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RESOLUTION NO. 2013-010 <br />A RESOLUTION 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 <br />of 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; and <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 />and <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; and <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 />and <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; and <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; and <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 />resolve, determine and find as following: <br />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 <br />Resolution No. 2013-010 <br />Page 1 of 2