[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Pages 25263-25267]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CALLING ON VIETNAM TO RELEASE IMPRISONED BLOGGERS AND RESPECT INTERNET 
                                FREEDOM

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 672) calling on the Government of the Socialist 
Republic of Vietnam to release imprisoned bloggers and respect Internet 
freedom.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 672

       Whereas the Internet is a tool to exercise freedom of 
     expression and association, both of which are basic human 
     rights;
       Whereas the Internet is a medium to share information 
     freely, promote social and economic development, and connect 
     Vietnamese citizens domestically and internationally;
       Whereas the Government of Vietnam created the 
     Administration Agency for Radio, Television and Electronics 
     Information in October 2008 and issued Circular 07 in 
     December 2008 to restrict Internet freedom, censor private 
     blogs, and compel information technology companies to 
     cooperate with government efforts to monitor personal 
     information of Internet users;
       Whereas the Government of Vietnam has imprisoned bloggers 
     and numerous democracy activists who have distributed their 
     peaceful views over the Internet;
       Whereas the Government of Vietnam continues to firewall 
     external websites promoting democracy and human rights; and
       Whereas these actions violate individuals' right to freedom 
     of speech and expression: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the right of Vietnamese citizens to access 
     websites of their choosing and to have the freedom to share 
     and publish information over the Internet;
       (2) calls on the Government of Vietnam to repeal Circular 
     07, Article 88, and similar statutes that restrict the 
     Internet, so as to be in line with the International Covenant 
     on Civil and Political Rights, to which the Socialist 
     Republic of Vietnam is a signatory;
       (3) calls on the Government of Vietnam to become a 
     responsible member state of the international community by 
     respecting individuals' freedom of speech, freedom of press, 
     and freedom of political association; and
       (4) calls on the Government of Vietnam to release all 
     political prisoners, including but not limited to the 
     following bloggers and cyber activists--
       (A) Le Cong Dinh;
       (B) Le Nguyen Sang;
       (C) Le Thi Cong Nhan;
       (D) Nguyen Van Hai (Dieu Cay);
       (E) Nguyen Xuan Nghia;
       (F) Ngo Quynh;
       (G) Nguyen Ngoc Quang;
       (H) Nguyen Thi Hong;
       (I) Nguyen Van Dai;
       (J) Pham Ba Hai;
       (K) Pham Thanh Nghien;
       (L) Pham Van Troi;
       (M) Tran Huynh Duy Thuc;
       (N) Truong Minh Duc;
       (O) Truong Quoc Huy;
       (P) Vu Hoang Hai;
       (Q) Nguyen Tien Trung; and
       (R) Vu Hung.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Watson) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days 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 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution 
and yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  I would like to thank my good friend, Representative Loretta Sanchez 
of California, for her leadership in introducing this important 
resolution.
  This resolution calls on the government of Vietnam to release 
imprisoned bloggers and respect individuals' rights to freedom of 
speech and expression.
  Over the past decade, Vietnam has seen an explosion in Internet use 
due to the country's increasing economic integration and a decline in 
the cost of access to the Internet. Today, an estimated 24 million of 
Vietnam's 88 million people are online. A major leap forward for 
freedom of expression in Vietnam has been the rise of the blogs. Blogs 
have taken an important space in Vietnam society, providing a rare 
platform for Vietnamese citizens to exchange ideas and debate issues 
outside of the State-controlled media.
  Rather than embracing this new form of communication, authorities in 
Hanoi have chosen to join the likes of China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and 
Egypt in employing a mix of detentions, regulations, and intimidation 
in order to monitor users and censor views.
  On October, 2008, the government passed a new edict that gave the 
police broad authority to move against online critics, including those 
who oppose the ``State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.'' Since 
2002, about 30 ``cyber-dissidents'' have been jailed in Vietnam. Seven 
of those 30 remain behind bars, and these people were expressing their 
views peacefully and posed no threat to Vietnam's national security.
  According to the 2008 press freedom index by Reporters Without 
Borders, Vietnam was ranked 168 out of 173 countries.
  Vietnam must stop criminalizing free speech and begin upholding the 
international covenant on civil and political rights to which Vietnam 
is a signatory. Censoring private blogs and forcing technology 
companies to cooperate with authorities to restrain critical speech 
threatens not just the Vietnamese people but Internet users everywhere.
  I strongly support this resolution and urge my colleagues to do the 
same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
and rise in support of this measure.
  While the government of Vietnam was striving to secure permanent 
normal trade relations from the United States 3 years ago and World 
Trade Organization membership in 2007, it was given the benefit of many 
doubts about its human rights practices. A lot of attention was paid to 
marginal improvements in personal freedoms inside Vietnam at that time, 
and in one controversial decision, the United States removed Vietnam 
from our list of Countries of Particular Concern for religious freedom 
violations.

