Vol. 571 No. 2
195 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has raised the imprisonment of a person (details supplied) for 13 years by the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for peaceful expression of their political beliefs. [21102/03]
I am aware of reports that Dr. Pham Hong Son was arrested on 27 March 2002 and charged with "collecting and dispatching news and documents from a foreign country to be used against the Socialist State of Vietnam," after he had translated an article from the US embassy website titled, "What is Democracy?," and distributed it to friends and senior Vietnamese officials. I understand from these reports that Dr. Pham Hong Son, a national of Vietnam, was sentenced, after a half-day closed trial, on 18 June 2003, to 13 years' imprisonment and three years of house arrest on espionage charges.
The Government takes concerns about human rights in Vietnam seriously. While there is now a greater degree of freedom of information in Vietnam than there was a decade ago, there are still restrictions, and the Vietnamese government still insists on maintaining control over the dissemination of information. There have also been worrying reports of a crackdown on ethnic minorities, and on religious and political dissidents. The Vietnamese government also still implements the death penalty.
On 15 May 2002, the EU and Vietnam adopted a new co-operation strategy. While its primary aim is to assist in the reduction of poverty, it also deals with cross cutting concerns, including the promotion of human rights. Indeed, article one of the strategy reads that "respect for human rights and democratic principles is the basis for the co-operation between the parties and for the provisions of this agreement, and it constitutes an essential element of the agreement". Therefore, the EU heads of mission in Hanoi regularly raise human rights concerns in their contacts with the Vietnamese authorities.
I met with the Vietnamese Foreign Minister, Mr. Nguyen Dy Nien, when both of us attended the EU-ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting at Brussels on 27 and 28 January 2003. I used this occasion to discuss our bilateral relations and to raise issues of concern. I will take any further opportunities to emphasise the Government's concern about the human rights situation in Vietnam and the importance we attach to the elimination of religious discrimination, and the promotion of freedom of speech. In this regard, I will be very happy to raise the case mentioned by the Deputy. In addition, our ambassador at Kuala Lumpur, who is accredited to Vietnam, will also raise our concerns, including this specific case, at the next available opportunity.
