CITY OF SALUZZO
ITALY
 
MINUTES OF THE TOWN-COUNCIL MEETING RESOLUTION
 
ISSUE: THE APPALLING SITUATION IN VIETNAM

Considering that:

•  Vietnam is still a country with a one-party regime, where the “Vietnamese Fatherland Front” keeps a very  tight control over all aspects of the political, economic, social and institutional life;

• The UN sub-committee for the minorities (in its 75th session) has pointed out “its concern about the  constraints suffered by the media ...” and “lack of detailed information on the native populations,  especially the Montagnards (ethnic minorities living in the Highlands of Central Vietnam), who are not  recognized their right to cultural, ethnic and religious identity”;

• The government keeps following a repressive action against the population by using torture, kidnapping,  destroying churches and religious sites, and also encourages the government of Cambodia to arrest and  return Vietnamese refugees by offering rewards for their capture;
   
  And also considering that:

•  The European Commission has recently decided for a new cooperation strategy with Vietnam for the period  2002-2006, granting financial support for about 162 million Euro to promote and support democracy and human  rights, based on the Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Vietnam

the Town-Council of the city of Saluzzo requests the Vietnamese government 

• To comply with the resolution of the 75th UN Sub-Committee on Human Rights without any further delay;

• To free all prisoners held in prison for opinion or religious reasons, in particular the Most Venerable  Thich Huyen Quang, the Venerable Thich Quang Do, Father Li and doctor Nguyen Dan Que;

To guarantee full political and civil rights, as established by international treaties;
 
It also asks the Council and the Commission of the European Union

• to produce a full report to the European Parliament, by the end of 2002, on the measures taken and to  inform the government of Vietnam about the intention of the European Union to discontinue the Cooperation  Agreement if, by the end of 2002, the Vietnamese government will not have complied with the requests here  expressed.
   
  Finally. it asks the democratic governments:

• To take appropriate steps, at any international high-level meeting, so as to guarantee that the Vietnamese  government respects the national and international laws on the fundamental human rights, including the  civil and political rights of the people.