                              {time}  1230

  But once the regime in Hanoi secured the trade status that it was 
seeking from the United States and multilateral organizations, it 
stepped up its repression. Since then, the human rights situation 
inside Vietnam has deteriorated, a fact that is readily apparent in the 
Vietnamese Government's crackdown on peaceful Internet dissent.
  Although Internet usage has grown among the Vietnamese people, the 
regime in Hanoi restricts services to a limited number of state-owned 
Internet service providers, ISPs. Government regulations require global 
Internet companies who offer blogging services to report to the 
government every 6 months and to provide requested information about 
individual bloggers.
  The state security apparatus monitors personal e-mail and blocks many 
Web sites with political or religious content that it finds 
disagreeable, such as some sites connected with the Catholic Church or 
overseas Vietnamese political groups. The Hanoi regime has harassed, 
convicted, and imprisoned many peaceful activists under the vague 
catchall provision of Article 88 of Vietnam's criminal code which 
prohibits conducting propaganda against the state.
  Earlier this month, Vietnam convicted nine democracy advocates, 
including 60-year-old Nguyen Xuan Nghia, who was sentenced to 6 years 
in prison followed by 3 years of house arrest. These violations were an 
affront to the people of Vietnam and to all people of goodwill who 
cherish basic human liberties.
  All of us in this body, human rights and free trade advocates alike, 
welcome this opportunity for the House to

[[Page 25264]]

