Quê Me Quê Me: Action for democracy in Vietnam & Vietnam Committee on Human Rights
Radio Free Asia: Monk of Banned Buddhist Church Reaffirms Commitment to Democracy in Vietnam
The head of a banned Buddhist church in Vietnam on Thursday expressed gratitude to the international community for advocating for his release from house arrest and reaffirmed his commitment to democracy activism in the one party communist nation. Thich Quang Do, the 87-year-old leader of the Unified Buddhist …
Read More »
Letter to U.S. President Barack Obama:
90 International personalities and CSOs call for the immediate and unconditional release of Vietnamese prisoner, Buddhist monk and dissident Thich Quang Do
PARIS-BERGEN, 17 November 2015 – As U.S. President Barack Obama arrives in Southeast Asia this week, ninety (90) international personalities and civil society organizations worldwide have signed a letter urging the President to press for the release of Vietnam’s most longstanding prisoner of conscience, Thich Quang Do, leader of the …
Read More »Thich Quang Do sends condolences to French President François Hollande following Paris terror attacks
PARIS, 16 November 2015 (IBIB) – The Most Venerable Thich Quang Do, Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church in Vietnam (UBCV) has sent a message of condolences to French President François Hollande following the series of massive, coordinated terrorist attacks that shook Paris on Friday 13th November 2015. Vietnam’s longest-detained …
Read More »Vietnam Committee on Human Rights & Rafto Foundation : Letter to U.S. President Barack Obama
New York, Washington, London, Paris, Stockholm, Bergen, Prague, 12th November 2015 Dear President Obama, We, the undersigned, academics, legislators, artists, religious leaders, members of international institutions and civil society organisations worldwide, believe in the power of dialogue and engagement, and we welcome the United States’ strengthened relationship with …
Read More »
Joint Statement of Concern on Vietnam’s Draft Law on Religion
We, the undersigned civil society organizations are concerned that Vietnam’s draft Law on Belief and Religion (1) is inconsistent with the right to freedom of religion or belief. We call upon the Government to comprehensively revise the draft Law to conform with Vietnam’s obligations under international human rights law in the …
Read More »U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report describes serious violations of freedom of religion or belief in Vietnam
PARIS, 27 October 2015 (VCHR) – Vo Van Ai, President of the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) welcomed the annual Report on International Religious Freedom issued by the U.S. State Department on the situation of religious freedom in the world. In the report, made public on 14 October, …
Read More »European Commission fails to address the human rights impacts of its trade agreement with Vietnam
PARIS, BRUSSELS, 7 October 2015 (FIDH & VCHR) – In their latest submission to the EU Ombudsman, dated 30 September 2015, FIDH and its member organisation, the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR), reiterated their call on the EU Commission (EC) to conduct a human rights impact assessment (HRIA) and …
Read More »Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Southeast Asia
The Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) endorsed a Declaration on strengthening freedom of religion or belief in Southeast Asia at the first regional conference on religious freedom in Southeast Asia, in Bangkok, Thailand, from 30 September to 1 October 2015. “This is a very important event because for the …
Read More »
Cambodia must stop refoulement of Montagnard asylum seekers to Viet Nam
We, the below signed civil society organizations are concerned about the possible refoulement by the Cambodian government of more than 100 Montagnard asylum seekers to Viet Nam and call on Cambodia not to take such action. Instead, Cambodia should uphold its legal obligations under the Refugee Convention and international …
Read More »