103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 278
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas the President has lifted the 30-year-old trade em-
bargo against Vietnam in the belief that doing so is the
‘‘best way’’ to ensure progress in resolving the fate of
Americans missing since the conflict in Vietnam;
Whereas the period of the Vietnam conflict and its aftermath
was one of the most distressing and painful periods in
our Nation’s history;
Whereas questions remain about the fate of several hundred
Americans missing in action;
Whereas, on July 2, 1993, President Clinton stated that fur-
ther steps in United States-Vietnam relations would be
based on ‘‘tangible progress’’ towards the fullest possible
accounting of those missing in action;
HCON 278 EH
Whereas such ‘‘tangible progress’’ depends on further efforts
by the Government of Vietnam in the 4 key areas out-
lined by the President, including the recovery and repa-
triation of American remains, continued resolution of dis-
crepancy cases, further assistance in implementing tri-
lateral investigations with Laos, and accelerated efforts
to provide all POW/MIA-related documents;
Whereas the Congress deeply empathizes with the families
and friends of the missing American servicemen;
Whereas we owe nothing less than the ‘‘fullest possible ac-
counting’’ to these men and their families;
Whereas Vietnam’s criminal law is used to punish nonviolent
advocates of political pluralism, through charges such as
‘‘attempting to overthrow the people’s government’’ or
‘‘antisocialist propaganda’’;
Whereas the end of the Cold War provides an unprecedented
opportunity for democratic reform and improvements in
human rights throughout the world;
Whereas recent economic reforms and initiatives undertaken
by the Government of Vietnam can best be encouraged
and built upon through political liberalization;
Whereas the interests of the United States and the people of
Vietnam, and the international community would best be
served by having a friendly and democratic government
in Vietnam; and
Whereas greater respect for internationally recognized human
rights and a peaceful transition to democracy in Vietnam
would greatly reduce the threat of instability in South-
east Asia and enable the creation of a free-market econ-
omy in Vietnam: Now, therefore, be it
HCON 278 EH
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) progress towards the ‘‘fullest possible ac-
counting’’ for the Americans missing and unac-
counted for remains central to our Nation’s foreign
policy toward Vietnam;
(2) the ‘‘fullest possible accounting’’ of our
missing must remain the index by which further
progress in relations must be judged;
(3) the primary functions of the United States
Government liaison office in Vietnam should be—
(A) to facilitate efforts to achieve the ‘‘full-
est possible accounting’’, and
(B) to establish a section within that office
to assist families and friends of those missing
American servicemen in their efforts to ascer-
tain the status of their loved ones;
(4) the United States should support the proc-
ess of nonviolent democratic reform in Vietnam in-
cluding the goal of free and fair elections; and
HCON 278 EH
(5) the United States should increase its sup-
port for Voice of America programming in Vietnam.
Passed the House of Representatives October 5,
1994.
Attest:
Clerk.
103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 278
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding
United States policy towards Vietnam.