IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 506 

Condemning ongoing human rights abuses in Vietnam, and expressing the 

sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should 

remove permanent normal trade relations status with Vietnam unless 

all political and religious prisoners are released and significant and 

immediate human rights reforms are made by the Government of Vietnam. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 20, 2007 

Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California (for herself, Mr. WOLF, Ms. LORETTA

SANCHEZ of California, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, and Mr. SMITH of 

New Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways 

and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning ongoing human rights abuses in Vietnam, and 

expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 

that the United States should remove permanent normal 

trade relations status with Vietnam unless all political 

and religious prisoners are released and significant and 

immediate human rights reforms are made by the Government of Vietnam. 

Whereas Vietnam has a long history of human rights and religious freedom violations; 

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•HRES 506 IH 

Whereas, despite ongoing human rights violations, on November 13, 2006, Vietnam was removed as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), as a precondition to the extension 

of permanent normal trade relations to Vietnam, but 

against the recommendation of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom; 

Whereas the extension of permanent normal trade relations 

to Vietnam was also a precondition for its accession to 

the World Trade Organization (WTO); 

Whereas human rights conditions have deteriorated in Vietnam since its accession to the WTO; 

Whereas persecution against religious and ethnic minorities 

continues unabated by the Vietnamese Government, and 

hundreds of advocates of human rights and religious freedom have been, and continue to be, imprisoned and harassed by the Vietnamese Government without defense 

counsel; 

Whereas the indigenous Degar Montagnard people have suffered decades of persecution by the Vietnamese government and there are currently more than 350 Degars imprisoned in Vietnam for practicing Christianity or standing up for their human rights; 

Whereas, on March 30, 2007, Father Nguyen Van Ly, a wellknown advocate for democracy and freedom of religion, 

was sentenced to eight years in prison for exercising his 

free speech rights; 

Whereas, on May 10, 2007, Huynh Nguyen Dao, Nguyen 

Bac Truyen, and Le Nguyen Sang were sentenced to 

three, four, and five years in prison, respectively; 

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•HRES 506 IH 

Whereas, on May 11, 2007, human rights attorneys Nguyen 

Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan were sentenced to five 

and four years in prison, respectively; 

Whereas, on May 15, 2007, Tran Quoc Hien was sentenced 

to five years in prison; 

Whereas Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Quang Do is in 

his twenty-sixth year of detention; 

Whereas none of the aforementioned individuals advocated or 

engaged in violence in their opposition to the Vietnamese 

Government or its policies; 

Whereas these convictions 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 these convictions are in contravention of the rights 

contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Vietnam is a State 

Party, specifically Article 19 (freedom of expression) and 

Article 22 (freedom of association); 

Whereas, on June 16, 2007, the Vietnamese Government released pro-democracy activist Le Quoc Quan and on June 

9, 2007, the Vietnamese Government released fellow activist Ngyuyen Vu Binh from prison; 

Whereas these releases have yet to demonstrate that Vietnam 

is committed to substantive and long-lasting changes to 

its human rights policies; 

Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom’s 2007 Annual Report states, ‘‘[S]ince 

[Vietnam] joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), 

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•HRES 506 IH 

the government of Vietnam has initiated a crackdown on 

human rights defenders and advocates for the freedoms 

of speech, association, and assembly, including many religious leaders who previously were the leading advocates 

for religious freedom in Vietnam’’; and 

Whereas, in May 2007, the United States Commission on 

International Religious Freedom recommended Vietnam 

be re-designated as a Country of Particular Concern: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the House of Representatives— 

3 (A) strongly condemns the ongoing human 

4 rights abuses in Vietnam; and 

5 (B) calls for the release of all political and 

6 religious prisoners in Vietnam; and 

7 (2) it is the sense of the House of Representa8 tives that the United States should— 

9 (A) re-designate Vietnam as a Country of 

10 Particular Concern, pursuant to the Inter11 national Religious Freedom Act of 1998, and 

12 the 2007 recommendation of the U.S. Commis13 sion on International Religious Freedom; 

14 (B) demand that the Government of Viet15 nam comply with internationally recognized 

16 standards for basic freedoms and human rights; 

17 and 

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•HRES 506 IH 

1 (C) remove permanent normal trade rela2 tions status with Vietnam unless all political 

3 and religious prisoners are released and signifi4 cant and immediate human rights reforms are 

5 made by the Government of Vietnam. 

Æ 

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