News

Fifth ASEM Summit in Hanoi : 109 Euro MPs call for the immediate release of Buddhist dissidents Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do

In an Open Letter to the Presidency of the European Union, 109 prominent Members of the European Parliament from all political parties have urged the EU to place human rights, in particular human rights in Vietnam, “at the centre of discussions at the ASEM Summit in Hanoi”, and called for …

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AFP : Vietnam hits back at Washington religion report

  Agence France Presse   HANOI Sept 16, 2004 (AFP) – Vietnam on Thursday slammed the US State Department’s decision to name it a “country of particular concern” in its annual report on religious freedom, saying it was based on erroneous information. “It is a wrongful decision based on erroneous …

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dpa : U.S. designates Vietnam country of concern for religious freedom

    HANOI, Sept 16, 2004 (dpa) – The United States Thursday released a critical report on religious freedom in Vietnam and announced that it has designated the one-party state a country of particular concern. It is the first time that Vietnam has been added to the U.S. list of …

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Reuters : US adds Hanoi to list of nations abusing religion freedom

    By Christina Toh-Pantin HANOI, Sept 16 (Reuters) – Unsanctioned religious groups in Vietnam on Thursday welcomed Washington’s designation of Hanoi as an abuser of rights to worship, while U.S. businesses and non-governmental organisations expressed dismay. The State Department’s annual report tracking religious freedoms worldwide included the communist country …

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dpa : Vietnam slams U.S. religious freedom decision

    HANOI, Sept 16, 2004 (dpa) – Vietnam slammed the United States decision Thursday to designate the country as one of eight countries of particular concern in a religious freedom report. “It is a wrongful decision based on erroneous information and inaccurate reflection of Vietnam’s situation,” Vietnam’s press spokesman …

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Censorship and self-censorship at the ASEM 5 People’s Forum in Hanoi

As civil society activists from Asia and Europe leave Vietnam after the closure of the Fifth Asia-Europe (ASEM) People’s Forum held in Hanoi from 6-9 September 2004, many questions remain about Vietnam’s organization of this event, which precedes the official ASEM Summit to be held on 8-9 October in Hanoi. …

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The United States designates Vietnam as a “country of particular concern” for grave violations of religious freedom

U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell announced at a Press Conference in Washington D.C. today that Vietnam is on a list of 8 countries designated as “countries of particular concern” (CPCs), i.e. countries whose governments have engaged in or tolerated “particularly severe violations of religious freedom”. The list was …

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Today@ABS-CBN : Vietnam restricts Cambodian, Burmese activists
By ESTRELLA TORRES – TODAY Reporter

    HANOI – As 800 activists discuss wide-ranging issues on economic and human rights at the five-day Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the People’s Forum here, countries like Cambodia and Burma have apparently put pressure on Vietnamese authorities to restrain critical groups from airing their sentiments to gain international …

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The Nation : Getting Hanoi to loosen up

    Ban on media covering forum is a step back from Vietnam’s place on the global stage Vietnam has made impressive headway since the country opened up in the mid-1980s with its doi moi policy, or renovation process. It has joined Asean and other major economic groupings both in …

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dpa : ASEM Peoples Forum kicks off in Vietnams capital

    HANOI, Sept 6, 2004 (dpa) – The fifth ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) People’s Forum got underway in the Vietnamese capital Monday with over 800 delegates from Europe and Southeast Asia expected to attend. The forum was officially opened by Vietnams Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan, who said he was …

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