Vietnam | Jun 20, 2016
Attention: The World Bank
International Money Fund
Asian Development Bank
Government of Japan
U.S Government
U.S Congress
Government of Australia
European Union
Nine empty chairs at meeting with President Obama in Hanoi in May 2016 clearly reflected the situation of human rights in Vietnam. Obviously, Vietnamese regime engages in continuous and systematic human right violations to crack down on freedom of religion, assembly, the press, independent unions, and disidents.
We would like to highlight the following issues.
- Official Development Assistance contributes indirectly to maintaining security forces in Vietnam.
International organizations criticized the recent break up protests over environment by Vietnam’s government in May 2016. Freedom Houes also stated that Hanoi imposed restrictions basic rights against Vietnamese people.
In 2016, Human Rights Wacht reported that human right records was critical. Rights activists and dissident bloggers face constant harassment and intimidation, including physical assault and imprisonment. Farmers lost land to development projects without adequate compensation, and there was the absence of independent unions for workers.
According to HRW, in 2015 there were at least 45 bloggers and rights activists were beaten by plainclothes agents. And about 150 political prisoners are currently imprisoned by the regime.
Press and media are extreemly censored and restricted. Vietnam is ranked 175th out of 180 countries in the 2016 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Border ( RFS) due to violations against freedom of the press and intimidations against journalists who dared to cover sensitive stories.
U.S. Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski once told VOA that legal reform process which Vietnamese government committed did not make any progress. Since the 1992 Constitution, Vietnam’s government has not enforced Law on Free Religion and Belief, Association, and Assembly.
Under those circumtances, each US dollars lended to Vietnamese government is indirectly used to maintain the security forces that continuously harass and intimidate dissidents and Vietnamese people.
- Corruption in Official Development Assistance ( ODA)
ODA has created national corruption for years. The share of ODA to be corrupted is “officially” between 20 to 25%. By a school project in Ha Tinh Province, mainstream media reported the share of corruption up to 40% during the period between 2009 and 2010.
Aid budget has been wasted because of corruptions and inefficiency. To elaborate, the overpass in Gia Rai, Bac Lieu Province costed 290 billions ( appr. 13 million USD) and has not been used for 3 years; or ineffective projects included a rice-bran oil refinery in Ben Tre, a jute bag manufacture in Ho Chi Minh City, frozen seafood plant in the city of Ha Long, silk project in the province of Lam Dong, and a number of mechanics, water supply development, and agriculture projects funded by French and German.
Transport projects are mostly behind schedule and their actual costs usually exceed the initial estimate such as metro line Nhon – Hanoi Station, Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien and Ben Thanh- Tham Luong.
The donor’s countries require the transparency and accountability of ODA but Hanoi failed its commitments. Every 5 to 7 years Vietnam’s government issues a new decree to manage ODA. However, Vietnamese people are never informed of any projects and there was no debates about injustice and corruption in ODA.
As a result, the government of Danmark, Sweden, and Australia decided to cut down sharply their ODA toVietnam.
- ODA and International Development Association (IDA) Credit
In June 2016, Ministry of Finance’s Debt Management and External Finance Department was quite optimistic about 22 billions USD in ODA committed by donors. The corruption share of 40% from the disbursement amount could be equivalent to billions USD and that would go directly to the authorities’ private shares.
Vietnam regime currently requests the Government of Japan’s supports to access more low interest funds like World Bank’s IDA from 2017 onwards.
Officially, eligibility for IDA support depends on a country’s relative poverty, defined as GNI per capita below an established threshold and updated annually ($1,215 in fiscal year 2016). Whereas, in 2015 Vietnam anticipated $2,300 GDP per capita which was twice more than the threshold level. The question was that wheather Vietnam’s government was attempting to misuse IDA credits which carries no or low interest charges.
Vietnam’s government hinted that if IDA was disbarred, they might have difficulties in paying off their existing debt. Dan Tri, a mainstream media outlet, recently reported: “Vietnam seeked for new loans from IDA18 after graduating at the end of IAD17 period, the loans would guarantee Hanoi to meet its debt obligations without damaging ODA or other credits.”
- Tie development aid on condition of improving human rights
4.1. Imposing loan sanctions
Why international banks and organizations do not implement loan embargo against Vietnamese regime?
Loan embargo would be more effective than trade sanctions and therefore could help pressure dictators to undertake needed reforms. This was the results of limiting their ability to get loans abroad and then embezzle borrowed funds—or use the funds to finance the prosecution of their people.
