[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10843-10851]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CALLING ON VIETNAM TO IMMEDIATELY AND UNCONDITIONALLY RELEASE POLITICAL 
                 PRISONERS AND PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 243) calling on the Government of the Socialist 
Republic of Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release Father 
Nguyen Van Ly, Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and other political 
prisoners and prisoners of conscience, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 243

        Whereas, on February 18, 2007, Vietnamese police raided 
     the parish house of Father Nguyen Van Ly and confiscated 
     computers, telephones, more than 100 mobile phone cards, and 
     more than 200 kilograms of documents;
       Whereas the police moved Father Ly to the remote location 
     of Ben Cui in central Vietnam, where he is under house 
     arrest;
       Whereas Father Ly is a former prisoner of conscience, 
     having spent a total of over 13 years in prison since 1983 
     for his advocacy of religious freedom and democracy in 
     Vietnam;
        Whereas Father Ly is an advisor of ``Block 8406'', a 
     democracy movement that started in April 2006 when hundreds 
     of people throughout Vietnam signed public petitions calling 
     for democracy and human rights;
       Whereas Father Ly is also an advisor of a new political 
     party, the Vietnam Progression Party, and one of the primary 
     editors of ``Freedom of Speech'' magazine;
        Whereas, on March 6, 2007, Vietnamese police arrested one 
     of Vietnam's few practicing human rights lawyers, Nguyen Van 
     Dai, who has defended individuals arrested for their human 
     rights and religious activities, is the co-founder of the 
     Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam, and is one of the 
     principal organizers of the Block 8406 democracy movement;
       Whereas, on March 6, 2007, Vietnamese police also arrested 
     Le Thi Cong Nhan, a human rights lawyer, a member of ``Block 
     8406'', the principal spokesperson for the Progression Party, 
     and a founder of the Vietnamese Labor Movement;
       Whereas Father Ly, Nguyen Van Dai, and Le Thi Cong Nhan 
     have been charged with disseminating propaganda against the 
     Socialist Republic of Vietnam under article 88 of the Penal 
     Code of Vietnam;
       Whereas Father Ly was tried and convicted on March 30, 
     2007, and sentenced to 8 years in prison;
       Whereas if convicted, Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong each 
     could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison;
       Whereas Le Quoc Quan is a lawyer who traveled to the United 
     States in September 2006 to research civil society 
     development as a Reagan-Fascell Fellow at the National 
     Endowment for Democracy;
       Whereas Le Quoc Quan returned to Vietnam in early March 
     2007 and was arrested by Hanoi police on March 8, 2007;
       Whereas Le Quoc Quan has been charged under Article 79 of 
     the Penal Code of Vietnam which prohibits activities aimed at 
     overthrowing the Government and carries extremely severe 
     prison terms and even the death penalty;
       Whereas in none of their activities have Father Ly, Nguyen 
     Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, or Le Quoc Quan advocated or 
     engaged in violence;
       Whereas the arrest of and charges against Father Ly, Nguyen 
     Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and Le Quoc Quan violate Article 
     69 of the Vietnamese Constitution, which states that ``The 
     citizen shall enjoy freedom of opinion and speech, freedom of 
     the press, the right to be informed and the right to 
     assemble, form associations and hold demonstrations in 
     accordance with the provisions of the law'';
       Whereas Father Ly, Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and Le 
     Quoc Quan have been arrested and charged in contravention of 
     the rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil 
     and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Vietnam is a state 
     party, specifically Article 18 (freedom of religion), Article 
     19 (freedom of expression) and Article 22 (freedom of 
     association);
       Whereas Vietnam recently has imprisoned, detained, placed 
     under house arrest, or otherwise restricted numerous other 
     peaceful democratic and religious activists for reasons 
     related to their political or religious views, including 
     Nguyen Binh Thanh, Nguyen Phong, Nguyen Ngoc Quang, Nguyen Vu 
     Binh, Huynh Trung Dao, Nguyen Tan Hoanh, Tran Thi Le Hang, 
     Doang Huy Chuong, Doan Van Dien, Le Ba Triet, Nguyen Tuan, 
     Bui Kim Thanh and Tran Quoc Hien;
       Whereas the United States Congress agreed to Vietnam 
     becoming an official member of the World Trade Organization 
     (WTO) in 2006, amidst assurances that the Vietnamese 
     Government was steadily improving its human rights record and 
     would continue to do so;
       Whereas the group of Asian countries at the United Nations 
     have nominated Vietnam as the sole regional candidate for a 
     nonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for 
     the 2008-2009 biennium, and pursuant to the United Nations 
     Charter, Vietnam would be required to discharge its duties in 
     accordance with the purposes of the United Nations, including 
     the promotion and encouragement of respect for human rights 
     and fundamental freedoms for all; and
       Whereas the arbitrary imprisonment and the violation of the 
     human rights of citizens of Vietnam are sources of 
     continuing, grave concern to Congress, and the arrests of 
     Father Ly, Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan,

[[Page 10844]]

     and Le Quoc Quan are part of a trend toward increasing 
     oppression of human rights advocates in Vietnam: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That--
       (1) the House of Representatives--
       (A) condemns and deplores the arbitrary arrests of Father 
     Nguyen Van Ly, Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and Le Quoc 
     Quan by the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 
     and calls for their immediate and unconditional release and 
     the dropping of all criminal charges, and for the immediate 
     and unconditional release of all other political and 
     religious prisoners;
       (B) condemns and deplores the violations of the freedoms of 
     speech, religion, movement, association, and the lack of due 
     process afforded to individuals in Vietnam;
       (C) challenges the qualifications of Vietnam to be a member 
     of the United Nations Security Council, unless the Government 
     of Vietnam begins immediately to respect human rights and 
     fundamental freedoms for all within its own borders; and
       (D) strongly urges the Government of Vietnam to consider 
     the implications of its actions for the broader relationship 
     between the United States and Vietnam; and
       (2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
     the United States should--
       (A) make a top concern the immediate release, legal status, 
     and humanitarian needs of Father Nguyen Van Ly, Nguyen Van 
     Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and Le Quoc Quan;
       (B) use funds from the newly created Human Rights Defenders 
     Fund of the Department of State to assist with the legal 
     defense and the needs of the families and dependents of 
     Father Ly, Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and Le Quoc 
     Quan;
       (C) continue to urge the Government of Vietnam to comply 
     with internationally recognized standards for basic freedoms 
     and human rights;
       (D) make clear to the Government of Vietnam that it must 
     adhere to the rule of law and respect the freedom of religion 
     and expression in order to broaden its relations with the 
     United States;
       (E) make clear to the Government of Vietnam that the 
     detention of Father Ly, Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, Le 
     Quoc Quan, and other political prisoners and prisoners of 
     conscience and other human rights violations are not in the 
     best interest of Vietnam because they create obstacles to 
     improved bilateral relations and cooperation with the United 
     States;
       (F) examine current human rights violations by the 
     Vietnamese Government and consider re-imposing on Vietnam the 
     ``country of particular concern'' (CPC) designation, which 
     was removed on November 13, 2006, pursuant to the 
     International Religious Freedom Act of 1998; and
       (G) in order to advance these freedoms and rights, and to 
     strengthen the long-term relationship between the United 
     States and Vietnam, initiate new foreign assistance programs 
     to advance the capacity and networking abilities of 
     Vietnamese civil society, including--
       (i) rule of law programs to train Vietnamese human rights 
     lawyers, judges, academics, and students about international 
     human rights law;
       (ii) public diplomacy initiatives to inform and teach 
     Vietnamese citizens about international human rights norms 
     and responsibilities; and
       (iii) projects that support organizations and associations 
     that promote the freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and 
     association.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Sires) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution 
and yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  I would first like to commend the distinguished ranking member of the 
Africa and Global Health Subcommittee, my friend, Chris Smith of New 
Jersey, for the introduction of this important resolution.
  This year, Vietnam's program of economic liberalization and openness 
took its most dramatic and important step when it joined the World 
Trade Organization. Just over 30 years after the Communist takeover of 
Saigon, Vietnam is now looking to promote foreign direct investment and 
to become a full member of the global economic community.
  The U.S.-Vietnam relationship has undergone a similar transformation. 
U.S. Presidents now regularly visit our once sworn enemy. United 
States' engagements with Vietnam can and should continue in order to 
promote a more open and prosperous Vietnam. This will better the lives 
of the Vietnamese people. Yet, as the U.S.-Vietnam relationship 
matures, the Government of Vietnam must understand that U.S. principles 
of democracy, freedom, and human rights will never soften by impressive 
economic growth rates.
  The unacceptable arrest of four innocent Vietnamese citizens by the 
government for exercising their right of free expression is evidence of 
how far Vietnam must come before it can be considered a genuine friend 
of the United States.
  The resolution we are considering today demonstrates our commitment 
to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Vietnam. It does 
this by calling for the immediate release of these political prisoners, 
urging the Government of Vietnam to comply with international standards 
of human rights, and considering the implication of its actions for the 
broader relationship between the United States and Vietnam.
  I strongly support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do 
the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and ask unanimous 
consent that he be allowed to manage the time on this side.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Indiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Vietnam has long been known as a major violator of human rights. The 
U.S. House of Representatives went on record in the 109th Congress 
condemning and deploring the violations of human rights in Vietnam and 
strongly urging the Vietnamese Government to consider the implications 
of its human rights abuses for the broader relationship between the 
United States and Vietnam. I point out parenthetically that the House 
almost a year ago to the day passed a resolution that I sponsored 
similar to this one, H. Con. Res. 320, on April 6, 2006. There was some 
initial improvement. Regrettably, there has been a snapback to its 
original and even worsened situation when it comes to human rights 
observance. That is why I have sponsored H. Res. 243--calling on 
Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release Fr. Ly, Mr. Dai, 
Mrs. Whan and other political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
  Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Department of State in its ``Country Reports on 
Human Rights Practices'' notes that the human rights record in Vietnam 
remains ``unsatisfactory,'' and that government officials continued 
``to commit serious abuses.'' The U.S. Commission on International 
Religious Freedom stated in its 2006 annual report that Vietnam 
``continues to commit systematic and egregious violations of freedom of 
religion and belief.''
  However, in November 2006, pursuant to a boatload of assurances and 
solemn promises that the human rights situation would improve 
dramatically, Vietnam became the first country to be removed from the 
list of Countries of Particular Concern, so designated pursuant to the 
International Religious Freedom Act. Late last year, the U.S. Congress 
agreed to Vietnam becoming an official member of the World Trade 
Organization, and a group of Asian countries at the United Nations has 
nominated Vietnam as the sole regional candidate for a nonpermanent 
seat on the U.S. Security Council.
  Despite this flurry of international recognition and tangible 
economic benefit, despite the hopes of many, including and especially 
the Vietnamese people, Vietnam has reverted to its repressive practices 
and has arrested, imprisoned, and imposed lengthy prison sentences on 
numerous individuals whose only crime has been to seek democratic

