Vietnam acknowledged some human rights “wrongdoings” in its appearance before a UN watchdog on Friday, but rejected exiles’ allegations about the mistreatment of dissidents and minorities.
The exiles, backed by a major international human rights group, submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council accusing the Southeast Asian country of quashing press freedom and Internet access to try to silence critics.
Their report demanded the release of political prisoners held under “vague national security provisions” of Vietnam’s law — a call echoed by the US delegation in its speech on Friday.
The report also raised concerns about religious repression, widespread use of the death penalty and coercive birth control.
Vietnam defended its record at the 47-member forum in Geneva, which is assessing the Vietnamese human rights record under a mechanism that will scrutinize all UN members.
Pham Binh Minh, Vietnam’s first vice minister of foreign affairs, said Hanoi had made achievements. Religious activities had increased and ethnic minorities are “participating in an increasingly equal manner in social and political life.”
He acknowledged shortcomings, including “wrongdoings” by some civil servants with a limited understanding of human rights, saying his government is aware that challenges remain.
“We find it unfortunate that there have been unfounded reports and reject allegations of ill will about democracy and human rights in Vietnam,” Minh said. “Vietnam is still victim of hostile activities like terrorism, sabotage, acts to destabilize the country and infringe upon national security and territorial integrity.”
In his remarks to the UN forum, British ambassador Peter Gooderham said there had been improvement in some areas of civil and political rights, such as religious freedom.
“However, areas of concern remain, most notably freedom of expression, media freedoms and the death penalty,” he said.
The activists’ report says Vietnam’s ruling Communist authorities routinely use charges of espionage to detain “cyber-dissidents” for posting their views on the Internet.
“These crimes, which make no distinction between violent acts such as terrorism and the peaceful exercise of freedom of expression, are punishable by harsh prison terms including life imprisonment,” it said.
Seven crimes carry the death penalty.
Penelope Faulkner, executive secretary of the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights, said: “There are several thousand political prisoners all over the country. They are detained in all sorts of ways including house arrest.”
Vietnamese exiles including Buddhist monks demonstrated outside the UN offices in Geneva to draw attention to the rare international scrutiny of their homeland.
Repression on religious grounds was also described in the group’s report as widespread, despite freedom of religion being guaranteed in the Constitution.
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