Date: 2015-07-09
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. this year marks the 40th anniversary since the end of the Vietnam war and 20 years of normalized relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. This week. our President hosted the General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party. Nguyen Phu Trong. a political leader but not an official leader. During that meeting. I know that the two leaders discussed more normalization of economic and military issues. and I know that President Obama brought up the issue of human rights. but I am going to say this: after 19 years in this Congress of fighting for human rights around the world. the Vietnamese Communist Government always promises. when economic issues are on the table. to do something better with respect to their human rights record. but they never follow through. In fact. it gets worse. Today. Mr. Speaker. as the cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam. I dont want to focus on what the economic implications are and the trade implications are that are going on with respect to Vietnam. but I want to remind my colleagues about what is happening with respect to human rights in Vietnam. Nguyen Dang Minh Man is currently serving a 9year prison term after being charged with "attempting to overthrow the government" under article 79 of the constitution of that country. Her crime. she was arrested while taking photographs during a protest against Chinese encroachment of the Paracel and Spratly Islands. Ho Duc Hoa. a community organizer and a contributing journalist for Vietnam Redemptorists News. is currently serving a 13year prison sentence for defending human rights and promoting democracy. He has been charged with "attempting to overthrow the government." He is currently suffering from harsh treatment in prison. including torture and denial to medical care. water. or adequate food. Dang Xuan Dieu. another activist. is currently serving a 13year sentence under article 79 in response to advocating for educationimagine thisfor education for children living in poverty. for aid to people with disabilities. and for religious freedom in Vietnam. Mr. Dieu is also a victim of mistreatment and torture in the prison system. Tran Huynh Duy Thuc. a human rights activist and entrepreneur. was also arrested for writing blogs that called for political reform and improved human rights in Vietnam. He only peacefully exercised his rights to freedom of expression. yet Thuc was charged of attempting to overthrow the government under article 79. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison and 5 years of house arrest. These are just four of the so many people in prison in Vietnam. The government of Vietnam continues to deny its citizens their rights to freedom of speech. to freedom of assembly. to freedom of the press. to freedom of religion. Although Vietnam strives to further its relations with the U.S.. it does not grant human rights to its people. I understand that President Obama has agreed to visit Vietnam in the near future. and I strongly urge that not only the President and the administration work on the issues of human rights with respect to the Vietnamese people. but that we in the Congress continue to push because. as we know. as Americans. people around the world look to us as the shining light of upholding democracy and human rights and freedom and liberty and freedom of the press and freedom of assembly.