Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-46), founder and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, released the following statement after her amendment, which expresses a Sense of Congress that increased military relations with Vietnam should be contingent on Vietnam's commitment to implement human rights reforms, was successfully included in the FY17 National Defense Authorization Act which the House passed last night.
"President Obama soon will visit Vietnam for the first time to discuss further economic and military relations. Already, the Administration has indicated their intention to lift the current arms embargo on Vietnam, even though the government of Vietnam continues to violate human rights. Human rights must be made a priority and I believe accepting my amendment is a step in the right direction.
"My amendment expresses a Sense of Congress that the United States has already taken steps to further U.S.-Vietnam defense relations such as signing the Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations and also partially relaxing U.S. restrictions on the transfer of lethal weapons to Vietnam. In 2014, the U.S. even provided $18 million in maritime security assistance to Vietnam. Yet, Vietnam still imprisons over 100 prisoners of conscience and ranks an appalling 175 out of 180 countries in press freedom.
"My amendment expresses the importance of the U.S. reviewing our policy on the transfer of lethal weapons to Vietnam and evaluating specific human rights benchmarks when providing military assistance to Vietnam. It's time to send a clear message to the government of Vietnam that true comprehensive partnership between our two countries will require a Vietnam that respects human rights."
For the past 19 years, Congresswoman Sanchez has been a leading voice in Congress in calling for social justice and religious freedom for the Vietnamese people. This week, Rep. Sanchez led a letter with 19 bipartisan members of Congress urging President Obama to raise concerns about Vietnam's ongoing human rights violations and to advocate for the release of all Vietnamese prisoners of conscience during the President's upcoming trip to Vietnam. Additionally this week, Rep. Sanchez and Rep. Zoe Lofgren sent a letter to President Obama about Vietnam's recent environmental catastrophe involving millions of dead fish washing ashore beginning in early April along the coastline, devastating the economy in coastal cities and presenting a health hazard for the people of Vietnam.
Rep. Sanchez believes the United States must hold the Vietnamese government accountable for its well documented egregious and systemic human rights violations before viable economic relations can be pursued. Rep. Sanchez proudly represents one of the largest Vietnamese populations outside of Vietnam in the world, in Orange County, California.