(2004/C 70 E/200)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3003/03

by Marco Pannella (NI), Emma Bonino (NI), Marco Cappato (NI), Gianfranco Dell'Alba (NI), Benedetto Della Vedova (NI), Olivier Dupuis (NI) and Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(14 October 2003)

Subject:   Repeated violations of the basic human rights of the Vietnamese highland people, the Montagnards

Knowing that:

The Commission:

Joint answer

to Written Questions E-3001/03, E-3002/03 and E-3003/03

given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(19 November 2003)

Since February 2001, when social unrest spread in parts of the Central Highlands of Vietnam, independent and verifiable information on the situation has been difficult to obtain, as visits by foreign diplomats and journalists to this region have been severely restricted. As a consequence, it is difficult for the Commission to get a complete first-hand assessment of the current situation on the ground.

It should be noted, however, that the number of visits managed and organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has increased during the course recent last months. Such visits have been carried out, inter alia, by a local Union working level troika in June 2003 and the United States Ambassador for international religious freedom J. Hanford in October 2003. The increased number of these visits seems to indicate a higher degree of openness on the part of the Vietnamese Government as regards the situation in the Central Highlands. At the same time, the government is paying greater attention to the region, and attempting to tackle some of the issues that triggered the 2001 unrest, such as low economic prospects, over-dependency on coffee as a cash crop, lack of social services such as health, education, etc.

Yet, at the same time, there has been a continuous flow of reports from credible sources indicating that the social conflicts — arising from migratory pressures on the local ethnic minorities, aspirations to a greater recognition of their distinctive identity, disputes over land rights, diverse religious beliefs, and desires for some sort of political autonomy for the region — persist. Reports also point to heavy pressure on all forms of local dissent, affecting in particular local Protestants, whom the government suspects of supporting the creation of a ‘Degar Homeland’. While denying all these reports, the government is publicising sporadic trials against members of ethnic minorities accused of helping others to cross into Cambodia, which is a sign of continued dissatisfaction among local ethnic minorities. There are, however, also reports of external interference in the region.

The Commission will continue to monitor closely the situation in the Central Highlands, via its Delegations to Vietnam and Cambodia, including through its participation in Union missions to the region, and to raise its concerns vis-à-vis the Vietnamese Government; this with a view to monitoring the respect of the right of ethnic minorities to maintain their cultural identity and religious freedom. The Union has repeatedly affirmed that human rights and democratisation must form an integral part of all political dialogues with third countries. The dialogues regularly include discussion of free access of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UN human rights rapporteurs. Religious freedom, as one of the fundamental human rights, is addressed through the Union's political dialogue and, when appropriate, through démarches and public declarations, as well as through Union action in fora such as the United Nations Commission on Human Rights or the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. The reference to the respect for Human Rights and democratic principles in the EC-Vietnam Cooperation Agreement enables the Commission to address human rights issues in its bilateral contacts with the Government of Vietnam.

It is also noteworthy that the Vietnamese Government has stated its interest in extending an invitation to a delegation from the Parliament to visit the country soon, which might provide the Parliament with an opportunity to assess the situation at first hand itself.