[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21779]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION DETERIORATING IN 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. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
bring urgent attention to the deteriorating human rights conditions in 
the country of Vietnam.
  Most recently, Vietnamese students and bloggers have been harassed 
and detained for peacefully voicing their concerns about the Vietnamese 
government's policies. It is becoming increasingly evident that the 
Government of Vietnam is not living up to its commitment to honor and 
to protect human rights.
  This month, over 3,000 Vietnamese Catholics were harassed by Hanoi's 
police with tear gas, electric batons and other repressive measures 
while attending a peaceful Thai Ha prayer vigil. We are continuing to 
see more and more activists being detained and imprisoned for 
exercising their freedom of speech, religion and expression, rights 
that are guaranteed under the International Covenants on Civil and 
Political Rights.
  This week, I, along with six other Members, sent a letter to 
President Nguyen Minh Triet to express outrage over Vietnam's ongoing 
human rights violations, and to urge the Government of Vietnam to stop 
using violence against its own people.
  I encourage my colleagues to continue addressing this serious issue 
and speaking out for those in Vietnam who are putting their lives in 
danger in the name of freedom.

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