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 »

Xin trân trọng kính mời quý độc giả quan tâm theo dõi diễn biến tiếp theo của sự việc, thông qua các bản tin sắp tới của nhóm Phóng Viên Dân Chủ Khối 8406 chúng tôi. Việt Nam ngày 26/08/2008. Nhóm Phóng Viên Dân Chủ Khối 8406   more »

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom issued its Vietnam Policy Focus today. The report, which includes findings from the Commission's 2007 trip to Vietnam , highlights government-sponsored harassment, detention, and imprisonment faced by individuals and leaders of diverse religious communities. In light of these severe and widespread violations of religious freedom, the Commission calls on the U.S. State Department to re-designate Vietnam a "country of particular concern" (CPC), under the terms of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act. The CPC designation is reserved, under law, for nations that engage in severe violations of religious freedom. "The U.S. government still needs to press Vietnam 's leaders to make immediate improvements to end religious freedom abuses, ease restrictions, and release prisoners," said Commission Chair Felice D. Gaer. The Commission has found that religious freedom conditions in Vietnam continue to be mixed, with improvements for some religious communities but not for others; progress in some provinces but not in others; reforms of laws at the national level that are not fully implemented or are ignored at the local level; and still too many abuses of and restrictions on religious freedom affecting most of Vietnam's diverse religious communities. Some important changes were implemented and prisoners were released after the U.S. government designated Vietnam a CPC. However, in view of the uneven pace of reforms and the continued detention of religious prisoners of concern, The Commission again recommends that Vietnam be designated a CPC. The Commission has identified numerous prisoners of concern and restrictive, abusive practices of the Vietnamese government. During its 2007 trip to Vietnam , the Commission met with religious freedom activists Nguyen Van Dai and Li Thi Cong Nhan at Cau Dien Prison in Hanoi . In March 2007, Dai and Nhan were among the first arrested and sentenced to long-term detention as part of a larger crackdown on democracy, free speech, and human rights advocates. Their cases are among those highlighted in the Vietnam Policy Focus. Activities of ethnic minority religious groups, such as the Montagnard and Hmong Protestants, are often vigorously restricted by the Vietnamese government. Long-term administrative detainees from the Catholic Church and the United Buddhist Church of Vietnam, including Thich Quang Do and Fr. Phan Van Loi, and numerous religious "prisoners of concern" from the Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, and Khmer Buddhist communities remain in custody in retaliation for their advocacy of religious freedom. The Commission has consistently called for the release of all prisoners of conscience in Vietnam . "Improved conditions for some only emphasize the inexcusability of ongoing abuses endured by others," notes Gaer. "The State Department should not diminish its categorization of Vietnam as a severe violator until the Vietnamese government demonstrates a countrywide, non-discriminatory commitment to religious freedom and human rights for all." The Vietnam Policy Focus is available at: http://www.uscirf.gov/images/PolicyFocusPublications/vietnam%20policy%20focus%20-%20summer%202008.pdf   more »