[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 8955]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                VIETNAM NEEDS TO RELEASE BUDDHIST MONKS

  (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor 
of two of Vietnam's most prominent Buddhist leaders and outspoken 
dissidents, the most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, patriarch of the 
banned Unified Church of Vietnam, and his deputy, the Venerable Thich 
Quang Do, a 2003 Nobel Peace Prize nominee.
  Last week, 36 of my colleagues joined me in sending an urgent appeal 
to the Government of Vietnam, calling for the immediate release of both 
of these individuals, both of whom are facing complications from 
advancing age and deteriorating health.
  Both men have been detained without charge or trial for most of the 
past 25 years for their peaceful advocacy of human rights and religious 
freedom, rights guaranteed by the Vietnamese constitution and by the 
U.N. Covenant on Human Rights, which Vietnam has both ratified and has 
pledged to uphold.
  The Venerable Thich Quang Do's alleged crimes included launching an 
appeal for democracy in Vietnam and organizing a humanitarian effort to 
rescue flood victims.
  I urge the Government of Vietnam to release these two men.

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