Letter from members of Congress to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (Hanoi, Vietnam), September 26, 2008, regarding Vietnam's voting record in the United Nations (3 pages)

September 26, 2008 His Excellency Nguyen Tan Dung Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Hanoi, Vietnam Dear Mr. Prime Minister: Thank you for your recent visit to the United States. We believe it underscored the important progress that has been made in the relationship between our countries and we look forward to furthering this relationship in the near future. In particular, we anticipate a close working relationship during Vietnam's upcoming service on the United Nations Security Council. It is in the context of our good relationship at the United Nations that we wish to call your attention to the voting record of Vietnam in that body. On many issues of importance to the United States, Vietnam and the United States have cast opposing votes. A recent U.S. State Department report examining voting practices at the 2007 Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) shows that Vietnam and the United States voted similarly only 5.1 percent of the time. We find it difficult to believe our countries have such significantly different views as the UNGA voting patterns would suggest. It is worth noting that, of the 76 resolutions adopted at the 2007 Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), 18 resolutions were directed against Israel. Vietnam voted to support of all such resolutions, while the United States voted against all of them. The sheer number of Israel-related resolutions reflects the disproportionate attention given by the UN to that single state. Of the 18 resolutions mentioned above, three in particular were resolutions that the United States identified as especially harmful to the cause of peace: the resolutions on the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the Division for Palestinian Rights, and the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Human Rights Practices Affecting the Palestinian People. The titles may sound innocuous, but in practice these resolutions serve only to strengthen the destructive agenda of extremists. In our view, these resolutions authorize UN activities that endorse hard-line Palestinian demands and reject the compromises that could lead to peace. We hope Vietnam will withdraw its support of them. The United States is deeply committed to the goal of attaining peace between Israel and the Palestinians and the UN should play a constructive role in the peace process. We are frustrated to see the continuous stream of anti-Israel resolutions that emanate from the UNGA. We are disappointed to see the UNGA undermining the role of the UN in the peace process and encouraging extremists who seek to prolong and exacerbate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We are confident that your government shares our desire to achieve peace and reconciliation in the Middle East and wants to avoid any steps that would further divide PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER the involved parties. Therefore, we respectfully request that you join with the United States in furthering the mission of the UN by seeking a fair hearing for both Israel and the Palestinians, and by voting against one-sided resolutions. It is in the spirit of the progress that has taken place in the relationship between our countries, so well expressed during your visit to Washington and our mutual commitment to the peace and security among all nations espoused by the UN Charter that we send this letter. We thank you in advance for your consideration of the concerns we have expressed and hope to receive your thoughts on these issues. Respectfully, (