speak with one voice in favor of the freedoms of speech and expression 
for the people of Vietnam. I am pleased to join the bipartisan 
cosponsors of this measure in calling for the release of political 
prisoners, including the 18 Vietnamese bloggers and cyberactivists 
listed in the resolution. It is also my hope that global and United 
States-based Internet service providers will refuse to be complicit in 
the Vietnamese Government's human rights violations.
  I want to thank the gentlelady from California (Ms. Loretta Sanchez) 
for introducing this measure, which I strongly support.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlelady from 
California, Loretta Sanchez.
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. I thank the gentlelady from 
California, my good friend.
  Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today in support of my resolution, 
House Resolution 672, which calls on the Government of Vietnam to 
release imprisoned bloggers and to respect Internet freedom.
  I would like to thank, first and foremost, Chairman Berman and the 
committee staff for allowing us to bring this to the floor; and in 
particular, it's important right now with respect to what the 
Vietnamese Government is doing.
  Since I came to the Congress, I have been a strong advocate for human 
rights in Vietnam. As a co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on 
Vietnam, my fellow caucus members and I have focused on urging the 
Government of Vietnam to respect individual rights, in particular, 
those of religion and of speech and expression.
  We have also worked with multiple U.S. administrations to make human 
rights an important part of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship. 
Unfortunately, instead of improving, the human rights conditions in 
Vietnam continue to deteriorate, and I have been concerned that the 
United States has not yet taken a fervent stand against the Government 
of Vietnam's blatant disregard for human rights.
  I have been on this floor a number of times, many times, many of you 
know that, to call attention in particular to the bloggers and to the 
democracy activists in Vietnam, the ones who have been detained and 
imprisoned simply for advocating for democracy.
  The Internet has become a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to 
be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association. It has 
become a medium to share information freely, to promote social and 
economic development, and of course to fight for democracy. However, in 
recent months, the Government of Vietnam has taken what I would call 
unlawful steps to tighten its control over the Internet.
  In October of 2008, the Government of Vietnam created the 
Administration Agency for Radio, Television and Electronics Information 
and issued Circular 07 in December 2008 to restrict Internet freedom, 
to censor private blogs, and to compel information technology companies 
to cooperate with them to monitor personal information on users. 
Imagine, if we had that going on here in the United States, how 
unacceptable that would be.
  In response, I, along with the Vietnam Caucus members, sent letters 
to Internet service providers like Google and Yahoo, et cetera, and 
urged them to continue advocating for the freedoms of speech and 
expression on the Internet in Vietnam; and then I introduced this 
resolution to raise the awareness of the lack of Internet freedom in 
Vietnam.
  House Resolution 672 urges the Vietnamese Government to support the 
right of its citizens to access Web sites of their choosing and to 
repeal statutes like Circular 07 and Article 88, which restrict 
Internet use in Vietnam.
  The consideration of this resolution comes at a perfect time. The 
Government of Vietnam has arrested bloggers Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, Bui 
Thanh Hieu, Pham Doan Trang, and many other bloggers. Some of these 
bloggers, like Quynh, have been released; however, there was a 
condition. In exchange for their freedom, they had to say that they 
would not blog about democracy or new political parties or freedoms of 
expression and human rights.
  Just recently, nine dissidents were convicted by the Vietnamese 
Government for publishing articles on the Internet which was basically 
just practicing their rights of freedom of speech and expression. By 
the way, this is all about democracy. That's what these blogs are 
about.
  The situation took a turn for the worse 2 weeks ago when Tran Khai 
Thanh Thuy was forcibly denied try to the courthouse to attend the 
trial of nine democracy activists and was instead harassed by the 
Vietnamese police. The following night, I received a phone call that 
one of the democracy activists, Do Ba Tan, and his wife, Tran Khai 
Thanh Thuy, were beaten in front of their 13-year-old daughter and 
imprisoned by the Vietnamese Government and police. When I heard about 
it, I immediately called the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission in Vietnam, 
Virginia Palmer, and urged her to take action on this matter. Our U.S. 
Embassy in Vietnam responded by making inquiries about the 13-year-old 
daughter to make sure that she was being taken care of.
  These actions are not the actions of a country that respects 
fundamental values and principles of human rights and democracy. A 
country that uses violence against its own citizens because they decide 
to exercise their fundamental freedoms does not deserve to be a member 
of the World Trade Organization, nor do they have the right to be 
acting as the President of the United Nations Security Council, a 
position that Vietnam currently holds.
  The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory of the International 
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted by the United Nations 
General Assembly, and yet they continue to detain and imprison their 
own citizens for using the Internet to promote democracy and human 
rights.
  How can a country that blatantly disregards a U.N. declaration be 
allowed to act as the President of the Security Council? I believe that 
we, the United States, must take a stand against Vietnam's human rights 
violations. We are a beacon of freedom, of democracy, and it is our 
responsibility to speak out on behalf of those who have no voice.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Cao), a member of the Homeland Security and 
Transportation Committees and the only Member of this body who was born 
in Vietnam.
  Mr. CAO. I thank the gentleman from Arkansas.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 672, 
calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to 
release imprisoned bloggers and respect Internet freedom.
  It is vital that the United States take a bold stance against the 
tyranny of the Vietnamese Government and more effectively promote 
democracy there and throughout the world.
  While the Vietnamese Government continues to control and stifle its 
citizens, this bill lays out very specific goals that will push for 
freedom of speech in Vietnam. It promotes the actions of the Vietnamese 
people who desire to have a say in government policy and actions. It 
will repeal statutes that restrict an individual's Internet usage and 
calls for the release of all political prisoners who have been 
incarcerated under the false pretenses of causing unrest and 
disturbance.
  The Vietnamese Government fears these changes and continues to 
promote backward policies that restrict the Vietnamese people's basic 
freedoms. In the United States, we have been blessed with these rights. 
With these gifts comes great responsibility. It is necessary that we 
advocate on behalf of the Vietnamese citizens who simply hope for a 
better future.
  We, as leaders of the most powerful democracy in the world, must not 
only pass this resolution, but we also must pass the Vietnam human 
rights bill. We must put Vietnam back on the CPC list. We must require 
Vietnam to pay the $3.5 million in restitution that the High Court of 
American Samoa adjudicated 10 years ago. We must deny

[[Page 25265]]

