[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 118 (Friday, August 3, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1409-E1411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    VIETNAM'S CONTINUING ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2012

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I submit for the record several months' worth 
of correspondence with the State Department regarding Vietnam's 
deplorable human rights and religious freedom record.
  The correspondence includes a recent letter signed by three other 
members and myself calling for the removal of David Shear, U.S. 
Ambassador to Vietnam, for his failure to advocate for basic human 
rights and religious freedom in Vietnam while conditions are getting 
worse.
  The U.S. must ensure that human rights and religious freedom are at 
the forefront of bilateral relations with Vietnam and the American 
embassy must be an island of freedom.

                                Congress of the United States,

                                     Washington, DC, May 15, 2012.
     Hon. David Shear,
     U.S. Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, U.S. 
         Department of State, C Street, NW, Wasington, DC.
       Dear Ambassador Shear: We write today to express our 
     concern over the arrest and detention of a U.S. citizen, Dr. 
     Nguyen Quoc Quan, by Vietnamese authorities on April 17, 
     2012. Further, we write to express our concern that you, as 
     U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, have not yet visited the U.S. 
     citizen and democracy activist, who has been imprisoned for 
     nearly one month on politically motivated charges.
       During a hearing convened by the Tom Lantos Human Rights 
     Commission today, Dr. Nguyen's wife, Mrs. Mai Huong Ngo, 
     provided emotional testimony about her husband's ongoing 
     detention. It was shocking to hear that no one from the U.S. 
     Embassy has reached out to Mrs. Ngo regarding the detention 
     of her husband. We urge you to personally contact both Dr. 
     Nguyen and Mrs. Ngo to show solidarity with and concern for 
     two American citizens.
       In addition, if Mrs. Ngo decides to go to Vietnam and 
     attempt to see her husband, we request that you ensure her 
     safety by personally meeting her at the airport and escorting 
     her to the embassy and the jail where Dr. Nguyen is being 
     held so that she does not meet the same fate as her husband.
       If the U.S. Embassy does not stand with Dr. Nguyen Quoc 
     Quan then what assurances

[[Page E1410]]

     do other U.S. citizens have when traveling to authoritarian 
     countries? America must be a voice for the voiceless. The 
     U.S. Embassy in Vietnam must be an island of freedom.
       We urge you to meet with Dr. Nguyen and work to secure his 
     immediate release so he can be reunited with his wife and two 
     sons. To speak with Mrs. Ngo, please contact Representative 
     Wolf's office at 202-225-5136 for her information.
       We would like to be kept abreast of this case and look 
     forward to your response.
           Sincerely,
     Frank R. Wolf.
     Daniel E. Lungren.
     Loretta Sanchez.
     Zoe Lofgren.
     Bob Filner.
                                  ____
                                  


                                     House of Representatives,

                                     Washington, DC, June 6, 2012.
     David Shear,
     U.S. Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, U.S. 
         Department of State, C Street, NW., Washington, DC.
       Dear Ambassador Shear: I write to follow up on our recent 
     phone call, after the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission 
     hearing on Vietnam. I appreciate your willingness to assist 
     in the case of imprisoned U.S. citizen Dr. Nguyen Quoc Quan. 
     I hope that after our conversation a senior person from the 
     U.S. Embassy has reached out to his wife, Mrs. Mai Huong Ngo. 
     As I mentioned to you--both in my previous letter and on the 
     phone, the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam must be an island of 
     freedom.
       It is with this in mind that I truly hope you will invite 
     Vietnamese dissidents and their families to the embassy's 
     July 4th celebration this year. In addition, I urge the U.S. 
     Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City to continue to work for the 
     release of Dr. Nguyen. Please let me know of any updates in 
     his case and when the embassy intends to have an Independence 
     Day celebration that includes freedom-loving people in 
     Vietnam. I look forward to hearing from you.
       Best wishes.
           Sincerely,
     Frank R. Wolf.
                                  ____



