Text: Davis Says H. Con. Res. 322 Backs Human Rights in Vietnam
(Davis criticizes Hanoi on rights record, lack of freedom)Those Vietnamese who fought against the Communists in the Vietnam War deserve to be honored, and they shouldn't be treated as "second-class citizens," according to Representative Thomas Davis (Republican of Virginia).
In a July 11 extension of remarks on the debate to pass House Concurrent Resolution 322 (H. Con. Res. 322), Davis charged that Vietnam, while a signatory to international agreements on human rights, runs a two-tiered economic system that denies equal opportunity to family members of servicemen of the former South Vietnam.
H. Con. Res. 322, which passed in the House of Representatives July 10, praises the efforts of Vietnamese Americans and others to improve human rights in Vietnam and recognizes the sacrifices made by the members of South Vietnam's armed forces.
"It is my strongest hope," Davis said, "that the citizens of Vietnam will one day be free: free to elect their own leaders and government, free to worship as they please, free to speak and print their own opinions without fear of persecution or harassment, and simply free to live their lives without government intrusion.
"The individuals who served in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam should be commended for their bravery and courage in the face of severe adversity and hardship," Davis said.
From 1961 to 1975, more than 750,000 South Vietnamese service personnel were wounded, Davis noted, with another 250,000 killed in action.
"These brave men made the ultimate sacrifice: they died fighting for freedom and democracy in their homeland. Although their homeland was lost to Communist forces, their sacrifices must never be forgotten," Davis said.
Following is the text of Rep. Davis' extension of remarks from the July 11 Congressional Record:
(begin text)
SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING VIETNAMESE AMERICANS
AND OTHERS WHO SEEK TO IMPROVE SOCIAL AND
POLITICAL CONDITIONS IN VIETNAMHON. THOMAS M. DAVIS
(Extension of Remarks)
July 11, 2000HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS
in the House of Representatives
MONDAY, JULY 10, 2000Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for H. Con. Res. 322, a resolution which expresses the sense of Congress regarding the sacrifices of individuals who served in the Armed Forces of the former Republic of Vietnam.
I introduced this resolution several months ago to honor the brave Vietnamese men and women who fought alongside American forces during the Vietnam conflict, and yet were never given the proper recognition. It is my strong belief that the individuals who served in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam should be commended for their bravery and courage in the face of severe adversity and hardship.
This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fall of Saigon to Communist forces. The Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam suffered enormous casualties during the Vietnam Conflict. From 1961 to 1975, over 750,000 Vietnamese men were wounded and over 250,000 Vietnamese men were killed in action. These brave men made the ultimate sacrifice: they died fighting for freedom and democracy in their homeland. Although their homeland was lost to Communist forces, their sacrifices must never be forgotten.
After the war, the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam forcibly rounded up intellectuals, political leaders, teachers, poets, artists, religious leaders, and former officers and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam and sent them to re-education camps--a more appropriate term would be `Vietnamese Gulag.' These camps evoke images akin to the Nazi death camps during World War II. The prisoners, deemed security risks by the Communist regime, were regularly beaten, starved, tortured, and forced to endure inhumane conditions. Unfortunately, many, if not most, did not survive.
As one former prisoner told the Seattle Times, `The Communist did not need reasons to kill. Prisoners were expendable, worked to death . . .' Or told through the eyes of another former prisoner, `They [the Communists] don't kill everyone all at once, but slowly, slowly.'
I would like to mention some remarkable individuals who survived the Vietnamese Gulag and have personally shared their stories with me. These stories speak of courage, spirit, and the human will to live. These individuals now live in Northern Virginia. Mr. Nguyen Cao Quyen, Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Mr. Tran Nhat Kim, Mr. Dinh Anh Thai are all former prisoners of the Vietnamese Gulag. Their crime: they were officers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam or worked for the South Vietnamese government.
Mr. Vu Hoi--an artist, Mr. Nguyen Chi Thien--a poet, and Professor Doan Viet Hoat, all were intellectuals who were imprisoned by the Communist government for expressing their beliefs about democracy. In total, these three men spent over 50 years in the Vietnamese Gulag.
Finally, I would like to mention Father Nguyen Huu Le and Father Tran Qui Thien who were also imprisoned for many years because they would not use their influence with their parishioners to propagandize Communist ideology. I am proud to represent these courageous individuals and others like them in Virginia's Eleventh District.
Although the current government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory to eight international covenants on human rights, it continues to treat members of the former Armed Forces of Vietnam and their families as second-class citizens. The government of Vietnam has established a two-tiered socioeconomic system, reminiscent of the apartheid regime used in South Africa and implemented by the Nazis to isolate Jews in the 1930's.
A good example is education, which is highly valued in Vietnamese culture and society. Yet relatives of the men who suffered in the Vietnamese Gulag cannot enroll in schools because of an official government-endorsed policy of exclusion. Likewise, many relatives of these former prisoners find it difficult to obtain employment for the same reason. The government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is adding insult to injury to these principled men who
The end of the Vietnam conflict produced an exodus of over 2 million Vietnamese who fled the country, many in rickety boats that were over-crowded and dangerous. They suffered treacherous seas, pirate attacks, dehydration, lack of food and medicine, and risked death rather than live under a Communist regime. Many of these refugees came to the United States where they have resettled, and are now proud Americans.
While the Vietnamese-American Community has been successful in rebuilding their lives here in the United States, they have not forgotten those who fought in the name of freedom. Traditionally, the former Republic of South Vietnam and presently in Vietnamese-American communities all across America, June 19th represents a day to commemorate and honor both fallen and living heroes who have dedicated or are continuing to dedicate their lives to bringing international attention to freedom and the human rights situation in Vietnam. It is a day on which the community memorializes those who gave their lives and recognizes former prisoners of conscience for their commitment and sacrifice in the struggle for democracy and freedom.
This is why on Vietnam Human Rights Day, I introduced, H. Con. Res. 322, a resolution honoring the sacrifices of individuals who served in the Armed Forces of the former Republic of Vietnam. As an original sponsor of the Congressional Dialogue on Vietnam and the Adopt-A-Voice-of-Conscience program, it is not only my honor, but my privilege to have introduced this resolution on behalf of all Vietnamese-Americans and especially, the tens of thousands living in Northern Virginia. It is imperative that we never forget the sacrifices that the members of Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam made so that future generations may live in freedom.
I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution because it reaffirms Congress' commitment to Vietnamese-Americans and others whose work helps to keep the spirit of freedom alive for those still living in Vietnam.
It is my strongest hope that the citizens of Vietnam will one day be free: free to elect their own leaders and government, free to worship as they please, free to speak and print their own opinions without fear of persecution or harassment, and simply free to live their lives without government intrusion. This is the will of democracy and the Vietnamese people.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
Return to U.S.-Vietnam Relations.Return to IIP Home Page.