[[Page 10845]]

reform and respect for fundamental human rights in their country.
  The crackdown in Vietnam, Mr. Speaker, on religious and human rights 
activists is unconscionable and of course it is unnecessary. I have 
been to Vietnam, Mr. Speaker, on many human rights trips, and chaired 
several hearings on it as well. But on one of the most recent trips, I 
actually met with Father Nguyen Van Ly who recently got 8 years in 
prison; I also met with Nguyen Van Dai and about 60 other human rights 
activists and religious leaders and people who are pressing for reform 
in that country.
  I was struck by how smart, talented, and kindhearted these people 
were. I believe they are Vietnam's best and brightest and bravest. I 
was amazed how they harbor no malice, no hate towards the government; 
nor do they hate the government leaders. They only want a better future 
for their country, and each and every one of the people I met with was 
committed, and is committed, to peaceful nonviolent reform.
  But just one month ago, on March 30, the government sentenced Father 
Ly to 8 years imprisonment after subjecting him to a sham trial for 
distributing ``antigovernment materials.''
  When I met with Father Ly he was under house arrest, he sounded just 
like the activists I had met and spoke to during the dark years of the 
Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union. During those years of domination by 
communism, men like Vaclav Havel, Lech Walesa, and Anatoly 
Shcharansky--people who, like the folks in Charter 77 in the Czech 
Republic--only wanted freedom, democracy, and human rights. None of 
them wanted violence, and yet we see that men like Father Ly now get 8 
years imprisonment on top of the 13 years he has previously served in 
the Gulag on trumped-up charges. Jailing dissidents is a window into 
the malice and evil of the government of Vietnam.
  As I mentioned, attorney, Nguyen Van Dai, a tenacious campaigner for 
human rights who uses the law, international and domestic, to press his 
cause, nonviolently--he's totally nonviolent, hates violence, abhors 
it, stands up and tries to use the law to try to get remedies for his 
clients. He, too, is now awaiting a trial which will be another 
kangaroo court and a sham deal at that.

                              {time}  1615

  Another human rights lawyer, Le Thi Cong Nhan, is a labor activist. 
And according to reports, she too now will undergo another one of these 
bogus trials.
  We know that Vietnam, due to our robust trade and recently enacted 
PNTR and their ascension into the WTO, we know that trade will increase 
between the United States and Vietnam. So when this lawyer seeks to be 
an activist for what the ILO and all of us in this room believe to be 
fundamental freedoms like collective bargaining, the secret police 
raids her office and drags her away. She is now awaiting another one of 
these kangaroo trials.
  Another victim of the crackdown is Le Quoc Quan. Here's a person who 
just returned to Vietnam in early March after completing a fellowship 
right here in Washington at the National Endowment for Democracy. He 
was arrested on March 8, apparently for the crime of engaging in 
research on civil society development at NED. And all of us who know 
NED know what a great, completely transparent and human rights rule of 
law oriented organization NED is, a group funded, by this Congress and 
by the executive branch. It's a great organization. Quam goes back to 
victim and is basically arrested soon after his arrival and now he is 
awaiting a trial as well.
  Mr. Speaker, a little over a year ago, a group called Block 8406 
devised a statement of human rights principles. It reminds me of 
Charter 77. Brave men and women banded together united by a statement 
of principles, human rights concerns. We've seen such expressions in 
Cuba, we've seen it all over the world in despotic countries. These 
brave men and women sign on the dotted line, in a way not unlike our 
own forefathers who signed the Declaration of Independence. In 
Vietnam's case, they are pertaning for reforms. And openness. And I 
have read it. It is very, very simple and eloquent and to the point. 
It's all about human rights and democratization. And for being part of 
8406, other activists are now being caught in this dragnet.
  I would note parenthetically, Father Ly was also a signer of this 
Block 8406 a manifesto on Freedom and Democracy for Vietnam. The 8406 
stands for April 8, 2006. That's when they founded this courageous 
organization.
  H. Res. 243, the resolution before us, Mr. Speaker, is intended to 
send a critical and timely message to the Vietnamese government that 
these serious violations of basic human rights are absolutely 
unacceptable and bring profound dishonor on the government of Vietnam.
  These human rights violations cannot be overlooked. They cannot be 
trivialized. These human rights violations which are ongoing, and they 
occur as we meet here today, cannot continue without equally serious 
consequences. It also urges our Government to make human rights a top 
priority in our bilateral relations with Vietnam. I do believe this 
recent snap back to human rights abuse underscores the unwitting 
naivete on the part of some who think if we just trade, if we just open 
our pocket books, dictatorships will automatically matriculate into 
democracies and freedom loving human rights respecting countries. It 
hasn't happened anywhere. Not in the PRC, it has not happened in 
Vietnam and it is not happening anywhere where that naive view is 
embraced.
  So we've got to send some clear messages. Human rights do matter. And 
we will stand up for those who are mistreated. We will stand with the 
oppressed and not with the oppressor.
  Finally, I've heard it from informed and very reliable sources that 
some of the recent jailees, the human rights activists that are now 
behind bars suffering torture and mistreatment, that they are being 
told that the United States really doesn't care about them; that we've 
walked away. I have heard this on a couple of occasions from people who 
have very good inside information. They are actually being taunted with 
that kind of mantra.
  I want to tell the presecuted--you are not forgotten. It's a 
bipartisan expression today, you are no forgotten. We care deeply about 
these human rights activists and we will not forget you. And we will do 
all that is humanly possible, God willing, to effectuate your release 
and hopefully, some day, see a free and democratic Vietnam.
  At this point in the Record, I would like to include 8406--manifesto 
on Freedom and Democracy for Human Rights.

