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34–717PDF 2007

CALLING ON THE LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES TO ACKNOWLEDGE

THE GENOCIDE IN THE DARFUR REGION OF SUDAN AND

TO STEP UP THEIR EFFORTS TO STOP THE GENOCIDE IN

DARFUR; 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; AND COMMEMORATING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY

OF THE ABOLITION OF TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE

MARKUP

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

ON

H. Con. Res. 7, H. Res. 243 and H. Res. 272

APRIL 19, 2007

Serial No. 110–52

Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

(

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/
(II)

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

TOM LANTOS, California, Chairman 

HOWARD L. BERMAN, California 

GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York 

ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American 

Samoa 

DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey 

BRAD SHERMAN, California 

ROBERT WEXLER, Florida 

ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York 

BILL DELAHUNT, Massachusetts 

GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York 

DIANE E. WATSON, California 

ADAM SMITH, Washington 

RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri 

JOHN S. TANNER, Tennessee 

LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California 

SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas 

RUBE ́ N HINOJOSA, Texas 

DAVID WU, Oregon 

BRAD MILLER, North Carolina 

LINDA T. SA ́ NCHEZ, California 

DAVID SCOTT, Georgia 

JIM COSTA, California 

ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey 

GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, Arizona 

RON KLEIN, Florida 

VACANT 

VACANT 

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida 

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey 

DAN BURTON, Indiana 

ELTON GALLEGLY, California 

DANA ROHRABACHER, California 

DONALD A. MANZULLO, Illinois 

EDWARD R. ROYCE, California 

STEVE CHABOT, Ohio 

THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado 

RON PAUL, Texas 

JEFF FLAKE, Arizona 

JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia 

MIKE PENCE, Indiana 

THADDEUS G. MCCOTTER, Michigan 

JOE WILSON, South Carolina 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

J. GRESHAM BARRETT, South Carolina 

CONNIE MACK, Florida 

JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska 

MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas 

TED POE, Texas 

BOB INGLIS, South Carolina 

LUIS G. FORTUN ̃ O, Puerto Rico 

ROBERT R. KING, Staff Director 

YLEEM POBLETE, Republican Staff Director 

DAVID S. ABRAMOWITZ, Chief Counsel 

LAURA RUSH, Professional Staff Member/Security Officer 

GENELL BROWN, Full Committee Hearing Coordinator 
(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page

MARKUP OF 

H. Con. Res. 7, Calling on the League of Arab States to acknowledge the 

genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan and to step up their efforts to 

stop the genocide in Darfur ................................................................................. 2

Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Con. Res. 7 offered by 

the Honorable Tom Lantos, a Representative in Congress from the State 

of California, and Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs ....................... 7

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 ................................................................. 12

Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 243 offered by the 

Honorable Christopher H. Smith, a Representative in Congress from 

the State of New Jersey ................................................................................... 19

H. Res. 272, Commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the 

transatlantic slave trade ..................................................................................... 27

Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 272 offered by the 

Honorable Tom Lantos ........................................................................................ 31
(1)

CALLING ON THE LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GENOCIDE IN THE DARFUR REGION OF SUDAN 

AND TO STEP UP THEIR EFFORTS TO STOP THE GENOCIDE IN DARFUR; 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; AND COMMEMORATING THE 

200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ABOLITION OF TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE 

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2007

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, 

Washington, DC. 

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:34 a.m., in room 

2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Tom Lantos (chairman 

of the committee) presiding. 

Chairman LANTOS. The committee will be in order. We have a series of noncontroversial bills on the agenda. It is the intention of 

the chair to consider these measures en bloc and, by unanimous 

consent, authorizes the chair to seek consideration of the remaining 

bills under suspension of the rules. All members are given leave to 

insert remarks on these measures into the record, should they 

choose to do so. 

Because of a tight time schedule today, I would request that 

members hold their remarks until we consider these matters on the 

House floor. 

