We asked the Senator for an account of what took place:

During this morning’s Senate Floor session, Senator Leland Yee (D—San Francisco/San Mateo) paid tribute to a delegation from Communist Vietnam, a delegation that included a member of the Communist government.

I was appalled that such an honor would be bestowed upon representatives of a regime that has enslaved and murdered thousands; a regime which still denies, in a vicious and systematic manner, so many of the basic freedoms which every American is privileged to possess.

I couldn’t sit by silently. I felt it was my responsibility to speak out on behalf of the men, women and children who fled a country whose government is responsible for such atrocities.

There are 600,000 Vietnamese-Americans residing in California, 200,000 of which reside in Orange County. It was just last August that I joined with Governor Schwarzenegger in Westminster to formally commemorate the Vietnamese Freedom and Heritage Flag, which is a symbol of resilience, freedom, and democracy.  The flag is now formally recognized and can be displayed at any state building.

To honor the Vietnamese delegates on the Floor today would not only have been hypocritical, but would have greatly undermined the people I proudly represent—those who lost loved ones and risked their own lives to flee to the United States in search of the American Dream.

In objection to the Senate recognition and ceremony, I—along with Senators Dick Ackerman (R—Tustin), Lou Correa (D—Santa Ana) and others—made the decision to walk off the Floor before the ceremony began.

I am honored to represent the large Vietnamese-American community in the 35th Senate District. For more than 30 years, this community has made important contributions to the United States while continuing to advocate for a more free and democratic Vietnam. I stand in full support of human rights, religious freedom, and democracy in Vietnam.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 19th, 2007 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.