[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 28, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN CELEBRATION OF FIFTEEN YEARS OF U.S.-VIETNAM DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA

                           of american samoa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 28, 2010

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise today in celebration of 15 
years of U.S.-Vietnam diplomatic relations. On July 14, 2010, I joined 
former President Bill Clinton, Senator John Kerry and Senator John 
McCain in offering remarks at an event hosted by Ambassador of Vietnam 
Le Cong Phung and Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell in honor 
of this occasion.
  While time will not permit me to elaborate about the competing 
interests of ridding the world of colonialism versus communism and 
America's decision to eventually intervene in Vietnam, the majority of 
the American people did not know of the complexities facing the 
countries of the Asia region.
  Why, for example, did Ho Chi Minh and so many other Asian leaders 
become followers of socialist, Marxist, and communist ideologies? One 
obvious reason is that the worst examples of those who advocated 
freedom and democracy were those European countries that came and 
colonized so many of these Asian nations, including Vietnam.
  For some 100 years, Vietnam was colonized and exploited by the French 
and, during President Dwight Eisenhower's Administration, the French 
government requested American military assistance to fight the 
Vietnamese who, under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, were struggling 
for independence from French colonial rule. President Eisenhower 
refused to help the French in Vietnam for the simple reason that French 
exploitation and colonial policies in the region went against the 
ideals upon which America was built.
  Subsequently, in 1954, long before American intervention in Vietnam, 
Ho Chi Minh led his people to fight against French colonialism for 
which the famous battle of Dienbienphu was fought to liberate his 
country. While Ho Chi Minh's early intent was to get rid of 100 years 
of French colonialism and establish a better life for his own people, 
regrettably when the U.S. entered the fray in 1955 and by the time the 
Nixon administration withdrew U.S. troops forces in 1973, millions of 
U.S. troops had served in Vietnam, with more than 58,000 killed.
  Three to four million Vietnamese were also killed, as were 1.5 to 2 
million Laotians and Cambodians. For what, we ask? As a result of this 
horrific war, U.S.-Vietnam diplomatic and economic relations were 
virtually non-existent for more than 20 years following North Vietnam's 
victory in 1975--until President Bill Clinton announced the formal 
normalization of diplomatic relations with Vietnam on July 11, 1995.
  Prior to this, President Clinton announced the end of the U.S. trade 
embargo in 1994 and, 2 months later, the U.S. Congress passed the 
Foreign Relations Authorization Act which contained a Sense of the 
Senate express the chamber's support for the normalization of relations 
with Vietnam.
  In 1997, President Clinton appointed the first post-war ambassador to 
Vietnam and signed the landmark U.S.-Vietnam bilateral trade agreement, 
BTA, in 2000. Vietnam did its part, too, improving cooperation on POW/
MIA and refugee issues and moving forward on its ongoing reform 
efforts.
  In November 2000, President Clinton visited Vietnam, the first trip 
by a U.S. President since Richard Nixon went to Saigon in 1969. 
Tonight, we applaud former President Clinton for his visionary 
leadership which has led to this moment. I also commend Ambassador Le 
Cong Phung for the tremendous service he has rendered to his country.
  Today, economic ties are the most mature aspect of our bilateral 
relationship with trade flows exceeding $15 billion in 2009, more than 
ten times the level in 2001. But we can do better, and one area that 
must be addressed is our forgotten responsibility to the victims of 
Agent Orange because part of normalizing relations means coming to 
terms with our past.
  As Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the 
Pacific and the Global Environment, I have held a series of hearing 
about Agent Orange and our need to clean up the mess we left behind.
  From 1961 to 1971, the U.S. military sprayed more than 11 million 
gallons of Agent Orange in Vietnam. Agent Orange was manufactured under 
Department of Defense, DOD, contracts by several companies including 
Dow Chemical and Monsanto. Dioxin, a toxic contaminant known to be one 
of the deadliest chemicals made by man, was an unwanted byproduct and 
is thought to be responsible for most of the medical problems 
associated with exposure to Agent Orange.
  According to Hatfield Consultants, the U.S. Department of Defense as 
well as Dow Chemical and Monsanto knew as early as 1967 of the 
potential long-term health risks, and sought to ``censor'' relevant 
news reports, ``fearing a negative backlash from government and the 
public.''
  More than 30 years later, while research clearly shows that Agent 
Orange was much more hazardous than anyone would admit, U.S. and 
Vietnamese victims have not been adequately compensated, and Vietnam 
has not been cleaned-up. Ironically, Dow is now doing business in 
Vietnam but refuses to help the victims of Agent Orange, and this is 
not right.
  In 2007, after 40 years, I, too, returned to Vietnam and, at a 
closing dinner hosted by the National Assembly of Ho Chi Minh City, I 
had long discussions with members of their Foreign Affairs Committee 
who had also served in the Vietnam War. Although we were once enemies, 
we embraced each other as friends who share the same hopes and dreams 
for our families and countries, and this is how it should be but full 
normalization will not be achieved until the Agent Orange issue is 
addressed. It is my sincere hope that we will come together and agree 
on a way to make this matter right.
  Once more, I congratulate the government and people of Vietnam and 
applaud former President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush, 
President George H.W. Bush, President Ronald Reagan, President Barack 
Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for all they have done to 
get us where we are today.

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