Without objection, the chairman is authorized to seek consideration of the following bills under suspension of the rules, and the 

amendments to those measures, which the members have before 

them, shall be deemed adopted: H. Con. Res. 7, calling on the 

League of Arab States to acknowledge the genocide in the Darfur 

region of Sudan and to step up their efforts to stop the genocide 

in Darfur; 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; and, finally, H. Res. 272, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. 

[The information referred to follows:]
2

1

IV

110TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 7

Calling on the League of Arab States to acknowledge the genocide in the

Darfur region of Sudan and to step up their efforts to stop the genocide

in Darfur.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 4, 2007

Ms. LEE submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to

the Committee on Foreign Affairs

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Calling on the League of Arab States to acknowledge the

genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan and to step

up their efforts to stop the genocide in Darfur.

Whereas in July 2004, the House of Representatives and

Senate declared that the atrocities in the Darfur region

of Sudan constitute genocide, and the Bush administration reached the same conclusion in September 2004,

when then Secretary of State Colin Powell stated that

‘‘the evidence leads us to the conclusion that genocide

has occurred and may still be occurring in Darfur’’;

Whereas more than 400,000 people have been killed by the

Government of Sudan and its Janjaweed allies since the

crisis began in 2003, more than 2,000,000 people have
3

2

•HCON 7 IH

been displaced from their homes, and more than 250,000

people from Darfur remain in refugee camps in Chad;

Whereas the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for

Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, in late August 2006

stated that ‘‘[i]nsecurity is at its highest level since 2004,

access at its lowest levels since that date, and we may

well be on the brink of a return to all-out war’’;

Whereas despite the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement

in May 2006, violence against civilians, peacekeepers, and

humanitarian workers continues unabated, and an estimated 12 humanitarian workers have been killed in

Darfur, including a nurse in September 2006;

Whereas in August 2006, the Government of Sudan began to

deploy thousands of government troops for a major offensive in Darfur, once again threatening a major humanitarian catastrophe and risking the safety and security of

millions of civilians;

Whereas, according to the Government of Sudan’s plan, in a

document submitted to the United Nations SecretaryGeneral, Kofi Annan, the Government of Sudan plans to

deploy approximately 26,500 additional troops and 7,050

additional police to Darfur;

Whereas the objectives of this deployment are ‘‘to deal with

the threats posed by the activities of groups that have rejected the Darfur Peace Agreement and to gain control

over the security situation and achieve stability in

Darfur’’;

Whereas on August 31, 2006, the United Nations Security

Council passed Resolution 1706, expanding the mandate

of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) for

the additional deployment of 17,300 peacekeeping troops
4

3

•HCON 7 IH

and 3,300 civilian police personnel as well as 16 formed

police units to Darfur;

Whereas implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the Government of Sudan and the

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) is slow,

raising serious concern about the commitment of the

Government of Sudan to fulfill its responsibilities;

Whereas President Omar Hassan El-Bashir of Sudan has rejected the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping

force to Darfur, even as First Vice President Salva Kiir

has publicly stated his support for the deployment of a

United Nations peacekeeping mission to Darfur;

Whereas in March 2006, at the Khartoum summit, Arab

leaders worked against a plan to transform the African

Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) into a United Nations

protection force with a mandate to protect civilians;

Whereas on August 20, 2006, in Cairo, Egypt, the League

of Arab States met and backed Sudan’s refusal of a

United Nations peacekeeping force in the war-wracked

Darfur region;

Whereas in September 2006, a resolution passed by the Arab

League’s Council of Foreign Ministers called for the

United Nations Security Council to give the Sudanese

Government more time to implement its ‘‘plan to improve

conditions and preserve security’’ in Darfur;

Whereas on September 20, 2006, the Security and Peace

Council of the African Union approved a decision to extend the mandate of AMIS in Darfur to the end of 2006;

Whereas, although the United Nations is set to send peacekeeping forces to Darfur under United Nations Security

Council Resolution 1706 (2006), the Arab League alleg-
5

4

•HCON 7 IH

edly remains engaged in behind-the-scenes efforts to obstruct the deployment of such forces or reduce their mandate;

Whereas the November 30, 2006, Abuja Communique of the

Peace and Security Council of the African Union states

the following:

(1) The Special Representative shall be jointly appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, after appropriate consultations as per the practice.

