[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 26411]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       VIETNAM CRACKS DOWN ON UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM

  (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. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice 
my outrage over the government of Vietnam's recent crackdown on the 
United Buddhist Church of Vietnam.
  I just concluded a telephone conversation with the Venerable Thich 
Tue Sy, a senior monk in that church, who was just sentenced to 2 years 
of administrative detention for exercising the basic right of freedom 
of religion, as were six of his colleagues.
  Earlier this month, the United Buddhist Church of Vietnam held a 
meeting to discuss church affairs, to elect new leadership, and to 
verify the Vietnamese Prime Minister's promise of a new era of respect 
and understanding for religious freedom. In stark contrast to the 
promise of respect and understanding, Vietnamese authorities disrupted 
the meeting, intimidated and ultimately arrested the UBCV leadership.
  The Venerable Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do, both of whom have 
been nominated for the Nobel Peace prize, are once again under house 
arrest. These actions are unconscionable.
  Today, I will introduce a resolution regarding the courageous 
leadership of the UBCV and the urgent need for religious reform in 
Vietnam.

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