Relative to U.S. Congress HR-2833

VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT

WHEREAS, California and the United States have long been recognized worldwide as champions for freedom and democracy for its citizens and for the people of the world; and offer sanctuary for those who have been persecuted for exercising basic human rights, such as expressing political opinions or practicing religion; and

WHEREAS, Orange County, California is the region where hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees have chosen to settle down, raise families and contribute to the local economy through hard work and enterprise; and

WHEREAS, The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a one-party state, ruled and controlled by the Vietnamese Communist Party; where according to the 2001 Human Rights Report issued by the U.S. State Department, the Government of Vietnam has contempt for human rights as evidenced by its unlawful deprivation of life, denial of fair and public trials, invasion of personal privacy and by its torture, kidnapping, exile, arbitrary arrests and other degrading and inhumane treatment of its citizens; and

WHEREAS, according to the same report, Vietnam blatantly disregards civil liberties, such as forbidding Freedom of Movement within the country, foreign travel, emigration and repatriation and oppressing freedom of speech and press, freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and particularly, freedom of religion. The government of Vietnam criticizes any public statement on human rights abuses issued by international non-governmental organizations or by foreign governments as interference in its "internal affairs";

RESOLVED BY DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ORANGE COUNTY, that we request U.S. Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Committee on International Relations, to bring HR-2833 to the U.S. Senate floor for debate and a vote, so while Vietnam and the United States enjoy the benefits afforded by the Bi-Lateral Trade Agreement, HR-2833 will provide safeguards needed to ensure freedom, democracy, and human rights for the Vietnamese people.

Approved this 22nd day of April, 2002

Democratic Party of Orange Central Committee

Submitted by Frank Barbaro, Chair

Democratic Party of Orange County