(2) The Force Commander, who should be an African, shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in consultation with the Secretary-General of the

United Nations.

(3) The Mission shall benefit from United Nations

backstopping and command and control structures and

systems.

(4) The size of the force shall be determined by the

African Union and the United Nations, taking into account all relevant factors and the situation on the

ground, as well as the requirements for it to effectively

discharge its mandate; and

Whereas the support of the Arab League to end the genocide

in Darfur will be critical: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That Congress—

3 (1) strongly urges the League of Arab States to

4 declare the systematic torture, rape, and displace5 ment of Darfurians a genocide;
6

5

•HCON 7 IH

1 (2) strongly urges the Arab League to agree

2 and pass a resolution at their next meeting to sup3 port and accept United Nations peacekeepers as the

4 best option to enforce the ceasefire, protect civilians,

5 ensure access to humanitarian assistance in Darfur;

6 and

7 (3) strongly urges the Arab League to work

8 with the United Nations, the African Union and the

9 United States Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan,

10 Andrew Natsios, to bring about real and lasting

11 peace and stability to Darfur, the refugee camps,

12 and along the Chadian border.

Æ
7

1

H.L.C.

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

TO H. CON. RES. 7

OFFERED BY MR. LANTOS

Strike the preamble and insert the following:

Whereas in July 2004, the House of Representatives and the

Senate declared that the atrocities in the Darfur region

of Sudan constitute genocide, and the Bush administration reached the same conclusion in September 2004,

when then Secretary of State Colin Powell stated that

‘‘the evidence leads us to the conclusion that genocide

has occurred and may still be occurring in Darfur’’;

Whereas estimates indicate that 400,000 people may have

been killed by the Government of Sudan and its

Janjaweed allies since the crisis began in 2003, more

than 2,000,000 people have been displaced from their

homes, and more than 250,000 people from Darfur remain in refugee camps in Chad;

Whereas the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for

Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, in late August 2006

stated that ‘‘[i]nsecurity is at its highest level since 2004,

access at its lowest levels since that date, and we may

well be on the brink of a return to all-out war’’;

Whereas despite the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement

in May 2006, violence against civilians, peacekeepers, and

humanitarian workers continues unabated, including the

killing of an estimated 12 humanitarian workers and 16

African Union Mission in Sudan peacekeepers;

Whereas in August 2006, the Government of Sudan began to

deploy thousands of government troops for a major offen-
8

2

H.L.C.

sive in Darfur, once again threatening a major humanitarian catastrophe and risking the safety and security of

millions of civilians;

Whereas, according to the Government of Sudan’s plan, in a

document submitted to the United Nations SecretaryGeneral, Kofi Annan, the Government of Sudan planned

to deploy approximately 26,500 additional troops and

7,050 additional police to Darfur;

Whereas the objectives of this deployment were ‘‘to deal with

the threats posed by the activities of groups that have rejected the Darfur Peace Agreement and to gain control

over the security situation and achieve stability in

Darfur’’;

Whereas on August 31, 2006, the United Nations Security

Council passed Resolution 1706, expanding the mandate

of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) for

the additional deployment of 17,300 peacekeeping troops

and 3,300 civilian police personnel as well as 16 formed

police units to Darfur;

Whereas implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the Government of Sudan and the

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) is slow,

raising serious concern about the commitment of the

Government of Sudan to fulfill its responsibilities;

Whereas President Omar Hassan El-Bashir of Sudan rejected the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping

force to Darfur, even as First Vice President Salva Kiir

publicly stated his support for the deployment of a

United Nations peacekeeping mission to Darfur;

Whereas in March 2006, at the Khartoum summit, Arab

leaders worked against a plan to transform the African
9

3

H.L.C.

Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) into a United Nations

protection force with a mandate to protect civilians;

Whereas on August 20, 2006, in Cairo, Egypt, the League

of Arab States met and backed Sudan’s refusal of a

United Nations peacekeeping force in the war-wracked

Darfur region;

Whereas in September 2006, a resolution passed by the

League of Arab States Council of Foreign Ministers

called for the United Nations Security Council to give the

Sudanese Government more time to implement its ‘‘plan

to improve conditions and preserve security’’ in Darfur;

Whereas on November 30, 2006, the Peace and Security

Council of the African Union approved a decision to extend the mandate of AMIS in Darfur through July 2007;

Whereas, although the United Nations was authorized and

prepared to send peacekeeping forces to Darfur under

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1706 (2006),

the League of Arab States worked to obstruct the deployment of such forces or had sought to reduce their mandate;

Whereas the November 30, 2006, Abuja Communique of the

Peace and Security Council of the African Union endorsed the deployment a hybrid United Nations-African

Union peacekeeping force and stated the following:

(1) The Special Representative shall be jointly appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, after appropriate consultations as per the practice.

(2) The Force Commander, who should be an African, shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Com-
10

4

H.L.C.

mission in consultation with the Secretary-General of the

United Nations.

(3) The Mission shall benefit from United Nations

backstopping and command and control structures and

systems.

(4) The size of the force shall be determined by the

African Union and the United Nations, taking into account all relevant factors and the situation on the

ground, as well as the requirements for it to effectively

discharge its mandate.

Whereas in March 2007, ongoing negotiations between the

United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, and

President Omar Hassan El-Bashir of Sudan took place

under the auspices of the League of Arab States Summit

in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and with the encouragement of

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the head of the League of Arab

States;

Whereas on April 16, 2007, Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam

Akol announced that Sudan fully accepts a ‘‘heavy support’’ package from the United Nations, including significant additional logistical and military support, which represents the second phase of a three-step plan to create

a hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping

force of approximately 17,000 troops and 3,000 police;

and

Whereas the support of the League of Arab States and each

Member State individually will be critical to end the

genocide in Darfur: Now, therefore, be it

Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the following:
11

5

H.L.C.

1 That Congress—

2 (1) strongly urges the League of Arab States

3 and each Member State individually to declare the

4 systematic torture, rape, and displacement of

5 Darfurians a genocide;

6 (2) strongly urges the League of Arab States

7 and each Member State individually to agree and

8 pass a resolution at their next meeting to support

9 and accept a robust hybrid United Nations-African

10 Union peacekeeping force, as agreed to by all parties

11 to the Abuja Communique on November 30, 2006,

12 to enforce the ceasefire, protect civilians, and ensure

13 access to humanitarian assistance in Darfur; and

14 (3) strongly urges the League of Arab States to

15 continue to work with the United Nations, the Afri16 can Union and the United States Presidential Spe17 cial Envoy for Sudan, Andrew Natsios, to bring

18 about real and lasting peace and stability in Darfur,

19 the refugee camps, and along the Chadian border.

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘Concurrent resolution calling on the League of Arab States and

each Member State individually to acknowledge the

genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan and to step

up their efforts to stop the genocide in Darfur.’’.
12

1

IV

110TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION 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.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 14, 2007

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr.

MCCOTTER, Mr. WOLF, Mr. RENZI, Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, and Mr. PASCRELL) submitted the

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

RESOLUTION

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.

