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Resolution on Vietnam

2016/2755(RSP)

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Vietnam. The resolution was tabled by the EPP, S&D, ECR, ALDE, Greens/EFA and EFDD.

Noting that independent political parties, labour unions and human rights organisations are banned in Vietnam, with official approval needed for public gatherings, Parliament called on the Government of Vietnam to put an immediate stop to all harassment, intimidation, and persecution of human rights, social and environmental activists. It insisted that the government respect these activists’ right to peaceful protest and release anyone still wrongfully held.

Expressing strong concerns about the increasing levels of violence perpetrated against Vietnamese protesters expressing their anger over the mass deaths of fish along the country’s central coast, Parliament asked for the publication of the results of the investigations into the environmental disaster and for those responsible to be held accountable. It condemned the conviction and harsh sentencing of journalists and bloggers in Vietnam and called for their release.

It deplored the continuing violations of human rights in Vietnam, including political intimidation, harassment, assaults, and arbitrary arrests, and expressed concerns at the consideration by the National Assembly of a Law on Associations and a Law on Belief and Religion which are incompatible with international norms of freedom of association and freedom of religion or belief. Parliament repeated its calls for the revision of specific articles in the Vietnamese criminal code that are used to suppress freedom of expression. It considered it regrettable that none of the 18 000 prisoners granted amnesty on 2 September 2015 were political prisoners.

The Vietnamese Government was called upon to:

  • establish effective accountability mechanisms for its police forces and security agencies, with a view to stopping abuse against prisoners or detainees;
  • put an end to religious persecution and to amend their legislation on the status of religious communities in order to re-establish the legal status of non-recognised religions;
  • withdraw the fifth draft of the Law on Belief and Religion, which is currently under debate in the National Assembly, and to prepare a new draft that conforms to Vietnam’s obligations under Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

For its part, the EU was called upon to increase its political dialogue on human rights with Vietnam and use all appropriate tools and instruments to accompany the Government of Vietnam in these steps and to support and protect human rights defenders.

Lastly, Parliament commended Vietnam’s achievement of a significant number of Millennium Development Goals, and the recently adopted law on gay marriage.