Vietnam
Prepares for UN Human Rights Review, Activists Lobby for Pressure
Tra Mi, Trung Nguyen - VOA
February 04, 2014
Representatives from the Vietnamese government will appear before the United
Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva Wednesday for a review of its human
rights record amid mounting criticism that Hanoi does not tolerate opposition
voices.
Rolando Gomez, spokesman for the council, told VOA’s Vietnamese service the
Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which takes place every four years, is "a
significant occasion for Vietnam."
"It will provide a unique opportunity for the government of Vietnam to spell out
what steps they have taken in the country to advance human rights," he said.
"The idea would also be for them to spell out the challenges that remain. It is
also an opportunity for other U.N. member states to propose recommendations to
Vietnam in a constructive manner."
Meanwhile, activists who accuse Vietnam of conducting a crackdown on critics are
also gathering in Geneva to offer their perspective and put pressure on Hanoi.
Blogger Nguyen Anh Tuan said a delegation of activists is meeting this week with
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and other U.N.
bodies.
"This is the first time a delegation of rights defenders from Vietnam has made
such a campaign trip to Western countries to provide the international community
with real facts and information on human rights in Vietnam," said Tuan. "We hope
the international community will make greater efforts in pushing Hanoi to
respect and improve human rights."
Another critic of the government in Hanoi is Dang Xuong Hung, a former
Vietnamese diplomat who is seeking asylum in Switzerland. Dang, who left his
post in Geneva after withdrawing from the Vietnamese Communist Party in 2012,
says minor reforms will not be enough.
"I would like the world to pay closer attention to Vietnam’s human rights to
help bring Vietnam back to the international community, back to the civilized
world, and to a brighter future," said Hung.
Last year, Vietnam was chosen to join the U.N. rights body in a move that
angered many activists, who said Hanoi should first improve its record.
Hanoi, which has said it has full respect for human rights, has dismissed the
activists' attempt to pressure the government. Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh
Minh was recently quoted by local media as saying that "there are forces and
people who always attempt to criticize Vietnam to serve their own purposes."
(This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Vietnamese service.)