(B) to release those prodemocracy bloggers 
who are imprisoned. 
(c) RELEASE OF POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS PRIS-
ONERS.—The Secretary of State, in discussions with the 
Government of Vietnam, should seek, as a critical condi-
tion of stronger United States-Vietnam relations, the im-
mediate and unconditional release all political and reli-
gious prisoners, including Dao Quang Thuc, Tran Thi 
Xuan, Nguyen Van Tuc, Nguyen Bac Truyen, Pham Van 
Troi, Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton, Truong Minh Duc, 
Nguyen Trung Truc, and the Most Venerable Thich 
Quang Do. 
SEC. 4. APPLICATION OF GLOBAL MAGNITSKY HUMAN 
RIGHTS ACCOUNTABILITY ACT. 
Officials of the Government of Vietnam who are re-
sponsible for or complicit in torture, extrajudicial killings, 
the arbitrary detention of political and religious prisoners, 
or other gross violations of internationally recognized 
human rights should be, as warranted, sanctioned con-
sistent with section 1263 of the Global Magnitsky Human 
Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of division A of title 
XII of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note)). 
SEC. 5. INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The promotion and protection of the univer-
sally recognized right to the freedom of religion is a 
priority of United States foreign policy as stated in 
section 402 of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442) and the Bipartisan 
Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability 
Act of 2015 (title I of Public Law 114–26; 19 
U.S.C. 4201 et seq.) which requires the Administra-
tion to take religious freedom into account when ne-
gotiating trade agreements. 
(2) Countries that protect religious freedom are 
more prosperous, stable, peaceful and democratic. 
Thus, the severe restrictions faced by religious 
groups in Vietnam, such as members of the United 
Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), Catholics, 
and independent Hoa Hao Buddhists, Cao Dai, and 
Protestants groups, are detrimental to the interests 
of both the United States and Vietnam. 
(3) Since 2016, the Government of Vietnam has 
reportedly 
stepped 
up 
its 
efforts 
to 
force 
Montagnard and Hmong Christians to renounce 
their faith, expropriate lands and other real prop-
erties belonging to independent religious commu-
nities, destroy Hoa Hao Buddhist and Cao Dai 
houses of worship, and arrest and detain religious 
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leaders. Religious leaders and advocates of religious 
freedom remain in prison. 
(b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—Since the protection of 
religious freedom is vital to peace, stability, and pros-
perity, and countries with the highest levels of restrictions 
on religious freedom are often those countries seeking to 
undermine United States national interests, it is the policy 
of the United States to— 
(1) prioritize religious freedom in bilateral rela-
tions, including with the Government of Vietnam, by 
fully implementing the provisions of the Frank R. 
Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (Public 
Law 114–281); and 
(2) strategically employ sanctions and other 
tools under the International Religious Freedom Act 
of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.). 
(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) Vietnam should be designated as a country 
of particular concern for religious freedom under 
section 402(b) of the International Religious Free-
dom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442(b)) because there 
are a significant number of individuals imprisoned 
for their religious activity or advocacy for religious 
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freedom and for ‘‘systematic, egregious, and ongo-
ing’’ violations of religious freedom; 
(2) the President, in making the annual des-
ignations under section 402(b) of such Act, should 
take into account the annual report of the United 
States Commission on International Religious Free-
dom under section 203 of such Act and the Commis-
sion’s assessment that the designation of Vietnam as 
a country of particular concern for religious freedom 
from 2004 to 2006 led to tangible improvements in 
religious freedom conditions while trade and security 
cooperation increased; and 
(3) because the Government of Vietnam tightly 
controls religious institutions and then persecutes 
those individuals who establish or operate inde-
pendent religious institutions and genuinely non-
governmental organizations, the Secretary of State 
should— 
(A) use all available diplomatic, develop-
ment, economic assistance, and political tools to 
ensure that independent religious and civil soci-
ety organizations can operate freely and without 
restriction in Vietnam; and 
(B) raise these issues in all appropriate 
statements, dialogues, reports, and negotiations 
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between the United States and Vietnam and in 
multi-lateral institutions where the United 
States and Vietnam are members. 
SEC. 6. INTERNET FREEDOM. 
(a) FINDING.—Congress finds that Vietnam con-
tinues to have one of the world’s most restrictive internet 
environments, with pervasive filtering of content and the 
frequent arrests of bloggers and others whose only offense 
is to advocate online for positions different than those held 
by the government. 
(b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.— 
(1) FINDING.—Congress finds that a free and 
open internet and the free flow of news and informa-
tion— 
(A) are fundamental components of United 
States foreign policy because they foster eco-
nomic growth, protect individual liberties, and 
advance national security; 
(B) are critical to the advancement of both 
United States economic interests and inter-
nationally recognized human rights globally; 
and 
(C) are severely hindered by Vietnam’s Cy-
bersecurity Law which would allow the Viet-
namese Government to access private data, spy 
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