[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 201 (Thursday, December 20, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H10501-H10503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEMANDING VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT RELEASE MICHAEL NGUYEN
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bergman). Under the Speaker's announced
policy of January 3, 2017, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) is
recognized for half the time until 10 p.m. as the designee of the
minority leader.
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the leadership on both
sides of the aisle for extending this opportunity for us to speak
tonight. This is an important issue for all Americans.
I rise tonight on behalf of Mr. Michael Nguyen, an American citizen.
Mr. Michael Nguyen, an American citizen who was on a mission of mercy
to Vietnam and who is being detained in Vietnam.
I would ask that persons please not allow the last name Nguyen cause
you to think anything other than the fact that he is an American
citizen who makes America the beautiful a more beautiful America. He
was on a mission of mercy.
He is being detained; being detained without the benefit of bail,
something that we routinely expect to be the case in this country;
being detained without the benefit of a lawyer, something that we are
all entitled to under the Constitution in this country when charged
with criminal offenses; being detained
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without the benefit of a speedy trial, something that we take for
granted; being detained in Vietnam, Mr. Speaker. This is something that
every American ought to be concerned about, when we have one of our own
being detained without the benefit of bail, without the benefit of a
lawyer, and without the benefit of a speedy trial.
Mr. Nguyen is a resident of California's 45th District, and Mr.
Nguyen is being represented by Mrs. Walters. Mrs. Walters is here
tonight. I know that she has been engaged and involved in doing what
she can to help extricate Mr. Nguyen from his circumstance.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Mimi
Walters).
Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to demand the
Vietnamese Government immediately release Michael Nguyen, an American
citizen and Orange County resident who has been unjustly detained for
over 5 months.
Michael is a loving husband and father of four, a small-business
owner, and an active member of his community and church. He has no
criminal record in the United States.
This summer, while visiting elderly relatives, Michael was arrested
by the Vietnamese Government. He is under investigation for allegedly
violating article 109 of the Vietnamese criminal code, activities
against the government.
Article 109 is an arbitrary and vague charge the Vietnamese
Government often uses to justify baseless arrests. Michael could be
held for months without formal charges as the Vietnamese Government
investigates.
Despite repeated requests by my office, the Vietnamese have yet to
produce any evidence substantiating Michael's arrest.
These unjust actions are further exacerbated by the Vietnamese
Government denying Michael's family's request to visit him while in
prison.
During the investigation, the Vietnamese Government permits only
monthly visits by the U.S. State Department. These visits are the only
opportunity Michael has to hear messages from his loved ones.
Mr. Speaker, Michael's family has been devastated by this ordeal. I
had the opportunity to meet with them again just this last week when I
was back in Orange County, and I am here tonight on their behalf, to
echo their calls for his safe return.
The Vietnamese Government has not only denied an innocent man his
freedom, it has completely disrupted the lives of a loving wife, four
young daughters, and countless friends and family members across the
country who are praying for Michael's homecoming every single day.
Michael's wife, Helen, is a nurse who works long hours with many
emergency on-call days. During Michael's absence, she has been a single
mother to their four young daughters.
The girls miss their father dearly. His detainment has made it
difficult for them to focus on their schoolwork and their
extracurricular activities. These girls should not have to spend one
more sleepless night worried about their father's safety.
Their entire family has demonstrated incredible strength during this
ordeal. I am constantly inspired by their love and devotion to Michael.
Mr. Speaker, this unjust detainment has gone on far too long.
Michael's detainment is only the most recent example of Vietnam's
troubling human rights record and lack of transparent legal system.
Earlier this year, the Vietnamese Government unjustly detained William
Nguyen, an American citizen of no relation to Michael.
I am deeply concerned for Michael's safety and well-being, and I
demand his release immediately. In the meantime, I call on the
Vietnamese Government to allow Michael's family to visit him in prison.
Mr. Speaker, as you can imagine, this time of year is especially
difficult for Michael and his family. While most families across our
Nation will have the opportunity to spend time together celebrating
Christmas, the Nguyen family will cope with Michael's absence. This
Christmas, I pray for good news for the Nguyen family.
