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
AnswergivenbyMrPattenonbehalfoftheCommission
(31March2003)
AlthoughtheCommissiondoesnothavedetailsofthisspecificcase,itisawareofallegationsofsignificant
humanrightsviolationscommittedbyRussianservicemeninChechnya.TherecanbenojustificationfortheabuseofhumanrightsandtheCommissioncallsforallallegationstobeforwardedtotherelevant
Russianauthoritiesforinvestigationbybothmilitaryandcivilianprosecutors,inordertodispelanynotion
ofimpunity.Thefindingsofallsuchinvestigationsshouldbepublic.
SharedvaluesinthefieldsofdemocracyandhumanrightsunderpintheEU-Russiarelationshipandits
PartnershipandCooperationAgreementinparticular.TheCommissionhasinthepastrepeatedlyraisedthismatterwithintheframeworkoftheUnion’sbilateralpoliticaldialoguewiththeRussianFederationanditwillcontinuetodoso.TheCommissionalsosupportsraisingtheseissuesattheforthcomingUnited
NationsHumanRightsCommissioninGeneva.
The Commissionpromotes respect for human rights and democracy in Russia through a number of
projectsthatarefinancedundertheEuropeanInitiativeforDemocracyandHumanRights.TheseactivitiesareimplementedincooperationwithcivilsocietyandinternationalorganisationssuchastheCouncilofEurope.TheTacisprogrammeisalsoactiveinthisdomain.
TheCommissionconsidersthatthereturnofinternallydisplacedpersonstoChechnyashouldtakeplace
onastrictlyvoluntarybasis.ThosewhowishtoremaininIngushetiashouldbeallowedtodoso.InDecember 2002, the Russian authorities summarily closedthe Aki-Yurt camp for internally displacedpersonsinIngushetia.AfterUnionpoliticalpressurewasbroughttobear,theRussianauthoritiesgaveassurancesthattherewouldbeamoratoriumontheclosureofcamps.TheCommission/dashasthemajorproviderofhumanitarianaidtotheregion/dashwillmonitordevelopmentsclosely.
TheCommissionconsidersthatamilitarysolutionwillnotbyitselfprovidestabilityandlastingpeacefor
the north Caucasus or address the root causes of the conflict. All avenues for a political solution,respectingRussia’ssovereigntyandterritorialintegrity,shouldbeexplored.Inthisregard,theCommissionbelieves that it is in the interest of Russia to maintain a continued Organisation on Security andCooperationinEuropefieldpresenceinChechnyawithameaningfulmandate.TheCommissioniscloselyfollowing Russian preparations for the constitutional referendum which Russia intends to hold on
23March2003.
(2004/C58E/027) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0718/03
byRosaMiguélezRamos(PSE)totheCommission
(11March2003)
Subject:‘Prestige’:re-routingofmaritimetransportcorridors
On21November2002,theEuropeanParliamentadoptedaresolutiononthe‘Prestige’disasteroffthe
coastofGalicia.Paragraph12reads:
Calls for the existing corridors for the maritime transport of oil and hazardous substances in
Communitywaterstobereroutedasfarawayaspossiblefromcoastlinesand,inparticular,areasdeclaredvulnerable;askstheCommissiontoworkwiththeIMOtowardstheestablishmentofsuchamechanismatinternationallevel.
HowdoestheCommissionviewthisrequestfromParliament?
Whatstepshasittakenordoesitintendtotakeinresponse?6.3.2004EN C58E/25 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion