Sunday, October 26, 2008

Khmer Krom: Vietnam Urged to End Violations

25/10/2008
UNPO

The European Parliament has asked Vietnam to allow for the peaceful expression of political and religious beliefs.

The European parliament is asking that, before the conclusion of the new EU-Vietnam partnership and cooperation agreement, Hanoi put an end to the systematic violation of democracy and human rights. The resolution was approved yesterday [23 October 2008] by a wide majority - 479 votes in favor, 21 opposed, and 4 abstentions - and calls upon the Commission and Council to ask Vietnam to "stop the current systematic violation of democracy and human rights."

The European parliament asks for the liberation of political and religious dissidents, guarantees of freedom of expression, the press, and worship, the restitution of confiscated ecclesiastical property, and, finally, that UN representatives be permitted to meet with political and religious prisoners, including the highlanders. A statement released from Strasbourg specifies that the country must "repeal provisions in Vietnamese law that criminalise dissent and certain religious activities on the basis of imprecisely defined ‘national security’ crimes, and end the Vietnamese government’s censorship and control over the domestic media."

The parliament further suggests asking the Vietnamese government "to release all people imprisoned or detained for the peaceful expression of political or religious beliefs," including more than 300 Christian highlanders, in addition to Khmer Krom Buddhist monks, human rights activists, authors of petitions on land ownership rights, cyber dissidents, labor representatives, Catholic parishioners, and followers of the Hoa Hoa Buddhist Church and of the Cao Dai religion.

Hanoi is also expected to overturn immediately and completely the house arrests of Thich Quang Do, the supreme patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, and of Khmer Krom monk Tim Sakhorn, and to permit independent religious organizations to carry out their activities freely and without government interference, in addition to giving back confiscated ecclesiastical properties and pagodas and restoring the legal status of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam.

The parliament finally asks the Vietnamese government to cooperate actively with UN agencies on human rights, inviting the special relator on religious tolerance and the working group on arbitrary detention to go to Vietnam and guaranteeing officials and special relators of the United Nations unlimited access to all areas of the country. This also includes the central and northern high plains, where they are expected to be allowed to have private talks with political and religious prisoners and detainees, in addition to the highlanders who have returned from Cambodia to Vietnam and are asking for asylum.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

bravo...!
khmer krom brothers,sisters....!

Anonymous said...

Vietnam have forgotten it was the french who slaved them for over 200 years, and not its neighbor, not their asian neighbor, but the white skin man.

If vietnam can't stop bully their asian, and buddish botherhood. Maybe vietnam need more pain and suffering of their history again.

beside that, good to know some rightous path is gaining ground. Hopefully not just politic.

Anonymous said...

The yuon democracy.It's democracy without the say of the people.

Anonymous said...

Well, the people is saying, "Stop trying to steal the temple from Khmer people in Vietnam, Ah monkeys in Cambodia!:

Anonymous said...

9:19 AM

Look you should take cover a rocket will fall on your head soon, Anupong will do a coup.

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d07Cl04l9jk&feature=related