                                     U.S. Department of State,

                                    Washington, DC, June 26, 2012.
       Dear Mr. Wolf: Thank you for your letter of June 6 
     following up on your phone conversation last month with 
     Ambassador Shear regarding the Tom Lantos Human Rights 
     Commission's hearing on Vietnam and the case of Dr. Richard 
     Nguyen.
       We continue to urge the Vietnamese government to release 
     Dr. Nguyen. In addition to raising his case with high-level 
     Vietnamese officials, our consular officers will continue to 
     provide all appropriate consular assistance to Dr. Nguyen. 
     Ambassador Shear has personally spoken with Dr. Nguyen's 
     wife, Mai Huang Ngo, and senior officials from our Consulate 
     in Ho Chi Minh City remain in close contact with her.
       Ambassador Shear continues to engage with civil society 
     advocates, promoters of rule-of-law, and democracy activists 
     and will welcome them to the Embassy's July 4th celebration. 
     This is one of many ways we promote respect for human rights 
     and rule-of-law in Vietnam.
       We will keep you and your staff updated on developments 
     regarding Dr. Richard Nguyen. Please do not hesitate to let 
     us know if we can be of further assistance.
           Sincerely,

                                               David S. Adams,

                                              Assistant Secretary,
     Legislative Affairs.
                                  ____



                                     House of Representatives,

                                     Washington, DC, July 9, 2012.
     Hon. Barack H. Obama,
     The President,
     The White House, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: On May 15, 2012, the Tom Lantos Human 
     Rights Commission, which I co-chair, held a hearing on human 
     rights abuses in Vietnam. As you undoubtedly know, the State 
     Department's own annual human rights report aptly describes 
     Vietnam as an ``authoritarian state.'' During the hearing, 
     several of my colleagues and I heard testimony from Mrs. Mai 
     Huong Ngo, the wife of Dr. Nguyen Quoc Quan, a Vietnamese-
     American democracy activist and U.S. citizen. Upon his 
     arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh 
     City on April 17, he was arbitrarily detained and has been in 
     prison ever since. Dr. Quan's wife was invited to testify in 
     light of her husband's plight.
       Assistant Secretary Michael Posner was also invited to 
     testify at the hearing on behalf of the State Department. At 
     the time I expressed my shock and dismay that no one from the 
     department, not even the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, David 
     Shear, had been in touch with Dr. Quan's wife since his 
     detention. Only at my urging did Ambassador Shear initiate 
     contact with Mrs. Ngo to update her on her husband's 
     situation.
       This was disturbing on a number of levels. I have long 
     believed that U.S. embassies should be islands of freedom--
     especially in repressive countries like Vietnam. Under 
     Ambassador Shear's leadership it didn't appear that the U.S. 
     embassy in Hanoi was embracing this important task. But even 
     more troubling is the fact that Dr. Quan is an American 
     citizen, and yet there appeared to be little urgency to 
     securing his release.
       In speaking by phone with Ambassador Shear following the 
     hearing I expressed my concerns and urged him to host a July 
     4th celebration at the embassy, where the guest list was 
     comprised of religious freedom and democracy activists in 
     Vietnam. I stressed that he should fling open the doors of 
     the embassy and invite Buddhist monks and nuns, Catholic 
     priests and Protestant pastors, Internet bloggers and 
     democracy activists. Such was the custom during the Reagan 
     Administration, especially in the Soviet Union. This practice 
     sent a strong message that America stood with those who stand 
     for basic human rights. In many cases it afforded these 
