California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Joint Resolution No. 41

Introduced by Assembly Member Kim

(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Chang)

(Principal coauthor: Senator Nguyen)

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Chu)

May 26, 2016

Assembly Joint Resolution No. 41—Relative to Vietnam.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AJR 41, as introduced, Kim. Vietnam: arms embargo.

This measure would urge the United States Congress to pass a law to reinstate the arms embargo against Vietnam until such time that human rights in that country significantly improve.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, The Socialist Republic of Vietnam has run a
repressive one-party state; and

WHEREAS, The Communist government of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam controls all public institutions and uses them
to maintain power, including censoring the media and the Internet;
and

WHEREAS, The Socialist Republic of Vietnam does not hold
free elections and permits child labor, human trafficking, forced
disappearances, unlawful deprivation of life, and land restitution
to continue; and

WHEREAS, The United States government and the American
people have a commitment to assisting the citizens of Vietnam
who continue to face persecution and threats from the Communist
government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, Widespread human rights abuses continue to occur
in Vietnam, precluding citizens’ rights to freedom of expression,
freedom of assembly, and freedom of association; and

WHEREAS, In 2015, Human Rights Watch recorded at least
45 cases of assault against dissidents and human rights defenders,
including beatings, threats, and property destruction, and is further
aware of over 100 political prisoners, in addition to dissidents held
under house arrest; and

WHEREAS, The Socialist Republic of Vietnam broke its written
promise to not prosecute recent Vietnamese boat refugees upon
their return to Vietnam. Instead they were charged, tried, convicted,
and jailed for leaving the country, a right that is protected by United
Nations’ international law; and

WHEREAS, The United States government has imposed an
embargo on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam since the end
of the Vietnam War in 1975; and

WHEREAS, The Obama Administration lifted that ban on May
23, 2016, without the effort of releasing the remaining political
prisoners or any indication of improved human rights protections
for the citizens of Vietnam; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the Congress of the
United States to pass a law to reinstate the arms embargo against
Vietnam until such time that the human rights situation
significantly improves, including the release of all political
dissidents and boat refugees currently in prison and under house
arrest; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.