Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam needs to do more to resolve claims for confiscated real and personal property, and for other purposes.

Welcomes the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam's recent attempts to establish private land use rights for some of its citizens and hopes that these rights are expanded to all Vietnamese citizens.

Calls on the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to more fully recognize its property restitution responsibility, and to direct local officials, particularly in the Central Highlands region, to resolve land confiscation complaints.

Urges the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to: (1) form a national restitution claims commission; and (2) ensure that land use reforms do not result in increased land inequity, particularly for the poor and for those out of favor with the Communist Party.

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should: (1) consider individual land use rights in determining whether the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998; and (2) direct the Secretary of State to include the status of land use rights and restitution claims in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the annual country reports on human rights under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 415 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 415

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Socialist 
Republic of Vietnam needs to do more to resolve claims for confiscated 
          real and personal property, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2005

   Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California (for herself and Mr. Burton of 
Indiana) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Socialist 
Republic of Vietnam needs to do more to resolve claims for confiscated 
          real and personal property, and for other purposes.

Whereas during the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as a 1-
        party state ruled and controlled by the Vietnamese Communist Party, 
        uncompensated confiscation of real and personal property from Vietnamese 
        citizens was a widespread occurrence;
Whereas the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam continues to use the 
        confiscation of land as a tool of repression against certain ethnic 
        minorities, such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands region;
Whereas Article 23 of the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 
        provides that ``[t]he lawful property of individuals and organizations 
        shall not be nationalized'';
Whereas according to the Department of State, more work is necessary to 
        adequately protect property rights in Vietnam; and
Whereas the people of the United States are firmly committed to freedom, 
        democracy, and basic human rights for the citizens of the Socialist 
        Republic of Vietnam: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That--
            (1) The House of Representatives--
                    (A) welcomes recent attempts by the Government of 
                the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to establish private 
                land use rights for some of its citizens, and hopes 
                that these rights are quickly expanded to encompass all 
                Vietnamese citizens;
                    (B) calls on the Government of the Socialist 
                Republic of Vietnam to more fully recognize its 
                responsibility to provide equitable, prompt, and fair 
                restitution of property that was confiscated by the 
                government;
                    (C) calls on the Government of the Socialist 
                Republic of Vietnam to direct local officials, 
                particularly in the Central Highlands region, to 
                promptly investigate and resolve complaints about 
                discriminatory and uncompensated confiscation of land;
                    (D) urges the Government of the Socialist Republic 
                of Vietnam to form a national commission for processing 
                restitution claims, and to obligate local government 
                officials, bodies, and agencies to provide all 
                necessary documentation and cooperation to facilitate 
                the implementation of decisions issued by the national 
                commission; and
                    (E) strongly urges the Government of the Socialist 
                Republic of Vietnam--
                            (i) to ensure that implementation of land 
                        use reforms by local officials does not result 
                        in increased inequity in access to land, 
                        particularly for the poor and for those out of 
                        favor with the Communist Party; and
                            (ii) to ensure that the government provides 
                        fair, prompt, and equitable restitution to 
                        former landowners for the property rights of 
                        all confiscated lands; and
            (2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
                    (A) the President should specifically consider land 
                use rights for individuals in determining whether the 
                Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a country of 
                particular concern for religious freedom under section 
                402(b)(1)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act 
                of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1)(A)); and
                    (B) the President should direct the Secretary of 
                State to include, in the Secretary of State's annual 
                Country Reports on Human Rights Practices submitted to 
                the Congress under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, 
                the status of land use rights and restitution claims in 
                the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
                                 <all>