 Manifesto 2006 on Freedom and Democracy for Vietnam by 118 Democracy 
                Activists Inside Vietnam--April 8, 2006

       Dear Compatriots Inside and Outside of Vietnam: We, the 
     undersigned, representing hundreds of Vietnamese democracy 
     activists inside Vietnam and all those Vietnamese citizens 
     yearning for True Democracy for Vietnam, hereby unanimously 
     proclaim the following:


                  I. The Current Realities of Vietnam

       1. In the August 1945 Revolution, the entire Vietnamese 
     nation made a choice for national independence and not 
     socialism. Vietnam's Declaration of Independence on September 
     2, 1945 did not contain a single word about socialism or 
     communism. The two mainsprings behind the success of that 
     Revolution were the Vietnamese people's aspiration for 
     national independence and also the desire to fill the power 
     vacuum that existed after the Japanese surrender on August 
     15, 1945, following their overthrow of the French colonial 
     administration on March 9, 1945.
       It is thus clear that the Vietnamese communists had 
     abandoned the main objective of the August Revolution. As a 
     result, the Vietnamese peoples' aspiration for self-
     determination was disregarded. There have been two occasions, 
     one in 1954 in North Vietnam and the other in 1975 in all of 
     Vietnam, when there were good opportunities for the 
     Vietnamese nation to set a new course towards a true 
     democracy. Sadly, the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), 
     failed to take advantage of those opportunities. This failure 
     is due to the well-known fact, as propounded by Lenin, that 
     once a dictatorship of the proletariat has been installed, 
     its very first function is to foster violence and repressive 
     terror!
       2. On September 2, 1945 in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, President of 
     the Interim Government

[[Page 10846]]

     of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, solemnly declared to 
     the [Vietnamese] nation and the world that: ``All men are 
     created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain 
     inalienable Rights, among them the Right to Life, Liberty and 
     the pursuit of Happiness,'' undying words taken from the U.S. 
     Declaration of Independence of 1776. Interpreted broadly, 
     this sentence can mean that all nations are created equal and 
     that they are entitled to Life, Freedom and Happiness. The 
     1791 French Declaration on Human and Civil Rights also 
     proclaims: ``All people are born free and have equal rights, 
     and they must remain free and equal in all rights.'' These 
     are undeniable truths . . .'' (This quote is taken directly 
     from the September 2, 1945 Vietnamese Declaration of 
     Independence).
       Nevertheless, the communist government of Vietnam began to 
     trample upon these sacred rights the moment they came to 
     power.
       3. By February 1951, the Vietnam Workers Party (VWP, now 
     rechristened the CPV) proclaimed in a Manifesto at its Second 
     Party Congress that: ``The ideology of the VWP is Marxism-
     Leninism.'' This was something that was even more clearly 
     expressed in the Party Bylaws, under the rubric of ``Goal and 
     Leading Principles'': ``The Vietnam Workers Party takes the 
     ideology of Marx-Engels-Lenin-Stalin and the thought of Mao 
     Zedong in combination with the revolutionary realities of 
     Vietnam to be its ideological foundation and compass for all 
     Party activities.
       Since then, especially in the North after 1954, and in the 
     entire country after April 30, 1975, the specter of Communism 
     has been imposed on the Vietnamese nation. For all practical 
     purposes, this specter has been used to deprive the 
     Vietnamese people of all their human rights. And even today, 
     its overwhelming influence is evident in the spiritual as 
     well as the material spheres of the Vietnamese nation.


               II. Universal Laws Affecting All Societies

       1. History has demonstrated that under every totalitarian 
     regime, whether communist or non-communist, all democratic 
     rights and freedoms are mercilessly repressed, the difference 
     being only in the degree of repression. Unfortunately, to 
     this day the Vietnamese nation is still one of the few that 
     is under the rule of a totalitarian communist regime. This 
     fact is unabashedly declared in Article 4 of the Socialist 
     Republic of Vietnam (SRV) Constitution, which says: ``The 
     CPV. . . follows Marxism-Leninism and the thought of Ho Chi 
     Minh, and it is the leading force of the state and society.'' 
     It is on the basis of this article that democratic rights and 
     freedoms of the Vietnamese people have been extremely 
     curtailed.
       2. The power structure in Vietnam rejects competition and 
     totally minimizes the possibility of its replacement by 
     something else. This record has helped accelerate the 
     degeneration of government, and its transformation from what 
     it started out to be. Because there are no rules and 
     principles regarding fair competition in the current 
     political culture of the country, election after election, 
     people have not been allowed to choose the most deserving 
     individuals and political parties to represent them. For that 
     reason the leadership, management and operational set-ups 
     become ever more corrupt, and can now be compared to a creaky 
     piece of equipment from the center down to the localities. As 
     a result, Vietnam is now a nation that has fallen way behind 
     other nations in the region and in the world. In the 
     prevailing environment, this shameful national performance 
     and other nation-wide problems are beyond correction. The 
     problem of all problems, the source of all evils, resides in 
     the fact that the CPV is now the one and only political force 
     leading Vietnam! The realities of history have shown that any 
     country, once it has fallen into the orbit of Communism, ends 
     up in ruin and misery. The Soviet Union itself, the very 
     cradle of world communism, has, together with other former 
     Eastern European countries valiantly overcome its own 
     weaknesses to rediscover the correct path leading them 
     forward.
       3. We all understand that no one can remake history, but it 
     is possible to redirect its course. What is even more 
     important is that through history's lessons, one can find the 
     correct orientation for the nation's future. The path chosen 
     by the CPV for the Vietnamese nation was designed in haste, 
     and thoughtlessly imposed. That is why today, it is necessary 
     to choose once again a new path for our nation. And a path 
     chosen by the entire nation must necessarily be better than 
     the one chosen by just one person or one group of persons. 
     Given that the CPV is, after all, only one component of the 
     nation, it should not claim to speak on behalf of the entire 
     nation! Considering that for almost half a century, from 1954 
     to 2006, the ruling party in Vietnam has usurped the voice of 
     the nation, it is by no means a legitimate government! Why? 
     Because there had simply not been a single free election 
     during all that time in Vietnam.
       On the basis of the above realities and the stated 
     universal laws, being fully conscious of our responsibilities 
     as citizens, and faced with the nation's fate, we would like 
     to declare the following to our compatriots both inside and 
     outside of Vietnam:


        III. Objective, Methods and Significance of Our Struggle

       1. The highest objective in the struggle to fight for 
     freedom and democracy for the Vietnamese nation today is to 
     make sure that the present political regime in Vietnam is 
     changed in a fundamental way, not through incremental 
     ``renovation'' steps or, even worse, through insignificant 
     touch-ups here and there. Concretely speaking, it must be a 
     change from the monolithic, one-party, non-competitive regime 
     that we have at the present time to a pluralistic and 
     multiparty system; one in which there is healthy competition, 
     in accordance with the legitimate requirements of the nation, 
     including at least a clear separation of powers among the 
     Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches of government. 
     This would be in tune with international criteria and the 
     experiences and lessons Mankind has learned from highly 
     respected and successful democracies.
       The concrete objective is to re-establish the following 
     fundamental rights of the people:
       The Freedom of Information and Opinion as defined in the 
     United Nations' International Covenant on Civil and Political 
     Rights, ratified on December 16, 1966, and endorsed by 
     Vietnam on September 24, 1982, Article 19.2: ``Everyone shall 
     have the right to freedom of opinion; this right shall 
     include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and 
     ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, 
     in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any 
     other media of his choice.'' This means that political 
     parties, organizations and individuals all have the freedom 
     to express their opinions through the printed media, radio, 
     television and any other mass media without having to wait 
     for prior approval by the government.
       The Freedom to Assemble, form Associations, Political 
     Parties, Vote and Stand for Elected Offices as defined in the 
     International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 
     25: ``Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity 
     (a) to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly 
     or through freely chosen representatives; (b) to vote and to 
     be elected in genuine periodic elections which shall be by 
     universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret 
     ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the 
     electors.'' This means that political parties of every 
     orientation are allowed to fairly compete in a genuine 
     pluralistic and multiparty democracy.
       The Freedom to participate in Independent Labor Unions and 
     the Right to Legitimate Strikes in accordance with the 
     International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural 
     Rights ratified by the United Nations on December 16, 1966, 
     Articles 7 and 8: ``The States Parties to the present 
     Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of 
     just and favorable conditions of work . . ., the right of 
     everyone to form trade unions and join the trade union of his 
     choice, subject only to the rules of the organization 
     concerned, for the promotion and protection of his economic 
     and social interests . . . [including] the right to strike . 
     . .'' These Labor Unions must be independent of, and in 
     practice, not subservient to the state.
       The Freedom of Religion as defined in the International 
     Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 18: 
     ``Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, 
     conscience and religion. This right shall include the freedom 
     to have or adopt a Religion or Belief of his choice, and the 
     freedom, either individually or in community with others and 
     in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in 
     worship, observance, practice and teaching.'' These religions 
     must also operate independently; they cannot be made the 
     instruments of the state.
       2. The method of this struggle must be peaceful and non-
     violent. The Vietnamese nation must itself be actively 
     engaged in it. Of course, we are extremely thankful for the 
     warm and ever more effective support of all our friends in 
     the world. Using modern information media and through ever 
     larger international exchanges, we will seek in every way to 
     help our compatriot to fully understand the issues involved. 
     Once this has been achieved, they surely will know how to act 
     appropriately and effectively.
       3. This struggle is meant to make the Right Cause triumph 
     over the Bad Cause, and, Progress over Backwardness. There 
     are popular movements that are currently trying to use the 
     laws of life and the tendencies of our time in order to 
     defeat those evil forces that are trying to go against these 
     tendencies and laws. Whether the CPV marches hand-in-hand 
     with the Nation or not will depend on whether it is 
     objective, fair, enlightened and modest enough to accept the 
     principle of equality in a fair competition. The one-party 
     political regime must be once and for all buried in the 
     dustbin of history. From such a departing point, the 
     Vietnamese nation will be able to find its best citizens and 
     the most capable political organizations after each election 
     to lead it. The ``total triumph of the right cause'' 
     principle will be established, and one's individual life will 
     become better, our society more humane, and our Compatriots 
     will live together on more friendly terms.
       We hope that this Manifesto would foster the positive 
     contributions of our compatriots living outside of Vietnam 
     and the support of our international friends. We are 
     sincerely grateful and call on the United Nations, national 
     parliaments, governments, international organizations and our 
     friends all

[[Page 10847]]

     over the world to continue supporting enthusiastically and 
     effectively this fully legitimate struggle. This will soon 
     help bring our Fatherland, Vietnam, to stand shoulder-to-
     shoulder with civilized, moral, prosperous and free countries 
     in today's community of Mankind--Unanimously declared in 
     Vietnam on 8 April 2006.
       Dr. Nguyen Xuan An, Hue; Teacher Dang Van Anh, Hue; Prof. 
     Nguyen Kim Anh, Hue; Writer Trinh Canh, Vung Tau; Teacher Le 
     Can, Hue; Teacher Tran Thi Minh Cam, Hue; Teacher Nguyen Thi 
     Linh Chi, Can Tho; Teacher Nguyen Viet Cu, Quang Ngai; Writer 
     Nguyen Dac Cuong, Phan Thiet; Teacher Tran Doan, Quang Ngai; 
     Teacher Ho Anh Dung, Hue; Dr. Ha Xuan Duong, Hue; Attorney 
     Nguyen Van Dai, Hanoi; Dr. Ho Dong, Vinh Long; Businessman 
     Tran Van Ha, Da Nang; Dr. Le Thi Ngan Ha, Hue; (Mrs.) Vu Thuy 
     Ha, Hanoi; Teacher Tran Thach Hai, Haiphong; Teacher Dang 
     Hoai Anh, Hue; Dr. Le Hoai Anh, Nha Trang.
       Prof. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Da Namg; Rev. F.X. Le Van Cao, Hue; 
     Rev. Giuse Hoang Can, Hue; Rev. Giuse Nguyen Van Chanh, Hue; 
     Prof. Hoang Minh Chinh, Hanoi; Dang Quoc Cuong, MA, Hue; 
     Businessman Ho Ngoc Diep, Da Nang; Ms. Le Thi Phu Dung, 
     Saigon; Prof. Truong Quang Dung, Hue; Ex-Col. Pham Que Duong, 
     Hanoi; Kt (Architect?) Tran Van Don, Phan Thiet; Rev. Phero 
     Nguyen Huu Giai, Hue; Teacher Le Thi Bich Ha, Can Tho; 
     Teacher Le Nguyen Xuan Ha, Hue; Eng. Do Nam Hai, Saigon; Kt 
     (Architect?) Tran Viet Hai, Vung Tau; Eng. Doan Thi Dieu 
     Hanh, Vung Tau; Teacher Phan Thi Minh Hanh, Hue; Writer Tran 
     Hao, Vung Tau; Teacher Le Le Hang, Hue.
       Nurse Che Minh Hoang, Nha Trang; Teacher Le Thu Minh Hung, 
     Saigon; Rev. Gk Nguyen Van Hung, Hue; Teacher Le Thi Thanh 
     Huyenh, Hue; Mai Thu Huong, MA, Haiphong; Candidate Nguyen 
     Ngoc Ke, Hue; Nguyen Quoc Khanh, MA, Hue; Prof. Tran Khue, 
     Saigon; Writer Bui Lang, Phan Thiet; Mr. Le Quang Liem, Head, 
     Traditional Hoa Hao Buddhist'' Church, Saigon; Rev. G.B. 
     Nguyen Cao Loc, Hue; Teacher Ma Van Luu, Haiphong; Rev. Tadeo 
     Nguyen Van Ly, Hue; Teacher Cao Thi Xuan Mai, Hue; Writer Ha 
     Van Mau, Can Tho; Writer Le Thi Thu Minh, Can Tho; Teacher 
     Nguyen Anh Minh, Saigon; (Mrs.) Bui Kim Ngan, Hanoi; Rev. 
     G.B. Le Van Nghiem, Hue; Rev. Dominic Phan Phuoc, Hue.
       Rev. Giuse Cai Hong Phuong, Hue; Eng. Ta Minh Quan, Can 
     Tho; Rev. Giuse Tran Van Quy, Hue; Dr. Tran Thi Sen, Nha 
     Trang; Eng. Hoang Son, Haiphong; Prof. Nguyen Anh Tai, Da 
     Nang; Dr. Ta Minh Tam, Can Tho; Pastor Pham Ngoc Thach, 
     Saigon; Teacher Van Ba Thanh, Hue; Tran Manh Thu, MA, 
     Haiphong; Writer Hoang Tien, Hanoi; Rev. Tephano Chan Tin, 
     Saigon; Writer Ton Nu Minh Trang, Phan Thiet; Dr. Nguyen Anh 
     Tu, Da Nang; Teacher Le Tri Tue, Haiphong; Businesswoman 
     Nguyen Thi Hanh, DaNang; Prof. Dang Minh Hao, Hue; Writer 
     Tran Manh Hao, Saigon; Rev. Giuse Nguyen Duc Hieu, Bac Ninh; 
     Teacher Van Dinh Hoang, Hue.
       Prof. Nguyen Minh Hung, Hue; Teacher Phan Ngoc Huy, Hue; 
     Teacher Do Thi Minh Huong, Hue; Nurse Tran Thu Huong, Da 
     Nang; Prof. Nguyen Chinh Ket, Saigon; Teacher Nguyen Dang 
     Khoa, Hue; Ex-Major Vu Kinh, Hanoi; Teacher Ton That Hoang 
     Lan, Saigon; Dr. Vu Thi Hoa Linh, Saigon; Rev. Phero Phan Van 
     Loi, Hue; Teacher Nguyen Van Ly, Haiphong; Teacher Cai Thi 
     Mai, Haiphong; Teacher Nguyen Van Mai, Saigon; Teacher Phan 
     Van Mau, Hue; Teacher Ma Van Minh, Hue; Dr. Huyen Ton Nu 
     Phuong Nhien, Da Nang; Dang Hoai Ngan, MA, Hue; Teacher Le 
     Hong Phuc, Haiphong; Eng. Vo Lam Phuoc, Saigon; Pastor Nguyen 
     Hong Quang, Saigon.
       Rev. Augustino Ho Van Quy, Hue; Dr. Vo Van Quyen, Vinh 
     Long; Hoa Hao Lay preacher Le Van Soc, Vinh Long; Rev. Phao 
     Lo Ngo Thanh Son, Hue; Eng. Do Hong Tam, Haiphong; Prof. 
     Nguyen Thanh Tam, Hue; Teacher Nguyen binh Thanh, Hue; Hoa 
     Hao Lay preacher Nguyen Van Tho, Dong Thap; Prof. Dr. Tran 
     Hong Thu, Saigon; Ex-Officer Tran Dung Tien, Hanoi; Teacher 
     Nguyen Khac Toan, Hanoi; Teacher Che Thi Hong Trinh, Hue; Dr. 
     Doan Minh Tuan, Saigon; Nurse Tran Thi Hoai Van, Nha,Trang; 
     Teacher Ngo Thi Tuong Vi, Quang Ngai; Ho Ngoc Vinh, MA, Da 
     Nang; Teacher Nguyen Le Xuan Vinh, Can Tho; Eng. Lam Dinh 
     Vinh, Saigon.

