Mr. President. I am pleased to Join today in proposing a resolution to focus renewed attention on one of the utmost urgent humanitarian issues in the aftermath of the Vietnam warthe continued plight of political prisoners in Vietnam and the problem of family reunification. Last night. Senator DOLE and I had the privilege to attend a reception here in the Capitol organized by a coalition of Vietnamese refugee groups to mark the 12th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. But. more important. they reminded us of the plight of the thousands of Vietnamese refugees who continue to be separated from their family members still in Vietnam. More tragic still. they focused our attention on family members who have languished for the past 12 years as political prisoners In Vietnamese jailssocalled "political reeducation centers." Many humanitarian Issues are compelling. but none more so than the plight of these political prisoners. We need to break the diplomatic logjam that has thwarted any real progress in addressing these humanitarian issues. This resolution calls for that action. It asks the Government of Vietnam to do what it has already publicly said it is willing to doto release political prisoners and permit them to resettle abroad or join their families in other countries. It calls upon Vietnam to do what it agreed to do when it negotiated and signed the orderly departure agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1979to process and give exit visas to family reunification cases. I am pleased to Join in directing the attention of Congress to these critical humanitarian problems. and I urge the Senate to adopt this resolution. I ask unanimous consent that a very timely and thoughtful editorial on this subject. published today in the Washington Post. may be printed at this point In the RECORD.
Keywords matched
Refugees family reunification visas refugees refugee