WASHINGTON (AP) - The House on Wednesday marked the 25th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War with a resolution condemning the communist government in Hanoi and urging an end to political repression in Vietnam.
``It's truly unfortunate that 25 years after the end of the Vietnam War, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is still a one-party state ruled and controlled by the Vietnamese Communist Party,'' International Relations Committee Chairman Ben Gilman, R-N.Y. said.
Vietnam remains ``one of the most repressive societies on the face of this planet,'' said Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., a senior member of the committee.
The non-binding resolution, approved 415-3, requests the president to make clear to Vietnam's leaders that the United States expects Vietnam to respect the political and religious rights of its citizens.
The measure, authored by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., urges Vietnam to release all religious and political prisoners and abolish article 4 of its constitution that ensures the supremacy of the Communist Party as the only political party in the country.
Voting against the bill were three Republicans, Paul Gillmor of
Ohio, Ron Paul of Texas and Helen Chenoweth-Hage of Idaho.
Note:
The bill number is House Con. Res. 295.
On the Internet: Legislative information: http://thomas.loc.gov