Calling on Government of Vietnam to Support Citizen Access to Internet

by Loretta Sanchez

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

                                 ______
                                 

                          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.