Vietnam the GSP status that it so desires until it improves its labor 
laws.
  Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I ask that the Members of the House support 
House Resolution 672.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the ranking member of the 
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, and a very 
long-standing advocate for human rights in Vietnam.
  Mr. ROYCE. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  What brings us here today, of course, is this resolution, intended to 
address a longstanding problem but really brought to light again 
earlier this month when we had nine young bloggers in Vietnam, all of 
them convicted under Article 88 of the Government of Vietnam's statute, 
which the interpretation of Article 88 is in direct conflict with the 
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which the 
Government of Vietnam is itself a signatory.
  So what is happening is that Article 88 is now being used in Vietnam 
as just a tool to basically criminalize what they call propaganda 
against the state, but which is simply the free speech rights which are 
recognized everywhere else and to which Vietnam is a signatory to the 
agreement. It is being used to go after anyone who argues against the 
concept of a one-party state. So, if you get into the realm of 
religious liberty or you get into the realm of freedom of association, 
freedom of speech, you suddenly run afoul of this Article 88 and you 
find yourself facing a long prison term. That is why I rise in support 
of House Resolution 672, because what this bill does is call on the 
Government of Vietnam to release those imprisoned bloggers and 
basically to respect Internet freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, the one-party Communist government in Hanoi is a serial 
human rights abuser. Citizens are denied basic rights, such as the 
right to freedom of religion, the right to freedom of speech. And like 
most despotic regimes, Hanoi seeks to censor all information that it 
deems in any way damaging to a one-party state.
  As longtime dissident Dr. Nguyen Dan Que correctly stated some years 
ago, he said, ``The state hopes to cling to power by brainwashing the 
Vietnamese people through stringent censorship and through its 
absolutist control over what information the public can receive.''
  These are the actions of a totalitarian tower that has no respect for 
the rights of the individual citizen. Those last words were mine.

                              {time}  1245

  Newspapers, television and radio stations remain under strict 
government control in Vietnam, of course. Now, with a greater 
percentage of the population seeking an alternative way to express 
itself, seeking a way to even communicate in ideas, the government has 
dramatically stepped up its campaign to confront and to curtail the 
country's vigorous blogosphere because, in Vietnam, just like in the 
United States, the young Vietnamese really enjoy the ability to use the 
Internet to engage in a simple dialogue between each other with respect 
to ideas.
  International press freedom groups rank Vietnam alongside China and 
Burma, right now today, as the riskiest countries for bloggers; and as 
you saw, human rights groups are increasingly speaking out about the 
violent nature of the crackdown in Vietnam on human rights.
  As I have, there are those of us who have traveled to Vietnam. In the 
past, I met with the venerable Thich Quang Do, with Le Quang Liem and 
with others who have been involved in the issue of religious freedom. 
We saw the consequences of monks who had been beaten, some of whom had 
been killed. Certainly, many of them were under arrest for attempting 
to counter the state with respect to their assertion--Father Ly would 
be an example--that the state should not rewrite religious text.
  For the Buddhist faith, this is a particular problem because the 
Communist Party in Vietnam is trying to change their faith by rewriting 
the text. The reason the venerable Thich Quang Do is under such 
pressure and is under such constant attack by the state is that he 
objects to this. He says religious freedom should exist in this society 
without control by the state.
  Certainly, Bui Thanh Hieu and Pham Doan Trang would agree with this 
because these two bloggers were detained after writing in opposition to 
policies by the Vietnamese Government. Now, what were they writing 
about? They were writing about an environmental issue, about the new 
bauxite mining project in Vietnam's central highlands.
  Chinese mining in this region has already caused severe environmental 
damage, and that damage comes at the sole expense of the local 
residents in this area because this is the area that grows much of the 
coffee, rubber and so forth in Vietnam. So, now, with the runoff from 
these mines and the way in which it's polluting the local lakes and the 
way in which it's killing off the vegetation, basically, you've created 
a no-man's area. It is absolutely incapable of supporting any crops in 
the future in much of this area.
  Dieu Cay, another prominent blogger, also knows the lesson well, as 
he was sentenced to 2 years for running a series of articles, exposing 
what? Exposing government corruption.
  Now we have another introduction of Chinese bauxite mining on top of 
what is already occurring that is going to cause further environmental 
damage in the central highlands. What you basically have is the state's 
cracking down in Vietnam, saying nobody can tell the people about 
what's happening to their land, that nobody can tell the people about 
the health hazards to their children in this region as a result of the 
state's making this decision to invite the Chinese in to do this kind 
of bauxite mining.
  Hanoi knows that its grip on power is shaky and that the ideas that 
these journalists spread carefully chip away at the monopoly on power 
which the state has. That's why they spend so much time trying to shut 
them out. The practice of detaining these bloggers for spreading ideas 
like freedom and democracy is very odious.
  We are here today to call on the Communist Government to end this 
practice. That is what this resolution does. It calls on the Government 
of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to release these imprisoned 
bloggers and to respect Internet freedom.
  I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, having no more speakers on the subject, I 
again thank the gentlewoman from California for bringing this important 
resolution forward, which I very much support, that of freedom in 
Vietnam; and I urge my fellow Members to lend their support, also.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H. Res. 672, Ms. Sanchez's resolution calling on the government of 
Vietnam to release imprisoned bloggers and respect Internet freedom.
  The resolution draws attention to the Internet-restrictive practices 
of the government of Vietnam. Often, when we speak of the Internet 
repression of the Chinese or Iranian government, we forget that many 
other nations suffer under Internet-restrictive governments, including, 
according to Reporters Without Borders, Vietnam, Cuba, Burma, Egypt, 
North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. 
The Vietnamese government is one of the most repressive of these, and 
models its apparatus of repression on that of China. According to the 
State Department's 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights, the government 
of Vietnam:

