Washington, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) announced the following upcoming Committee events:

Tuesday, May 10

Subcommittee Hearing: Will President Obama Prioritize the Release of Prisoners of Conscience in Vietnam?

4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations
Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Chairman

Invited Witnesses Include:

Ms. Vu Minh Khanh
(Wife of Vietnamese Prisoner of Conscience Nguyen Van Dai)

Chairman Smith on the hearing: “The President’s trip to Vietnam later this month represents an opportunity for him to press Vietnamese leaders to respect the basic human rights of all Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese government has a long history of viciously attacking and imprisoning peaceful citizens. In this hearing we will hear about the plight of political prisoner Nguyen Van Dai—one of Vietnam’s most prominent human rights defenders—directly from his long-suffering wife. She will share details of horrific torture and abuses the Vietnamese regime has done to her husband. The President must address both her husband’s case and the widespread human rights abuses perpetrated by the Vietnamese government on Vietnamese citizens.”

 

Wednesday, May 11

Subcommittee Hearing: FY 2017 Budget Priorities for South Asia: Recovery, Development, and Engagement

2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ), Chairman

Invited Witnesses Include:

The Honorable Nisha Desai Biswal
Assistant Secretary
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
U.S. Department of State

The Honorable Jonathan Stivers
Assistant Administrator
Bureau for Asia
U.S. Agency for International Development

Chairman Salmon on the hearing: “South Asia, with over 1.5 billion people, has enormous potential, but the region also faces major development challenges and threats from violent extremism, weak governance, and corruption. This hearing will conduct oversight on our diplomacy and foreign assistance in the region, and discuss ways to improve and streamline our efforts in South Asia.”

Wednesday, May 11

Subcommittee Hearing: The U.S. Role in Helping Nigeria Confront Boko Haram and Other Threats in Northern Nigeria

2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11 in 2255 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations
Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Chairman

Invited Witnesses Include:

The Honorable Frank R. Wolf
Distinguished Senior Fellow
21st Century Wilberforce Initiative

Mr. Emmanuel Ogebe
Special Counsel
Justice for Jos Project

“Sa’a”
Chibok Schoolgirl
Education Must Continue Initiative

Christopher Fomunyoh, Ph.D.
Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and West Africa
National Democratic Institute

Chairman Smith on the hearing: “For more than a decade, the Nigerian government has battled the deadly threat of Boko Haram, now the world’s most dangerous terrorist group.  However, that fight has obscured other threats in the northern region of Nigeria, including a worsening conflict between Fulani herdsmen and a multi-ethnic group of farmers that has claimed more than 3,000 lives in recent years. In addition, there is a newer threat from Iranian-supported Shiites whose recent conflict with the Nigerian military led to hundreds of deaths earlier this year.  This hearing will examine the challengers to northern Nigeria’s peace and security and will suggest options for the U.S. government to help Nigeria prevent these conflicts from expanding further.”

 

Thursday, May 12

Hearing: Terrorism, Missiles and Corruption: The Risks of Economic Engagement with Iran

10 a.m. on Thursday, May 12 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Committee on Foreign Affairs
Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman

Invited Witness Include:

The Honorable Juan C. Zarate
Chairman
Financial Integrity Network

Mr. Mark Dubowitz
Executive Director
Foundation for the Defense of Democracies

Ms. Elizabeth Rosenberg
Senior Fellow and Director
Energy, Economics and Security Program
Center for a New American Security

Chairman Royce on the hearing: “The Obama administration is turning a blind eye to Iran’s provocative acts and offering new concessions – well beyond the nuclear deal – to Tehran.  This hearing will expose the dangers of giving Iran access to the U.S. financial system while it continues to fund terrorism and accelerates its illicit missiles program.”

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