Résolution on Vietnam proposed by the Polish PEN Centre, seconded by English Centre, Swiss Italian Centre and Swiss Romand Centre.

The Assembly of Delegates of International PEN, meeting at its 66th International Congress, held in Warsaw, Poland, from 15-21 June 1999.

- Appreciates Vietnamese authorities ' decision to amnesty some of the country's best-known prisoners of conscience in August 1998;

- Concerned, however, that the recent economic changes are not accompanied by similar changes in the approach to the problem of human rights and freedom of expression;

- Distressed by the fact that several Vietnamese intellectuals, writers and journalists still remain in prison;

- Deplores the very poor conditions of detention (in prisons and hard labour camps) under which these prisoners of conscience are currently held;

- Appeals to the Vietnamese authorities to release immediately and unconditionally all individuals imprisoned for exercising the right of freedom of expression, among them:

* Nguyen Dinh Huy, eminent journalist, press editor and leading figure in the pro-democracy movement who is suffering from Parkinson's Disease. He is now held in Ham Tan hard labour camp. Formerly held in 1975 for 17 years in re-education camps, he was arrested again in November 1993 and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in August 1995. He is a recipient of the 1997 Hellman/Hammett award for freedom of expression and an honorary member of the Polish and English PEN Centres;

* Nguyen Ngoc Tan (pen-name Pham Thai), journalist and poet, now held in Ham Tan hard labour camp. Previously detained in 1975 and held for 15 years in a re-education camp. Arrested again in July 1995 and sentenced to 11 years emprisonment for his involvement in Nguyen Dinh Huy ' s pro-democracy movement. An honorary member of the Polish and English PEN Centres;

* Nguyen Ngoc Dai (other name Nguyen Ngoc Dat and religious name Thich Hue Dang), Bouddhist intellectuel and humanist scholar, now held in Xuan Loc hard labour camp. Arrested for writing forbidden work as "Essay on Humanism" and sentenced on May 27, 1992 to 20 years imprisonment;

And calls upon the Vietnamese authorities to observe the principles and rights set out in their own Constitution, as well as in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, particularly Article 19, which deals with the right of freedom of expression.

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