PARIS, 2nd September 2008 (Vietnam Committee on Human Rights) – From 25-29 August 2008, Vo Van Ai, President of the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights and International Spokesman of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) met European Commission officials and members of the European Parliament in Brussels to press for stronger measures on human rights and democracy in the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement that the EU is currently negotiating with Vietnam. This will replace the 1995 agreement which contains a "human rights clause", but no effective mechanisms to assess human rights improvements – or the lack of them - in Vietnam. On Monday 25 August, Mr. Vo Van Ai addressed a Hearing on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia at the EP Sub-Committee on Human Rights hosted by its Chairman, Ms Helene Flautre and attended by numerous MEPs from the different political groups and EU officials. For the first time, the Vietnamese Ambassador to the EU, Mr. Nguyen Manh Dzung and the Cambodian Ambassador were present, and made presentations to the Sub-Committee's hearing. In his speech, Mr. Ai highlighted the failure of Vietnam's development policy which couples unbridled economic opening with systematic suppression of human rights: "Today, Vietnam is undergoing a serious economic crisis. This crisis marks the total failure of Vietnam's policy of "doi moi" (renovation) – economic liberalization under authoritarian control. Under this policy, Vietnam treats its people both as source of cheap labour and an enemy of the regime." With the rocketing cost of living, "hunger riots are brewing" and popular discontent is exploding in every domain, including worker strikes, farmers and peasants' demonstrations against State confiscation of lands ("Victims of Injustice") etc. Mr. Ai accused Vietnam of "waging a war against its own people" by stifling the people's protests instead of seeking real solutions for their problems. He submitted a detailed report to the EP on current violations of social and political rights in Vietnam, including violations of religious freedom against the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, Internet restrictions and serious abuses of press freedom, with the recent arrests of journalists or withdrawal of their press cards simply for reporting on cases of official corruption (see full text of Vo Van Ai's speech on http://www.queme.net/eng/docs_detail.php?numb=1096 and the report "Economic crisis and political repression in Vietnam" on http://www.queme.net/eng/docs_detail.php?numb=1095   more »