WRITTEN QUESTION E-2182/03 by Maurizio Turco (NI), Marco Pannella (NI), Marco Cappato (NI),Benedetto Della Vedova (NI), Gianfranco Dell'Alba (NI)and Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission. Violation of freedom of expression in Vietnam.
Date: 2003-06-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Viet Nam, cooperation agreement (EU), democratisation, freedom of expression, governance, human rights, political cooperation

26.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 51 E/219

We would take this opportunity also to inform you that, through the MEDA programme, the Commission
is actively engaged in modernising the Tunisian judicial system and making it more independent.

More generally, to promote respect of human rights more effectively in the Mediterranean area, the
Commission has adopted a communication concerning a new impetus to be given to human rights and
democratisation projects which will be implemented by the European Union in partnership with
Mediterranean countries. In this connection the Commission will be proposing to its partners that they
draw up plans for specific action.

(2004/C 51 E/239)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2182/03

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

Subject: Violation of freedom of expression in Vietnam

(30 June 2003)

The Misna news agency reported on 18 June that the Vietnamese doctor Phan Hong Son had been
sentenced to 13 years’
imprisonment, followed by an additional 3 years’ house arrest, for collecting
information and documents issued by a foreign country to use them against the Socialist State of Vietnam.
The doctor was arrested on 27 March 2002 after having translated, and sent to Vietnamese friends and
officials, an article entitled ‘What is democracy?’ which he had found on the US State Department’s
Internet site. Furthermore Dr Son had written, and published on the web, an open letter protesting against
the fact that his house had been searched and his computer confiscated.

In view of the foregoing:

(cid:1) What information does the Commission have concerning the case of Dr Phan Hong Son?

(cid:1) What type of pressure does the Commission intend to bring to bear on the Hanoi Government to
obtain the immediate release of Dr Phan Hong Song, who is guilty only of having translated into his
own language, and circulated, a document about democracy?

(cid:1) More generally, what type of initiative does the Commission intend to take to dissuade the Vietnamese
Government from continuing to take action (such as abolishing the right to freedom of expression) in
flagrant breach of the international agreements to which Vietnam subscribes and the spirit and letter
of the cooperation agreement between Vietnam and the EU?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2003)

The Commission is well aware of the trial and verdict against Dr. Son. The Presidency and the Commission
had formally requested access to the trial of 18 June 2003. Local representatives of the Commission
Delegation in Hanoi and of some Member States along with representatives of other diplomatic missions
were present at the court building but were denied access. An appropriate reaction is currently under
consideration.

The case of Dr. Son reflects the difficulty which the Vietnamese authorities have in dealing with what is
perceived as opposition to the State and the Communist Party in a society unaccustomed to public dissent.
including on governance, so that the
Vietnam needs more rapid progress in its reform programme,
administration could learn to deal with a wider range of views and appreciate the value of accommodating
dissent in the system of government. The Commission has defined the promotion of good governance,
best administrative practices and a properly functioning judiciary system as priorities for co-operation with
Vietnam under
its co-operation
programme, especially through its specific support for institutional and administrative reforms as well as

the Country Strategy 2002-2006. The Commission believes

that

C 51 E/220

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

26.2.2004

the inclusion of governance related training activities into all co-operation projects will contribute to
strengthen Vietnam’s overall governance and human rights commitments.

The Commission’s overall 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 to monitor human rights
developments in the country supporting démarches to the Government of Vietnam on human rights
issues, including those pertaining to the situation of Persons of Concern. The Commission’s Delegation in
Hanoi, together with the diplomatic missions of the Member States, will continue to follow closely the
human rights situation in Vietnam and take appropriate action.

(2004/C 51 E/240)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2185/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 June 2003)

Subject: Dismantling of old ships under hazardous conditions using underpaid labour, with associated

releases of toxic material, on the coasts of South Asia

1.
Is the Commission aware that the dismantling of old ships is increasingly being relocated to the
coasts of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, where the operations are often carried out in an amateurish
fashion without protection of labourers, producing not only 95 % steel but also 5 % toxic substances,
including asbestos and PCBs and in many cases also oil and gas residues?

2.
Is the Commission aware that as a result of such methods beaches are being irreparably polluted, the
traditional sources of livelihood for farmers and fishermen in the vicinity of the scrapyards are being
permanently destroyed and many of the workers, who earn only EUR 2 per day, become victims of
accidents, some of them fatal?

Does the Commission anticipate a further increase in this hazardous method of dismantling ships, as
3.
many single-hulled tankers will be decommissioned over the next years and the extremely low wages and
lack of safety precautions will induce many businesses to take their rustbuckets to the coasts of South
Asia?

Can the Commission confirm that the current practices contravene the existing legislation, namely

4.
the Basle Convention, which is intended to prevent exports of toxic waste?

5. Will the Commission,
inter alia on the occasion of the meeting of the International Maritime
Organisation (IMO) in July 2003, promote measures to genuinely help put an end to these exports of toxic
materials and waste as soon as possible?

(2004/C 51 E/241)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2290/03

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Export and dismantling of toxic ships

(11 July 2003)

The current export of toxic ships from European owners to the shipbreaking beaches of Asia (India,
Bangladesh and Pakistan) needs to be improved under international rules.

Is the Commission aware of the ongoing export of hazardous substances on board vessels to Asia?