Michael's story has touched so many people. Several of my colleagues
have heard of Michael's detainment and have joined in my fight to
secure his release. I am grateful for their support and their
willingness to join tonight's Special Order.
While I will not be returning to Congress next year, I am confident
that my colleagues will continue the fight to bring Michael home. I am
extremely grateful for my colleagues' engagement, and I will continue
to support their efforts any way I can as a private citizen.
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for the
extraordinary work that she has done to extricate Mr. Nguyen.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa), a
person who came to Congress and has done an outstanding, great job
since he has been here. I don't know whether he came to be a freedom
fighter, but that is how I know him. He really takes a stand against
injustice.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to address this body, and I
demand that the Government of Vietnam respect human rights, religious
freedom, and international law as it pertains to an American citizen,
Michael Nguyen, who is being held without formal charges, under arrest
in Vietnam.
This unjust imprisonment raises issues, especially since he has never
broken the law in the United States. He is a loving father, member of
the local church, business owner, and model American citizen.
Yet, when he was traveling to Vietnam to visit his elderly relatives,
he was arrested. Why? We don't know. Apparently, he has been arrested
for ``activity against the people's government,'' yet we don't know the
circumstances or the reasoning.
We ask one very simple thing from the Government of Vietnam: to play
by the rules, respect human rights, respect religious freedom, and
release Mr. Michael Nguyen, an American citizen who is being detained
without formal charges.
Mr. Speaker, I urge that he be safely released and that he be
returned to his family in the United States.
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his
powerful words and look forward to our continuing to work together to
extricate Mr. Nguyen.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho),
another Member who has been involved and engaged in this process, who
has been with us on phone calls when we have talked to our Ambassador
to Vietnam, and who has been a party to our contacting the Secretary of
State.
Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al
Green) for organizing this Special Order.
It is an honor to be here to advocate on behalf of one of America's
citizens. I have the honor of chairing the Asia and the Pacific
Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs. I have been to Vietnam, and I got to
meet with their Prime Minister, with their ambassadors, and with so
many people over there.
The Vietnamese people are a wonderful people. They have a society
that is a communist society, but it is opening up. Vietnam has made
great strides in the last 15 to 20 years, moving in the direction that
we would like to see, with an open society, free markets, as much as
they can be in a communist country.
When I was there, the thing that surprised me was the vibrancy of the
people, their outlook on life. They yearn for freedom and liberties,
just like all people do. That is an innate thing that our creator has
endowed all of us with, that yearning of freedom and liberty.
I became aware of Michael Nguyen's plight. We have intervened on
phone calls. We have written letters. We have talked to the incoming
chair of ASEAN. We just asked them; I am not going to demand. I am not
going to try to have a power game against Vietnam. But what I do want
to do is just talk to them, human to human.
We have an individual who left Vietnam, adopted America, and become
an American citizen.
{time} 2030
He has been a model citizen. He is the parent of four children, a
family man, a businessman, and he went over to Vietnam with the intent
of visiting relatives, elderly relatives, and he got caught up in a
situation.
We talked to the Ambassador. We talked to people in the legislature
from Vietnam and said: I don't want to
[[Page H10503]]
interfere in Vietnam law, and, certainly, if this guy is involved in
what you are saying, by all means, prosecute to the fullest extent of
the law because we would do the same thing.
But I think what you have here is a case where a person was caught up
in something. If you look at his past here and his record here and the
people we have talked to in Vietnam, this is a good man. This is a
family man that went over there for honorable reasons. And so we asked
the people of Vietnam to look into this matter and to address this and
do what is right, do the humanly right thing.
If you are a parent, if you are married, you have got a mother and
father. You have got a spouse. Think of your children. If you were to
be removed from your family with no phone calls, no lawyer--and these
are things that we value in this country, the liberties and freedoms
that we have, that we have had and we have been fighting for over 200
years to preserve and protect. To have that taken away from you is just
unthinkable.
I know the pain and the suffering that not just Michael Nguyen, but
his family is going through. Here we are in the Christmas season, and
this is the season that we should all come together.