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) who has 
been a leader on global human rights for 27 years, and that especially 
relates to Vietnam.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Smith, and for Mr. Smith's 
faithfulness to be over here.
  This institution is frankly changing. It is changing before our eyes. 
This institution, on both sides of the aisle, almost doesn't seem to 
care anymore on these issues of fundamental human rights. This 
institution needs a little bit of Ronald Reagan.
  Many of you voted to give this government PNTR. Read the letter. The 
conditions have changed dramatically. They're worse today than when you 
gave them PNTR. And yet this place is almost empty. Nobody seems to 
care anymore.
  Father Ly is in jail. The American Ambassador ought to be fired. This 
administration has done a horrible job.
  Let me just read some of the things that have gone on since we gave 
them PNTR and the President went over there. February 18, 2007, the 
second day of Lunar, Father Ly was banished to a remote secluded area. 
Does the Congress care? Does the administration care?
  March 5, 2007, security forces in Saigon told Mrs. Bui Ngoc Yen that 
they had an order to arrest her husband.
  March 8, 2007, Reverend Nguyen Cong Chinch were brutally assaulted by 
the security forces.
  March 8, 2007, two prominent human rights activists and lawyers, Mr. 
Nguyen Van Dai and Ms. Le Thi Cong Nhan were arrested in Hanoi, told 
they would be detained for 4 months.
  March 9, 2007 Mr. Tran Van Hoa, a member of the People's Democracy 
Committee, summoned by the security forces and threatened with 
``immeasurable consequences,'' that's in quotes.
  March 10, 2007, Do Nam Hai, an engineer writing under the pen name 
Phuong Nam, one of the leading members of the Alliance for Democracy 
told by security forces he could be indicted any time.
  March 10, the same day, state security forces raided the home of Ms. 
Tran Khai Thanh, a writer.
  March 12, 2007, do you get a pattern here? Can anyone see a pattern 
sort of developing here?
  The Congress gave them MFN. Probably a majority on both sides gave 
them MFN. But do you see a pattern here?
  March 10, state security forces.
  March 12, lawyer Le Quoc Quan, a consultant on local government for 
the World Bank was arrested in his hometown.
  April 5, 2007 the Vietnamese authorities in Hanoi rudely prevented 
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, from your side of the aisle, from 
meeting with several dissidents' wives at a gathering organized at the 
Ambassador's house.
  Now this Ambassador, frankly, and Mr. Lantos, and we have a bill 
that's coming up, this Ambassador has failed to turn the American 
Embassy into an island of freedom. During the days of Ronald Reagan, 
one of the greatest presidents we have ever had, not only in modern 
times, but in all times, turned the American Embassy in Moscow into an 
island of freedom that dissidents felt comfortable coming, and they 
were invited.
  This Ambassador is just the opposite. He's silent. Dr. Martin Luther 
King said silence is the real danger. You expect the silence of your 
enemies, but you don't expect the silence of our friends.
  Furthermore, the Hanoi government still has a large number of 
dissidents that are in jail.
  Lastly, and I'm going to read a letter that I'm going to put in the 
Record that we sent to Secretary Rice the other day. The Vietnamese 
American community, a young but energetic group comprised of more than 
1 million citizens, should be included in future dialogues with U.S. 
government officials. They know the history, the culture and the values 
of Vietnam. They also scrutinize the history and the tactics of 
communism and the Communist government's habits at the negotiating 
table.
  I sincerely believe that the history of Vietnam must inform our 
approach to this and all other aspects of foreign policy. And the 
Vietnamese American community is a tremendous asset in this regard. 
Quite frankly, this administration, when Ambassador Marine leaves, 
ought to put a Vietnamese American in who understands these issues. So 
I'm going to submit this in the Record.
  But these are important issues. This Congress just can't give these 
people human rights. And frankly, there is a whole shift taking place. 
I saw the

[[Page 10848]]

other day, and if I'm wrong, I'll correct it for the record, that 
Steven Spielberg is now representing the Chinese government for the 
Olympics. One of Spielberg's greatest movies was the movie that he did 
with regard to what took place by Nazi Germany, Schindler's List.
  Well, now there's a Schindler's list operation going on in China. 
There are 42 Catholic bishops that are in jail with China, with 
priests. And for those who might think it might be amusing, China is 
the one that's trying to do nothing with regard to the genocide in 
Darfur. 400,000 people have died. The head of China goes to Khartoum 2 
months ago with a bold announcement. The announcement is they are going 
to build a new palace for the Sudanese that are bringing about 
genocide. Genocide in Darfur.
  There are 46,000 house church leaders, leaders, committed leaders, 
house church leaders that are in jail in China today. In Tibet, it's 
against the law to have a picture of the Dalai Lama, and the Chinese 
public security police sent three public security police to my district 
spying on Rebiya Kadeer. If you read the Washington Post editorial last 
week, spying on Rebiya Kadeer in Fairfax County. Her three kids have 
been arrested. She's a Muslim. Her three kids have been arrested. So I 
just see, and I want to thank Mr. Smith for doing this, but frankly, 
for the Congress just to grant MFN to this fundamentally evil 
government, and for us to just sort of move on and just kind of not 
care anymore, it just is really troubling. When we fail to speak out 
for the least, we fundamentally fail to speak out for everyone. And so 
let me just say, I didn't know this was coming up, and I just caught it 
and came over here. I want to thank Mr. Smith for his faithfulness in 
being involved. And frankly, any Member that voted to give these guys 
PNTR, on both sides of the aisle, man, you've got a great 
responsibility now to really do something on these people. These are 
dissidents that are in jail. They are being suffered.
  And frankly, I end by saying we ought to do more the way that Ronald 
Reagan did in the 1980s. Speak out on human rights, religious freedom 
and those values. And with that, you ought to call a role call vote on 
this because, frankly, this government is so dense that if they see a 
voice vote they won't even think it it's important. There ought to be a 
roll call vote so we can send a message on behalf of Father Ly, a 
Catholic bishop, a Catholic priest who's done nothing, and all these 
other people. And frankly, this ambassador ought to be shown the door. 
And we ought to put somebody in who represents the values of this 
country. Quite frankly, it ought to be a Vietnamese American who can go 
over there and advocate on behalf of those who are being persecuted.

       Dear Secretary Rice: I am writing to express my deep 
     concern regarding the worsening human rights situation in 
     Vietnam in recent months. After joining the World Trade 
     Organization in January 2007, the politburo of the Vietnamese 
     Communist Party (VCP) has carried out a large-scale brutal 
     campaign of arrest against the nascent movement for democracy 
     in Vietnam. Ignoring all international criticism and 
     strenuous protests of the Vietnamese people, inside Vietnam 
     and abroad, the communist regime in Hanoi has shamefully 
     pushed ahead with its crackdown. The following events were 
     particularly disconcerting to me:
       On February 18, 2007, the second day of the Lunar New Year, 
     which is the most sacred time in Vietnamese culture, the 
     communist security forces raided Father Nguyen Van Ly's 
     office within the Communal Residence of the Hue Archdiocese. 
     Father Ly was later banished to a remote, secluded area in 
     Hue.
       On March 5, 2007, security forces in Saigon told Mrs. Bui 
     Ngoc Yen that they had an order to arrest her husband, 
     Professor Nguyen Chinh Kiet, who is a leading member of the 
     Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights in Vietnam. Professor 
     Kiet was in Europe at the time campaigning for democracy and 
     human rights in Vietnam.
       On March 8, 2007, Reverend Nguyen Cong Chinch and his wife 
     were brutally assaulted by security forces of Gia Lai 
     Province in the Central Highlands, who then arrested Reverend 
     Chinch on undisclosed charges.
       Also on March 8, 2007, two prominent human rights activists 
     and lawyers, Mr. Nguyen Van Dai and Ms. Le Thi Cong Nhan, 
     were arrested in Hanoi and were told that they would be 
     detained for four months as part of an undisclosed 
     investigation.
       On March 9, 2007, Mr. Tran Van Hoa, a member of the 
     People's Democracy Party in Quang Ninh Province, and Mr. Pham 
     Van Troi, a member of the Committee for Human Rights in Ha 
     Tay, were summoned by security forces and threatened with 
     ``immeasurable consequences'' if they do not stop their 
     advocacy for human rights in Vietnam.
       On March 10, 2007, Do Nam Hai, an engineer writing under 
     the pen name Phuong Nam and one of the leading members of the 
     Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights in Vietnam, was told 
     by security forces that he could be indicted at any time for 
     activity against the State.
       Also on March 10, 2007, state security forces also raided 
     the home of Ms. Tran Khai Thanh Thuy, a writer, on the 
     grounds that she advocated for ``people with grievances'' 
     against the government. They took away two computers, two 
     cell phones, and hundreds of appeals that she had prepared 
     for victims of the government's abuses.
       March 12, 2007, lawyer Le Quoc Quan, a consultant on local 
     governance for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UNDP, 
     and Swedish International Development Agency, was arrested in 
     his hometown, Nghe An, less than a week after he returned 
     from a fellowship at the National Endowment for Democracy in 
     Washington, D.C. His whereabouts are unknown at this time.
       On April 5, 2007, the Vietnamese authorities in Hanoi 
     rudely prevented Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) from 
     meeting with several dissidents' wives at a gathering 
     organized at the U.S. Ambassador's home. The police 
     reportedly used very hostile and undignified manners to 
     intervene in the meeting.
       Furthermore, the Hanoi communist regime is still 
     imprisoning many political dissidents and labor advocates 
     such as Nguyen Vu Binh, Huynh Nguyen Dao, Truong Quoc Huy, 
     Nguyen Hoang Long, Nguyen Tan Hoanh, Doan Huy Chuong, the 
     religious leaders of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, 
     Cao Dai, Hoa Hoa, and more than 350 lay people of the 
     Protestant churches in the Central Highland.
       The Vietnamese-Americans in my district, as well as all 
     across the country, are very angered and distressed by what 
     they perceive as a new and aggressive plan of the Hanoi 
     government to reverse the progress of human rights in 
     Vietnam. They believe that Ambassador Marine and his staff 
     are not doing enough to stop these blatant violations of 
     human rights.
       It seems to me that the Vietnamese government is conducting 
     this crackdown on advocates of human rights and religious 
     freedom because it believes that the U.S. has no further 
     leverage in the region. Now that Vietnam has been admitted to 
     the WTO, and met with the Holy See, they believe they can 
     respond in this brutal fashion to supporters of democracy and 
     freedom and we will not respond.
       I hope that you will make clear to the Vietnamese 
     authorities that we will not stand by while this violence and 
     intimidation continues. I believe the State Department should 
     consider putting Vietnam back on the list of Countries of 
     Particular Concern, and perhaps also consider canceling the 
     planned visit of the Vietnamese president and prime minister 
     later this year if the human rights situation in Vietnam has 
     not improved.
       I appreciate the recent comments by Sean McCormack at Voice 
     of America expressing deep concern about the March 30 trial 
     and sentencing of Father Ly. I ask that you continue pressing 
     these issues with the Vietnamese government, including the 
     need to respect the basic human rights of all Vietnamese 
     citizens, especially the freedom of information, freedom of 
     expression, and freedom of religion. The Vietnamese people 
     should be able to choose their own leaders through free and 
     fair elections and to use the Internet freely without any 
     censures or restrictions.
       I also ask that you encourage the Vietnamese authorities to 
     release all political prisoners and religious leaders who are 
     currently imprisoned because of their peaceful expression of 
     their ideas or to fight for their religious beliefs. Among 
     these prisoners are Father Nguyen Van Ly, Pastors Nguyen Cong 
     Chinh and Hong Trung, lawyers Nguyen Van Dai, Le thi Cong 
     Nhan, Le Quoc Quan, Messiers Truong Quoc Huy, and Nguyen 
     Hoang Lon.
       Lastly, I believe the Vietnamese-American community, a 
     young but energetic group comprised of more than one million 
     citizens, should be included in future dialogues with U.S. 
     government officials. They know the history, culture and 
     values of Vietnam. They also have scrutinized the history and 
     tactics of communism and the communist government's habits at 
     the negotiating table. I sincerely believe that the history 
     of Vietnam must inform our approach to this and all other 
     aspects of foreign policy, and the Vietnamese-American 
     community is a tremendous asset in this regard. I 
     respectfully request that you invite a small representation 
     of the Vietnamese-American community to join the U.S. 
     delegation in next month's human rights dialogue.
       Best wishes.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Frank R. Wolf,
                                               Member of Congress.

[[Page 10849]]

     
                                  ____
                [From washingtonpost.com, Apr. 26, 2007]

   Inherited Persecution: China Imprisons the Son of a Human Rights 
                                Activist

       Last week China sentenced Ablikim Abdureyim to 9 years in 
     prison. His crime? Having a human rights activist for a 
     mother.
       His mother, Rebiya Kadeer, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, had 
     been warned. When she was released from her imprisonment in 
     2005 to the United States, she was told to keep quiet about 
     China's treatment of Uighurs, a Turkic-Ianguage Muslim 
     minority. Or else. Instead, for the past 2 years this former 
     entrepreneur has been shouting from the rooftops about 
     China's oppression of her people. She has talked to Congress, 
     the European Parliament and anyone else who will listen about 
     the forced abortions, the harassment and killings, the 
     thousands of Uighurs imprisoned for supposed treason or 
     ``terrorism.'' She herself was imprisoned for 6 years for 
     mailing publicly available newspaper articles to her husband 
     in America, an act China deemed ``endangering of state 
     secrets.'' Right now the Chinese government can't get its 
     hands on her, so it is going after her children in China 
     instead.
       Ms. Kadeer's sons Alim and Kahar Abdureyim were convicted 
     last fall of ``tax evasion,'' which she says they confessed 
     to after being tortured. Ablikim Abdureyim, the son sentenced 
     last week, was officially convicted in January of 
     ``instigating and engaging in secessionist activities.'' 
     According to the state-run news agency Xinhua, these 
     ``secessionist activities'' chiefly consisted of asking 
     Yahoo's ``Uighur-language webmaster'' to post articles on its 
     site--a peculiar allegation considering that Yahoo has 
     neither a Uighur-language webmaster nor a Uighur-language 
     site.
       The Chinese Embassy claims that Ablikim Abdureyim's ``legal 
     rights were protected during the trial'' and that the trial 
     was open to the public. But his family says that he was 
     denied a lawyer (against Chinese law) as well as any contact 
     with his family since his arrest last August. His family was 
     not even notified about his trial; relatives officially 
     learned of it only when Xinhua ran an article about his 
     conviction nearly 3 months after the fact. If, despite the 
     evidence, China still wants to claim that Mr. Abdureyim's 
     trial was ``open'' and fair, fine: Let it prove it by giving 
     him an open and fair appeal.
                                  ____

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I just yield myself 2 final 
minutes to close.
  First of all, let me thank Mr. Wolf, Chairman Wolf for his very 
eloquent and passionate statement. And I think by injecting China into 
this debate as well, there is a modus operandi by both of those 
countries to talk a good game about human rights while doing absolutely 
nothing, as a matter of fact, by doing just the opposite. It is 
doublespeak. It is Orwellian, and unfortunately, it is what is 
happening on the ground today.
  Let me also say that when I visited dissidents, several of whom were 
under house arrest in Ho Chi Min City, Hue and Hanoi, I was struck by 
the heart breaking vulnerability of those individuals and their 
families, because the secret police don't just go after the individual. 
They target their families, their kids, their brothers their sisters-
in-law, their nephews and nieces. It is widespread. The bullies inflict 
maximum, they being the communist regime, maximum pain on the 
individual and his or her family.
  I'll give you an example of just how it works. One of the individuals 
who downloaded ``What is Democracy'' from the Internet, which was on 
the U.S. embassy Web site, translated and then resent it out, got 5 
years in prison. He was recently let out. But his wife Vu, who I met in 
a Hanoi restaurant with at least three bully boys sitting about 5-10 
feet away taking her picture, from the secret police, told me again and 
again how fearful she was that she would be targeted--and hit. She 
rides a motor bike; she feared that they would run her down. Modus 
operandi, again, of the secret police.

