What was up with this?
Weeklong rally in Front Senator John Kerry's office from 8/19/2002 to 8/23/2002 each day 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Washington DC – August 13, 2002 – As concerned U.S citizens and residents who called US as their new homeland and as U.S. taxpayers, Vietnamese-Americans across the U.S. have launched a nationwide campaign to call on Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts to make sure that the hard-earned tax money of American tax payers are properly spent on foreign aid and trade with oppressive regimes, and this case the Communist regime in Vietnam. At issue is the Viet Nam Human Rights Act HR2833, which was crafted to ensure that foreign aid and trade with Vietnam will promote democracy, civil society and human rights rather not the Communist Party's oppressive regime. On September 6, 2001 the House of Representatives passed the Vietnam Human Rights Act overwhelmingly, by 410 to one.
However, when this Bill arrived in the Senate, Senator Kerry single-handedly placed an indefinite hold on this bill, denying his 99 fellow Senators the opportunity to vote on the bill. Senator Kerry's hold will practically kill this bill when the 107th Congress adjourns later this year. As justification Senator Kerry cited an outdated U.S. State Department Report on Human Rights Practices, which according to him "noted measurable improvement in some areas, including the release of some political and religious prisoners and a continuing trend toward reduced government interference in the daily lives of most citizens." Ironically, the most up-to-date State Department Report, issued in March of this year, paints a totally different picture: "The Communist government's [in Vietnam] poor human rights record worsened in some respects and it continued to commit numerous, serious abuses. The Government continued to repress basic political and some religious freedoms and abuses by the Government increased. The Government continued to restrict significantly civil liberties on grounds of national security and societal stability."
In fact, over the past ten months the Communist government in Vietnam has stepped up its persecution of religious leaders, arrested numerous intellectuals and writers who demanded freedom of expression, and cracked down on veteran Communists who denounced high-level corruption in the government. Senator Kerry has evidently sent the wrong message to the Vietnamese dictators: they can persecute their own people with impunity and still count on a powerful U.S. Senator to shield them from any U.S. criticisms or sanctions.
Challenged by the latest Department of State Report, Senator Kerry has found a new, different line of defense for his indefensible, misguided and harmful position. He now claims that he and Senator John McCain oppose the bill for fear that "it may hinder rather than advance the cause of human rights in Vietnam.". In fact, there is no indication or evidence that the Senator from Arizona has ever joined Senator Kerry in opposing the Viet Nam Human Rights Act. Further, Senator Kerry has failed to explain how this bill, which supports human rights and religious freedom in Vietnam, could make Vietnam's human rights conditions any worse than what they have become over the past 10 months.
Vietnamese-Americans and human rights advocates across the country have joined force to call on Senator Kerry to support the suppressed people of Viet Nam instead of finding endless excuses for the Communist dictators. Senator Kerry should immediately release his hold on the Viet Nam Human Rights Act. By letting this bill die in the Senate, Senator Kerry will also kill the hope of over 80 million Vietnamese for liberty and human dignity.
As Vietnamese Americans, we call on Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts to support the Vietnamese people instead of their Communist persecutors. As concerned U.S citizens and residents who called US as their new homeland and as U.S. taxpayers, we call on Senator Kerry to
1. To listen to the voices of the 1.2 million Vietnamese-Americans many of who are U.S citizens with voting rights and contribute to the American government along with their fellow Americans with their hard-earned tax dollars.
2. Respect the right of his 99 colleagues in the Senate and let them vote on the Human Rights Act HR2833 to ensure that foreign aid and trade with oppressive regimes is conditional based on their human rights record.
Our campaign, launched today, will go beyond this election year and, if necessary, will continue until the Presidential election of 2004. Based on this sprit, the Vietnamese-American communities will send their group representatives to Boston to protest in front of Senator John Kerry's office from August 19 to August 23, 2002 beginning at 8 am until 5 pm each day. The contact info of Senator John Kerry is (202) 224-2742 or (617) 565-8519 or John-Kerry@kerry.senate.gov.
Delegation Details
Each state below will be sending its delegation to Boston:
Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico
New York State, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia
Washington State, Wisconsin, Washington D. C
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