I am asking Vietnam, the leaders of Vietnam to look into this case
and to rapidly go through it as fast as we can. Because, like I said in
the beginning, we value our relationship. They are our 16th largest
trading partner. We have a military agreement where they have allowed
our military vessels in there for other reasons for national security.
This is something that we want to make sure that our relationship
with Vietnam continues to grow. But I can say this: If human rights
issues get in, as Mr. Green brought up, this is one of our own American
citizens. If Vietnam overlooks these things, it is going to be hard for
us as a nation to move forward with them in relationships.
So I am going to plead with the Vietnamese leadership to expedite the
case of Michael Nguyen and to do what is right. Return him back to
America. Return him back to his family, and let's try to do that before
the end of the year.
I appreciate Mr. Green for doing what he has done. He has done a
stellar job. And I appreciate all of the Members who have stood up for
such people. These are things that happen in Congress that the American
people don't know we do, that they should applaud both sides. This is
not a partisan issue. This is an American issue that we all should be
proud of that we are fighting for somebody who is an American citizen.
I know Vietnam, if they are listening, and I am sure they are, they
will do the right thing, and the right thing is to return Michael.
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his
comments, and I want to reiterate what he said about this being a
bipartisan issue.
This is an issue that crosses the lines that sometimes divide us.
There is no chasm between us when it comes to the extrication of Mr.
Nguyen. We want him back.
I would like to call to the attention of all who are within the sound
of my voice, who are viewing this at home, that there is another Member
who is not here tonight but who has played a significant role in this
effort to bring Mr. Nguyen home. He is Mr. Alan Lowenthal. Mr.
Lowenthal is from California's 47th Congressional District, and he has
been a real champion on causes such as this.
He understands the laws of Vietnam. He understands the culture of
Vietnam as well as any, and he has really had a major push to try to
get Michael home. I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr.
Lowenthal) for what he has done. While he is not here physically, I do
know that he is here in spirit.
What has been said about Michael's detention is correct. Michael is
being detained without bail, as has been indicated previously. In
Vietnam, unfortunately, the investigation can go on for weeks, months,
and can exceed a year.
When investigations go on for this length of time and the person
being detained does not have the opportunity to visit with family
members, is denied access to family members during holiday seasons,
such as what is occurring here now in our country, when a person is
detained without the benefit of bail, without the benefit of speedy
trial, when this happens, unfortunately, the detention itself becomes
punishment. The detention itself becomes egregious. The detention
itself becomes reason for us to complain to the Government of Vietnam.
If you have charges, yes, you should investigate, but you should file
your charges. You should not detain and then at some point have some
charges brought that may or may not necessitate a long period of
additional detention.
This is an American citizen. We have expectations. We believe that
every country has a right to its autonomy, every country is sovereign
unto itself. But we also believe that every country should respect the
human rights and dignity of people who are within the confines of their
country.
Mr. Nguyen has a necessity to be with his family and his four young
children. They miss him. They want to be with him. This is their father
who is expected to be at home, especially around this time of year when
we are all celebrating the holidays, many different holidays, but they
are celebrated in this country.
We are making an appeal, a human cry, a clarion call to the
Government of Vietnam to release this husband, release this father,
release this man who has been on missions of mercy to Vietnam to work
with his wife as a volunteer when they are helping young children to
receive surgery.
He has demonstrated his love for the people of Vietnam. He has
demonstrated his willingness to go above and beyond, to be of service
to the people of Vietnam, and I ask that the Government of Vietnam
release him. Let him come home. If you have charges, sure, you should
file them; but if not, let's not allow the investigation to become a
form of punishment.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of the Members who have appeared on
the floor tonight. There are others who would be here, but
circumstances do not permit.
I want to thank the leadership for allowing us to get this message
out to the masses, to the American people, and, hopefully, to officials
in Vietnam.
I want to thank the Secretary of State and our Ambassador to Vietnam
for their intervention. We are all doing as much as we can, but we all
have to do more. Until he comes home, we have not done enough.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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