                              {time}  1630

  Sure enough, just a few weeks ago, she was hit on the road by the 
police. Would you say that was an accident? If you think that is an 
accident, I will sell you the Brooklyn Bridge.
  Mr. Speaker, human rights abuse is getting worse in Vietnam. It is 
widespread. It is pervasive. And it has got to be stopped. We need to 
speak out with one voice. The administration needs to speak out with 
one voice.
  This resolution has a number of action clauses in it. I hope it is 
taken seriously both in Hanoi as well as down at Foggy Bottom.
  We need to help those suffering individuals. We are their last best 
hope. Let's work for them because they deserve our--and Vietnam's--
respect and protection.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart).
  Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good 
friend from New Jersey for the time.
  I rise in support of Mr. Smith's resolution.
  I was listening to another dear friend whom I greatly admire, Mr. 
Wolf, and I want to thank once again Mr. Smith of New Jersey and Mr. 
Wolf of Virginia for consistently being the voices for the oppressed 
throughout the world.
  Martin Luther King said, ``An injustice anywhere is an affront to 
justice everywhere.'' And that is what this resolution is about. The 
men and women who are languishing in the prisons in Vietnam, those 
being tortured, the people being tortured because of their religious 
beliefs, because of their views on issues, because of their political 
aspirations for democracy, they are being tortured systematically; and 
that regime needs to be condemned not only by history but by the 
Congress of the United States. And that is why I support so strongly 
this resolution by Mr. Smith.
  And it is appropriate, as Mr. Wolf did, to bring out the torture also 
being committed by the regime in China, mainland China. That is also a 
fascist communist regime. These regimes continue to be communist, but 
by opening the economy, they manage to get massive investments from Big 
Business throughout the world.
  And I heard Mr. Wolf talk about how now Mr. Spielberg apparently is 
lobbying for the Chinese communist regime. It doesn't surprise me, 
after having met for hours with Fidel Castro and having said that that 
was one of the greatest experiences of his life, comparable to the 
birth of his child. So it doesn't surprise me.
  It doesn't surprise me about Big Business going into Vietnam and 
China and getting profits from the exploitation of the workers by the 
communist regimes.
  So I want to simply thank the gentleman for the time, and I am in 
strong support of this resolution. It is consistent with the best 
traditions of the Congress of the United States.
       Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with our 
     colleagues a letter I recently sent to Secretary Rice 
     regarding the recent crackdown on advocates of human rights 
     and religious freedom in Vietnam. Even now, Vietnamese 
     authorities are continuing to harrass these activists, 
     including by blocking our ambassador's meetings with the 
     wives of detained dissidents. We must speak out against this 
     repression.
       Dear Secretary Rice: I am writing to express my deep 
     concern regarding the worsening human rights situation in 
     Vietnam in recent months. After joining the World Trade 
     Organization in January 2007, the politburo of the Vietnamese 
     Communist Party (VCP) has carried out a large-scale brutal 
     campaign of arrest against the nascent movement for democracy 
     in Vietnam. Ignoring all international criticism and 
     strenuous protests of the Vietnamese people, inside Vietnam 
     and abroad, the communist regime in Hanoi has shamefully 
     pushed ahead with its crackdown. The following events were 
     particularly disconcerting to me.
       On February 18, 2007, the second day of the Lunar New Year, 
     which is the most sacred time in Vietnamese culture, the 
     communist security forces raided Father Nguyen Van Ly's 
     office within the Communal Residence of the Hue Archdiocese. 
     Father Ly was later banished to a remote, secluded area in 
     Hue.
       On March 5, 2007, security forces in Saigon told Mrs. Bui 
     Ngoc Yen that they had an order to arrest her husband, 
     Professor Nguyen Chinh Kiet, who is a leading member of the 
     Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights in Vietnam. Professor 
     Kiet was in Europe at the time campaigning for democracy and 
     human rights in Vietnam.
       On March 8, 2007, Reverend Nguyen Cong Chinch and his wife 
     were brutally assaulted by security forces of Gia Lai 
     Province in the Central Highlands, who then arrested Reverend 
     Chinch on undisclosed charges.
       Also on March 8, 2007, two prominent human rights activists 
     and lawyers, Mr. Nguyen Van Dai and Ms. Le Thi Cong Nhan, 
     were arrested in Hanoi and were told that they would be 
     detained for four months as part of an undisclosed 
     investigation.
       On March 9, 2007, Mr. Tran Van Hoa, a member of the 
     People's Democracy Party in Quang Ninh Province, and Mr. Pham 
     Van Troi, a member of the Committee for Human

[[Page 10850]]