     individuals protection from future harassment and even 
     imprisonment.
       Ambassador Shear said that he intended to honor this 
     request. Following my conversation with him I received the 
     enclosed letter from the department indicating that, 
     ``Ambassador Shear continues to engage with civil society 
     advocates, promoters of rule-of-law, and democracy activists 
     and will welcome them to the Embassy's July 4th 
     celebration.'' I took Ambassador Shear at his word and in 
     fact shared this correspondence with members of the 
     Vietnamese Diaspora community in the U.S., several of whom 
     were greatly encouraged by this development.
       Late last week it was brought to my attention that many of 
     the most prominent democracy and human rights activists in 
     Vietnam were not invited to the event. These reports seemed 
     starkly at odds with the assurances I had personally received 
     from Ambassador Shear. I called him directly this morning to 
     find out if the embassy had invited the dissidents as had 
     been agreed upon. His response was appalling. He said that he 
     had invited a few civil society activists but then said that 
     he needed to maintain a ``balance.'' I then asked him for a 
     list of the invitees. He initially refused saying he was 
     unable to provide this information, even though presumably 
     the embassy, which he leads, created the guest list. Then he 
     said he would have to address this through State Department. 
     I asked him when we might expect to receive a copy of the 
     guest list and, after initially declining to be specific; he 
     eventually conceded that it would be ``in a few weeks.''
       Ambassador Shear's entire handling of this issue has been 
     unacceptable. He showed little to no initiative in the case 
     of Dr. Quan. Then, after appearing to recognize the 
     shortsightedness of this approach, he agreed to host an 
     Independence Day event at the embassy attended by human 
     rights and democracy activists--only to go back on his word 
     and mislead me about his intentions. Finally, when posed with 
     a simple congressional request for additional information 
     about the guest list at a U.S. embassy event, he was 
     uncooperative at best and obstructionist at worst.
       In light of these realities, I write today to call for the 
     firing of Ambassador Shear.
       Sadly, his sidelining of serious human rights issues in 
     Vietnam is symptomatic of this administration's overall 
     approach to human rights and religious freedom. Time and 
     again these issues are put on the back-burner--to the 
     detriment of freedom-loving people the world over. In a 
     Constitution Day speech, President Ronald Reagan described 
     the United States Constitution as ``a covenant we have made 
     not only with ourselves, but with all of mankind.'' We have 
     an obligation to keep that covenant. If you were to take this 
     action, it would send a critical message to U.S. ambassadors 
     globally, and just as importantly, to repressive governments 
     which fear the words of the Constitution and the promise they 
     hold as much as they fear the aspirations of their own 
     people.
       I have repeatedly said that it would be fitting for a 
     Vietnamese-American to serve as U.S. ambassador Vietnam--
     someone who understands the country, the language, and the 
     oppressive nature of the government having experienced it 
     themselves before coming to the U.S. Such an individual would 
     not be tempted to maintain smooth bilateral relations at all 
     costs. Such an individual would embrace the cause of freedom. 
     The Vietnamese people, and frankly millions of Vietnamese-
     Americans, deserve better than what Ambassador Shear and this 
     administration are giving them.
       America must be a voice for the voiceless. The U.S. Embassy 
     in Vietnam must be an island of freedom, headed by a bold 
     American ambassador. Ambassador Shear is not that man.
       Best wishes.
           Sincerely,
     Frank R. Wolf.
                                  ____