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;
13

2

•HRES 243 IH

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 one of the founders 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 a founder 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 cofounder 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;

Whereas if convicted, they each could be sentenced to up to

20 years in prison;

Whereas in none of their activities have Father Ly, Nguyen

Van Dai, or Le Thi Cong Nhan advocated or engaged in
14

3

•HRES 243 IH

violence in their opposition to the Vietnamese Government or its policies;

Whereas the arrest of and charges against Father Ly,

Nguyen Van Dai, and Le Thi Cong Nhan 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, and Le Thi Cong

Nhan 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 the United State 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
15

4

•HRES 243 IH

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, and Le Thi Cong Nhan are

part of a trend toward increasing oppression of human

rights advocates in Vietnam: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That—

2 (1) the House of Representatives—

3 (A) condemns and deplores the arbitrary

4 arrests of Father Nguyen Van Ly, Nguyen Van

5 Dai, and Le Thi Cong Nhan by the Govern6 ment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and

7 calls for their immediate and unconditional re8 lease and the dropping of all criminal charges,

9 and for the immediate and unconditional release

10 of all other political and religious prisoners;

11 (B) condemns and deplores the violations

12 of the freedoms of speech, religion, movement,

13 association, and the lack of due process af14 forded to individuals in Vietnam;

15 (C) challenges the qualifications of Viet16 nam to be a member of the United Nations Se17 curity Council, unless the Government of Viet18 nam begins immediately to respect human

19 rights and fundamental freedoms for all within

20 its own borders; and
16

5

•HRES 243 IH

1 (D) strongly urges the Government of

2 Vietnam to consider the implications of its ac3 tions for the broader relationship between the

4 United States and Vietnam; and

5 (2) it is the sense of the House of Representa6 tives that the United States should—

7 (A) make a top concern the immediate re8 lease, legal status, and humanitarian needs of

9 Father Nguyen Van Ly, Nguyen Van Dai, and

10 Le Thi Cong Nhan;

11 (B) use funds from the newly created

12 Human Rights Defenders Fund of the Depart13 ment of State to assist with the legal defense

14 and the needs of the families and dependents of

15 Father Ly, Nguyen Van Dai, and Le Thi Cong

16 Nhan;

17 (C) continue to urge the Government of

18 Vietnam to comply with internationally recog19 nized standards for basic freedoms and human

20 rights;

21 (D) make clear to the Government of Viet22 nam that it must adhere to the rule of law and

23 respect the freedom of religion and expression

24 in order to broaden its relations with the

25 United States;
17

6

•HRES 243 IH

1 (E) make clear to the Government of Viet2 nam that the detention of Father Ly, Nguyen

3 Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and other polit4 ical prisoners and prisoners of conscience and

5 other human rights violations are not in the in6 terest of Vietnam because they create obstacles

7 to improved bilateral relations and cooperation

8 with the United States;

9 (F) if there is widespread harassment,

10 short-term detentions, long-term house deten11 tions, and arrests of religious leaders and reli12 gious-motivated rights defenders and activists,

13 re-impose on Vietnam the country of particular

14 concern (CPC) designation, which was removed

15 on November, 13, 2006, for severe and ongoing

16 violations of the freedoms of thought, con17 science, religion, and belief in Vietnam;

18 (G) make clear to the Government of Viet19 nam that the norms and responsibilities of join20 ing the international community are not fully

21 realized in Vietnam’s WTO membership, and

22 that the issues of the freedoms of speech, as23 sembly, association, and the right of due proc24 ess are essential for a healthy trade and busi25 ness climate; and
18

7

•HRES 243 IH

1 (H) in order to advance these freedoms

2 and rights, and to strengthen the long-term re3 lationship between the United States and Viet4 nam, initiate new foreign assistance programs

5 to advance the capacity and networking abilities

6 of Vietnamese civil society, including new rule

7 of law programs to train Vietnamese human

8 rights lawyers, judges, academics, and students

9 about international human rights law; new pub10 lic diplomacy initiatives to inform and teach Vi11 etnamese citizens about international human

12 rights norms and responsibilities, and projects

13 that support organizations and associations

14 that promote the freedom of religion, speech,

15 assembly, and association.

