Calling on Government of Vietnam to Support Citizen Access to Internet

[Page E1921] CALLING ON GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM TO SUPPORT CITIZEN ACCESS TO INTERNET

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HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ

of california

in the house of representatives

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the number of bloggers and democracy activists who have been imprisoned in Vietnam for distributing their peaceful views over the Internet. The Government of Vietnam continues to restrict websites and blogs that promote democracy, human rights, and speak against the actions of the government. It has become evident over the past several months that the human rights situation in Vietnam continues to deteriorate. Today, I will be introducing a house resolution calling on the Government of Vietnam to not only release imprisoned bloggers but to also respect the people's right to internet freedom. This resolution urges the Vietnamese government to support the right of citizens to access websites of their choosing, and to repeal statutes like Circular 07 and Article 88 which restrict the internet in Vietnam. It is time for the Government of Vietnam to become a responsible member of the international community and to respect an individual's freedom of speech, press and political association.