asked Her Majesty's Government:

What representations they have made to the Government of Vietnam about the arrest, conviction and imprisonment of the human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan and the democracy activist Father Nguyen Van Ly. [HL4418]

We are concerned at the recent arrest and sentencing of several peaceful human rights defenders in Vietnam, including Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan and Nguyen Van Ly, who have been charged with “conducting propaganda” against the state. We, along with our EU partners, have made numerous representations to the Vietnamese authorities on this issue.

On 15 May, the EU issued a statement expressing its concern about the current situation and calling on the Vietnamese Government to release all non-violent political activists who have exercised their rights to freedom of expression and association.

My right honourable friend the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, Ian McCartney, raised our concerns about the arrest and detention of human rights activists with the Vietnamese Vice-Minister Le Cung Phung during the EU/Association of South East Asian Nations Ministerial meeting in Nuremburg on 14 to 15 March. He also raised this issue with the Vietnamese ambassador on 10 May.

We will continue to raise the question of human rights defenders, along with other human rights issues, with the Vietnamese Government, including during the EU human rights dialogue with the Vietnamese Government on 28 June.