Speech #1010033039

Madam Speaker. today the Congress has the opportunity to go firmly on record calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to release prisoners remaining in reeducation camps and to permit the emigration of many who were held in reeducation camps. Senate Concurrent Resolution 16 expresses the sense of the Congress that the Vietnamese Government should act immediately to bring an end to the suffering endured by tens of thousands of Vietnamese people in the past 14 years. It calls for the release of those still imprisoned for their opposition to the Hanoi government. including perhaps hundreds of officials and those associated with the former U.S.backed Government. It also calls for the release of individuals imprisoned in more recent years because of their political or religious expression or association or related nonviolent activitiesin short. those held only for their suspected opposition to the Communist government. Longterm detainees who remain in camps or prisonsmany held up to 14 years without trialare in fact political prisoners. And many former reeducation prisoners continue to flee repression in Vietnamdespite the fact that firstasylum countries with overcrowded refugee camps have often pulled back the welcome mat for refugees. and despite the increasing terror and death at sea for these boat people at the hands of pirates. They flee despite much longer odds against finding asylum. Bringing this resolution to the floor today is fitting as. today in Geneva. the United Nations opens a conference to begin to decide the fate of Indochinese refugees. Today we send a message to Vietnam and the world community that continuing persecution and the threat of imprisonment in Vietnam is a major reason the Geneva Conference is necessary. and the U.S. Congress wants this problem addressed by permitting the orderly departure from Vietnam of those current and former reeducation camp prisoners. and their families. who desire to leave. A recent petition by 7.000 refugees at Ban Thad Camp in Thailand pleaded for the participating countries at the Geneva Conference to mobilize to help bring about their resettlement. The petition claimed that 30 percent of those In the camp were "associated with the former government of the Republic of South Vietnam" or fought against the North Vietnamese Communists. An additional 65 percent in the camp are said to be their family members. The Vietnamese Government agreed in principle nearly 1 year ago on the resettlement of those held or previously held in reeducation camps or prisons on account of their associations or beliefs. but has failed to follow through. It would be an added benefit if our United States delegation to the Geneva Conference could meet with their Vietnamese counterparts with a clear message that the United States remains committed to the release and emigration of reeducation camp detainees. Recently the Vietnamese Government has been more forthcoming in negotiations and cooperation on other humanitarian issuesnamely. the emigration of Amerasian children and findings of American remains from those missing in action from the Vietnam conflict. On this question of Americans MIAsparticularly in light of possible recent live sightings of Americans held since the conflictwe also call for Vietnamese cooperation to quickly resolve this matter favorably. I can think of no other issue that is of higher priority to the American people than the American MIAs. Let me restate. there is no issue of higher priority. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam should ceane attempts to politicize this issue by trying to directly link in negotiations the release and emigration of current and former prisoners with a hoped for normalization of relations with the United States. This resolution states. however. that the willingness of the Government of Vietnam to satisfactorily resolve this humanitarian issue will have an important bearing on any future relationship with the United States. Unless there is a lasting improvement in the human rights situation in Vietnam. boat people will likely continue to flee Vietnam.