Brussels, December 04, 1998

While the world is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the spirit "All Human Rights for All", in Vietnam, human rights continue to be routinely and blatantly violated. We, the participants of the International Day for Human Rights in Vietnam at the European Parliament on December 04, 1998, wish to point out the following facts:

- First, despite Hanoi's claim of having released more than 8,000 prisoners in recent months, it has refused, to this day, to let anyone verify the actual number of those released. At the same time, many prisoners of con-science are confirmed to remain behind bars or under house arrests. Some of them are in very grave health condition. Furthermore, under the authorization of Directive 31/CP, the regime's Public Security cadres conti-nue to impose strict isolation on many Vietnamese citizens that bear different political viewpoints from the Vietnamese Communist Party.

- Second, despite the constant proclamation of the Vietnamese authorities of their respect for people's freedom of religion, their cadres continue to restrict all religious activities and undermine all religious organizations in Vietnam. To cover up those policies, Hanoi used various tactics to prevent the United Nations Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance from meeting with Vietnamese religious leaders being imprisoned, exiled, or held under house arrest by the authorities during his trip to Vietnam in October, 1998.

- Third, despite the guarantees of freedom of thought, freedom of expression, freedom of the press in the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in reality, these fundamental rights are being forbidden or severely restricted by the government itself. Today, all means of public communication and information are controlled by and ordered to serve the Vietnamese Communist Party. Independent press is forbidden and all forms of publication require State permission.

In recent years, many Vietnamese, including a number of former members of the Vietnamese Communist Par-ty, have called on the leaders to abide by their own Constitution. The authorities have refused to heed these callings and responded with punishment, harassment, and detainment of these voices.

These behaviors of the Vietnamese authorities have indicated that they have no intention to respect the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international covenants on people's fundamental rights that they have signed. We, therefore, earnestly call on all governments and politicians, the international media, international institutions, human rights and humanity associations, and anyone concerned with the human rights condition in Vietnam, to take concrete actions to apply pressure on the Vietnamese authorities and to support the people of Vietnam in their struggle for human rights in Vietnam, particularly by :

1. Intevening on behalf of the political and religious prisoners in Vietnam, especially those in serious mental and physical condition.

2. Raising issues with the Vietnamese authorities regarding the Directive 31/CP until they rescind this policy and release all victims from detainment and exile.

3. Pressing for the full right of all religions in Vietnam to hold their religious activities, particularly those currently being declared illegal -- the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, the Hoa Hao Buddhist Church, the Cao Dai Church.

4. Sponsoring each and every voice of conscience in Vietnam as a measure to keep them from being silen-ced by the authorities.

5. Pressuring the Vietnamese government to end its monopoly on the media, and to respect the freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Vietnam.