At the same time, a loan embargo would protect the people’s interests by releasing them from the obligation to repay the accumulated debts after they finally free themselves from their illegitimate government.
Had loan embargo been imposed in time, the people of South Africa, the former Zaire, the Fillipinos, the Croatian would not bear the billion-dollar debts of their repressors today.
4.2 Tying development aid on condition of improving human rights
We, the Vietnamese independent social organizations, urge international creditors and donors’ gorvenments to consider improving human right records as priority conditions to access ODA and IDA, and especially to put human right conditions into effect upon disbursement of 22 billions ODA loans which would be disbured between now and 2020 or later on to Vietnam’s government.
In additions, decrees on managing and using ODA capital must be completely reformed, and loans should be administered through participatory and accountable processes by Vietnamese people and independent organizations.
ODA must be used properly and not used to cover expense constants which included expense for security force. In 2016 Vietname’s government approved approximately 2,5 billions out of 4,7 billions ODA to cover its expense constants.
Since 2014, TPP has been approached on human-right base; thus WB, IMF, ADB, the government of Japan and Australia, and the EU should apply the same principles for ODA or IDA loans. It is to fulfill the basis human rights on the freedom of expression, information and the development of cilvil society in Vietnam and to prevent Vietnamese authorities to waste taxpayers‘ money from donors countries.
Please pressure Vietnamese Government to:
– Release all prisoners of conscience immediately;
– Respect the freedom of expression, essembly and association; respect unions, religious organizations, and independent civil society;
– Enact legal reforms to abolish the violations of basis human rights;
– Officially recognize and coorporate with independent civil society.
Thank your for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Vietnam, June 20, 2016
The independent civil society organizations in Vietnam:
Independent Journalist association of Vienam, represented by Doctor Pham Chi Dung, President
Former Vietnamese Prisoners of Conscience, represented by Dr. Nguyen Dan Que and Rev. Phan Van Loi
Brotherhood for Democracy, represented by Mr. Nguyen Trung Ton
Delegation of Vietnamese United Buddhists Church, represented by the Ven. Thich Khong Tanh
Hoa Hao Buddhists Church, Purity, represented by Le Quang Hien
Vietnam-US Lutheran Alliance Church, represented by Pastor Nguyen Hoang Hoa
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June 21, 2016
Vietnamese civil society suggests to tie development aid on condition of improving human rights
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
Vietnam | Jun 20, 2016
Attention: The World Bank
International Money Fund
Asian Development Bank
Government of Japan
U.S Government
U.S Congress
Government of Australia
European Union
Nine empty chairs at meeting with President Obama in Hanoi in May 2016 clearly reflected the situation of human rights in Vietnam. Obviously, Vietnamese regime engages in continuous and systematic human right violations to crack down on freedom of religion, assembly, the press, independent unions, and disidents.
We would like to highlight the following issues.
International organizations criticized the recent break up protests over environment by Vietnam’s government in May 2016. Freedom Houes also stated that Hanoi imposed restrictions basic rights against Vietnamese people.
In 2016, Human Rights Wacht reported that human right records was critical. Rights activists and dissident bloggers face constant harassment and intimidation, including physical assault and imprisonment. Farmers lost land to development projects without adequate compensation, and there was the absence of independent unions for workers.
According to HRW, in 2015 there were at least 45 bloggers and rights activists were beaten by plainclothes agents. And about 150 political prisoners are currently imprisoned by the regime.
Press and media are extreemly censored and restricted. Vietnam is ranked 175th out of 180 countries in the 2016 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Border ( RFS) due to violations against freedom of the press and intimidations against journalists who dared to cover sensitive stories.
U.S. Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski once told VOA that legal reform process which Vietnamese government committed did not make any progress. Since the 1992 Constitution, Vietnam’s government has not enforced Law on Free Religion and Belief, Association, and Assembly.
Under those circumtances, each US dollars lended to Vietnamese government is indirectly used to maintain the security forces that continuously harass and intimidate dissidents and Vietnamese people.
ODA has created national corruption for years. The share of ODA to be corrupted is “officially” between 20 to 25%. By a school project in Ha Tinh Province, mainstream media reported the share of corruption up to 40% during the period between 2009 and 2010.
