,,iv  #aac? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,h4 ,,res4 #bah  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(     
,,repres5tatives  ,may #af1 #bjac ,mr4  
,royce 7= himself1 ,mr4 ,smi? ( ,new    
,j]sey1 ,mr4 ,connolly1 ,mr4 ,pitts1    
,ms4 ,l(gr51 & ,mr4 ,s*iff7 submitt$ !  
foll[+ resolution2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to !    
,committee on ,=eign ,affairs           
,,resolution  ,call+ on ! ,secret>y (   
,/ate to li/ ! ,sociali/ ,republic (    
,vietnam z a ,c\ntry ( ,p>ticul> ,conc]n
 ) respect to religi\s fre$om4  ,:]eas !
 ,secret>y ( ,/ate1 "u ! ,int]national  
,religi\s ,fre$om ,act ( #aiih 7,,irfa71
 its am5dm5t 9 #aiii1 & au?ority        
delegat$ by ! ,presid5t1 designates     
nations f\nd guilty ( p>ticul>ly sev]e  
violations ( religi\s fre$om z ,c\ntries
 ( ,p>ticul> ,conc]n 7,,cpc72 ,:]eas on 
,septemb] #ae1 #bjjd1 ! ,secret>y (     
,/ate designat$ ! ,sociali/ ,republic ( 
,vietnam z a ,,cpc2 ,:]eas to avoid     
possible sanctions or o!r comm5surate   
actions recomm5d$ by section #dje 7a7 or
 7b7 ( ,,irfa1 9 ,may #bjje ! ,unit$    

,/ates & ,vietnam rea*$ a b9d+ agreem5t 
consi/5t ) section #dje7;c7 ( ,,irfa2   
,:]eas1 al?\gh ! t]ms ( ! b9d+ agreem5t 
h nev] be5 fully publiciz$1 ! ,unit$    
,/ates ,commission on ,int]national     
,religi\s ,fre$om 7,,uscirf7 #bjjf      
,annual ,report /at$ t ! ,unit$ ,/ates  
agre$ to lift ! ,,cpc designation if !  
,gov]nm5t ( ,vietnam fully implem5t$    
legislation on religi\s fre$om & r5d]$  
previ\s contradictory regulations       
obsolete1 in/ruct$ local au?orities     
/rictly & completely to adh]e to ! new  
legislation to ensure compliance1       
facilitat$ ! process by :i* religi\s    
congregations are able to op5 h\ses (   
wor%ip1 & gave special consid]ation to  
prison]s & cases ( conc]n rais$ by !    
,unit$ ,/ates dur+ ! grant+ ( prison]   
amne/ies2 ,:]eas 9 ,novemb] #bjjf1 !    
,secret>y ( ,/ate ann\nc$ t ! ,,cpc     
designation 0 lift$ ) respect to        
,vietnam2 ,:]eas 9 expla9+ ! lift+ ( !  
designation1 ,dep>tm5t ( ,/ate (ficials 
h /at$ t ! ,gov]nm5t ( ,vietnam has made

 significant improvem5ts t[>ds advanc+  
religi\s fre$om & t major progress has  
be5 a*iev$ on all po9ts ( conc]n t l$ to
 ,vietnam's initial designation2 ,:]eas 
! crit]ia = designat+ c\ntries z a      
,,cpc1 z set =? 9 section #c7aa7 (      
,,irfa1 are = sy/ematic1 ongo+1 &       
egregi\s violations ( religi\s fre$om   
includ+ violations1 su* z torture or    
cruel1 inhuman1 or degrad+ treatm5t (   
puni%m5t1 prolong$ det5tion )\t *>ges1  
caus+ ! disappe>ance ( p]sons by !      
abduction or cl&e/9e det5tion ( ^?      
p]sons1 & o!r flagrant d5ial ( ! "r (   
life1 lib]ty1 or ! security ( p]sons2   
,:]eas1 accord+ to ,,uscirf1 ! ,,cpc    
designation1 :5 us$ 9 ! pa/1 br\ght ab\t
 "s ov]all improvem5ts & prison]        
releases )\t h9d]+ progress on o!r      
,unit$ ,/ates-,vietnam int]e/s2 ,:]eas1 
accord+ to ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,/ate's ,c\ntry
 ,reports on ,human ,rights ,practices =
 #bjab1 ,vietnamese :o ex]cise _! "r to 
fre$om ( religion cont9u$ to be subject 
to h>assm5t1 diff]+ int]pretations &    

applications ( ! law1 & inconsi/5t legal
 protection ''' & local police cont9u$  
to use contract ?ugs & citiz5 brigades  
to h>ass & beat political activi/s &    
o!rs1 includ+ religi\s wor%ip]2 ,:]eas1 
accord+ to ,,uscirf's #bjac ,annual     
,report1 ,vietnam cont9ues to w>rant a  
,,cpc designation because ( sy/ematic1  
ongo+ & egregi\s violations ( religi\s  
fre$om & ! ,vietnamese ,gov]nm5t        
cont9ues to view ) suspicion ! gr[? (   
,prote/antism among e?nic m9ority ,hmong
 & ,montagn>ds & has tak5 direct action 
to h>ass & arre/ ^? meet+ 9 indep5d5t   
religi\s gr\ps & to pressure new conv]ts
 to ,prote/antism to r5\nce _! fai?2    
,:]eas1 accord+ to ,human ,rights ,wat*1
 ,vietnam re/ricts religi\s fre$om ?r\gh
 legislation1 regi/ration requirem5ts1 &
 h>ass+ & intimidat+ unsanction$        
religi\s gr\ps1 includ+ indep5d5t       
,prote/ant home *ur*es1 & individuals & 
congregations ( ,hoa ,hao ,buddhi/s1    
,cao ,dai1 ! ,unifi$ ,buddhi/ ,*ur* (   
,vietnam1 & ,falun ,gong2 ,:]eas1       