     Rights in Ha Tay, were summoned by security forces and 
     threatened with ``immeasurable consequences'' if they do not 
     stop their advocacy for human rights in Vietnam.
       On March 10, 2007, Do Nam Hai, an engineer writing under 
     the pen name Phuong Nam and one of the leading members of the 
     Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights in Vietnam, was told 
     by security forces that he could be indicted at any time for 
     activity against the State.
       Also on March 10, 2007, state security forces also raided 
     the home of Ms. Tran Khai Thanh Thuy, a writer, on the 
     grounds that she advocated for ``people with grievances'' 
     against the government. They took away two computers, two 
     cell phones, and hundreds of appeals that she had prepared 
     for victims of the government's abuses.
       March 12, 2007, lawyer Le Quoc Quan, a consultant on local 
     governance for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UNDP, 
     and Swedish International Development Agency, was arrested in 
     his hometown, Nghe An, less than a week after he returned 
     from a fellowship at the National Endowment for Democracy in 
     Washington, D.C. His whereabouts are unknown at this time.
       On April 5, 2007, the Vietnamese authorities in Hanoi 
     rudely prevented Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) from 
     meeting with several dissidents' wives at a gathering 
     organized at the U.S. Ambassador's home. The police 
     reportedly used very hostile and undignified manners to 
     intervene in the meeting.
       Furthermore, the Hanoi communist regime is still 
     imprisoning many political dissidents and labor advocates 
     such as Nguyen Vu Binh, Huynh Nguyen Dao, Truong Quoc Huy, 
     Nguyen Hoang Long, Nguyen Tan Hoanh, Doan Huy Chuong, the 
     religious leaders of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, 
     Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, and more than 350 lay people of the 
     Protestant churches in the Central Highland.
       The Vietnamese-Americans in my district, as well as all 
     across the country, are very angered and distressed by what 
     they perceive as a new and aggressive plan of the Hanoi 
     government to reverse the progress of human rights in 
     Vietnam. They believe that Ambassador Marine and his staff 
     are not doing enough to stop these blatant violations of 
     human rights.
       It seems to me that the Vietnamese government is conducting 
     this crackdown on advocates of human rights and religious 
     freedom because it believes that the U.S. has no further 
     leverage in the region. Now that Vietnam has been admitted to 
     the WTO, and met with the Holy See, they believe they can 
     respond in this brutal fashion to supporters of democracy and 
     freedom and we will not respond.
       I hope that you will make clear to the Vietnamese 
     authorities that we will not stand by while this violence and 
     intimidation continues. I believe the State Department should 
     consider putting Vietnam back on the list of Countries of 
     Particular Concern, and perhaps also consider canceling the 
     planned visit of the Vietnamese president and prime minister 
     later this year if the human rights situation in Vietnam has 
     not improved.
       I appreciate the recent comments by Sean McCormack at Voice 
     of America expressing deep concern about the March 30 trial 
     and sentencing of Father Ly. I ask that you continue pressing 
     these issues with the Vietnamese government, including the 
     need to respect the basic human rights of all Vietnamese 
     citizens, especially the freedom of information, freedom of 
     expression, and freedom of religion. The Vietnamese people 
     should be able to choose their own leaders through free and 
     fair elections and to use the Internet freely without any 
     censures or restrictions.
       I also ask that you encourage the Vietnamese authorities to 
     release all political prisoners and religious leaders who are 
     currently imprisoned because of their peaceful expression of 
     their ideas or to fight for their religious beliefs. Among 
     these prisoners are Father Nguyen Van Ly, Pastors Nguyen Cong 
     Chinh and Hong Trung, lawyers Nguyen Van Dai, Le thi Cong 
     Nhan, Le Quoc Quan, Messiers Truong Quoc Huy, and Nguyen 
     Hoang Lon.
       Lastly, I believe the Vietnamese-American community, a 
     young but energetic group comprised of more than one million 
     citizens, should be included in future dialogues with U.S. 
     government officials. They know the history, culture and 
     values of Vietnam. They also have scrutinized the history and 
     tactics of communism and the communist government's habits at 
     the negotiating table. I sincerely believe that the history 
     of Vietnam must inform our approach to this and all other 
     aspects of foreign policy, and the Vietnamese-American 
     community is a tremendous asset in this regard. I 
     respectfully request that you invite a small representation 
     of the Vietnamese-American community to join the U.S. 
     delegation in next month's human rights dialogue.
       Best wishes.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Frank R. Wolf,
                                               Member of Congress.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, as chair of the U.S.-Vietnam Caucus, 
dedicated to strengthening the bilateral relationship between the 
United States and Vietnam, I strongly support efforts to help Vietnam 
improve its human rights record and I support this resolution. Nothing 
would do more for this important relationship that continued steps by 
Vietnam towards respect for free speech, human rights, religious 
freedom and democratization. I have raised this issue at the highest 
levels of Vietnam's government and continue to do so at every 
opportunity.
  However, given that Vietnam has made significant progress over the 
last decade, I wish that we could have passed the version as 
introduced, which focuses on the steps Vietnam needs to take, rather 
than this Committee-passed version which now includes unhelpful 
language about placing certain sanctions and restrictions on the U.S.-
Vietnam relationship. I continue to believe that the path of engagement 
and honest dialogue will be a more fruitful avenue for the advancement 
of human rights and democracy in Vietnam.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support for H. Res. 243. The imprisonment of political prisoners and 
prisoners of conscience by the Republic of Vietnam is unconscionable. I 
join my colleagues in urging the communist regime in Hanoi to cease 
with these repressive actions.
  Father Nguyen Van Ly and human rights attorneys Nguyen Van Dai and Le 
Thi Cong Nhan were arrested earlier this year for allegedly 
disseminating propaganda against their government. Their actions were 
peaceful and nonviolent, and are protected by the Vietnamese 
Constitution. In the 12th round of human rights talks between our 
government and the government of the Republic of Vietnam last week, the 
assistant to the Vietnamese foreign minister attempted to highlight 
their achievements in this arena, citing the protection and execution 
of basic rights and freedoms of their people.
  Mr. Speaker, these words are not enough. We need action. The 
government of Vietnam needs to show us their commitment to providing 
basic human rights to their citizenry by releasing these Vietnamese 
patriots. Their alleged crimes amount to nothing more than advocating 
freedom of religion, speech, movement and association; these actions 
should be celebrated, rather than punished by their government.
  I support this resolution and call upon the Socialist Republic of 
Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release these political and 
religious prisoners. Further, I call upon their government to embrace 
differing opinions, and ensure their government's vitality through the 
strength of its principles, rather than the strength of its police 
force.
  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, April 30, 2007, Vietnamese 
Americans across the nation observed the 32nd anniversary of the fall 
of Saigon to North Vietnam, marking the end of the Vietnam war. There 
are now more than 1.12 million Vietnamese Americans living in the 
United States. They overcame many hardships to rebuild their lives, 
created thriving communities, contributed to the diversity and well-
being of our country and worked towards their American dreams.
  They have not forgotten that their former compatriots, family 
members, and friends in Vietnam are still being denied the basic 
freedoms that America has fought so hard for. Vietnamese Americans of 
different generations are actively working with their counterparts in 
Vietnam to create a more open, democratic society that is free of 
oppression and religious persecution.
  The United States, in good faith, granted Vietnam permanent normal 
trade relations with the assurances that Vietnam was and will continue 
to improve its human rights records. Vietnam expressed its desire to 
create stronger, bilateral relations with the United States. However, 
despite these assurances, Vietnam has significantly increased the level 
of its detention, harassment, and oppression of political activists in 
the past several months since its accession into the World Trade 
Organization. They have blatantly disregarded their own claims that 
they will be actively engaged in promoting and protecting human rights 
with the United Nations Human Rights Council.
  On May 2, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House 
Resolution 243, calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of 
Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release Father Nguyen Van 
Ly, Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and other political prisoners and 
prisoners of conscience. The resolution further urges the Government of 
Vietnam to comply with internationally recognized standards for basic 
freedom and human rights and adhere to the rule of law.
  In voting in favor of House Resolution 243, my thoughts were with 
Father Nguyen Van Ly, a well-known peaceful political dissident, who 
was shown in an alarming video being physically silenced by Vietnamese 
guards at his

[[Page 10851]]

anti-propaganda trial. The literal image of free speech being smothered 
has been broadcasted to the world and the United States cannot stand 
quietly by. The list of those dissidents being harassed, threatened, 
and detained continues to grow as Vietnam attempts to quiet political 
dissidents prior to their general elections this May.
  I urge the Department of State to adopt the re-designation of Vietnam 
as a Country of Particular Concern for its continued oppression of 
religious freedom, as recommended by the United States Commission on 
International Religious Freedom. It is my hope that the Vietnamese 
government will consider how their actions are viewed by the world, and 
that they immediately cease their detention and harassment of peaceful, 
democratic activists.
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 243, 
which calls on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to 
immediately and unconditionally release Father Nguyen Van Ly, Nguyen 
Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and other political prisoners and prisoners 
of conscience.
  Mr. Speaker, as a co-sponsor of this resolution, I am extremely 
concerned and saddened by the resumption of repressive tactics of the 
Vietnamese Government. It was only six months ago that the State 
Department's Office of International Religious Freedom removed Vietnam 
from its ``Countries of Particular Concern'' list, a list mandated by 
the International Religious Freedom Act which we passed in 1998. 
However, despite their removal from this list, the Vietnamese 
government instead chose to resort to arbitrary arrests and detentions 
of religious community leaders and human rights activists.
  Father Nguyen Van Ly, a founder of the Committee for Human Rights in 
Vietnam, was arrested for what authorities called, ``conducting 
propaganda activities to harm the security of state.'' Father Nguyen 
Van Ly has spent nearly thirteen years in prison for the fight for 
religious freedom and democracy in Vietnam. Just last month, two 
prominent Vietnamese human rights attorneys, Mr. Nguyen Van Dai and Ms. 
Le Thi Cong Nhan, were arrested for ``spreading anti-government 
propaganda.''
  Mr. Speaker, the United States prides itself on the promotion of 
democracy, good governance, protection of human rights and religious 
freedom, and the advancement of the rule of law. We cannot look the 
other way when a ``Most Favored Nation'' is committing the grossest of 
human rights violations against its citizens. Congress cannot ignore 
the blatant disregard Vietnam is displaying towards its own people 
while it continues to detain and silence Vietnamese lawyers, democracy 
activists, and human rights advocates. As Vietnam aspires to integrate 
itself with the global economy, I believe it must also understand that 
the United States and the rest of the world is watching their actions 
and we condemn their atrocious digression and disregard for the most 
basic human rights.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 243, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will 
be postponed.

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