IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 431
Urging the Government of Vietnam to provide to the United States all 
information in the possession of Vietnam regarding Americans unac-
counted for from the Vietnam War, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 19, 2004
Mr. COLLINS submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on International Relations 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Urging the Government of Vietnam to provide to the United 
States all information in the possession of Vietnam re-
garding Americans unaccounted for from the Vietnam 
War, and for other purposes.
Whereas diplomatic relations between the United States Gov-
ernment and the Government of the Socialist Republic of 
Vietnam were established in July 1995; 
Whereas diplomatic relations between the two countries were 
established following assurances from President Clinton 
and Vietnamese officials that improved bilateral relations 
would result in expanded cooperation to achieve the full-
est possible accounting of Americans captured, missing, 
or killed during the Vietnam War;
•HCON 431 IH 
Whereas the United States lifted a trade embargo against 
Vietnam in 1994 and signed a bilateral trade agreement 
that was ratified by the Senate in 2001 based on re-
peated certifications to Congress by President Clinton 
that Vietnam was fully cooperating in accounting for 
those Americans captured, missing, or killed during the 
Vietnam War; 
Whereas on March 20, 2002, President George W. Bush 
issued Presidential Determination 2002–11, stating that 
‘‘Vietnam’s unilateral provision of POW/MIA-related doc-
uments and records should be improved, focused initially 
on archival data pertaining to Americans captured, miss-
ing, or killed in areas of Laos and Cambodia under war-
time Vietnamese control’’; 
Whereas President Bush further stated that ‘‘Vietnam should 
also focus greater attention on locating and providing in-
formation on discrepancy cases, with priority on those 
last known alive in captivity or in immediate proximity to 
capture’’ (Presidential Determination 2002–11); 
Whereas President Bush urged the Government of Vietnam 
to take unilateral actions aimed at ‘‘locating and repa-
triating the remains of those who died while in Viet-
namese control that have not yet been returned’’ (Presi-
dential Determination 2002–11); 
Whereas in November 2003, the U.S.S. Vandergrift docked 
in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, symbolizing an improve-
ment in military ties between the United States and Viet-
nam; 
Whereas despite the improvement in military ties, Vietnam 
continues to refuse requests by the United States to per-
mit a United States Navy vessel to conduct humanitarian
•HCON 431 IH 
underwater recovery missions along the coastline of Viet-
nam; 
Whereas Vietnamese officials have invited Members of Con-
gress to visit Vietnam and judge the level and sincerity 
of the cooperation provided by Vietnam, assuring Mem-
bers of Congress open access to archives in the possession 
of the Government of Vietnam; 
Whereas Members of Congress have traveled to Vietnam to 
seek access to relevant archival records and witnesses 
with information about Americans unaccounted for from 
the Vietnam War; and 
Whereas despite existing evidence that many specified docu-
ments could be made available, the Government of Viet-
nam has failed to provide any useful documents or 
records relating to Americans unaccounted for from the 
Vietnam War to Members of Congress and has asserted 
that all such documents and records have previously been 
provided to the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress—
(1) urges the Government of the Socialist Re-
public of Vietnam to immediately provide to the 
United States all documents and records relating to 
Americans unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, 
including documents relating to Americans unac-
counted for in areas of Laos and Cambodia that 
were under wartime Vietnamese control; 
(2) welcomes the improvement in military ties 
between the United States and Vietnam, including
•HCON 431 IH 
the port call of the U.S.S. Vandergrift in November 
2003, and urges the Government of Vietnam to re-
spond positively by the end of 2004 to requests to 
permit a United States Navy vessel to conduct hu-
manitarian underwater recovery missions along the 
coastline of Vietnam; and 
(3) will consider statements by President 
George W. Bush and the response of the Govern-
ment of Vietnam to the request by the United States 
Government to use a United States Navy vessel to 
conduct humanitarian underwater recovery missions 
along the coast of Vietnam before taking further 
steps beneficial to the economic and political objec-
tives of the Government of Vietnam.
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