WRITTEN QUESTION E-0145/02 by Christine De Veyrac (PPE-DE) to the Council. Freedom of worship in Vietnam.
Date: 2002-02-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Viet Nam, freedom of religious beliefs, government violence, religious discrimination

C 205 E/82

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

In the A category, these competitions will yield 225 new candidates in taxation, customs, audit and human
resources in the first part of 2002. Between November 2002 and January 2003, a second wave of
competitions will result in 960 candidates in the External Relations and Aid to third countries, Audit,
Justice and Home Affairs/civil & criminal
logistical and operational management,
law, building policy,
economics/statistics and legal affairs.

In the B category, recent competitions yielded approximately 410 candidates on the reserve lists in
Accounting, Financial Management, Audit and Informatics. In the first part of 2002, 65 candidates will be
available in Customs. At the end of 2002/beginning 2003, another wave of competitions will result in 500
candidates in Human Resources and in Financial Management, as well as for posts of archivist/
documentalist and proofreader.

Since most of the competitions will be finalised in 2002, it will be possible to significantly increase the
occupancy rate of the establishment plan by the end of 2002. The Commission has set itself a target of
only 400 vacant posts as soon as the candidates from these competitions have been recruited (late 2002,
early 2003). As a transitional measure the Commission will hire temporary staff to occupy vacant
permanent posts until qualified candidates from competitions become available.

The detailed breakdown of vacant posts per Directorate-General as of 4 February 2002 will be sent directly
to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s secretariat.

(1) Communication from the Commission of 26 July 2000.

(2002/C 205 E/092)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0145/02

by Christine De Veyrac (PPE-DE) to the Council

(5 February 2002)

Subject: Freedom of worship in Vietnam

On 5 July 2001, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on religious freedom in Vietnam, calling on
the government to guarantee the right of all Vietnamese to practice their religion of choice, including the
right of freedom of worship and freedom to meet.

On 19 October 2001, Fr. Nguyen van Ly, a Roman Catholic, was sentenced in camera and with no lawyer
to 15 years’ imprisonment for having practised his religion in spite of the ban enacted by the Vietnamese
authorities. The Venerable Thich Huyên Quang, Supreme Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of
Vietnam has been under house arrest, in solitary confinement and much police surveillance since he was
arrested in 1994. Although seriously ill, he is not allowed to be given treatment. On 31 May 2001, as he
was about to fetch Thich Huyên Quang and bring him to Saigon for treatment, the Venerable Thich
Quang Dô, Secretary General of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam was arrested and placed under
house arrest.

These respected and well known religious figures are not alone; the Vietnamese authorities have taken
similar and equally regrettable action against many individuals for practising their religion. The authorities’
decisions fly in the face of human rights, the European Parliament’s resolution of 5 July, and numerous
appeals from the European Union and the international community on behalf of Fr. Nguyen van Ly, the
Venerable Thich Huyên Quang and the Venerable Thich Quang Dô …

What steps does the Council intend to take to ensure that the European Parliament’s resolution of 5 July
2001 is respected?

29.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205 E/83

Reply

(21 May 2002)

The Council is well-aware of the European Parliament’s concern on this issue, as on others concerning
human rights in Vietnam. It has conveyed those concerns to the Vietnamese authorities, both through the
meetings of the EC-Vietnam Joint Co-operation Committee and through the contacts established by EU
Missions in Hanoi with the MFA and other relevant Ministeries and bodies.

(2002/C 205 E/093)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0153/02

by Franz Turchi (UEN) to the Council

(29 January 2002)

Subject: Question of 19 October 2001 by Francesco Turchi

Considering that:

F the deadline for replying to a priority written question is three weeks from the date of the question’s

official notification;

F on 19 October 2001, the above-mentioned Member tabled a priority written question (P-3036/01) to

the Council, on the murder of Afghan military commander Ahmad Shah Massood;

F to date (22 January 2002) no reply has been received from the Council;

F the international situation remains extremely worrying and unstable.

Would the Council, especially the Belgian and UK authorities, say why they have not yet replied to the
above question, and whether they would not agree that, by failing to do so, they are giving others good
reason to suspect that they care little about the respect due to representatives of the European Parliament
or are unable to come up with convincing arguments to prove that they did not fail to take appropriate
action in this matter.

Reply

(21 May 2002)

The Council would remind the Honourable Member of the replies it has already given on the points of
procedure raised (please see the replies to questions E-1299/01, E-1300/01, P-1541/01 and E-2384/01).

Regarding question P-3036/01, the Council would inform the Honourable Member that the reply was
adopted on 12 February 2002.

(2002/C 205 E/094)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0154/02

by Roberto Bigliardo (UEN) to the Commission

(29 January 2002)

Subject: Environmental disaster in Caserta

Caserta is a city famous throughout Europe for the Reggia Vanvitelliana palace and its magnificent park
which is thought to be the equal of Versailles, and which are now surrounded by what can only be called
an environmental disaster.