I also adopted Mr. Tran Huu Duyen and Mr. Nam Liem, Buddhist monks who are members of the Hoa Hao Buddhist Church located in my district. I adopted Mr. Liem and Duyen to raise awareness among U.S. decision makers and the public about religious repression in Vietnam. Such awareness will in turn generate constant pressure on the Vietnamese authorities to release these religious leaders from detention and to truly respect freedom of religion. Reports show that the Buddhist Church continues to be suppressed. All religious activities and ceremonies are prohibited, assembly of more than three persons is forbidden, all assets and properties are still being confiscated.
Religious expression is a fundamental right of all people.
Both here and abroad, I believe that we should do all we can to affirm this principle. As you know, our continuous efforts in supporting prisoners of conscience finally resulted in great news. On September 2, the Government of Vietnam released over a dozen political and religious prisoners among the nearly 8,000 inmates. Included in the release was Professor Doan and Mr. Tran Huu Duyen. This was truly an important date for all Vietnamese American citizens, and represents another major step in the fight to provide liberty to all political prisoners around the world.