VCHR

Vietnam lawyer arrested on “anti-Socialist propaganda” charges for discussing the Vietnamese Constitution

PARIS, 17 December 2015 (VCHR) – The Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) strongly denounces Vietnam’s arrest of Nguyen Van Dai, human rights lawyer and former political prisoner on 16 December 2015 in Hanoi. He is charged with “spreading propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” (Article 88 of the …

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EU should press for substantive progress, not promises, at EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue in Hanoi

  PARIS, 14 December 2015 (Vietnam Committee) – The Paris-based Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) called on the European Union today to press Vietnam to commit to urgent, measurable human rights progress at the fifth round of the enhanced EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue to be held in Hanoi on …

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Police harass and intercept UBCV monks and lay-followers to prevent celebrations of Buddhism’s Memorial Day in Hue

PARIS, 5.12.2015 (VCHR) – Buddhists in the central city of Hue sent an urgent report to Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) today that Police and security forces are intercepting, harassing and intimidating monks, nuns and lay-followers of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) to prevent them from organizing …

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Vietnam’s amended Criminal Code reduces death penalty crimes, increases restrictions on freedom and rights

PARIS, 27 November 2015 (VIETNAM COMMITTEE) – The Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) welcomes the abolition of the death penalty for seven crimes in the amended Criminal Code voted by Vietnam’s National Assembly today. However, VCHR is deeply disappointed that the long-promised reform of the Criminal Code has not …

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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 …

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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 …

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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, …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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