                                     U.S. Department of State,

                                    Washington, DC, June 26, 2012.
       Dear Mr. Wolf: Thank you for your letter of June 6 
     following up on your phone conversation last month with 
     Ambassador Shear regarding the Tom Lantos Human Rights 
     Commission's hearing on Vietnam and the case of Dr. Richard 
     Nguyen.
       We continue to urge the Vietnamese government to release 
     Dr. Nguyen. In addition to raising his case with high-level 
     Vietnamese officials, our consular officers will continue to 
     provide all appropriate consular assistance to Dr. Nguyen. 
     Ambassador Shear has personally spoken with Dr. Nguyen's 
     wife, Mai Huang Ngo, and senior officials from our consulate 
     in Ho Chi Minh City remain in close contact with her.
       Ambassador Shear continues to engage with civil society 
     advocates, promoters of rule-of-law, and democracy activists 
     and will welcome them to the Embassy's July 4th celebration. 
     This is one of many ways we promote respect for human rights 
     and rule-of-law in Vietnam.

[[Page E1411]]

       We will keep you and your staff updated on developments 
     regarding Dr. Richard Nguyen. Please do not hesitate to let 
     us know if we can be of further assistance.

                                               David S. Adams,

                                              Assistant Secretary,
     Legislative Affairs.
                                  ____



                                     House of Representatives,

                                    Washington, DC, July 13, 2012.
     Hon. Hillary Rodham Clinton,
     Secretary of State,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Secretary Clinton: I write to follow-up on my letter 
     of July 9 regarding Ambassador David Shear's deeply 
     disappointing pattern of sidelining of human rights and 
     religious freedom in Vietnam. In fact I was so troubled by 
     his approach that I urged you to fire him. I continue to 
     believe that Ambassador Shear is not the man for the job. 
     Furthermore, I am eager to know when the State Department 
     will be able to provide me with a list of invited guests for 
     the recent July 4 event held at the embassy.
       I read with interest your public remarks earlier this week 
     in Vietnam. While I appreciated your general comments 
     regarding human rights concerns, I was disappointed to see no 
     public mention of the imprisoned Vietnamese-American 
     democracy activist Dr. Nguyen Quoc Quan.
       As you know, I have been unreserved in my criticism of this 
     administration's policies in China on a host of levels. But, 
     I will gladly concede that I have seen a promising trend with 
     Ambassador Gary Locke, himself a Chinese-American. In 
     numerous meetings with dissidents, human rights lawyers and 
     activists, I have learned that they have been welcomed into 
     the embassy under Ambassador Locke's leadership. He has taken 
     a personal interest in their cause. This is in keeping with 
     the finest traditions of our nation's embassies over the 
     years. It bears noting that Chinese human rights activists 
     and self-trained legal advocate Chen Guangcheng recently 
     sought refuge in the American embassy--not the embassy of any 
     other country.
       The American embassy must a beacon for those seeking basic 
     human freedom and dignity. The American ambassador must be a 
     stalwart defender of dissidents and advocate for human 
     rights. Increasingly I hear from the Vietnamese-American 
     community in the U.S. that they no longer have any confidence 
     that Ambassador Shear is up to the task.
       I again urge you to remove Ambassador Shear and appoint a 
     Vietnamese-American ambassador, preferably someone who is 
     well versed, through personal experience, in the oppressive 
     ways of Vietnam's communist government, to take his place. 
     Such an individual would not need to be reminded that human 
     rights and religious freedom advocacy feature prominently in 
     their job description.
       Best wishes.
           Sincerely,
     Frank R. Wolf.
                                  ____



                                Congress of the United States,

                                    Washington, DC, July 19, 2012.
     Hon. Hillary Rodham Clinton,
     Secretary of State,
     Washington DC.
       Dear Secretary Clinton: We strongly believe that human 
     rights and religious freedom in Vietnam need to be at the 
     forefront of bilateral relations with Vietnam, including any 
     discussion about a strategic partnership with the United 
     States. While we were pleased to hear that you mentioned 
     democracy activists, lawyers and bloggers on your recent trip 
     to Vietnam, we were deeply disappointed that there was no 
     public mention of imprisoned Vietnamese-American Dr. Nguyen 
     Quoc Quan. In fact, in a letter sent earlier this month prior 
     to your trip, several members of Congress urged you to raise 
     the matter of his continued detention and press for his 
     release.
       We do not believe that this administration, especially 
     Ambassador David Shear, have sufficiently advocated for basic 
     human rights and religious freedom in Vietnam. In fact, 
     Ambassador Shear has sidelined these issues which has been a 
     cause for concern. The people of Vietnam yearn for American 
     leadership in this realm--leadership which Ambassador Shear 
     has been simply unable or unwilling to provide. As such, we 
     urge you to dismiss Ambassador Shear from his post, and move 
     swiftly to appoint an individual who will embrace the 
     struggle of the Vietnamese people and advocate on their 
     behalf.
       Unfortunately, the outstanding congressional request for 
     the list of invitees to the Embassy Hanoi's July 4th 
     celebration remains unfulfilled. As such, we also urge you to 
     make sure that the list is provided in a timely fashion so 
     that we are able to see which religious freedom and democracy 
     activists were invited, if any.
       We wish to see a mutually beneficial relationship with 
     Vietnam. In order for this to happen, we must have confidence 
     in this administration's efforts to promote religious freedom 
     and democracy in Vietnam. We have lost confidence that 
     Ambassador Shear is up to the task.
           Sincerely,
     Frank R. Wolf.
     Daniel E. Lungren.
     Christopher H. Smith.
     Joseph R. Pitts.

                          ____________________