Joseph Cao, the only Vietnamese-American member of Congress, called for the United States to take action "on behalf of Vietnamese citizens who simply hope for a better future."
"It is vital that the United States take a firm stand against the tyranny of the Vietnamese government and more effectively promote democracy there and throughout the world," said Cao, a Republican from Louisiana.
He also called for the United States to re-designate Vietnam as a "country of particular concern" on religious freedom, a listing that can carry economic sanctions.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom, a non-partisan government advisory body, has also called for Vietnam to return to the list, from which it was removed in 2006.
