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; 


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•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 


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•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 


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•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 


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•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; 


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•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 


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•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 


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