IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 665 

Endorsing reforms for freedom and democracy in Vietnam. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2007 

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia (for himself, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, and Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Endorsing reforms for freedom and democracy in Vietnam. 

Whereas the United States has a long and honorable tradition of promoting freedom and human rights throughout 

the world; 

Whereas in that spirit, on May 5, 1994, Congress passed, 

and subsequently the President signed into law, Senate 

Joint Resolution 168 on May 25, 1994, in which Vietnam 

was urged to— 

(1) release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners with full restoration of their civil and 

human rights; 

(2) guarantee equal protection under the law to all 

Vietnamese, regardless of religious, political philosophy, 

or previous associations; 


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•HRES 665 IH 

(3) restore all basic human rights, such as freedom 

of information, speech, religion, movement and association; 

(4) abolish the single party system and permit the 

functioning of all political organizations without intimidation or harassment; and 

(5) announce a framework and timetable for free 

and fair elections under the sponsorship of the United 

Nations that will allow the Vietnamese people to choose 

their own form of government according to their will; 

Whereas well-respected spiritual leaders of the Buddhist, 

Catholic, Protestant, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, and other religions have legitimately and courageously demanded religious freedom and non-violently struggled for democracy 

and the protection of human rights in Vietnam; 

Whereas because of systematic, egregious, and ongoing 

abuses of religious freedom, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom recommends the 

addition of Vietnam to the countries of particular concern 

list; 

Whereas the Government of Vietnam continues to persecute 

its citizens for the nonviolent practice of faith, free 

speech, free press, and democratic values, including continuous arrests, detention, and harassment of members of 

the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, the Roman 

Catholic Church, the Protestant Church, the Hoa Hao 

Buddhist faith, the Cao Dai faith, and many other individuals who call for democracy and freedom in Vietnam; 

Whereas to reach a more free and democratic state, the Government of Vietnam should, among other reforms— 

(1) stop blocking all foreign broadcasts and allow 

the free flow of information into Vietnam; 


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•HRES 665 IH 

(2) allow newspapers, radio, and television broadcasts to carry opinions even if critical of the Vietnamese 

Government; 

(3) release all imprisoned religious leaders and political dissidents and allow the United Nations Committee 

on Arbitrary Detention to inspect the prison system in 

Vietnam; 

(4) implement the United Nations principles on religious freedom and guarantee the equal treatment to all 

religions in Vietnam; 

(5) dismantle Article Number 4 in the Vietnamese 

Constitution (which gives the Vietnamese Government supremacy over people) and abolish the Directive CP 31 

(which allows imprisonment of dissidents up to two years 

without trial or judicial review); 

(6) respect human and civil rights and return to the 

right to own property to the Vietnamese people; 

(7) stop the intervention of the Communist Party at 

all levels of the government and end the Communist Party’s control and manipulation of the National Assembly; 

(8) let the National Assembly, when no longer under 

the control of the Communist party, help orchestrate the 

transition period and draw up new election laws which 

promote the multiparty system and allow everyone to 

freely participate in the general elections; and 

(9) have the government, when independent of the 

Communist Party, organize free and fair elections according to the new election laws and under international monitoring to choose a constitutional Assembly; and 

Whereas Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, a leading voice for freedom 

in Vietnam, issued his 9-point road map to democracy in 

March 2005 encompassing many of these reforms: Now, 

therefore, be it 


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•HRES 665 IH 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) endorses reforms for freedom and democ3 racy in Vietnam, including those reforms advocated 

4 by Dr. Nguyen Dan Que’s 9-point road map to de5 mocracy; and 

6 (2) urges the Government of the United States 

7 to utilize such reforms in an effort to bring democ8 racy and human rights to Vietnam in a peaceful 

9 manner. 

Æ 


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