Cass Ballenger: “I am fortunate to have many Montagnard tribesmen living in my district, so it is a pleasure today to be able to speak…”

“I am fortunate to have many Montagnard tribesmen living in my district, so it is a pleasure today to be able to speak out in favor of this bill, H.R. 2833. Today, we have an opportunity to send a clear message to Hanoi that human rights abuses will not be forgotten with the passage of a resolution to codify the trade agreement recently negotiated between the U.S. and Vietnam. Vietnam's record on human rights has remained poor, with very few real improvements. Government crackdowns on religious groups and political dissidents continue today. In a 1999 State Department report, it said, 'In areas populated by ethnic minorities, authorities allow little discretion in practicing their faith.' One particular group that bears heavy-handed Hanoi treatment are the Montagnard people of the Central Highlands. Since 1975, the Montagnards have been singled out, in part for their past assistance to the United States, their strong commitment to the Christian religion, and a traditional way of life. In February of 2001, several thousand Montagnard protestors gathered for a series of peaceful demonstrations throughout the Central Highlands. These peaceful demonstrations were forcibly stopped by the Vietnamese military, using helicopter gunships and tanks.”