[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 38 (Thursday, March 8, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

  (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today in 
recognition of International Women's Day.
  Today is a day that honors numerous women who have actively and 
passionately participated in various economic, social, and political 
issues within their communities.
  Women around the world continue to face significant obstacles in all 
aspects of their lives, including discrimination, gender bias, and the 
denial of basic human rights.
  Let's take a look at Vietnam, for example:
  Ms. Bui Thi Minh Hang, who was sentenced without trial to 2 years of 
reeducation camp for participating in peaceful protests related to the 
Eastern Sea; or
  Ms. Do Thi Minh Hanh, a labor organizer, who was sentenced to 7 
years' imprisonment for advocating for farmers and workers' rights; or
  Ms. Pham Thanh Nghien, who was unfairly sentenced to 4 years' 
imprisonment, followed by 3 years' house arrest for participating in a 
nonviolent hunger strike in her home related to the issue of the 
Eastern Sea.
  In the discourse of women's rights, these women are only three of the 
many voices who have been unjustly sentenced to prison without any due 
process.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join 
me in recognizing International Women's Day and the women who are 
advocating for freedom and democracy in their communities and in 
countries such as Vietnam.

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