WRITTEN QUESTION E-0802/03 by Marco Pannella (NI), Emma Bonino (NI), Marco Cappato (NI),Gianfranco Dell'Alba (NI), Benedetto Della Vedova (NI)and Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission. Persecution by the Vietnamese authorities of Dr Que Nguyen and compliance with the UN Human Rights Commission's concluding observations of 27 July 2002.
Date: 2003-03-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Viet Nam, cooperation agreement (EU), government violence, human rights, opposition, restriction of liberty

C 65 E/46

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

The concerns expressed by the Honourable Member on the impact that aquaculture may have on the
aquatic ecosystem are addressed in the strategy, together with the measures that, in the opinion of the
Commission, are needed to allow for the establishment of an environmentally sound industry.

Concerning the specific case of the pollution generated by tourism on the shellfish waters, these are tackled
in the framework of Council Directive 79/923/EEC of 30 October 1979 on the quality required of shellfish
waters (2). The Directive asks the Member States to designate shellfish waters, and to establish programmes
in order to reduce pollution in these waters.

(1) COM(2002) 511 final.
(2) OJ L 281, 10.11.1979.

(2004/C 65 E/045)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0802/03

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

(17 March 2003)

Subject: Persecution by the Vietnamese authorities of Dr Que Nguyen and compliance with the UN Human

Rights Commission’s concluding observations of 27 July 2002

Dr Que Nguyen is one of the most prestigious internationally recognised figures in democratic, non-violent
Vietnamese circles.

Some facts about Dr Que Nguyen: he was first detained (and also held in isolation and tortured) from
1978-1988, on account of his ceaseless activities.

In 1990, after founding the ‘Non-violent Movement for Human Rights’ and publishing, on 11 May of that
year, the Movement’s manifesto, which called for the upholding of human rights and for political pluralism
and free elections, he was arrested and held in isolation; in 1991, following a half-hour sham trial, he was
for having ‘sought to overthrow the
sentenced to 20 years in prison plus five years’ house arrest
government’.

In 1995 he was awarded the Robert Kennedy Human Rights Award by the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial;
he has on a number of occasions been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and included on Amnesty
International’s prisoners-of-conscience list.

In 1998, following a government amnesty, he was placed under house arrest (where he remains to this
day) for reasons including his adamant refusal to be expelled from Vietnam, but he still suffers intimidation
and he is constantly prevented by the Vietnamese security forces from freely expressing his thoughts, being
denied the use of the telephone and the Internet.

On 20 September 2002, on the eve of the ‘World Day for Freedom and Democracy in Vietnam too’,
which had been organised by the Transnational Radical Party (of which Dr Que’s brother, Dr Quan
Nguyen, had become a member), Dr Que was assaulted in his own home by the Vietnamese security
forces, who searched for his papers and articles,
including the one in which he had condemned the
treatment inflicted on the Montagnard refugees in Cambodia (whom the Cambodian Government had
handed over to the Vietnamese authorities and of whom nothing more has been heard) and then sought to
arrest him for having insisted upon his rights.

He suffers from high blood pressure and serious health problems affecting his kidneys, and any further
persecution by the Vietnamese Government may damage his health for good.

In view of the above facts, will the Commission say whether:

(cid:1) it considers Dr Que’s treatment by the Vietnamese Government to be tolerable and compatible with
observance of the UN ’s Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the UN’s International Pact on
Civil Rights, which Vietnam has ratified?

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

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(cid:1) it intends to call formally on Vietnam to abide by the UN Human Rights Commission’s concluding
observations of 27 July 2002 and to make further implementation of the Cooperation Agreement
concluded with Vietnam formally conditional upon compliance with the requests put forward by the
UN Commission?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(24 April 2003)

The Commission understands that Dr Nguyen Dan Que is no longer under house arrest but has been
re-arrested on 17 March 2003 and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Mr Que’s arrest.

The Commission’s policy towards Vietnam is to encourage and support progress on human rights and
democratisation, and to rise concerns where abuses occur or where a deterioration in the situation
becomes evident. The Commission works closely with the Member States in monitoring human rights
developments in the country and participates in all Union démarches to the Government of Vietnam on
human rights issues.

Whereas the Commission shares the concerns expressed by the United Nations (UN) Human Rights
Committee in July 2002 concerning the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights in Vietnam,
it also notes the efforts which are being made by Vietnam to reform its
domestic legal order, to comply with its international, in particular, human rights, commitments. In this
context the Commission welcomes the decision of the Government of Vietnam to elaborate an action plan
for legal reform, based on the Legal Means Assessment, which has been established with the support of the
international donor community.

The Commission and the Member states have repeatedly urged the Government of Vietnam to strengthen
its respect for political and religious freedoms, as well as to further strengthen economic and social
freedoms. The EU has expressed this request in its declaration at the Consultative Group meeting in Hanoi
in December 2002. Moreover, the Commission and the Member States have declared that they will
welcome any possibility to support the Vietnamese Government in measures to strengthen the governance
the signing and
to improve human rights,
and public administrative reforms,
implementation of additional
international conventions in human rights and in other areas where
assistance could be helpful.

to prepare for

The reference to the respect for Human Rights and democratic principles of Article 1 of the Community-
Vietnam Co-operation Agreement constitutes the enabling framework for the Human Rights dialogue of
the Commission with the Government of Vietnam. The Commission, together with the Member States, will
continue to follow closely the human rights situation in Vietnam and take appropriate action.

(2004/C 65 E/046)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0811/03

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE)
and Bernd Lange (PSE) to the Commission

(17 March 2003)

Subject: Review of Directive 2000/14/EC on noise emission by outdoor equipment

Directive 2000/14/EC (1) harmonises the laws of the Member States relating to noise emission standards
and further data for equipment for use outdoors and was adopted on 8 May 2000. The scope of this
directive includes noisy equipment,
like building machines, compressors, cooling equipment, hydraulic
hammers or lawn mowers (see Annex I).