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SANTA ANA CITY COUNCIL <br />RESOLUTION NO. <br />A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA <br />REGARDING OFFICIAL VISITS FROM THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM <br />WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana is home to the first and largest resettlement of <br />Vietnamese refugees in Orange County and it remains home to a large population of <br />Vietnamese Americans who have sought refuge from the communist government of the <br />Socialist Republic of Vietnam; <br />WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana wishes to express its solidarity and sympathy <br />to victims of tyranny worldwide, especially those who have sought refuge from <br />undemocratic regimes around the world and who have found their home in Santa Ana; <br />WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana continues to support and admire the <br />aspirations of its Vietnamese American residents who are mostly refugees from the <br />Socialist Republic of Vietnam and who support their fellow countrymen's right to live in a <br />free and democratic society in Vietnam; <br />WHEREAS, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has systematically ignored the <br />basic human rights of its people such as freedom to worship, right to free speech, <br />freedom of assembly and right to elect their own government representatives, all of <br />which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is obligated to provide as a member of United <br />Nations and signatory to the International Covenant on the Civil and Political Rights; <br />WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County and <br />home to federal, state and county government agencies to which international officials <br />and diplomats frequent for official business; <br />WHEREAS, any official visit by representatives of the Socialist Republic of <br />Vietnam to the City of Santa Ana will likely trigger protest by local residents who oppose <br />Vietnam's human rights record and would drain financial and personnel resources from <br />the City of Santa Ana in order to provide protection for the public and such officials <br />during their visits; <br />WHEREAS, the City opposes any expenditure incurred to protect visits by <br />officials from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam where such visits are not welcomed by <br />residents nor bring about any tangible benefit to the City; <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the City of Santa Ana does hereby <br />revolve as follows: <br />1. The City of Santa Ana discourages official government visits to the City of Santa <br />Ana by representatives of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam until the United States State <br />Department or international organizations certify or affirm that the Socialist Republic of <br />Vietnam has improved its human rights record and accorded to its people the basic <br />rights as mentioned above; <br />55B-3