Rep. Sanchez-Sponsored Internet Freedom Resolution Passes the House

 

H. Res. 672 Calls on Vietnamese Government to Respect Internet Freedom

WASHINGTON, D.C. 10/21/2009  - Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today applauded House passage of House Resolution 672, legislation that she authored calling for greater internet freedom in Vietnam.  The Rep. Sanchez-sponsored resolution supports the right of Vietnam's citizens to access websites of their choosing and to have the freedom to share and publish information over the Internet.  It also calls on the Government of Vietnam to repeal its laws restricting free speech and release all political prisoners, including bloggers and cyber activists who use the Internet to express their views.

H. Res. 672 received broad bipartisan support and was co-sponsored by 21 Members of Congress.  Earlier today, Rep. Sanchez gave the following floor speech in support of her resolution:

"Madame Speaker, I come to the floor today in support of my resolution, H.Res. 672, which calls on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to release imprisoned bloggers and respect Internet freedom.

"I would like to first thank Chairman Berman and the committee staff for their help in bringing this resolution to the floor.  It is particularly timely considering recent actions by the Vietnamese government.

"Since I came to Congress I have been working to improve human rights in Vietnam.  As a Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, my fellow Caucus Members and I have focused on urging the government of Vietnam to respect individuals' rights to freedom of speech and expression.

"We have also worked with multiple U.S. Administrations to make human rights an important part of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship.

"Unfortunately, instead of improving, the human rights situation in Vietnam has further deteriorated.  I have been concerned that the United States has not yet taken a firm stand against the government of Vietnam's blatant disregard for human rights.

"I have been on this floor a number of times to call attention to the bloggers and democracy activists in Vietnam who have been detained and imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of expression over the internet.

"Internet has become a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to exercise freedom of expression and association.  It has become a medium to share information freely, promote social and economic development and fight for democracy.

"However, in recent months the government of Vietnam has taken unlawful steps to tighten its control over the internet.

"In October 2008, the Government of Vietnam created the Administration Agency for Radio, Television and Electronics Information and issued Circular 07 in December 2008 to restrict Internet freedom, censor private blogs, and compel information technology companies to cooperate with government efforts to monitor personal information of users.

"In response, I along with the Vietnam Caucus members sent letters to internet service providers (ISPs) to urge them to continue advocating for the freedoms of speech and expression on the internet in Vietnam.

"I introduced this resolution to raise awareness of the lack of internet freedom in Vietnam and help.

"H.Res. 672 urges the Vietnamese government to support the right of citizens to access websites of their choosing, and repeal statutes like Circular 07 and Article 88 which restrict the internet in Vietnam.

"The consideration of this resolution comes at a perfect time because the government of Vietnam has recently cracked down on bloggers and activists who use the internet as a tool to promote democracy.

"The government of Vietnam has arrested bloggers Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, Bui Thanh Hieu, Pham Doan Trang, and many others bloggers.  Some of these bloggers like Quynh have been released.

"However, there was a condition - in exchange for their freedom from prison, they had to give up their freedom of expression, the freedom to distribute their peaceful views over the internet.

"Just recently, nine dissidents were convicted by the Vietnamese government for publishing articles on the internet, which is basically just practicing their rights to freedom of speech and expression.

"This situation took a turn for the worse two weeks ago when Tran Khai Thanh Thuy, was forcibly denied entry to the courthouse to attend the trial of the nine democracy activists and was instead harassed by Vietnamese police.  

"The following night, I received reports that one of the democracy activists, Do Ba Tan, and his wife, Tran Khai Thanh Thuy, were beaten in front of their 13-year old daughter and imprisoned by the Vietnamese police and government. 

"When I heard about this, I immediately called the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission in Vietnam, Virginia Palmer, and urged her to take action on this matter.  Our U.S. Embassy in Vietnam responded by making inquiries about Mrs. Thuy's 13-year old daughter to make sure was being taken care of.

"These actions are not the actions of a country that respects the fundamental values and principles of human rights or democracy. 

"A country that uses violence against its own citizens because they decided to exercise their fundamental freedoms does not deserve to be a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).  Nor do they have any right to be acting as President of the United Nations Security Council, a position Vietnam currently holds.

"The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.  And yet, they continue to detain and imprison their own citizens for using the internet to promote democracy and human rights. How can a country that blatantly acts disregards a UN Declaration be allowed to act as President of the Security Council?

"I believe that we, the United States, must take a stand against Vietnam's clear human rights violations.  The United States is a beacon of freedom and democracy, and it is our responsibility to speak out on behalf of all the brave men and women who continue to sacrifice their freedom in the effort to improve human rights in Vietnam.

"We must support the right of Vietnamese citizens to access websites of their choosing and to have the freedom to share information over the internet.

"I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and let the government of Vietnam know that the U.S. House of Representatives is making human rights a priority.

"Please join me in urging Vietnam to become a responsible member of the international community, release their political prisoners, and respect individuals' freedoms of speech, press, and political association. 

"Thank you Madame Speaker, I yield back."

 

 

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