accord+ to nongov]nm5tal organizations1 
hundr$s ( ,montagn>d ,prote/ants rema9 9
 prison1 arre/$ aft] #bjja & #bjjd      
demon/rations = l& rights & religi\s    
fre$om 9 ! ,c5tral ,highl&s2 ,:]eas1    
accord+ to "o human rights gr\p1 a      
religi\s police unit cont9ues to c>ry   
out a campaign to capture & trans=m     
reaction>y op]atives & ,dega            
,prote/ants1 result+ 9 beat+s1          
det5tions1 dea?s 9 cu/ody1 =c$          
r5unciations ( fai?1 & disappe>ances (  
,montagn>ds ,prote/ants ga!r+ 9         
indep5d5t congregations2 ,:]eas on ,m>* 
#bf1 #bjab1 ! ,p's ,c\rt ( ,gia ,lai    
city s5t5c$ ,pa/or ,nguy5 ,cong ,*9h1 ! 
lead] ( ! ,*ri/ian ,congregation ( !    
,vietnamese ,lu!ran ,*ur*1 to #aa ye>s 9
 prison2 a high] c\rt 9 ,july #bjab     
upheld ! heavy s5t5ce2 & ! police       
cont9ue to h>ass 8 wife & *ildr51 & on  
,april #ab1 #bjac1 ! police ( ,b9h      
,duong ,prov9ce deta9$ 8 wife aft] a    
prison visit1 /ripp$ h] nak$1 & beat h]2
 ,:]eas on ,m>* #ag1 #bjac1 police 9    

,dak ,nong prov9ce arre/$ #b bro!rs1 bo?
 ,hmong ,prote/ants1 )\t *>ges & tortur$
 "o ,hoang ,van ,ngai1 a deacon at a    
,hmong h\se *ur* to dea?2 ,:]eas1       
accord+ to ,,uscirf's #bjac ,annual     
,report1 ,vietnamese (ficials cont9u$ to
 t>get ,ca?olic communities1 includ+ )  
de/ruction ( prop]ties1 det5tions1 &    
arre/s ''' us$ =ce aga9/ ,ca?olic cl]gy 
engag$ 9 religi\s activities1 & cont9u$ 
to re/rict1 h>ass1 & deta9 memb]s ( !   
,r$emptori/ ,ord] = _! religi\s fre$om  
advocacy2 ,:]eas ! ,unifi$ ,buddhi/     
,*ur* ( ,vietnam 7,,ubcv71 ! ,hoa ,hao  
,buddhi/s1 & ! ,cao ,dai gr\ps cont9ue  
to face unw>rant$ abuses because ( _!   
attempts to organize indep5d5tly ( !    
,vietnamese ,gov]nm5t1 includ+ !        
det5tion & imprisonm5t ( individual     
memb]s & widespread discrim9ation aga9/ 
^! religi\s communities2 ,:]eas !       
,,ubcv1 ,vietnam's l>ge/ religi\s       
organization1 cont9ues to face sev]e    
re/rictions includ+ ! cont9u$ pagoda    
det5tion ( ,supreme ,patri>* ,?i* ,quang

 ,d & on its y\? & *>itable "w1 conduct+
 religi\s c]emonies1 & 9 police h>assm5t
 ( lay p att5d+ recogniz$ ,,ubcv        
pagodas2 ,:]eas1 accord+ to ,,uscirf's  
#bjac ,annual ,report1 ov] #fjj ,hmong  
,prote/ant *ur*es are refus$ legal      
recognition or affiliation1 leav+ !m    
illegal & subject to h>assm5t1          
det5tions1 & prop]ty de/ructions1 & a   
gov]nm5t h&book on religion in/ructs    
gov]nm5t (ficials to control exi/+      
religi\s practice & ov]come !           
extraord9>y gr[? ( ,prote/antism2 ,:]eas
 9 ,may #bjaa ! police 9 ,di5 ,bi5      
,prov9ce brutally crack$ d[n on ?\s&s ( 
,hmong ,prote/ants :o ga!r$ ne> ,muong  
,nhe ,village report$ly to conduct v>i\s
 types ( religi\s activities--! crackd[n
 report$ly caus$ sev]al dea?s & scores (
 arre/s1 ?\gh no indep5d5t inve/igation 
has be5 all[$2 & ,:]eas ,,uscirf1       
prom95t nongov]nm5tal organizations1 &  
repres5tative associations (            
,vietnamese-,am]ican1                   
,montagn>d-,am]ican1 & ,khm]-,am]ican   

organizations cont9ue to call = !       
r$esignation ( ,vietnam z a ,,cpc3 ,n[1 
!re=e1 be x  ,t ! ,h\se (               
,repres5tatives--  7#a7 /rongly         
enc\rages ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,/ate to place  
,vietnam on ! li/ ( ,c\ntries (         
,p>ticul> ,conc]n = p>ticul>ly sev]e    
violations ( religi\s fre$om2  7#b7     
/rongly condemns ! ongo+ & egregi\s     
violations ( religi\s fre$om 9 ,vietnam1
 includ+ ! det5tion ( religi\s lead]s & 
! long-t]m imprisonm5t ( individuals    
engag$ 9 peaceful advocacy2  7#c7 calls 
on ,vietnam to lift re/rictions on      
religi\s fre$om1 cease all              
expropriations ( *ur* prop]ties1 &      
implem5t necess>y legal & political     
re=ms to protect religi\s fre$om2 &     
7#d7 urges ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,/ate to       
demon/rate cle>ly t ! expansion (       
bilat]al ties w dep5d on improvem5ts 9  
religi\s fre$om & relat$ rights4