Aid budget has been wasted because of corruptions and inefficiency. To elaborate, the overpass in Gia Rai, Bac Lieu Province costed 290 billions ( appr. 13 million USD) and has not been used for 3 years; or ineffective projects included a rice-bran oil refinery in Ben Tre, a jute bag manufacture in Ho Chi Minh City, frozen seafood plant in the city of Ha Long, silk project in the province of Lam Dong, and a number of mechanics, water supply development, and agriculture projects funded by French and German.
Transport projects are mostly behind schedule and their actual costs usually exceed the initial estimate such as metro line Nhon – Hanoi Station, Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien and Ben Thanh- Tham Luong.
The donor’s countries require the transparency and accountability of ODA but Hanoi failed its commitments. Every 5 to 7 years Vietnam’s government issues a new decree to manage ODA. However, Vietnamese people are never informed of any projects and there was no debates about injustice and corruption in ODA.
As a result, the government of Danmark, Sweden, and Australia decided to cut down sharply their ODA toVietnam.
In June 2016, Ministry of Finance’s Debt Management and External Finance Department was quite optimistic about 22 billions USD in ODA committed by donors. The corruption share of 40% from the disbursement amount could be equivalent to billions USD and that would go directly to the authorities’ private shares.
Vietnam regime currently requests the Government of Japan’s supports to access more low interest funds like World Bank’s IDA from 2017 onwards.
Officially, eligibility for IDA support depends on a country’s relative poverty, defined as GNI per capita below an established threshold and updated annually ($1,215 in fiscal year 2016). Whereas, in 2015 Vietnam anticipated $2,300 GDP per capita which was twice more than the threshold level. The question was that wheather Vietnam’s government was attempting to misuse IDA credits which carries no or low interest charges.
Vietnam’s government hinted that if IDA was disbarred, they might have difficulties in paying off their existing debt. Dan Tri, a mainstream media outlet, recently reported: “Vietnam seeked for new loans from IDA18 after graduating at the end of IAD17 period, the loans would guarantee Hanoi to meet its debt obligations without damaging ODA or other credits.”
4.1. Imposing loan sanctions
Why international banks and organizations do not implement loan embargo against Vietnamese regime?
Loan embargo would be more effective than trade sanctions and therefore could help pressure dictators to undertake needed reforms. This was the results of limiting their ability to get loans abroad and then embezzle borrowed funds—or use the funds to finance the prosecution of their people.
At the same time, a loan embargo would protect the people’s interests by releasing them from the obligation to repay the accumulated debts after they finally free themselves from their illegitimate government.
Had loan embargo been imposed in time, the people of South Africa, the former Zaire, the Fillipinos, the Croatian would not bear the billion-dollar debts of their repressors today.
4.2 Tying development aid on condition of improving human rights
We, the Vietnamese independent social organizations, urge international creditors and donors’ gorvenments to consider improving human right records as priority conditions to access ODA and IDA, and especially to put human right conditions into effect upon disbursement of 22 billions ODA loans which would be disbured between now and 2020 or later on to Vietnam’s government.
In additions, decrees on managing and using ODA capital must be completely reformed, and loans should be administered through participatory and accountable processes by Vietnamese people and independent organizations.
ODA must be used properly and not used to cover expense constants which included expense for security force. In 2016 Vietname’s government approved approximately 2,5 billions out of 4,7 billions ODA to cover its expense constants.
Since 2014, TPP has been approached on human-right base; thus WB, IMF, ADB, the government of Japan and Australia, and the EU should apply the same principles for ODA or IDA loans. It is to fulfill the basis human rights on the freedom of expression, information and the development of cilvil society in Vietnam and to prevent Vietnamese authorities to waste taxpayers‘ money from donors countries.
Please pressure Vietnamese Government to:
– Release all prisoners of conscience immediately;
– Respect the freedom of expression, essembly and association; respect unions, religious organizations, and independent civil society;
– Enact legal reforms to abolish the violations of basis human rights;
– Officially recognize and coorporate with independent civil society.
Thank your for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Vietnam, June 20, 2016
The independent civil society organizations in Vietnam:
Independent Journalist association of Vienam, represented by Doctor Pham Chi Dung, President
Former Vietnamese Prisoners of Conscience, represented by Dr. Nguyen Dan Que and Rev. Phan Van Loi
Brotherhood for Democracy, represented by Mr. Nguyen Trung Ton
Delegation of Vietnamese United Buddhists Church, represented by the Ven. Thich Khong Tanh
Hoa Hao Buddhists Church, Purity, represented by Le Quang Hien
Vietnam-US Lutheran Alliance Church, represented by Pastor Nguyen Hoang Hoa