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To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci
(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: Jackson-Vanik Remarks

Date: June 23, 1998

INTRODUCTION OF H.J. RES. 120: DISAPPROVING THE EXTENSION OF THE PRESIDENT'S WAIVER OF JACKSON-VANIK CRITERIA FOR VIETNAM -- HON. DANA ROHRABACHER (Extension of Remarks - June 05, 1998)

[Page: E1050]

HON. DANA ROHRABACHER

in the House of Representatives

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1998

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I have introduced a Joint Resolution, co-sponsored by my good friends, Ben Gilman, Chairman of the International Relations Committee and Chris Smith, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, in partnership with Senator Bob Smith and Senator Jesse Helms, to require Vietnam to provide freedom of emigration for its people, under the provisions of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, before tax dollars from American citizens are used to insure or otherwise further trade with the communist regime in Vietnam.

Vietnam remains among the world's last Marxist-Leninist governments, where corrupt cronyism and an absence of credible courts have driven away foreign investors. The freedoms of speech, religion and assembly are denied to average citizens, as well as the freedom of emigration. As a result, Vietnam's economy is lagging, investor disenchantment is growing and, despite continued arrest and persecution of dissidents and religious leaders, protest movements have taken root in northern and southern provinces. It is both unconscionable and unsound for President Clinton to issue waivers in order to permit U.S. financing guarantees and credits to investors through the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and Export-Import Bank.

In addition to H.J. Res. 120, I have also introduced H.R. 3158 to prevent the President from granting waivers for Ex-Im and OPIC credits and financing guarantees in the absence of true democratic reform, release of all political prisoners, humane working conditions, as well as the Jackson -Vanik emigration criteria.

A critical lesson we should learn from the economic collapse of the so-called `Asian Tigers' such as Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand is that the U.S. Government should not put tax dollars at risk to subsidize unsound private business deals with corrupt regimes. The Heritage Foundation's 1998 Index of Economic Freedom ranks Vietnam among the six worst economic environments in the world. It would be appalling to make American taxpayers guarantee private business investments before real democratic political reform is in place. We should stand with the people of Vietnam who crave for freedom, and abide firmly by America's principles and laws to require the despotic regime in Hanoi to respect international standards of human rights and labor before giving the Vietnamese regime the benefit of our taxpayer-backed institutions.