92002E0487

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0487/02

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) and Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(22 February 2002)

Subject: Religious minorities in Vietnam

Is the Commission continuing to monitor the human rights situation in Vietnam, in particular, the rights of religious minorities?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(20 March 2002)

The Commission Delegation in Hanoi, together with the diplomatic missions of the Member States, continues to follow closely the human rights situation in Vietnam.

Regarding religious freedom, over the last number of years, the Commission has observed considerable progress for the majority of the Vietnamese people

of faith, including a significant proportion of the population who practise freely the Christian or Buddhist religions. There remain, however, issues on which further progress is needed, as well as a number of individual cases of concern.

The Commission Delegation in Hanoi and the diplomatic missions of the Member States raise on an ongoing basis issues of concern in relation to human rights, as well as individual cases. In addition, the human rights situation was discussed during the Union-Vietnam Joint Commission in Hanoi on 6 November 2001 and again raised during the donors Consultative Group Meeting in Hanoi on 7-8 December 2001.