IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 415
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Socialist 
Republic of Vietnam needs to do more to resolve claims for confiscated 
real and personal property, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2005
Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California (for herself and Mr. BURTON of Indi-
ana) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on International Relations 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam needs to do more to 
resolve claims for confiscated real and personal property, 
and for other purposes.
Whereas during the establishment of the Socialist Republic of 
Vietnam as a 1-party state ruled and controlled by the 
Vietnamese Communist Party, uncompensated confisca-
tion of real and personal property from Vietnamese citi-
zens was a widespread occurrence; 
Whereas the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 
continues to use the confiscation of land as a tool of re-
pression against certain ethnic minorities, such as the 
Montagnards of the Central Highlands region;
•HRES 415 IH 
Whereas Article 23 of the Constitution of the Socialist Re-
public of Vietnam provides that ‘‘[t]he lawful property of 
individuals and organizations shall not be nationalized’’; 
Whereas according to the Department of State, more work is 
necessary to adequately protect property rights in Viet-
nam; and 
Whereas the people of the United States are firmly com-
mitted to freedom, democracy, and basic human rights 
for the citizens of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That—
(1) The House of Representatives—
(A) welcomes recent attempts by the Gov-
ernment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to 
establish private land use rights for some of its 
citizens, and hopes that these rights are quickly 
expanded to encompass all Vietnamese citizens; 
(B) calls on the Government of the Social-
ist Republic of Vietnam to more fully recognize 
its responsibility to provide equitable, prompt, 
and fair restitution of property that was con-
fiscated by the government; 
(C) calls on the Government of the Social-
ist Republic of Vietnam to direct local officials, 
particularly in the Central Highlands region, to 
promptly investigate and resolve complaints
•HRES 415 IH 
about discriminatory and uncompensated con-
fiscation of land; 
(D) urges the Government of the Socialist 
Republic of Vietnam to form a national com-
mission for processing restitution claims, and to 
obligate local government officials, bodies, and 
agencies to provide all necessary documentation 
and cooperation to facilitate the implementation 
of decisions issued by the national commission; 
and 
(E) strongly urges the Government of the 
Socialist Republic of Vietnam—
(i) to ensure that implementation of 
land use reforms by local officials does not 
result in increased inequity in access to 
land, particularly for the poor and for 
those out of favor with the Communist 
Party; and 
(ii) to ensure that the government 
provides fair, prompt, and equitable res-
titution to former landowners for the prop-
erty rights of all confiscated lands; and 
(2) it is the sense of the House of Representa-
tives that—