Sen. Lee Renews Call to Find Utahn Missing in Asia
WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) joined with seven Senate colleagues Thursday to reintroduce a Senate Resolution on the disappearance of BYU student David Louis Sneddon in China in 2004. An identical resolution unanimously passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in December, and a similar resolution introduced by Congressman Chris Stewart was adopted in the House of Representatives last year.
David Sneddon went missing while traveling in the Yunnan Province of China in August of 2004. Since that time, his family and the Utah and Nebraska delegations in Congress have worked diligently with the State Department to uncover more information about his disappearance and possible whereabouts. Recent reports from regional experts indicate a possibility that the North Korean government - known for decades to have kidnapped foreign nationals in Asia for their own intelligence and military purposes - could have been involved in David’s case and potential captivity. Sen. Lee spoke on the Senate floor last year about this issue in more detail.
The resolution calls upon the State Department to reinvigorate diplomatic efforts in Asia and work closely with U.S. intelligence agencies to continue the investigation into David’s disappearance. Sen. Lee hopes that President Trump and Secretary Tillerson will prioritize this issue as they formulate administration policy for the Asia-Pacific region.
Cosponsors:
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE)
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO)