Æ
19
20

2

H.L.C.

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;

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 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;
21

3

H.L.C.

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, such as

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
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H.L.C.

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, and Le

Quoc Quan are part of a trend toward increasing oppression of human rights advocates in Vietnam: Now, therefore, be it

Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the

following:

1 That—

2 (1) the House of Representatives—

3 (A) condemns and deplores the arbi4 trary arrests of Father Nguyen Van Ly,

5 Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and

6 Le Quoc Quan by the Government of the

7 Socialist Republic of Vietnam and calls for

8 their immediate and unconditional release

9 and the dropping of all criminal charges,

10 and for the immediate and unconditional

11 release of all other political and religious

12 prisoners;
23

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H.L.C.

1 (B) condemns and deplores the viola2 tions of the freedoms of speech, religion,

3 movement, association, and the lack of due

4 process afforded to individuals in Vietnam;

5 (C) challenges the qualifications of

6 Vietnam to be a member of the United Na7 tions Security Council, unless the Govern8 ment of Vietnam begins immediately to re9 spect human rights and fundamental free10 doms for all within its own borders; and

11 (D) strongly urges the Government of

12 Vietnam to consider the implications of its

13 actions for the broader relationship be14 tween the United States and Vietnam; and

15 (2) it is the sense of the House of Representa16 tives that the United States should—

17 (A) make a top concern the immediate

18 release, legal status, and humanitarian

19 needs of Father Nguyen Van Ly, Nguyen

20 Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and Le Quoc

21 Quan;

22 (B) use funds from the newly created

23 Human Rights Defenders Fund of the De24 partment of State to assist with the legal

25 defense and the needs of the families and
24

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H.L.C.

1 dependents of Father Ly, Nguyen Van

2 Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and Le Quoc

3 Quan;

4 (C) continue to urge the Government

5 of Vietnam to comply with internationally

6 recognized standards for basic freedoms

7 and human rights;

8 (D) make clear to the Government of

9 Vietnam that it must adhere to the rule of

10 law and respect the freedom of religion and

11 expression in order to broaden its relations

12 with the United States;

13 (E) make clear to the Government of

14 Vietnam that the detention of Father Ly,

15 Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan, Le

16 Quoc Quan, and other political prisoners

17 and prisoners of conscience and other

18 human rights violations are not in the in19 terest of Vietnam because they create ob20 stacles to improved bilateral relations and

21 cooperation with the United States;

22 (F) examine current human rights

23 violations by the Vietnamese Government

24 and consider re-imposing on Vietnam the

25 country of particular concern (CPC) des-
25

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H.L.C.

1 ignation, which was removed on November

2 13, 2006, pursuant to the International

3 Religious Freedom Act of 1998; and

4 (G) in order to advance these free5 doms and rights, and to strengthen the

6 long-term relationship between the United

7 States and Vietnam, initiate new foreign

8 assistance programs to advance the capac9 ity and networking abilities of Vietnamese

10 civil society, including new rule of law pro11 grams to train Vietnamese human rights

12 lawyers, judges, academics, and students

13 about international human rights law; new

14 public diplomacy initiatives to inform and

15 teach Vietnamese citizens about inter16 national human rights norms and respon17 sibilities, and projects that support organi18 zations and associations that promote the

19 freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and

20 association.
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H.L.C.

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘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, Le Quoc

Quan, and other political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, and for other purposes.’’.
27

1

IV

110TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 272

Commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic

slave trade.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 26, 2007

Ms. LEE (for herself, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr.

MCDERMOTT, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, Mr.

BUTTERFIELD, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. LEWIS of

Georgia, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, and Ms. KILPATRICK) submitted the following resolution; which was

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

RESOLUTION

Commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of

the transatlantic slave trade.

