WRITTEN QUESTION E-0454/03 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. Persecution of Christians in Vietnam.
Date: 2003-02-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Christianity, EU relations, Viet Nam, crime against individuals, freedom of religious beliefs, human rights, international relations

C 58 E/18

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2004

(2004/C 58 E/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0454/03

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 February 2003)

Subject: Persecution of Christians in Vietnam

Is the Commission aware of a continuing campaign of intimidation, persecution and terror by the
Vietnamese authorities against innocent Christian people in the central highlands of Vietnam?

What pressure will the Commission bring to bear to stop this senseless persecution and killing?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(25 March 2003)

The Constitution of Vietnam guarantees freedom of belief and religion. Vietnam’s Government officially
recognises six religions (cid:1) one Buddhist organisation, the Central Buddhist Church of Vietnam, the Catholic
Church, two Protestant church organisations, Islam, Hoa Hao Buddhism and Cao-Daism.

The total population of Vietnam is estimated at 78,5 million. The official figure for active Buddhists is
stated at 7,5 million, but many more Vietnamese claim to be Buddhists and recent years have seen an
upsurge in the number of people visiting Buddhist pagodas. There are between 6 and 7 million practising
Catholics. The remaining four religions are reported to have about 3,5 million adherents in total, although
the number of Protestants, especially in the South of Vietnam and amongst the ethnic minority population
in rural areas, has grown rapidly in recent years.

The Vietnamese Constitution also specifies that ‘it is forbidden to violate freedom of belief or religion, or
to take advantage of it or to act against the laws or policies of the State’. This provision is attributed to the
desire of the Vietnamese authorities to control the pace of change and to maintain cohesion in their
society during the process of transition to a market economy. However, it may also be invoked against
unapproved religious movements perceived by the authorities as engaging in political activities or as
potential elements of disunity.

Reports of harassment of some Christians in Vietnam (especially against the Montagnard Christians and
Hmong Christians) have increased since the violent uprising in the Central Highlands in February 2001.
A number of reports have alleged repeated actions by the security forces aimed at forcing highlanders to
renounce their faith. These reports and reports of accidental deaths or beatings under police custody are
denied by the Vietnamese authorities. It has not so far been possible to obtain independent confirmation of
such reports.

Access to the Central Highlands area remains limited. Nonetheless, in 2002, two Union-Troika missions to
the Central Highlands took place with Commission participation and with the agreement of
the
in November 2002. Following the latest Troika mission the
Government of Vietnam,
Commission, in close coordination with the Member States, has offered to the Government of Vietnam
to support (cid:1) in the framework of the Commission-Vietnam Cooperation programme (cid:1) possible activities,
involving inter alia the ethnic minorities, to reduce poverty in the Central Highlands and thus to deal with
some of the root causes of the problems in the area. In January 2003 the Government of Vietnam agreed
that an exploratory mission of the Commission could visit the area in the coming weeks.

the latest

The Commission’s policy towards Vietnam is to encourage and support progress on human rights and
democratisation, and to raise concerns where abuses occur or where a deterioration in the situation
becomes evident. The Commission works closely with the Member States to monitor closely human rights
developments in the country and participates in all Union démarches to the Government of Vietnam on
human rights issues. The Commission’s Delegation in Hanoi, together with the diplomatic missions of the
Member States, will continue to follow closely developments in the Central Highlands and take appropriate
action.