EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/189

(2004/C 70 E/200)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3003/03

by Marco Pannella (NI), Emma Bonino (NI), Marco Cappato (NI), Gianfranco Dell'Alba (NI), Benedetto Della Vedova (NI), Olivier Dupuis (NI) and Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(14 October 2003)

Subject: Repeated violations of the basic human rights of the Vietnamese highland people, the Montagnards

Knowing that:

— over the past few months, Bibles have been confiscated, people have been beaten up and Montagnard women have been raped;

— on 18 August 2003 the Vietnamese Government sent Major Nguyen Vinh Chinh with 100 soldiers to the village of Buon Yang Reh, in the district of Krong Bong (Province of Daklak). They searched the house of H'Duen Buondap;

— bibles, hymn books and 150 000 VND were confiscated and Major Vinh Chinh raped H'Duen Buondap before going on to search every single house and beat up anyone who resisted;

— also on August 18 2003, in the village of Buon Kram (District of Krong Ana, Province of Daklak), the police arrested Y-Thiep Enuol, born in 1985, and took him to the police station in Buonmathuot without giving any indication of his present whereabouts;

— on 20 August 2003 Major Nguyen arrested Y-Lum Buon Ya, born in 1983, in the village of Buon Cuor Knia (District of Buon Don), accusing him of having fed a refugee named Y-Kre Buon Ya who was hiding in the area.

The Commission:

— Does it intend to seek clarifications from the Vietnamese Government as to the reasons for arresting Montagnards?

— Will it bring pressure to bear on the Vietnamese authorities to ensure that they allow UNHCR inspectors and NGOs free access to the Vietnamese central highlands and the areas bordering Cambodia?

— Should the Vietnamese Government fail to take such action, does the Commission intend to denounce the cooperation agreement signed with Vietnam?

Joint answer

to Written Questions E-3001/03, E-3002/03 and E-3003/03

given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(19 November 2003)

Since February 2001, when social unrest spread in parts of the Central Highlands of Vietnam, independent and verifiable information on the situation has been difficult to obtain, as visits by foreign diplomats and journalists to this region have been severely restricted. As a consequence, it is difficult for the Commission to get a complete first-hand assessment of the current situation on the ground.

It should be noted, however, that the number of visits managed and organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has increased during the course recent last months. Such visits have been carried out, inter alia, by a local Union working level troika in June 2003 and the United States Ambassador for international religious freedom J. Hanford in October 2003. The increased number of these visits seems to indicate a higher degree of openness on the part of the Vietnamese Government as regards the situation in the Central Highlands. At the same time, the government is paying greater attention to the region, and attempting to tackle some of the issues that triggered the 2001 unrest, such as low economic prospects, over-dependency on coffee as a cash crop, lack of social services such as health, education, etc.

Yet, at the same time, there has been a continuous flow of reports from credible sources indicating that the social conflicts — arising from migratory pressures on the local ethnic minorities, aspirations to a greater recognition of their distinctive identity, disputes over land rights, diverse religious beliefs, and desires for some sort of political autonomy for the region — persist. Reports also point to heavy pressure on all forms of local dissent, affecting in particular local Protestants, whom the government suspects of supporting the creation of a ‘Degar Homeland’. While denying all these reports, the government is publicising sporadic trials against members of ethnic minorities accused of helping others to cross into Cambodia, which is a sign of continued dissatisfaction among local ethnic minorities. There are, however, also reports of external interference in the region.

The Commission will continue to monitor closely the situation in the Central Highlands, via its Delegations to Vietnam and Cambodia, including through its participation in Union missions to the region, and to raise its concerns vis-à-vis the Vietnamese Government; this with a view to monitoring the respect of the right of ethnic minorities to maintain their cultural identity and religious freedom. The Union has repeatedly affirmed that human rights and democratisation must form an integral part of all political dialogues with third countries. The dialogues regularly include discussion of free access of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UN human rights rapporteurs. Religious freedom, as one of the fundamental human rights, is addressed through the Union's political dialogue and, when appropriate, through démarches and public declarations, as well as through Union action in fora such as the United Nations Commission on Human Rights or the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. The reference to the respect for Human Rights and democratic principles in the EC-Vietnam Cooperation Agreement enables the Commission to address human rights issues in its bilateral contacts with the Government of Vietnam.

It is also noteworthy that the Vietnamese Government has stated its interest in extending an invitation to a delegation from the Parliament to visit the country soon, which might provide the Parliament with an opportunity to assess the situation at first hand itself.