October 18, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 165 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H8251]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CALLING ON VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE MICHAEL NGUYEN

  (Mr. LOWENTHAL asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Madam Speaker, today, I am here again, once more, to 
speak about an American citizen, Michael Nguyen, who is currently in 
prison in Vietnam on vague allegations and charges.
  I thank my colleague, Representative Katie Porter, for her tireless 
advocacy on this matter, and the men and women at the State Department, 
including Ambassador Dan Kritenbrink, for their work and continued 
support.
  It has been over a year since Michael was arbitrarily detained, 
hastily tried, and harshly imprisoned on claims that he plotted to 
overthrow the Government of Vietnam, which no one--and I repeat, no 
one--has seen any evidence of.
  Earlier this year, Michael was convicted, along with two Vietnamese 
men, after a half-day trial. Michael was sentenced to 12 years in 
prison, which is longer than the two Vietnamese men received for the 
same charges.
  Michael's family has struggled emotionally and financially with his 
imprisonment. His wife and four daughters only want him to come home.
  He is currently appealing the length of his sentence.
  As a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, I call upon the 
Vietnamese Government to do the right thing: quickly close this case 
and return Michael back to the United States and to his family.

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