Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the Vietnamese Government's oppression of political opponents. Last week, the Communist Party Government of Vietnam sentenced Nguyen Lan Thang to 6 years in prison for documenting protests and human rights abuses in Vietnam. Thang is a well-known advocate for freedom and democracy. He is a renowned blogger and contributor to Radio Free Asia. He should not be punished for criticizing communism. This violation of the basic human rights of free expression is unacceptable and shows a worsening human rights situation in Vietnam. According to Human Rights Watch, Vietnamese authorities have convicted at least 163 people since 2018 for exercising their rights to freedom of association or freedom of expression against Vietnam's Communist Party Government. I have and will continue to call out the Communist Party of Vietnam for imprisoning journalists, human rights defenders, religious figures, and dissidents in Vietnam. The Chinese Communist Party has expertly influenced their neighbors, like Vietnam, hoping we will be silent in the face of these heinous acts. I urge all my colleagues to join me in condemning Vietnam's continued horrific targeting of anyone who dissents from the oppressive Communist regime, and I urge Vietnam to release its political prisoners, including Mr. Thang and journalists like Pham Doan Trang. We must come together, proclaim Communism as the evil that it is, and show the world that we will defend freedom. Tax Day”