Introduction

1. CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) and Impulso18 are human rights organisations specialising in the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all through research and advocacy.

2. This submission draws attention to concerns regarding the right to FoRB in the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (Viet Nam) ahead of the state’s United Nations (UN) Universal Periodic Review (UPR). During the reporting period, CSW continued to receive reports of violations of FoRB against communities from every major religion or belief in Viet Nam. The violations range from harassment, intimidation and intrusive monitoring, to arrest, imprisonment and torture. Individuals in remote areas who are both ethnic and religious minorities often suffer the most severe abuses.

Legal framework

3. Article 24 of Viet Nam’s Constitution states that ‘everyone shall enjoy freedom of belief and of religion’, ‘the State respects and protects freedom of belief and of religion’, and ‘no one has the right to infringe on the freedom of belief and religion’. 

4. Viet Nam has also signed and ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees FoRB for all (Article 18). The implementation of such legislation continues to fall short of international standards. In addition, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT), ratified by Viet Nam in February 2015, is not adhered to, with violations continuing against religious and ethnic minorities. CSW further regrets Viet Nam’s failure to ratify the Optional Protocol of UNCAT as well as the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances (ICPPED), and the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR aimed at the abolition of the death penalty.

To read the submission in full, you can download the pdf here.