Parliamentary questions
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2182/03
by Maurizio Turco (NI), Marco Pannella (NI), Marco Cappato (NI), Benedetto Della Vedova (NI), Gianfranco Dell'Alba (NI) and Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission
(19 June 2003)

Subject: Violation of freedom of expression in Vietnam

The Misna news agency reported on 18 June that the Vietnamese doctor Phan Hong Son had been sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment, followed by an additional 3 years' house arrest, for collecting information and documents issued by a foreign country to use them against the Socialist State of Vietnam. The doctor was arrested on 27 March 2002 after having translated, and sent to Vietnamese friends and officials, an article entitled "What is democracy?" which he had found on the US State Department's Internet site. Furthermore Dr Son had written, and published on the web, an open letter protesting against the fact that his house had been searched and his computer confiscated.

In view of the foregoing:

- What information does the Commission have concerning the case of Dr Phan Hong Son?

- What type of pressure does the Commission intend to bring to bear on the Hanoi Government to obtain the immediate release of Dr Phan Hong Song, who is guilty only of having translated into his own language, and circulated, a document about democracy?

- More generally, what type of initiative does the Commission intend to take to dissuade the Vietnamese Government from continuing to take action (such as abolishing the right to freedom of expression) in flagrant breach of the international agreements to which Vietnam subscribes and the spirit and letter of the cooperation agreement between Vietnam and the EU?

E-2182/03EN
Answer given by Mr. Patten
on behalf of the Commission
(31 July 2003)

The Commission is well aware of the trial and verdict against Dr. Son. The Presidency and the Commission had formally requested access to the trial of 18 June 2003. Local representatives of the Commission Delegation in Hanoi and of some Member States along with representatives of other diplomatic missions were present at the court building but were denied access. An appropriate reaction is currently under consideration.

The case of Dr. Son reflects the difficulty which the Vietnamese authorities have in dealing with what is perceived as opposition to the State and the Communist Party in a society unaccustomed to public dissent. Vietnam needs more rapid progress in its reform programme, including on governance, so that the administration could learn to deal with a wider range of views and appreciate the value of accommodating dissent in the system of government. The Commission has defined the promotion of good governance, best administrative practices and a properly functioning judiciary system as priorities for co-operation with Vietnam under the Country Strategy 2002 - 2006. The Commission believes that its co-operation programme, especially through its specific support for institutional and administrative reforms as well as the inclusion of governance related training activities into all co-operation projects will contribute to strengthen Vietnam's overall governance and human rights commitments.

The Commission's overall policy towards Vietnam is to encourage and support progress on human rights and democratisation, and to rise concerns where abuses occur or where a deterioration in the situation becomes evident. The Commission works closely with the Member States to monitor human rights developments in the country supporting démarches to the Government of Vietnam on human rights issues, including those pertaining to the situation of Persons of Concern. The Commission’s Delegation in Hanoi, together with the diplomatic missions of the Member States, will continue to follow closely the human rights situation in Vietnam and take appropriate action.