May 15, 2012
The Honorable David Shear
U.S. Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Ambassador Shear,
We write today to express our concern over the arrest and detention of a U.S. citizen, Dr. Nguyen Quoc Quan, by Vietnamese authorities on April 17, 2012. Further, we write to express our concern that you, as U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, have not yet visited the U.S. citizen and democracy activist, who has been imprisoned for nearly one month on politically motivated charges.
During a hearing convened by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission today, Dr. Nguyen’s wife, Mrs. Mai Huong Ngo, provided emotional testimony about her husband’s ongoing detention. It was shocking to hear that no one from the U.S. Embassy has reached out to Mrs. Ngo regarding the detention of her husband. We urge you to personally contact both Dr. Nguyen and Mrs. Ngo to show solidarity with and concern for two American citizens.
In addition, if Mrs. Ngo decides to go to Vietnam and attempt to see her husband, we request that you ensure her safety by personally meeting her at the airport and escorting her to the embassy and the jail where Dr. Nguyen is being held so that she does not meet the same fate as her husband.
If the U.S. Embassy does not stand with Dr. Nguyen Quoc Quan then what assurances do other U.S. citizens have when traveling to authoritarian countries? America must be a voice for the voiceless. The U.S. Embassy in Vietnam must be an island of freedom.
We urge you to meet with Dr. Nguyen and work to secure his immediate release so he can be reunited with his wife and two sons. To speak with Mrs. Ngo, please contact Representative Wolf’s office at 202-225-5136 for her information.
We would like to be kept abreast of this case and look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Frank R. Wolf
Member of Congress
Daniel E. Lungren
Member of Congress
Loretta Sanchez
Member of Congress
Zoe Lofgren
Member of Congress
Bob Filner
Member of Congress
