Authoritarianism hangs on in Vietnam

State Sen. Janet Nguyen high-fives constituents with her son Tommy during the annual Tet Parade in Westminster in February. Nguyen came to the United States with her family in 1981.KEVIN SULLIVAN, , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

May 3, 2015 BY JANET NGUYEN / Contributing writer

ocregister.com

The fall of Saigon to communist forces 40 years ago forever left a deep and painful scar on the lives of millions of Vietnamese refugees around the world and those who continue to live under the yoke of the communist regime in Vietnam. Every April 30, known as “Black April,” I reflect on the impact this day had on my family and the course my life would eventually take.

As the situation in Vietnam deteriorated after the communist takeover, my family made the difficult decision to leave everything behind. My uncle was executed during the fall of Saigon, and we fled for fear of retaliation for my father’s service in the South Vietnamese army. My parents knew that our future in Vietnam was grim and they made the difficult decision to risk our lives to search for freedom. But forging a new path in life would not be easy.

When we reached Thailand, we were reunited with my father and brother. We would pass through several refugee camps before traveling to the United States, in 1981.

Growing up, my family struggled financially; we were on welfare and food stamps, and my father worked as a busboy at a community college. I began working at the age of 10, and, by college, I was working three jobs.

As we worked to advance in the U.S., my parents encouraged my siblings and I to focus on education and to find ways to give back to the nation that gave us the freedom and opportunities absent in Vietnam. My brother became a proud U.S. Marine, and I pursued a career as a civil servant, eventually becoming a state senator and the highest-level Vietnamese-American elected official in the country.

In spite of how far my family and I have come, I cannot help but look back at the life and circumstances we left behind. Since Saigon’s fall 40 years ago, the world has dramatically evolved into a more interconnected and open market place. The advent of social media and Internet journalism have been instrumental in the collapse of authoritarian regimes worldwide.

Nevertheless, the communist government in Vietnam has ramped up its widespread human-rights violations to quell even the faintest hint of political subversion. Dissidents and bloggers are routinely harassed, imprisoned and even tortured for the simple act of freely expressing their opinions. The independent watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists ranks Vietnam among the top five countries when it comes to the incarceration of journalists, edging out Syria and Egypt.

For this reason, I have protested the communist regime throughout the United States and testified before the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate on the deteriorating condition of human rights in Vietnam. I also helped craft legislation that would have imposed strict sanctions on government officials who commit human-rights violations in Vietnam.

More recently, I have introduced two pieces of legislation in the state Legislature that draw attention to the poor human-rights record in Vietnam. The first is a resolution that designates April 2015 as Black April Memorial Month to remember the lives lost during the Vietnam War era. The second bill respectfully urges the federal government to reauthorize the Humanitarian Resettlement Program and the Orderly Departure Program to allow disabled South Vietnamese army veterans living in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to apply to enter the United States.

As we commemorate the 40th anniversary of Saigon’s fall, we must remember the lack of progress in Vietnam. The international community has made great strides towards openness and transparency. The communist regime in Vietnam has not. It is up to us to call upon our lawmakers and demand our government take the steps necessary to foster change in Vietnam.

Janet Nguyen, R-Santa Ana, represents the 34th state Senate District.