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Challenge in lobbying for religious freedom and human rights for vietnam

Challenge in lobbying for religious freedom and human rights for vietnam. People for Religious Freedom in Vietnam Westminster – August 27, 2011. Our goal. To achieve a future for Vietnam where religious freedom and human rights are guaranteed for all citizens OUR CHALLENGES:

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Challenge in lobbying for religious freedom and human rights for vietnam

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  1. Challenge in lobbying for religious freedom and human rightsfor vietnam People for Religious Freedom in Vietnam Westminster – August 27, 2011

  2. Our goal • To achieve a future for Vietnam where religious freedom and human rights are guaranteed for all citizens • OUR CHALLENGES: • How to achieve these goals? • Which process to follow?

  3. lobby process • What are the specific goals: • Designate Vietnam as a Country of Particular Concern • Pressure Vietnam Communist Regime to respect religious freedom and human rights • Target Audience: • Department of State • Members of Congress • Related Bills: • H.Res. 16 • HR 156 • HR 1410 • S 1051 • Time Frame: 12 months in 112th Congress

  4. impacts of designation as a cpc • A designated Country of Particular Concerns will face 15 possible measures of sanction • (12) Directing US to vote against World Bank and IMF loans • (13) Limitations on export licenses for arms, atomic energy, and any other good or technology that requires prior approval • (14) Prohibiting any United States financial institution from making loans or providing credits totaling more than $10,000,000 in any 12-month period • (15) Prohibiting the United States Government from procuring, or entering into any contract for the procurement of, any goods or services from the foreign government. • The State Department will suggest all possible sanctions that the Administration can take from 90 to 180 days • Effected Time: All sanction measure will remain until Vietnam CPC designation is removed

  5. Impacts by the passage of the current bills • H.Res. 16: If it is passed by Congress, it will put a strong pressure on the State Department to name Vietnam as a CPC • If Vietnam is named CPC, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) will face 15 measures of sanctions • HR 156 & S 1051: If both bills are passed, the Obama Administration will require to consider the implementations of the measures of sanction specified by law on the SRV • HR 1410: If itis passed, the Obama Administration will have to consider the implementation of certain measures to pressure the SRV to respect freedom of religion, human rights and promote democracy in Vietnam • Time: Long Term Impact on the Support for The Struggle of Religious Freedom, Human Rights, and Democracy in Vietnam

  6. lobby process • Department of State (DoS) Request to designate Vietnam as a CPC: • Send petition to Secretary Hillary Clinton • Send delegations of Vietnamese-Americans representing many regions to Department of State • Congress (House and Senate) • Lobby Congress to pass the bills: H.Res 16, HR 156, HR 1410, S1051 … • Send petition to your Representative to co-sponsor the bills • Send delegations to ask your Representatives and Senators to co-sponsor and/or support bills • Call their office and ask them to support and vote for the bills

  7. For more information • Need information on: • Signing the petition • Details on the bills: H.Res 16, HR 156, HR1410, S1051 • How to lobby the State Department and the Congress • Please visit our website: www. tudotongiao.wordpress.com

  8. Status of lobbying the state Department • Request State Department to name Vietnam as a Country of Particular Concerns (CPC): • 8,000 Petitions already sent to Secretary Hillary Clinton • 3 Vietnamese Americans Delegation already met Department of State in Jan and Feb 2011 • Since 2004, The USCIRF, Members of Congress, International Amnesty, Human Rights Watch … already requested the State Department to name Vietnam as CPC until now • The State Department still hesitates to name Vietnam as CPC due to the world political situation recently

  9. Status of lobbying CONGRESS • Lobby the Congress (HOUSE) to pass the bills: H.Res 16, HR 156, HR 1410, S1051 … • Start collecting signatures and sending petitions to Members of Congress • People for Religious Freedom Committee (PFRFC) collaborated with various Vietnamese-American communities nationwide in the campaign: New Jersey, Houston, Washington State, North California, Houston, New York, Colorado, Massachusetts, Georgia, Houston, Virginia and Washington DC • Plan to send delegations to Washington DC in October 2011 to lobby for the bills

