CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS—JUNE 13, 1989 103 STAT. 2557 Whereas the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has demonstrated its hostility to those leaving Vietnam illegally and, in particular, to those refusing to return to Vietnam voluntarily: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That (a) it is the sense of the Congress that— (1) ASEAN first asylum countries should reaffirm the practice of providing adequate refuge for all Vietnamese asylum-seekers, while carrying out the screening of such individuals; (2) early access should be given to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide humane care and protection to such asylum-seekers^ (3) no repatriation of Vietnamese asylum-seekers should occur until a strong and effective internationaly approved mecha- nism is in place to guarantee that such asylum-seekers will be returned in conditions of safety and dignity and will not be subjected to persecution in any form; (4) given Vietnamese attitudes toward illegal departure, forced repatriation of refugees to Vietnam should not be consid- ered a viable option; (5) continuing efforts should be made to improve the screen- ing program of Lao asylum-seekers in Thailand; (6) the United States should remain committed to a generous and humane Southeast Asian refugee resettlement policy; and (7) the United States should urge its Western allies to imple- ment or continue generous and humane Southeast Asia refugee resettlement policies. (b) For purposes of this resolution— (1) the term "ASEAN" means the Association of Southeast Asian Nations; and (2) the term "ASEAN first asylum countries" includes any / country which is a member of the ASEAN group of countries and which is the first to receive an individual seeking asylum. Agreed to June 7, 1989. VIETNAM—RELEASE AND EMIGRATION OF June i3, 1989 POLITICAL PRISONERS [S. Con. Res. 16] Whereas fourteen years have passed since the end of the Vietnam conflict; Whereas thousands of opponents of the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, including officials of, and others associated with, the former Republic of Vietnam, were detained without trial in "reeducation" camps or prisons beginning in 1975; Whereas a series of large-scale amnesties took place in the late 1980's resulting in the releaiise of many detainees; Whereas despite these welcome releases, many Vietnamese remain in long-term detention because of their suspected opposition to the Government of Vietnam, and many family members of detainees do not know their status;
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