Whereas the United Kingdom outlawed slavery in 1807, recognizing that ‘‘the African Slave Trade, and all manner

of dealing and trading in the Purchase, Sale, Barter, or

Transfer of Slaves, or of Persons intended to be sold,

transferred, used, or dealt with as Slaves, practiced or

carried on, in, at, to or from any Part of the Coast or

Countries of Africa, shall be, and the same is hereby utterly abolished, prohibited, and declared to be unlawful’’;

Whereas the transatlantic slave trade was the capture and

procurement of Africans, mostly from West Africa, to the
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•HRES 272 IH

United States and the colonies that became the United

States for the purpose of enslavement between the fifteenth and late nineteenth centuries;

Whereas the Middle Passage was the forced migration

through overseas transport of millions of Africans to the

Americas, many of whom suffered abuses of rape and

perished as a result of torture, malnutrition, disease and

resistance in transit and those who survived were sold

into slavery;

Whereas during the transatlantic slave trade more than

12,000,000 Africans were transported in bondage from

their African homelands to the Americas, and those born

in the Americas estimating 1,200,000 men, women, and

children who were displaced in the forced migration that

was the domestic slave trade;

Whereas it is important to acknowledge that as a result of

the slave trade, approximately 80,000,000 to

150,000,000 persons of African descent live in Latin

America and the Caribbean, making them the largest

population of persons of African descent outside of Africa;

Whereas the transatlantic slave trade is characterized as the

largest forced migration in world history;

Whereas Africans’ resistance to the transatlantic slave trade

culminated in revolts—collective acts of rebellion—

against slave ships and their crews during the Middle

Passage and on the colonial plantations;

Whereas the institution of slavery which enslaved Africans,

their progeny and later generations for life was constitutionally and statutorily sanctioned by the Government of

the United States from 1789 through 1865;
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•HRES 272 IH

Whereas slavery in the United States during and after British colonial rule included the sale and acquisition of Africans as chattel property in interstate and intrastate commerce;

Whereas the General Assembly of Virginia passed in 1619

‘‘an act declaring the Negro, Mulatto, . . . slaves within

this dominion, to be real estate and shall descend unto

the heirs and widows of persons departing this life, according to the manner and custom of land of inheritance’’;

Whereas the Great Compromise of 1787, a compromise under

which representation in the House of Representatives

would be based on the population of each State, prompted the Three-Fifths Compromise, a compromise between

the Northern and Southern States under which only

three-fifths of the population of enslaved Africans would

be counted for purposes of enumerating a State’s representation in the House of Representatives;

Whereas the slavery that flourished in the United States constituted an immoral and inhumane dispossession of Africans’ life, liberty, and citizenship rights and denied them

the fruits of their own labor;

Whereas the treatment of enslaved Africans in the colonies

and the United States included the deprivation of their

freedom, exploitation of their labor, psychological and

physical abuse, and destruction of their culture, language, religion, and families;

Whereas the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial

Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance,

held in Durban, South Africa, declared the slave trade

and slavery a crime against humanity;
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•HRES 272 IH

Whereas the slave trade and the legacy of slavery continue

to have a profound impact on social and economic disparity, hatred, bias, racism, and discrimination, and continue to affect people of African descent today; and

Whereas March 25, 2007, marks the 200th anniversary of

the Slave Trade Abolition Act enacted by the British

Parliament: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) recognizes the historical significance of the

3 200th anniversary of the abolition of the trans4 atlantic slave trade to the world;

5 (2) respects the memory of those who died as

6 a result of slavery, including through exposure to the

7 horrors of the Middle Passage and in revolt against

8 and resistance to enslavement; and

9 (3) should educate current and future genera10 tions about this crime against humanity by honoring

11 its significance in United States history with appro12 priate programs and activities.

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Chairman LANTOS. The business meeting is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 9:36, the committee proceeded to other business.]

Æ