September 15, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today criticized the Government of Vietnam for forcing imprisoned Vietnamese bloggers to denounce their right to free speech and expression in exchange for their freedom. On Sunday, blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh called public attention to this issue when she was forced to publicly denounce her blog, which frequently challenged the country’s Communist party, as a condition of her release from prison.
“The Government of Vietnam continues to suppress free speech and dissent in the country’s cyber community by forcing imprisoned bloggers to stop writing in exchange for their freedom,” said Rep. Sanchez. “Americans should be outraged by this blatant attempt to strong arm non-violent protestors into silence. We must stand up for the right to free speech and expression for all people, including internet users in Vietnam.”
Earlier today, Rep. Sanchez called on her Congressional colleagues to support House Resolution 672, which she introduced on July 23 of this year. H. Res. 672 would challenge the Government of Vietnam to become a responsible member of the international community by respecting the Vietnamese people’s rights to free speech and a free press. The following statement was submitted for the record:
“Madame Speaker, on September 3rd, the Vietnamese police arrested blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh.
“This arrest followed an earlier arrest of two other Vietnamese bloggers, Bui Thanh Hieu and Pham Doan Trang.
“Fortunately, Quynh was released on Sunday.
“However, there was one condition, she had to stop blogging.
“In order to be released from jail, she had to give up her freedom of expression.
“I believe this is unlawful and absolutely unacceptable.
“The Vietnamese government continues to deny their people’s fundamental rights and this must be stopped.
“Vietnamese citizens have the right to advocate their views whether it is on the internet or in public protest.
“For that reason I have introduced H.Res.672, calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to release imprisoned bloggers and respect internet freedom.
“I urge my colleagues to cosponsor H.Res. 672 and urge the Government of Vietnam to respect individuals’ right to the freedoms of speech, press and political association.”
