We are concerned about the issue of religious freedom in Vietnam, but note that the situation has improved in recent years. In November 2004, the Vietnamese passed legislation which set out the terms under which religious groups may gain official recognition. However, implementation of the new rules has been variable between regions. Additionally, the Vietnamese Prime Minister discussed restrictions on religious freedom when he met His Holiness the Pope at the Vatican on 25 January.
With our EU partners, we regularly discuss human rights issues with the Vietnamese Government. The biannual EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue, which was established in 2003, is the main forum for raising our concerns. The most recent dialogue was held on 20 December 2006. Freedom of religion, restrictions on religious organisations and the situation of ethnic minority Protestant groups were among the issues raised by the EU.
We are aware of reports of the continued harassment of some religious groups in some areas. We have urged the Vietnamese authorities to increase awareness and capacity among local authorities and to guarantee the right of all religious groups to practise their faith freely in the community through full implementation of the appropriate legislation and to adhere to its international human rights obligations.
We raised this issue at the recent bilateral with Vietnamese Vice-Minister Le Cung Phung during the EU/Association of South East Asian Nations Foreign Ministers Meeting in Nuremberg on 14-15 March.