106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 295

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Relating to continuing human rights violations and

political oppression in the Socialist Republic ofVietnam 25 years after the fall of South Vietnamto Communist forces.

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 295

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas April 30, 2000, marks the 25th anniversary of the

fall of Saigon to Communist forces of North Vietnam;

Whereas 25 years after the Vietnam War ended, the Socialist

Republic of Vietnam is a one-party state ruled and controlled by the Vietnamese Communist Party;

Whereas the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

continues to violate the liberties and civil rights of its
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own citizens through arbitrary arrests, detentions without

trial, and the censorship of peaceful expressions of political and religious beliefs;

Whereas the Department of State Country Reports on

Human Rights Practices for 1999 notes that the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam ‘‘continued to

repress basic political and some religious freedoms and to

commit numerous abuses’’;

Whereas the Socialist Republic of Vietnam still retains Article 4 in its Constitution that ensures the supremacy of

the Vietnamese Communist Party as the only political

party in the country while continuing to enforce an extralegal administrative decree to detain or place under house

arrest any dissidents or civilians for up to 2 years, without trial, under the pretext of ‘‘endangering national security’’;

Whereas the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is one of the most

politically repressive and poorest countries in the world,

with an average annual per capita income of $330;

Whereas, according to the Department of State and international human rights organizations, the Government of

the Socialist Republic of Vietnam continues to restrict

unregistered religious activities and persecutes citizens on

the basis of their religious affiliation through arbitrary

arrests and detention, harassment, physical abuse, censorship, and the denial of the rights of free association

and religious worship;

Whereas the Department of State Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 1999 on Vietnam estimates that ‘‘there are from 30 to 50 religious prisoners’’

but ‘‘the number is difficult to verify with any precision
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because of the secrecy surrounding the arrest, detention,

and release process’’;

Whereas the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

continues to prevent human rights organizations from

unfettered and open investigations of allegations of statesponsored oppression of the right to worship by its citizens, and has prevented the United Nations Special

Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, Abdelfattah Amor,

from meeting with various religious leaders during his

visit to Vietnam in October 1998;

Whereas the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

systematically violates the Universal Declaration of

Human Rights in contravention of its status as a member of the United Nations;

Whereas the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

systematically violates the International Covenant on

Civil and Political Rights in contravention of its status

as a signatory to that agreement; and

Whereas it is in the interest of the United States to promote

political, religious, and economic freedom throughout the

world: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) requests the President to restate and make

4 clear to the leadership of the Government of the So5 cialist Republic of Vietnam that—

6 (A) the American people are firmly com7 mitted to political, religious, and economic free-
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1 dom for the citizens of the Socialist Republic of

2 Vietnam; and

3 (B) the United States fully expects equal

4 protection under law with all Vietnamese citi5 zens, regardless of religious belief, political phi6 losophy, or socio-political association;

7 (2) urges the Government of the Socialist Re8 public of Vietnam—

9 (A) to cease violations of religious freedom

10 as defined by the International Religious Free11 dom Act of 1998;

12 (B) to release all religious prisoners, polit13 ical prisoners, and prisoners of conscience, and

14 immediately cease the harassment, detention,

15 physical abuse, and imprisonment of Viet16 namese citizens who have exercised their legiti17 mate rights to freedom of belief, expression,

18 and association;

19 (C) to allow all Vietnamese citizens the

20 right to free expression, freedom of association,

21 freedom of the press, and religious worship; and

22 (D) to formally commit to a framework

23 and a set timetable for open and fair elections

24 that will facilitate the ability of Vietnamese citi25 zens to peacefully choose their own local and
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1 national leaders, free from fear and intimida2 tion; and

3 (3) commends the Vietnamese-American com4 munity for initiating a memorial to American and

5 South Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed their lives

6 for the cause of freedom during the Vietnam War,

7 which is under development and will be located in

8 Westminster, California.

Passed the House of Representatives May 3, 2000.

Attest:

Clerk.