
foreign policy. Accordingly, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for 
introducing this important resolution and I urge my colleagues to 
support it.

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