Re: Vietnam uses political prisoners as forced labor to export cashew nuts and shrimp into the U.S. The United States Congress passed a law to prevent Americans from using forced labor linked products and to stop these products from being imported into the U.S. Unfortunately, some of these products are on sale in various U.S. stores. Currently, The Vietnamese prison system employs prisoner forced labor to generate profits. In 2007, tons of cashew nuts were imported to the U.S , as well as various seafood products, much of which was generated from labor exploitation of political prisoners. The practice of forced labor is not only against the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C 1307), section 307 but also violates the U.S. core of labor standards.(1) The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307) states: "All goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in any foreign country by convict labor or forced labor ... shall not be entitled to entry at any of the ports of the U.S., and the importation thereof is prohibited." I am writing this letter to ask that you conduct a thorough investigation on the labor practices the country employs as well as the quality of imported products from Vietnam such as seafood, vegetable products and particularly cashew nuts currently on sale in U.S. I also would like to remind you of the importation of Vietnamese forced labor products into the U.S. is illegal according to section 1307 of the Tariff Act of 1930. I would like to call on the United States and global consumers to pay more attention to products bearing the label "Made in Vietnam" and what this may entail. Our food and belongings may have been produced by the forced labor of detained democratic activists, religious leaders and their followers, political prisoners and other prisoners. Vietnam must stop their ill-practices in prison labor exploitation and comply with international human rights standards in the management of their prison systems. We, as part of the human race must say no to totalitarianism and their crimes and not allow ourselves to participate in the exploitation of others as practiced by such regimes. Regards, Do, Thanh Cong, spokesperson of the People's Democratic Party dangdanchunhandan@yahoo.com   more »