HRW | Aug 12, 2015
(Sydney) – Australia should press for progress on human rights at its upcoming bilateral human rights dialogue with Vietnam to be held in Canberra on August 14, 2015. Human Rights Watch made a submission covering key areas for improvement such as political prisoners, police abuse, repression of religious freedom, and asylum seeker boat turnbacks.
“Vietnam’s human rights record remains dire, the government suppresses virtually all forms of political dissent,” said Elaine Pearson, Australia director. “Police routinely use torture and beatings to extract confessions and punish detainees, and religious minorities and activists are harassed and imprisoned.”
Freedom of expression, association, and assembly are tightly restricted in Vietnam, the submission said. Vietnam’s criminal justice system lacks independence and operates under the direction of the government and party. Despite intense pressure, increasing numbers of courageous bloggers and activists are vocal in calling for democracy and greater freedoms.
Australia recently returned two boats carrying Vietnamese asylum seekers back to Vietnam. Human Rights Watch urged the Australian government to use the dialogue to seek public assurances from Vietnam about the whereabouts and safety of all returned asylum seekers, and if any of the returnees have been detained, under what charges.
Previously, Australian border officials have said that the Vietnamese government gave written assurances that the asylum seekers would face “no retribution for their illegal departure from Vietnam.” However, such assurances would not preclude prosecution under an array of vaguely worded and overly broad provisions in the penal code, such as “abusing democratic freedoms” or “undermining unity of the state.”
At the dialogue, Human Rights Watch urged both governments to set clear benchmarks for improvements and make the outcome of the discussions public.
“Vietnam’s assurances that people won’t be prosecuted for illegal departure says nothing about persecution for acts that may have caused them to flee in the first place,” said Pearson. “Closed door chats about human rights will only be worthwhile if the governments then make commitments on the public record which they can be held accountable on.”
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August 13, 2015
Australia: Vietnam Dialogue Should Press for Rights Progress
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
HRW | Aug 12, 2015
(Sydney) – Australia should press for progress on human rights at its upcoming bilateral human rights dialogue with Vietnam to be held in Canberra on August 14, 2015. Human Rights Watch made a submission covering key areas for improvement such as political prisoners, police abuse, repression of religious freedom, and asylum seeker boat turnbacks.
“Vietnam’s human rights record remains dire, the government suppresses virtually all forms of political dissent,” said Elaine Pearson, Australia director. “Police routinely use torture and beatings to extract confessions and punish detainees, and religious minorities and activists are harassed and imprisoned.”
Freedom of expression, association, and assembly are tightly restricted in Vietnam, the submission said. Vietnam’s criminal justice system lacks independence and operates under the direction of the government and party. Despite intense pressure, increasing numbers of courageous bloggers and activists are vocal in calling for democracy and greater freedoms.
Australia recently returned two boats carrying Vietnamese asylum seekers back to Vietnam. Human Rights Watch urged the Australian government to use the dialogue to seek public assurances from Vietnam about the whereabouts and safety of all returned asylum seekers, and if any of the returnees have been detained, under what charges.
Previously, Australian border officials have said that the Vietnamese government gave written assurances that the asylum seekers would face “no retribution for their illegal departure from Vietnam.” However, such assurances would not preclude prosecution under an array of vaguely worded and overly broad provisions in the penal code, such as “abusing democratic freedoms” or “undermining unity of the state.”
At the dialogue, Human Rights Watch urged both governments to set clear benchmarks for improvements and make the outcome of the discussions public.
“Vietnam’s assurances that people won’t be prosecuted for illegal departure says nothing about persecution for acts that may have caused them to flee in the first place,” said Pearson. “Closed door chats about human rights will only be worthwhile if the governments then make commitments on the public record which they can be held accountable on.”