(2004/C58E/025) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0674/03
byMarcoPannella(NI),EmmaBonino(NI),
MarcoCappato(NI),GianfrancoDell’Alba(NI),BenedettoDellaVedova(NI),
OlivierDupuis(NI)andMaurizioTurco(NI)totheCommission
(7March2003)
Subject:Persecution,beatings,tortureandmurderbytheauthoritiesoftheRepublicofVietnamagainstthe
ChristianMontagnardpopulation
Y-SuNie,aMontagnard(Degar)fromthevillageofBuonMbhao,inMdrakdistrictintheprovinceofDak
Lac, was arrested on 15November 2002 by the Vietnamese authorities because he was assertingMontagnardlandownershiprights.
Thearrestwasconfirmedbythereportentitled‘Vietnam:NewAssaultonRightsinCentralHighlands,
CrackdownonIndigenousMontagnardsIntensifies’,publishedbyHumanRightsWatchon21January2003.
Followinghisarresthewassubjectedtotorture,includingelectricshocks.Hegaveinandeverydayhewas
takenoutoftheprisontopubliclydenouncetheactivitiesofKokKsor,PresidentoftheMontagnardFoundation,infrontoftheinhabitantsoftheMontagnardvillages.
On30Januarygovernmentpolicehandcuffedhimandtoldhimthathewoulddiesoon,butthatthe
Vietnamesegovernmentinitsmercyofwouldallowhimtoseehisfamilyonelasttime.
Afterbeinginjectedwithchemicalagentshewasreleasedandsentbacktohisfamilyweeping.Hesaid‘the
governmenthasletmecomeandseeyou,butforonlyafewminutesbecausethepolicehaveinjectedmewithpoison’.Hediedat10p.m.thenextday,31January,andwasburiedon2February2003.
On7May2001MrsH’bleKsor,whoisovereightyyearsoldandthemotherofKokKsor,Presidentofthe
MontagnardFoundation,wasbeatenbytheVietnamesesecurityforces.Someofherribswerebroken,shespent3daysinhospitalandsincethenhermedicalproblemshaveworsened.ShewasbeatenwhilstherchildrenwerebeingforcedtoreadoutthechargesagainstKokKsorontelevision,thereasonforthebeatingbeingthatsheherselfhadrefusedtodoso.SincethenshehasbeenunderhousearrestinthevillageofBonBroaiatAyunPaintheGiaLairegion.Thepoliceareevenpreventingherrelativesfrombringingmedicinestoherandarecontinuingtothreatenher.
CantheCommissionsay:
/dash whetherithasprevailedupontheVietnameseauthoritiestoputanendtothedecadesofrepressionof
theMontagnards(Degar),whichhasworsenedsincethepeacefuldemonstrationsofFebruary2001;
/dash whetherithastakenanysteps,andifsowhatkind,toensurethattheVietnameseauthoritiesmeetthe
requestssetoutintheConcludingObservationsoftheUNHumanRightsCommitteeof27July2002(UN Doc. CCPR/C/SR.2031), starting with the request to allow monitoring by the UN, otherinternationalorganisationsandindependentNGOs;
/dash whetheritintendstocontinuetofundtheVietnameseGovernmentdespitethefactthatitcontinually
andrepeatedlyinfringesitsinternationalobligationswithregardtohumanrights,therebycontraven-ingthecooperationagreements?6.3.2004EN C58E/23 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
AnswergivenbyMrPattenonbehalfoftheCommission
(16May2003)
TheCommissionwouldrefertheHonourableMemberstoitsreplytoWrittenQuestionsE-0454/03by
MrWatson(1),concerningthepersecutionofChristiansinVietnamandE-0549/03byMrsLudford(2).
TheCommission,togetherwiththeMemberStatesrepresentedinVietnam,monitorscloselyhumanrights
developmentsinVietnam,includingindividualcasesofconcernandissuesrelatedtofreedomofreligionandfreedomofopinion,aspartofthepolicyoftheUniontoencourage andsupportthecontinuedcommitmentoftheGovernmentofVietnamtoprogressinthefieldofhumanrights.TheCommissionalsoparticipateswiththeMemberStatesinregulardialoguewithandinalldémarchestotheGovernmentofVietnamonhumanrightsissues.Moreover,theMemberStatesasmembersandtheUnionasobserverfullysupporttheworkoftheUnitedNations(UN)HighCommissionerforHumanRightsandactivelyworkwiththeUNCommissionforHumanRights.
TheCommissionandMemberStateshaverepeatedlyurgedtheGovernmentofVietnamtostrengthenits
respectforpoliticalandreligiousfreedoms,aswellasfurtherstrengtheneconomicandsocialfreedoms.TheyagainexpressedthisrequestrecentlyintheirjointdeclarationattheConsultativeGroupmeetinginHanoiinDecember2002.
TheCommission,togetherwiththerepresentativesoftheMemberStates,willcontinuetofollowclosely
thehumanrightssituationinVietnam,toraisespecificconcernswiththeGovernmentofVietnamandtakeappropriateaction.
(1) Seepage18.
(2) Seepage20.
(2004/C58E/026) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0705/03
byOlivierDupuis(NI)totheCommission
(10March2003)
Subject:Chechnya:Russiantroopsblowingupcivilians
VariousindependentRussiansourcesindicatethatmilitaryandparamilitarytroopscarriedoutcombing
(‘zachistka’) operations in the Chechnya town of Argoun at the beginning of January, arresting 100individuals. Several days later, 18 corpses were thrown from the building which houses the Russiancontrolpost.32peoplehavedisappeared.Alltheotherindividualsarrested,withsixexceptions,werereleasedafterpayingransomsandbeingsubjectedtotortureandilltreatment.ThesixwhowerenotreleasedweretakentothebanksoftheArgounriver,wheresticksofdynamitewereattachedtotheirbodies.Theywerethen‘blownup’.
Atthesametime,theRussianshavedismantledtherefugeecampsinIngushetiaandsenttherefugeesinto
Chechnya,wheretheyriskpersecutionandwhereboththeirfreedomandlivesareindangeraslongastheinternational community fails to oblige the Russian Federation to put an end to the atrocities beingperpetratedandopenseriousnegotiationswithPresidentMaskhadov’slegitimategovernmentonthefuturestatusofChechnya.
WhatinformationdoestheCommissionhaveconcerningtheabsolutelyunspeakablecrimesperpetratedby
militaryandparamilitarytroopsinthetownofArgounandhowhasitreactedtothesecrimes?WhatpoliticalanddiplomaticinitiativesdoestheCommissionintendtotakeinresponsetotheRussianpolicyofdismantlingrefugeecampsinIngushetiaandthusforcingChechenrefugeestoreturntoChechnyaontheonehand,andontheother,organisingcriminalmilitaryoperationslikethoseinArgoun?CouldtheCommissiondrawupaproposalforjointactionwiththeobjectiveofimplementinganemergencyplan/dashalongthelinesofthoseimplementedinBosniaandKosovo/dashtotakeinalltheChechenrefugeeswhoselivesandphysicalintegrityareatriskiftheyreturntoChechnya?C58E/24 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion