From: vinsight@netcom.com (Vietnam Insight)
Subject: VI: Australian senator's speech on VN human rights
Originator: anh@media-lab.media.mit.edu
Organization: SCV Relay
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 20:01:58 GMT



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VIETNAM: HUMAN RIGHTS
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Address of Senator Rober Hill, Leader of Opposition, to the Australian Senate

Excerpt from the Current Senate Hansard

I want to take this opportunity to express concerns about ongoing human
rights abuses in Vietnam and to express the wish that the Australian
Government would make more effort to apply pressure with like nations
upon the Government of Vietnam to improve its human rights performances.

I seek leave to incorporate a list of 275 political prisoners in
Vietnam. This list was released by the National United Front for the
Liberation of Vietnam, Directorate of Overseas Affairs, on July 1, 1992.
This list provides the names or identification of prisoners, their
prison location and the penalty under which they are serving.

...................

(Senate Robert Hill's address continues)

Vietnam is economically liberalizing and has been in that process since
1986. That is something that we applaud. At present Australia's trade
with Vietnam might still be reasonably modest, but it is an increasing
trade and there are increasing investment opportunities for Australia in
Vietnam. It is a relationship that has the potential to grow and broaden
in the years ahead.

It does seem to senators on this side of the chamber that the
development of that relationship will be retarded by Vietnam's human
rights performance. We would like to think that other nations that
similarly abhor human rights abuses and comply with the international
covenants to protect human rights would also be of the view that their
future relations with Vietnam will suffer as a result of the current
practices. We would hope that with concerted action the international
community might be able to encourage improvement in that performance by
Vietnam.

Mr. Acting Deputy President, you will be aware that earlier this  year
Australia became the first nation to reinstate a bilateral aid program
with Vietnam. We were concerned that that seemed to have been done
without any real effort -- again with like-minded nations -- to use the
leverage to seek an improvement in the behavior of Vietnam in relation
to its own citizens. We have also been somewhat concerned that much of
that program, as we understand it, will not benefit the poorest of
Vietnam's people.

It did seem to us to be an opportunity lost. Against the background of
Australian now providing Vietnam with foreign aid and of an expanding
trade relationship, unfortunately the position of that country on human
rights does not seem to have significantly improved at all. For example,
I refer to the Amnesty International reports of 1991 and the annual
report of 1992. They bring to our attention the fact that there are
still hundreds of political prisoners -- that is, over five years --
include writers, poets, journalists, Roman Catholic priests, Buddhist
monks, professionals, business people, civil servants, politicians and
former military personnel who are still detained in so-called
re-education camps. It reminds us that there are still tribal peoples of
Vietnam who are still imprisoned. These reports also bring to us
information on an increasing crackdown on intellectuals and also on
critics of the Government.

Amnesty's concerns, which seems to be largely supported by other
organizations such Asia Watch, are principally: the continuing detention
without charge or trial of opponents or critics of the Government,
including those detained for the peaceful expression of their political,
religious and other beliefs; and also that political trials continue
with restricted rights to defend, restrictions on the media, reports of
torture and ill treatment, and death sentences.

I said that this information is supported by the recent reports I have
read of Asia Watch which dealt with dissent and repression among human
rights activists, writers and artists in Vietnam. Asia Watch has also
raised the issue of continuing detention in reeducation camps, where
those detained perform hard labor under conditions of malnutrition,
abuse and lack of medical care; the fact that these periods of detention
are indefinitely renewable; and also the fact that these prisoners are
deprived of basic documentation essential for the conduct of everyday
life. Vietnamese people generally are subjected to police surveillance
and restricted movement in some cases -- in other words, the denial of
normal civil rights and entitlements.

What I ask the Australian Government, and the Minister for Foreign
Affairs and Trade (Senator Evans) in particular, to do is to examine
this list of detainees in Vietnam -- so defined as prisoners of
conscience -- that I have had incorporated in Hansard tonight, and come
back to the Senate in the not-too-distant future and inform the Senate
as to whether it is of the view that the list is correct. Also, it
should inform the Senate of what action the Australian Government will
take both on its own account and, as I said, in conjunction with
like-minded nations, to apply greater pressure than is currently being
applied to Vietnam to improve its performance in this important area.

In summary, we would argue that the Vietnamese Government particularly
needs to institute reform by immediate and unconditional release of
prisoners of conscience who are currently being detained; the immediate
cessation of punishment of critics through detention without trial, and
denial of basic civil rights; and the recognition, and protection in the
law, of the rights of its citizens to peacefully express their views.

We would argue that that is the very minimum that should be sought of
the Vietnamese Government. I hope that the Minister of Foreign Affairs
will take this matter seriously, because I get the impression that the
Australian Government is turning a blind eye to these abuses. I think it
is out of fear that it might in some way prejudice the growing
relationship of Vietnam with Australia. If that is so, that is a
fundamentally wrong way in which to approach the expanding relationship.
Once we demonstrate through our performance that these basic human
rights are not of the importance that we tend to say they are, then we
will not find that they are respected by places in the world that are
seeking international recognition and support, such as Vietnam.

As I say, I hope the Minister will take this request seriously and that
when the Parliament returns, if it does return, in February -- perhaps
even before -- he can give the Senate a full report of the Australian
Government's assessment of the list that I have had incorporated, and
what action the Australian Government has been prepared to undertake
and, in fact, has undertaken, to apply greater pressure to Vietnam in
this important area.


-- 
Vietnam Insight (vinsight@netcom.com)
Chan Tran, editor