WRITTEN QUESTION E-1517/00 by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission. Infringements of human rights in Vietnam.
Date: 2000-05-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Viet Nam, common foreign and security policy, international human rights law

13.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 46 E/199

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(8 June 2000)

The Commission is not currently aware of
the precise financial and bureaucratic rules in Austria,
mentioned by the Honourable Member, which it is claimed discriminate against non-Austrians trying to
do business in Austria.

Consequently, for the time being, there are no grounds for making representations to the Austrian
Government.

However,
Commission will re-examine the issue.

if the Honourable Member is in a position to provide further details of his concerns, the

(2001/C 46 E/237)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1517/00

by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission

(12 May 2000)

Subject: Infringements of human rights in Vietnam

On 6 April the Vietnamese Committee on Human Rights informed the Commission of Human rights in
Geneva of the measures destructive of human freedoms which had been taken by the Vietnamese
Government, for example the prohibition on religious publications, the confiscation and destruction of a
book entitled (cid:145)Story of the Year 2000(cid:146) by the writer Bui Ngoc Tan describing the detention conditions and
the re-education policy in Viet Nam, the passing of a law relating to the press aiming to strengthen State
control over some 500 official publications and enabling any person (cid:145)to bring proceedings against
newspapers and journalists and have them ordered to pay compensation for the publication of information
which might affect them adversely, even if such information is true(cid:146). In addition, the Patriarch of the EBUV
(Unified Buddhist Church of Viet Nam), Mr Thich Huyen Quang, has been detained without trial for the
last 18 years. Finally, the number of death sentences is on the increase, 194 having been passed in 1999
alone (113 executions in 1996, 150 in 1997 and 170 in 1998). Is the Commission aware of this serious
deterioration in the human rights situation in Viet Nam? If so, what measures has it taken or does it intend
to take to persuade the Vietnamese authorities to guarantee freedom of opinion and expression in Viet
Nam, to release Mr Thich Huyen Quang, to suspend capital punishment and,
in general, to begin a
genuine democratisation process in Viet Nam?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(9 June 2000)

The Delegation of the Commission in Hanoi, together with the diplomatic missions of the Member States,
follows closely matters of concern in the field of human rights and participates fully in all actions to
convey the Union concerns to the Vietnamese authorities.

The Commission is aware of the restrictions on publications in Vietnam, although it has not yet been
possible to confirm the report on the confiscation and destruction of the book (cid:145)RØcit de l(cid:146)An 2000(cid:146). Nor
has it been possible to obtain independently verified figures for executions in the year 1999. The
maintenance of the Patriarch of the Buddhist Unified Church, Mr Thich Huyen Quang, under (cid:145)house
arrest(cid:146)
is, of course, known to the Commission. It is not all clear, however, that these developments
amount to a severe deterioration in the human rights situation in Vietnam.

Observations over the past two years have, in fact, shown some signs of progress. Relations with the
Catholic church have improved somewhat. The number of verified political prisoners has been significantly
reduced. The Commission will nevertheless continue to monitor developments closely,
including the
specific issues raised in this question, and will take such action as may be agreed with the Member States
to bring these concerns to the attention of the Vietnamese authorities.