       . . . monitored e-mail, searched for sensitive key words, 
     regulated Internet content, and blocked many Web sites with 
     political or religious content that authorities deemed 
     ``offensive.'' . . . Authorities continued to detain and 
     imprison dissidents who used the Internet to publish ideas on 
     human rights and political pluralism . . . The government 
     continued to use firewalls to block some Web sites that it 
     deemed politically or culturally inappropriate, including 
     sites affiliated with the Catholic Church, such as 
     Vietcatholic.net and others operated by overseas Vietnamese 
     political groups.

  Mr. Speaker, this excellent resolution also calls on the government 
of Vietnam to release all imprisoned bloggers and cyber activists,

[[Page 25266]]

and provides the names of 18 men and women known to be held as 
political prisoners due to their use of the Internet. I have visited 
former Vietnamese political prisoners, including Father Ly and have 
heard first-hand about what they suffer in those prisons. These men and 
women need our help, and Ms. Sanchez's resolution will afford them a 
measure of protection.
  Mr. Speaker, the issue of Internet freedom becomes more urgent every 
year. In February of 2006 I held a major hearing that revealed the 
involvement of U.S. companies in enabling the Chinese government's 
Internet censorship and surveillance. I then introduced legislation, 
the Global Online Freedom Act, which would prevent U.S. IT companies 
from enabling repressive governments' Internet censorship and 
surveillance. The legislation was blocked in two successive Congresses, 
while, sadly, the tempo of repression increased, and the technology of 
repression improved. We saw this in the Chinese government's repression 
of Tibetan protests last spring. The government blocked Yahoo! and the 
video-sharing site YouTube, and ramped up its blocking of international 
news sites. We saw it again in that government's repression of protests 
in Xinjiang in June of this year. Again the government cut off Internet 
and phone service, and actively removed and altered comments about the 
protests on numerous Internet fora and Web sites. Then in Iran, when 
great numbers of Iranians protested the Ahmadinejad government's 
stealing of the election, the government responded by cutting off 
Internet access as well as, with mixed success, to social-networking 
sites like Twitter and Facebook.
  Now every time a repressive government crushes a protest movement, or 
a movement for freedom or democracy, it also engages in cyber-
repression--the Internet is such a strong force for freedom that 
dictatorships and repressive government can hardly exist without cyber-
repression. In recent years cyber-repression has emerged as no less 
than one of the most dangerous threats to human rights, freedom, and 
democracy.
  Congress has an obligation to better address this issue and help 
those who are suffering under Internet-restrictive governments. I want 
to draw members' attention to three other bills which, like H. Res. 
672, deserve our support: Mr. Wu's H. Res. 590, expressing concerns 
about China's Green Dam filtering software; Mr. Sherman's HR 3284, 
prohibiting federal agencies from entering into procurement contracts 
with anyone who exports computer technology to Iran; and HR 2271, my 
own Global Online Freedom Act. All of these bills speak strongly, 
responsibly, and constructively to cyber-repression. The Global Online 
Freedom Act, in the last Congress, passed all of its committees and was 
ready for an up or down vote on the floor; I have improved the bill and 
re-introduced it in this Congress, and ask colleagues to consider 
sponsoring it.
  I strongly support this resolution in support of the persecuted 
bloggers of Vietnam, and thank my friend for introducing it.
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise here today in support of 
House Resolution 672, which calls for the release of imprisoned 
bloggers and Internet freedom in Vietnam.
  It is estimated that over 20 million Vietnamese use the Internet to 
organize around environmental issues, blogger freedom, labor rights, 
and anti-corruption. Yet, in 2008, the Government of Vietnam launched a 
new entity--the Administration Agency for Radio, Television and 
Electronics Information--to restrict Internet freedom, censor private 
blogs, and compel information technology companies to cooperate with 
authorities.
  The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory of the International 
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted by the United Nations, 
UN, General Assembly. However, this move to censor the Internet by the 
Government of Vietnam is an extension of Article 88 of the Penal Code 
which criminalizes free speech. All these restrictions violate the 
above international covenant.
  Despite abundant evidence to the contrary, Vietnam has asserted that 
it has no ``so-called `prisoners of conscience'''; that no-one is 
