(2004/C58E/019) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0454/03
byGrahamWatson(ELDR)totheCommission
(19February2003)
Subject:PersecutionofChristiansinVietnam
Is the Commission aware of a continuing campaign of intimidation, persecution and terror by the
VietnameseauthoritiesagainstinnocentChristianpeopleinthecentralhighlandsofVietnam?
WhatpressurewilltheCommissionbringtobeartostopthissenselesspersecutionandkilling?
AnswergivenbyMrPattenonbehalfoftheCommission
(25March2003)
TheConstitutionofVietnamguaranteesfreedomofbeliefandreligion.Vietnam’sGovernmentofficially
recognisessixreligions/dashoneBuddhistorganisation,theCentralBuddhistChurchofVietnam,theCatholicChurch,twoProtestantchurchorganisations,Islam,HoaHaoBuddhismandCao-Daism.
ThetotalpopulationofVietnamisestimatedat78,5million.TheofficialfigureforactiveBuddhistsis
statedat7,5million,butmanymoreVietnameseclaimtobeBuddhistsandrecentyearshaveseenanupsurgeinthenumberofpeoplevisitingBuddhistpagodas.Therearebetween6and7millionpractisingCatholics.Theremainingfourreligionsarereportedtohaveabout3,5millionadherentsintotal,although
thenumberofProtestants,especiallyintheSouthofVietnamandamongsttheethnicminoritypopulation
inruralareas,hasgrownrapidlyinrecentyears.
TheVietnameseConstitutionalsospecifiesthat‘itisforbiddentoviolatefreedomofbelieforreligion,or
totakeadvantageofitortoactagainstthelawsorpoliciesoftheState’.ThisprovisionisattributedtothedesireoftheVietnameseauthoritiestocontrolthepaceofchangeandtomaintaincohesionintheirsocietyduringtheprocessoftransitiontoamarketeconomy.However,itmayalsobeinvokedagainstunapproved religious movements perceived by the authorities as engaging in political activities or as
potentialelementsofdisunity.
ReportsofharassmentofsomeChristiansinVietnam(especiallyagainsttheMontagnardChristiansand
HmongChristians)haveincreasedsincetheviolentuprisingintheCentralHighlandsinFebruary2001.Anumberofreportshaveallegedrepeatedactionsbythesecurityforcesaimedatforcinghighlanderstorenouncetheirfaith.ThesereportsandreportsofaccidentaldeathsorbeatingsunderpolicecustodyaredeniedbytheVietnameseauthorities.Ithasnotsofarbeenpossibletoobtainindependentconfirmationofsuchreports.
AccesstotheCentralHighlandsarearemainslimited.Nonetheless,in2002,twoUnion-Troikamissionsto
the Central Highlands took place with Commission participation and with the agreement of theGovernment of Vietnam, the latest in November 2002. Following the latest Troika mission theCommission,inclosecoordinationwiththeMemberStates,hasofferedtotheGovernmentofVietnamtosupport/dashintheframeworkoftheCommission-VietnamCooperationprogramme/dashpossibleactivities,involvinginteraliatheethnicminorities,toreducepovertyintheCentralHighlandsandthustodealwithsomeoftherootcausesoftheproblemsinthearea.InJanuary2003theGovernmentofVietnamagreedthatanexploratorymissionoftheCommissioncouldvisittheareainthecomingweeks.
TheCommission’spolicytowardsVietnamistoencourageandsupportprogressonhumanrightsand
democratisation, and to raise concerns where abuses occur or where a deterioration in the situationbecomesevident.TheCommissionworkscloselywiththeMemberStatestomonitorcloselyhumanrightsdevelopmentsinthecountryandparticipatesinallUniondémarchestotheGovernmentofVietnamonhumanrightsissues.TheCommission’sDelegationinHanoi,togetherwiththediplomaticmissionsoftheMemberStates,willcontinuetofollowcloselydevelopmentsintheCentralHighlandsandtakeappropriateaction.C58E/18 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion