{"id":2688,"date":"2016-06-09T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/queme.org\/vi\/european-parliament-strongly-condemns-abuses-of-freedom-of-expression-assembly-and-religion-in-vietnam\/"},"modified":"2017-07-18T12:51:16","modified_gmt":"2017-07-18T12:51:16","slug":"european-parliament-strongly-condemns-abuses-of-freedom-of-expression-assembly-and-religion-in-vietnam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/queme.org\/en\/european-parliament-strongly-condemns-abuses-of-freedom-of-expression-assembly-and-religion-in-vietnam\/","title":{"rendered":"European Parliament strongly condemns abuses of freedom of expression, assembly and religion in Vietnam"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"EuropeanSTRASBURG, 9 June 2016 (VCHR) \u2013 At its plenary session in Strasburg today, the 751-member European Parliament adopted an Urgent Resolution<\/span><\/a> strongly condemning human rights violations in Vietnam, and the escalation of repression following the Communist Party\u2019s XII Congress in January which brought a hard-line leadership to power in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis resolution was co-sponsored by 139 MEPs from six main political groups\u201d<\/em> said V\u00f5 V\u0103n \u00c1i, President of the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR). \u201cIt shows that a large majority of MEPs from all across the political spectrum have had enough of Vietnam\u2019s human rights abuses. They are not deceived by Vietnam\u2019s cosmetic gestures of \u201cprogress\u201d and can see that violating fundamental rights is a natural characteristic of the Vietnamese regime\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

Whereas Vietnam announced today that last month\u2019s legislative elections (22 May) gave almost 96% of seats to the Communist Party, the EP Resolution notes that Vietnam \u201chas been a one-party state since 1975, with the Communist Party of Vietnam allowing no change to its leadership and having control of the National Assembly and the courts\u201d, and that independent political parties, labour unions and human rights organisations are banned in Vietnam\u201d <\/em>and there is no independent press.<\/p>\n

The Resolution cited extensive cases of abuse committed against political activists, journalists, bloggers, dissidents and human rights defenders, including \u201cpolitical intimidation, harassment, assaults, arbitrary arrests, heavy prison sentences and unfair trials\u201d. <\/em>It condemned the detention of Nguy\u1ec5n H\u1eefu Vinh, Nguy\u1ec5n Th\u1ecb Minh Thu\u00fd, \u0110\u1eb7ng Xu\u00e2n Di\u1ec7u, Nguy\u1ec5n C\u00f4ng Ch\u00ednh, Tr\u1ea7n Th\u1ecb H\u1ed3ng, Ng\u00f4 H\u00e0o, journalist Kim Qu\u1ed1c Hoa, and called for the immediate release of Nguy\u1ec5n V\u0103n \u0110\u00e0i, Tr\u1ea7n Minh Nh\u1eadt, Tr\u1ea7n Hu\u1ef3nh Duy Th\u1ee9c, L\u00ea Thu H\u00e0 and Th\u00edch Qu\u1ea3ng \u0110\u1ed9.<\/p>\n

During today\u2019s debate, MEP Fr\u00e9d\u00e9rique Ries expressed particular concern about the plight of Th\u00edch Qu\u1ea3ng \u0110\u1ed9: \u201cWe call for the release of all those who have been thrown behind bars, such as Th\u00edch Qu\u1ea3ng \u0110\u1ed9, leader and symbol of the Buddhist movement, who has been deprived of his freedom almost uninterruptedly for the past 34 years. He is 88 years old, Mr. President, and he is under house arrest in Saigon without any justification or charge. <\/em>His health has seriously deteriorated. We urgently call upon [EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security] Federica Mogherini to urge the European Commission and Council to use all the means at their disposal to obtain the release of Th\u00edch Qu\u1ea3ng \u0110\u1ed9 and all other political prisoner.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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