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Press Release
Vietnamese American Public Affairs Committee
January 31, 2003
Contact: Dan Duy Hoang
Phone: (202) 262-4600
E-mail: vpac@vpac-usa.org
Web Site: http://www.vpac-usa.org
New Release
A Vote for
Freedom: Virginia House passes HB2829
Virginia's House of Delegates today honored the cause of freedom in Vietnam
by passing HB2829 which would require public institutions in the Commonwealth to
display the flag of the former Republic of Vietnam.
For Vietnamese Americans the yellow flag with three red stripes represents
freedom and democracy, whereas the communist flag is a symbol of repression.
The communist flag represents a regime responsible for the 1968 Tet massacre of
innocent South Vietnamese citizens, the re-education camps following the War,
and the tyranny leading to the exodus of the boat people.
Today, the communist flag remains the symbol for serious human rights
violations. In just the last several months, the current regime in Vietnam has
put under house arrest and sentenced to long prison terms numerous journalists,
academics, and religious figures for their peaceful beliefs.
It is no wonder that so many Virginians of Vietnamese descent abhor the
communist symbols of repression and celebrate the Republic of Vietnam flag, an
emblem for freedom.
The Vietnamese-American Public Affairs Committee (VPAC) urges the Senate of
Virginia and Gov. Mark Warner to support this important legislation. Taxpayers
of the Commonwealth deserve the right to display in their public institutions
emblems which best represent the values of America.
Founded in 1996, VPAC is a national
grassroots organization committed to enhancing the participation of Vietnamese
Americans in the political process.
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