,,iii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #cfi ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,october #bb1 #bjai,mr4 ,burr 7for himself and ,mr4 ,tillis7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,recognizing the contributions of the ,montagnard indigenous tribespeople of the ,central ,highlands of ,vietnam to the ,united ,states ,armed ,forces during the ,vietnam ,war1 and condemning the ongoing violation of human rights by the ,government of the ,socialist ,republic of ,vietnam4 ,whereas the ,montagnards are an indigenous tribespeople living in ,vietnam's ,central ,highlands region2 ,whereas the ,montagnards were driven into the mountains by invading ,vietnamese and ,cambodians in the #ith century2 ,whereas ,french ,roman ,catholic missionaries converted many of the ,montagnards in the #aith century and ,american ,protestant missionaries subsequently converted many to various ,protestant sects2 ,whereas1 during the #aifjs1 the ,united ,states ,mission in ,saigon1 the ,central ,intelligence ,agency 7,,cia71 and ,united ,states ,army ,special ,forces1 also known as the ,green ,berets1 trained the ,montagnards in unconventional warfare2 ,whereas an estimated #fa1jjj ,montagnards1 out of an estimated population of #a1jjj1jjj1 fought alongside the ,united ,states and the ,army of the ,republic of ,vietnam 7,,arvn7 forces against the ,north ,vietnamese ,army and the ,viet ,cong2 ,whereas the ,central ,intelligence ,agency1 ,united ,states ,special ,forces1 and the ,montagnards cooperated on the ,village ,defense ,program1 a forerunner to the ,war's ,strategic ,hamlet ,program1 and an estimated #dc1jjj ,montagnards were organized into ,civilian ,irregular ,defense ,groups 7,c,i,d,gs7 to provide protection for the areas around the ,c,i,d,gs' operational bases2 ,whereas1 at its peak1 the ,c,i,d,gs had approximately #ej operational bases1 with each base containing a contingent of two ,united ,states ,army officers and ten enlisted men1 and an ,,arvn unit of the same size1 and each base trained #bjj to #gjj ,montagnards1 or strikers2 ,whereas another #ah1jjj ,montagnards were reportedly enlisted into mobile strike forces1 and various historical accounts describe a strong bond between the ,united ,states ,special ,forces and the ,montagnards1 in contrast to ,vietnamese ,special ,forces and ,,arvn troops2 ,whereas the lives of thousands of members of the ,united ,states ,armed ,forces were saved as a result of the heroic actions of the ,montagnards1 who fought loyally and bravely alongside ,united ,states ,special ,forces in the ,vietnam ,war2 ,whereas1 after the fall of the ,republic of ,vietnam in #aige1 thousands of ,montagnards fled across the border into ,cambodia to escape persecution2 ,whereas the ,government of the reunified ,vietnamese nation1 renamed the ,socialist ,republic of ,vietnam1 deeply distrusted the ,montagnards who had sided with the ,united ,states and ,,arvn forces and subjected them to imprisonment and various forms of discrimination and oppression after the ,vietnam ,war ended2 ,whereas1 after the ,vietnam ,war1 the ,united ,states ,government resettled large numbers of ,montagnards1 mostly in ,north ,carolina1 and an estimated several thousand ,montagnards currently reside in ,north ,carolina1 which is the largest population of ,montagnards residing outside of ,vietnam2 ,whereas the ,socialist ,republic of ,vietnam currently remains a one-party state1 ruled and controlled by the ,communist ,party of ,vietnam 7,,cpv71 which continues to restrict freedom of religion1 movement1 land and property rights1 and political expression2 ,whereas officials of the ,government of ,vietnam have forced ,montagnards to publicly denounce their religion1 arrested and imprisoned ,montagnards who organized public demonstrations1 and mistreated ,montagnards in detention2 ,whereas some ,montagnard ,americans have complained that ,vietnamese authorities either have prevented them from visiting ,vietnam or have subjected them to interrogation upon re-entering the country on visits2 ,whereas the ,department of ,state's #bjah ,country ,reports on ,human ,rights ,practices 7#bjah ,human ,rights ,report7 documents that1 despite ,vietnam's significant economic growth1 some indigenous and ethnic minority communities benefited little from improved economic conditions1 even though such communities formed a majority of the population in certain areas1 including the ,northwest and ,central ,highlands and portions of the ,mekong ,delta2 ,whereas the #bjah ,human ,rights ,report states that1 although ,vietnamese law prohibits discrimination against ethnic minorities1 such social discrimination was longstanding and persistent1 notably in the ,central ,highlands2 ,whereas the #bjah ,human ,rights ,report documents that land rights protesters have reported regular instances of government authorities physically harassing and intimidating them at land expropriation sites around the country1 or arresting local residents for causing public disorder2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,commission on ,international ,religious ,freedom 7,,uscirf7 references in its #bjai ,annual ,report 7the #bjai ,,uscirf ,report7 the accounts of ,montagnards being publicly berated and humiliated for their affiliation with the unrecognized ,evangelical ,church of ,christ2 ,whereas the #bjai ,,uscirf ,report documents that one-quarter of prisoners of conscience were minority religious groups1 including the ,montagnards2 ,whereas the #bjai ,,uscirf ,report estimates that #aj1jjj individuals in the ,central ,highlands are refused ,,id cards1 household registration1 and birth certificates by local authorities in retaliation for refusing to renounce their faith2 and ,whereas ,,uscirf has recommended every year since #bjjb that ,vietnam be designated a ,country of ,particular ,concern 7,,cpc7 under the ,international ,religious ,freedom ,act of #aiih 7,public ,law #aje-bib7 due to systematic1 ongoing1 egregious violations of religious freedom3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 recognizes the contributions of the ,montagnards who fought loyally and bravely with ,united ,states ,armed ,forces during the ,vietnam ,war and who continue to suffer persecution in ,vietnam as a result of this relationship2 7#b7 condemns ongoing actions by the ,government of ,vietnam to suppress basic human rights and civil liberties for all its citizens2 7#c7 calls on the ,government of ,vietnam to allow human rights groups access to all regions of the country and to end restrictions of basic human rights1 including the right for ,montagnards to practice their ,christian faith freely1 the right to land and property1 freedom of movement1 the right to retain ethnic identity and culture1 and access to an adequate standard of living2 and 7#d7 urges the ,president and ,congress to develop policies that support ,montagnards and other marginalized ethnic minority and indigenous populations in ,vietnam and reflect ,united ,states interests and commitment to upholding human rights and democracy abroad4