  10. Status of the Bill h.res. 16 • Title: Calling on the State Department to list the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as a “Country of Particular Concern” with respect to religious freedom • NOTE: This Resolution will help put a lot of pressure on the State Department in naming Viet Nam as a CPC • Sponsor: Rep Royce, Edward [CA-40] (introduced 1/5/2011) • Cosponsors (17 Representatives) • Latest Major Action: 3/1/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. • Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights

  11. Status of the Bill hR 156 • Title: Vietnam Human Rights Sanction Act • Sponsor: Rep Royce, Edward [CA-40] (introduced 1/5/2011) • Cosponsors: (2 Representatives) • Latest Major Action: 3/1/2011 Referred to the House subcommittee • Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade

  12. Status of the Bill hR 1410 • Title: Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2011 • Sponsor: Rep Smith, Christopher[NJ-4] (introduced 4/7/2011) • Cosponsors: (4 Representatives) • Latest Major Action: 5/13/2011 Referred to the House subcommittee • Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights

  13. Status of the Bill s 1051 • Title: Vietnam Human Rights Sanction Act • Sponsor: Sen. John Cornyn [TX] (introduced 5/24/2011) • Cosponsors: (1 Senator Burt, Richard, NC) • Latest Major Action: 5/24/2011 Referred to Senate committee. • Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

  14. WE WOULD LIKE TO SHOW THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION THAT human rights and religious freedom are ground zero priorities of the Vietnamese-American community THESE LEGISLATIONS (H.RES. 16, HR 156, HR 1410, AND S 1051) ARE THE FOUNDATION FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOm AND HUMAN RIGHTS for VIETNAM. WE WANT CONGRESS AND THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO PASS THEM Our position

  15. LEGISLATIVE PROCESS • The bill has to have enough cosponsors required to be referred to the subcommittee/committee for consideration • The numbers of key co-sponsors should be over the half of the subcommittee or committee, including chair of the sub and committee • The challenges: • We have to lobby to get the required numbers of cosponsors and key co-sponsors AS SOON AS POSSIBLE • We must do this in the next 6 months

  16. GET THE SENATE SUPPORT FOR THE BILL PASSED BY THE HOUSE • Have to lobby enough senators who belong to the subcommittee or committee in charge of the bill • Have to lobby Sen. John Kerry, Sen. McCain, Sen. Lugar, Sen. Jim Webb to support the bill OR not to hold it • The challenges: • Sen. John Kerry , John McCain, Jim Webb may hold the bills • We have to lobby so that they don’t block the bills • We must lobby another Senator to introduce a similar bill as the House bill, and lobby 10 Senators to cosponsors it • We must do this in the next 6 months

  17. Next steps Send petitions to Secretary Clinton, your Representative, and Senators Meet with your Representative and Senators to request for sponsorship and supports for the current bills Request Senators Boxer and Feinstein to introduce similar bills as H. Res 16 and HR 1410. Coordinate with other Vietnamese-American communities nationwide to do steps 1, 2, and 3 Coordinate with other Vietnamese-American communities nationwide to send delegations to Capitol Hill and the State Department in October 2011

  18. Challenges and opportunities in this campaign • The struggle for Religious Freedom and Human Rights as a the campaign for everyone regardless of age, religion, party, or association. • A strong community of activists starts with ONE and it becomes US • Advocacy for Religious Freedom, Human Rights, and Democracy is a normal right and a privilege of every citizen • You can make the difference by: • Participate in letter writing campaign • Participate in meeting with your representatives and senators or calling them • Go to Washington DC with us in October

  19. START WITH The power of one • We are in agreement: • People of Vietnam do not have religious freedom • People of Vietnamese had been under the yoke of rule of the Viet Communists. They do not have the rights to participate freely in the political process, all their civil rights are severely restricted or denied. • Our ancestors’ land is in eminent danger of losing the country into the hands of the traditional and hostile enemy of Red China • ONE can make the difference by: • Start to speak out for the ones who could not speak freely • Participate in the campaign for Freedom of Religion, Human Rights TOGETHER WE UNITE - WE ENGAGE & WE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

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