[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 16, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1300-E1301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE IN VIETNAM

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 16, 2015

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Vietnam's religious persecution of its 
citizens is nothing new. I have spoken before about prisoners of 
conscience held in Vietnam; in fact just this time last year, I spoke 
on the release of Pastor Duong Kim Khai.
  Unfortunately, Vietnam is still carrying on with this egregious 
practice. I have been made aware of yet another example of human rights 
violations by a country the State Department has perpetually refused to 
include as a Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom.
  On February 11, 2014, Mr. Nguyen Van Minh and approximately 20 other 
religious freedom activists were arrested by police officers in the 
Dong Thap province. Mr. Minh and the others were viciously beaten and 
had their personal belongings confiscated.
  The activists were detained nearly 40 hours before some of the group 
was released. Mr. Minh and two other activists continued to remain 
detained and were not charged until approximately a week later on 
February 20th.
  Mr. Minh was charged with ``disturbing public peace'' and while 
awaiting trial he was tortured and isolated from his family and 
lawyers.

[[Page E1301]]

Mr. Minh withstood the brutal tactics and refused to sign any report 
against him.
  His trial was ``open to the public,'' which in Vietnam means closed 
to the approximately 100 people who showed up to support him and the 15 
of the 18 witnesses called by his defense.
  Then on August 26, 2014, Mr. Minh was sentenced to serve 2.5 years in 
prison.
  A few months later, the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam upheld the 
ruling from the preliminary trial, finding him and the other two 
activists, guilty of disturbing the public peace. This form of 
government sponsored religious persecution has no place in any nation.
  In the Bill of Rights, freedom of religion is listed first because it 
is the most important. This was no mistake by our Founding Fathers.
  Freedom of worship is a basic human right, and one that all countries 
should recognize.
  I urge the State Department to do its job and recognize Vietnam as a 
Country of Particular Concern.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________