French President Francois Hollande to visit Vietnam on Sept 5-7
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By Defend the Defenders, September 4, 2016
On September 2, three days ahead of the official visit of French President François Hollande to Vietnam, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organizations, the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) and the French League for Human Rights (LDH) sent their joint letter to the French leader to ask him to address human rights issues in talks with local leaders during his three-day trip starting on September 5.
In their joint letter, the three organizations described Vietnam’s ongoing suppression against government critics and members of civil society. Activists and human rights defenders have been regularly subjected to physical assault, surveillance, restrictions on their freedom of movement, and arbitrary arrest and detention.
In addition, Vietnamese courts have continued to sentence activists and human rights defenders to prison terms for merely exercising their right to freedom of expression, such as prominent blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh, also known as Anh Ba Sam, condemned to five years in prison in March 2016, FIDH and its two members said.
Over the past four months, authorities have violently cracked down on a wave of nationwide peaceful protests organized in response to an unprecedented environmental disaster that caused massive fish deaths and seriously affected the livelihood of many communities in Vietnam’s central provinces. In many cases, security forces severely beat and arbitrarily arrested scores of participants, they noted.
Vietnam has now the dubious distinction of holding the largest number of political prisoners among Southeast Asian countries. Vietnam currently has approximately 130 dissidents behind bars, they noted.
FIDH, VCHR and LDH said President Hollande should press Vietnam’s leaders to order the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and to end all acts of harassment against activists and human rights defenders.
Existing legislation criminalizes the exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, and the right to freedom of religion or belief. Of particular concern are broadly-interpreted “national security” provisions in the Criminal Code that provide the legal means for the authorities’ relentless repression of dissent. These provisions, several of which make no distinction between acts of terrorism and expression of peaceful dissent, and prescribe the death penalty, are inconsistent with Vietnam’s international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the three human rights organizations said.
Recently, Vietnam amended its Penal Code and abolished the death penalty for seven crimes. However, 18 offenses still carry the death penalty. FIDH and its two affiliates urge President Hollande to call on Vietnam’s leaders to take urgent steps to abolish the death penalty for all crimes.
They said the draft Law on Belief and Religion which will likely be voted on very soon, is a serious step backwards for freedom of religion and belief in Vietnam and would violate the country’s international obligations under Article 18 of the ICCPR. The proposed law would legalize state interference in religious life by introducing a draconian system of registration for religious groups. The draft law would exacerbate restrictions on members of “non-recognized” religious groups, who already suffer harassment and arbitrary arrest and detention, they said.
President Hollande should raise the above-mentioned issues in his dialogue with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and demand that the government respect, promote, and fulfill human rights principles in accordance with the country’s international obligations and the numerous recommendations made by various human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, said FIDH.
FIDH, VCHR and LDH expressed their hope that during his planned speech at the Vietnam National University in Hanoi, President Hollande will show his support of independent civil society. It would be very valuable for Vietnamese people, especially young generation make increasing demands for democratic reforms and respect for human rights and the rule of law if they know that France stands with them, they said.
France must promote “Liberty, equality, and fraternity” in Vietnam where severe obstacles to the full enjoyment of key civil and political rights still remain, FIDH President Dimitris Christopoulos, VCHR President Vo Van Ai and LDH President Françoise Dumont said in the joint letter.
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September 4, 2016
French President Urged to Address Human Rights Issues in Upcoming Visit to Vietnam
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
French President Francois Hollande to visit Vietnam on Sept 5-7
By Defend the Defenders, September 4, 2016
On September 2, three days ahead of the official visit of French President François Hollande to Vietnam, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organizations, the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) and the French League for Human Rights (LDH) sent their joint letter to the French leader to ask him to address human rights issues in talks with local leaders during his three-day trip starting on September 5.
In their joint letter, the three organizations described Vietnam’s ongoing suppression against government critics and members of civil society. Activists and human rights defenders have been regularly subjected to physical assault, surveillance, restrictions on their freedom of movement, and arbitrary arrest and detention.
In addition, Vietnamese courts have continued to sentence activists and human rights defenders to prison terms for merely exercising their right to freedom of expression, such as prominent blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh, also known as Anh Ba Sam, condemned to five years in prison in March 2016, FIDH and its two members said.
Over the past four months, authorities have violently cracked down on a wave of nationwide peaceful protests organized in response to an unprecedented environmental disaster that caused massive fish deaths and seriously affected the livelihood of many communities in Vietnam’s central provinces. In many cases, security forces severely beat and arbitrarily arrested scores of participants, they noted.
Vietnam has now the dubious distinction of holding the largest number of political prisoners among Southeast Asian countries. Vietnam currently has approximately 130 dissidents behind bars, they noted.
FIDH, VCHR and LDH said President Hollande should press Vietnam’s leaders to order the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and to end all acts of harassment against activists and human rights defenders.
Existing legislation criminalizes the exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, and the right to freedom of religion or belief. Of particular concern are broadly-interpreted “national security” provisions in the Criminal Code that provide the legal means for the authorities’ relentless repression of dissent. These provisions, several of which make no distinction between acts of terrorism and expression of peaceful dissent, and prescribe the death penalty, are inconsistent with Vietnam’s international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the three human rights organizations said.
Recently, Vietnam amended its Penal Code and abolished the death penalty for seven crimes. However, 18 offenses still carry the death penalty. FIDH and its two affiliates urge President Hollande to call on Vietnam’s leaders to take urgent steps to abolish the death penalty for all crimes.
They said the draft Law on Belief and Religion which will likely be voted on very soon, is a serious step backwards for freedom of religion and belief in Vietnam and would violate the country’s international obligations under Article 18 of the ICCPR. The proposed law would legalize state interference in religious life by introducing a draconian system of registration for religious groups. The draft law would exacerbate restrictions on members of “non-recognized” religious groups, who already suffer harassment and arbitrary arrest and detention, they said.
President Hollande should raise the above-mentioned issues in his dialogue with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and demand that the government respect, promote, and fulfill human rights principles in accordance with the country’s international obligations and the numerous recommendations made by various human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, said FIDH.
FIDH, VCHR and LDH expressed their hope that during his planned speech at the Vietnam National University in Hanoi, President Hollande will show his support of independent civil society. It would be very valuable for Vietnamese people, especially young generation make increasing demands for democratic reforms and respect for human rights and the rule of law if they know that France stands with them, they said.
France must promote “Liberty, equality, and fraternity” in Vietnam where severe obstacles to the full enjoyment of key civil and political rights still remain, FIDH President Dimitris Christopoulos, VCHR President Vo Van Ai and LDH President Françoise Dumont said in the joint letter.