arrested for criticizing the government, only for violating Vietnam's 
laws; that its national security laws ``conform to international law''; 
and ``there is no practice of torture or degrading treatment of law 
offenders and those under detention for investigative purposes.''
  Vietnam--a member of the U.N. Security Council--has made a charade of 
its engagement at the U.N. Human Rights Council. Vietnam rejected even 
the most benign recommendations based on the international covenants it 
has signed, such as allowing people to promote human rights or express 
their opinions. Despite Vietnam's denials that it arbitrarily arrests 
and imprisons peaceful government critics, human rights defenders, 
political bloggers, and independent church activists, the government 
has arrested scores more since May of this year.
  Vietnam's ongoing arrests of peaceful dissidents and church 
activists--conducted even as the U.N. was evaluating its human rights 
record--shows its flagrant disregard for its international human rights 
obligations. Member states should deliver a clear message to Vietnam 
that it needs to uphold its international rights commitments.
  This resolution provides us with a chance to rekindle our role as a 
human-rights advocate around the world. It can show Vietnamese citizens 
that we notice when their rights are restricted, when their freedom is 
limited, and when their voices are silenced. I urge my colleagues to 
vote ``yes'' on this resolution. We have a moral responsibility to 
provide the Vietnamese with the same kind of freedoms we value in this 
country. And we have a moral responsibility to protect those who value 
what our men and women die for--freedom of speech.
  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support 
of H. Res. 672, a bill which I am proud to cosponsor. Introduced by my 
good friend, colleague, and co-chair of the Vietnam Caucus, 
Representative Loretta Sanchez, this legislation calls on the 
Vietnamese government to respect Internet freedom and to release a 
number of jailed pro-democracy activists.
  I am deeply concerned about Vietnam's human rights record, which 
shows no signs of improving. Just last month at its United Nations 
Universal Periodic Review, Vietnam rejected 45 recommendations from 
member states, including the release of peaceful prisoners of 
conscience and to lift internet and blogging controls and prohibitions 
on privately-owned media.
  This situation is unacceptable. We need to send a message to the 
Vietnamese government that the United States Congress does not condone 
its repression of free speech and democracy. Using anti-propaganda laws 
to silence opposition and maintain one-party control is not democracy 
and should not be tolerated.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I extend my strong support to H. 
Res. 672, which calls on the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to release 
imprisoned bloggers and respect Internet freedom.
  Since 2002, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has enforced heavy 
surveillance of the internet activity of Vietnamese citizens. The U.S. 
Congress is aware that a number of internet bloggers and cyber 
activists have recently been arrested and imprisoned for exercising 
their inherent human right of freedom of expression. This matter, among 
others, is of grave concern to me, and more importantly, to the 
thousands of Vietnamese Americans that I represent.
  Reporters Without Borders considers Vietnam one of 15 ``internet 
enemies'' and the OpenNet Initiative, a project of academic 
institutions including the University of Toronto, Oxford, Cambridge, 
and Harvard Universities, classifies Vietnam's online political 
censorship to be ``pervasive.'' In fact, an electronic communications 
decree issued by the Vietnamese government, that came into force in 
September 2008, states ``opposition to the Republic of Vietnam is 
forbidden.''
  The freedom of expression, including the freedom to express one's 
views on the internet, is a necessary prerequisite for a healthy and 
vigorous democracy. Without free and open debate where citizens need 
not fear retaliation by government for the opinions they hold, a 
country foregoes the opportunity to harness the full capability of its 
citizens to advance social and economic development.
  Along with my friend from California, Ms. Sanchez, I call on Vietnam 
to respect Internet freedom and allow the people of Vietnam to freely 
express their views. Moreover, I call upon Vietnam to immediately 
release imprisoned bloggers and political prisoners. To the Vietnamese 
government, the message we send today is that the United States will 
embrace you, but only when you embrace the inherent rights and freedoms 
of your people.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON. 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 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 672.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

[[Page 25267]]



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