Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-11-20-Speech-4-175"
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"en.20031120.9.4-175"2
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"Mr President, in Vietnam, there is a marked gulf between what is claimed to happen and what actually does as regards the freedom to practice a religion. The freedom to believe in a religion, or not to do so, is guaranteed. That is what Vietnam’s constitution claims; that is what the country has undertaken to do in a number of agreements, for example the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The reality, though, is something else. Worshippers, priests, monks and eminent religious dignitaries are harassed, persecuted and locked up. State recognition is denied to such faith communities as the Montagnard Christians or the Hoa Hao Buddhists. Vietnam’s United Buddhist Church was banned in 1975; its Patriarch was interned for 21 years and was released only in 1998 following international pressure. Much hope was kindled when he met the Prime Minister in April of this year, but, following these conversations, the authorities stepped up their action against the adherents of this church and of other religions.
In October, the Patriarch and his deputy were placed under house arrest, and many of their followers were sentenced to two-year terms of imprisonment. Cooperation between the European Union and Vietnam is founded upon the absence of any restriction on the exercise of human rights, as is stated in our cooperation agreement of 1985. The Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats strongly condemns the latest acts of repression. If the Hanoi Government does not want to jeopardise its cooperation with the EU, legal status must be granted to all churches, and people interned for their religious beliefs must be set at liberty. We urge the Council and the Commission to use all diplomatic means to make religious freedom a reality in Vietnam.
I ask you, Commissioner Kinnock, to use your personal influence to make this issue central to tomorrow’s meeting in Brussels between the representatives of Hanoi and those of the EU’s Commission in the EU-Vietnam Joint Committee. We believe that Parliament needs to send a delegation to Vietnam to examine the situation on the ground and have talks with office-holders of all religions."@en1
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