[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 2, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E924]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E924]]
CALLING ON VIETNAM TO IMMEDIATELY AND UNCONDITIONALLY RELEASE POLITICAL 
                 PRISONERS AND PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 2, 2007



 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  May 2, 2007--On Page E924 the following appeared: HON. JAMES P. 
MORAN OF VIRGINIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Wednesday, May 
2, 2007
  
  The online version should be corrected to read: SPEECH OF HON. 
JAMES P. MORAN OF VIRGINIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Wednesday, May 2, 2007


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 243, 
which calls on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to 
immediately and unconditionally release Father Nguyen Van Ly, Nguyen 
Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and other political prisoners and prisoners 
of conscience.
  Mr. Speaker, as a co-sponsor of this resolution, I am extremely 
concerned and saddened by the resumption of repressive tactics of the 
Vietnamese Government. It was only six months ago that the State 
Department's Office of International Religious Freedom removed Vietnam 
from its ``Countries of Particular Concern'' list, a list mandated by 
the International Religious Freedom Act which we passed in 1998. 
However, despite their removal from this list, the Vietnamese 
government instead chose to resort to arbitrary arrests and detentions 
of religious community leaders and human rights activists.
  Father Nguyen Van Ly, a founder of the Committee for Human Rights in 
Vietnam, was arrested for what authorities called, ``conducting 
propaganda activities to harm the security of state.'' Father Nguyen 
Van Ly has spent nearly thirteen years in prison for the fight for 
religious freedom and democracy in Vietnam. Just last month, two 
prominent Vietnamese human rights attorneys, Mr. Nguyen Van Dai and Ms. 
Le Thi Cong Nhan, were arrested for ``spreading anti-government 
propaganda.''
  Mr. Speaker, the United States prides itself on the promotion of 
democracy, good governance, protection of human rights and religious 
freedom, and the advancement of the rule of law. We cannot look the 
other way when a ``Most Favored Nation'' is committing the grossest of 
human rights violations against its citizens. Congress cannot ignore 
the blatant disregard Vietnam is displaying towards its own people 
while it continues to detain and silence Vietnamese lawyers, democracy 
activists, and human rights advocates. As Vietnam aspires to integrate 
itself with the global economy, I believe it must also understand that 
the United States and the rest of the world is watching their actions 
and we condemn their atrocious digression and disregard for the most 
basic human rights.

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