Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2016

Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2016

This bill prohibits U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance in excess of FY2014 amounts to the government of Vietnam, or to any organization working within Vietnam under an agreement with an entity, agency, or organization of the government of Vietnam, unless the President certifies to Congress that the government of Vietnam has made substantial progress respecting political, civil, media, Internet, and religious freedoms, minority rights, access to U.S. refugee programs, and actions to end trafficking in persons and the release of religious and political prisoners.

The President may waive such requirements:

• if increased U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance would promote the purposes of this Act or is otherwise in the U.S. national interest, and
• with respect to all U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance to Vietnam, or one or more programs or projects.

It is the sense of Congress that:

• it shall be U.S. policy that further easing of the prohibition on the sale of lethal military equipment to Vietnam shall require Vietnam to take additional and sustained steps to advance human rights protections;
• the United States should take measures to overcome the jamming of Radio Free Asia by Vietnam and that the Broadcasting Board of Governors should not cut staffing, funding, or broadcast hours for the Vietnamese language services of the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia;
• U.S.-Vietnam educational and cultural exchange programs should promote freedom and democracy in Vietnam;
• Vietnam should be designated as a country of particular concern for religious freedom; and
• Vietnam does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance.