My OperaResponse from Congressmen regarding Letter HR.3096
Saturday, January 19, 2008 5:28:10 PM
From: Congressman Chris Van Hollen <imamd08@mail.house.gov> - 8/23/07
Thank you for e-mailing me your message. It is important that I know the
concerns of my fellow Marylanders so I can carry out my responsibilities
in Congress.
I appreciate hearing from you and I look forward to considering your
message further. I will try to respond more fully to your e-mail as soon
as possible.
Sincerely,
Congressman Chris Van Hollen
...................................................................
From: Senator Ben Cardin - Maryland - 01/14/08
Dear Mr. Nguyen:
Thank you for contacting me to express your views concerning human rights abuses in Vietnam .
Vietnam 's human rights record continues to violat e internationally accepted standards . According to the 2006 State Department Report on Human Rights, Vietnam's human righ ts record remained unsatisfactory and the government continued to maintain strict controls over religious organizations, political discourse, and publications; trafficking in women and children for the purpose of prostitution cont inued to be a serious problem; and there continues to be a lack of medical care, arbitrary arrest and detention, judicial corruption, denial of fair trial, and other arbitrary official interferences with individual privacy and liberty.
Congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ) introduced H.R. 3096, the Vietnam Human Rights Act on July 19, 2007. The bill w ould provide assistance to promote democracy in Vietnam , but would prohibit non-humanitarian assistance unless the President certifies that Vietnam has made significant improvements with respect to human rights. The bill further requires the Department of State to submit annual reports on Vietnam 's progress towards freedom and democracy.
As the Co-Chair of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe , informally known as the Helsinki Commission, I have long been a proponent of human rights. I have worked actively to address this issue when the U.S. negotiated bilateral trade agreements with Vietnam and during the process of Vietnam 's accession to the World Trade Organization. I am concerned about the ongoing human rights violations, and as a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I will closely monitor the situation in Vietnam .
Thank you again for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to share your thoughts with me in the future on this or any other matter.
Thank you for e-mailing me your message. It is important that I know the
concerns of my fellow Marylanders so I can carry out my responsibilities
in Congress.
I appreciate hearing from you and I look forward to considering your
message further. I will try to respond more fully to your e-mail as soon
as possible.
Sincerely,
Congressman Chris Van Hollen
...................................................................
From: Senator Ben Cardin - Maryland - 01/14/08
Dear Mr. Nguyen:
Thank you for contacting me to express your views concerning human rights abuses in Vietnam .
Vietnam 's human rights record continues to violat e internationally accepted standards . According to the 2006 State Department Report on Human Rights, Vietnam's human righ ts record remained unsatisfactory and the government continued to maintain strict controls over religious organizations, political discourse, and publications; trafficking in women and children for the purpose of prostitution cont inued to be a serious problem; and there continues to be a lack of medical care, arbitrary arrest and detention, judicial corruption, denial of fair trial, and other arbitrary official interferences with individual privacy and liberty.
Congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ) introduced H.R. 3096, the Vietnam Human Rights Act on July 19, 2007. The bill w ould provide assistance to promote democracy in Vietnam , but would prohibit non-humanitarian assistance unless the President certifies that Vietnam has made significant improvements with respect to human rights. The bill further requires the Department of State to submit annual reports on Vietnam 's progress towards freedom and democracy.
As the Co-Chair of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe , informally known as the Helsinki Commission, I have long been a proponent of human rights. I have worked actively to address this issue when the U.S. negotiated bilateral trade agreements with Vietnam and during the process of Vietnam 's accession to the World Trade Organization. I am concerned about the ongoing human rights violations, and as a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I will closely monitor the situation in Vietnam .
Thank you again for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to share your thoughts with me in the future on this or any other matter.
