Setback to Human Rights in Vietnam

Human rights in Vietnam have suffered several setbacks in recent weeks. The Norwegian authorities have made formal protests against the arrest of Father Nguyen Van Ly and the refusal of the Vietnamese authorities to allow the Chairman of the Board of the Rafto Foundation to enter the country.

Vietnam’s security police have in recent weeks arrested several members of the country’s growing democracy movement and placed them under house arrest. These include the Catholic priest Fader Nguyen Van Ly and various members of the political group Bloc 8406/Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights, which was formed in 2006. Members of the United Buddhist Church of Vietnam, including Thich Quang Do, the recipient of the Rafto Prize in 2006, have also been subjected to increased controls.

“We have protested both at the arrest of Father Ly and at the refusal to grant a visa to the Chairman of the Board of the Rafto Foundation,” says State Secretary Raymond Johansen.

“We have requested that Father Ly be released, and that the charges against him be dropped. We deeply regret that the Vietnamese authorities are continuing to refuse permission for the head of the Rafto Foundation to enter the country.”

Mr Johansen emphasises that the Norwegian authorities have expressed strong concern to the Vietnamese authorities about the arrests of several other peaceful, non-violent pro-democracy activists in recent days and weeks.

One of Vietnam’s most well-known pro-democracy activists, Professor Nguyen Chinh Ket––who heads Bloc 8406/Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights––is visiting Norway this week, and will have a meeting with State Secretary Raymond Johansen on Thursday 8 March.

Norway has had a formal human rights dialogue with Vietnam since 2003. The dialogue has focused on the death penalty, minority rights, prison conditions and the situation of imprisoned human rights defenders. During the dialogue meeting in January, Mr Johansen took up the situation of a number of human rights defenders, including Thich Quang Do.