Taking the House Floor on December 13, 2011, Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53rd) addressed Congress on behalf of blogger Paulus Le Son and 14 other arrested youth activists.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Human Rights Day.
This past Saturday, I was honored to speak in commemoration of Human Rights Day, a day chosen to honor the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Declaration was the world’s first bill of rights. When many from all corners of the globe were fighting from basic freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear and repression; the Declaration assured them that they were fighting the good fight, and they were on the right side of history.
Today, I stand to recognize the men and women who are still fighting for these freedoms, including the 7 democracy and lands rights activists, and 15 youth activists who have been illegally detained by the Vietnamese government.
All individuals deserve the right to peacefully express their concerns.
I call on my colleagues to stand side-by-side with these brave individuals and raise their voice in demanding that the Government of Vietnam release all prisoners of conscience and uphold their commitment to human rights for all.
Click here to view the video of the speech.
Source: US Representative Susan Davis
Click here to read the introduction of House Resolution 484, “Calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to respect basic human rights and cease abusing vague national security provisions such as articles 79 and 88 of the Vietnamese penal code which are often the pretext to arrest and detain citizens who peacefully advocate for religious and political freedom.”
Call on your Members of Congress to take action — ask for their support of H.Res 484.
