Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I draw the attention of the parliament to a number of human rights violations that have occurred in the Roman Catholic diocese of Vinh, an area in central Vietnam. Vietnamese authorities have denounced Catholic priests for preaching about justice and peace, stating that the priests were 'conducting propaganda against the state'. Fathers Dang Huu Nam and Nguyen Dinh Thuc are Catholic priests from Nghe An province within the Vinh diocese. They have long spoken up for the rights of freedom of expression and assembly, religious liberty, as well as justice and access to the Vietnamese legal system.

These two Catholic priests have become well known for supporting local communities that were decimated as a result of a toxic discharge from the Formosa Ha Tinh steel factory, a Taiwanese owned company operating in the Vung Ang industrial zone. This environmental disaster has devastated the lives of local fishermen and all the communities that rely on the fishing industry in central Vietnam. It has left more than 100,000 citizens suffering severe financial hardship.

According to reports, children have been forced to leave school as families are unable to afford education. Other families have had to relocate to different regions in order to make a living. Many people have been harassed and detained by local police, simply for seeking justice and adequate compensation. In February this year I spoke about Father Thuc after he was physically attacked while leading a peaceful march of affected fishermen. They were seeking to exercise their legal rights and to file a lawsuit against the Formosa steel company to demand just compensation.

I have been informed by members of the Vietnamese community that local authorities sent a letter to Father Nam accusing him and Father Thuc of 'conducting propaganda against the state'. Furthermore, I have learnt that local authorities have orchestrated a locally based or domestic campaign against Father Nam, calling for his imprisonment for 20 years, or his execution. This is an extreme form of defamation against Father Nam, who has simply spoken up for his parishioners and affected local communities, calling for environmental protection, justice and appropriate compensation for those affected by this environmental disaster.

It has also been reported that the Vietnamese government has conducted a targeted campaign over state media in which it has accused the two Catholic priests of being reactionaries. Candlelight vigils and religious services at various Catholic churches are now continually monitored by authorities. Frankly, this is an affront to religious liberty.

Members of the Vietnamese Community in Australia have expressed their strong concern for the two Catholic priests as Vietnamese authorities continue to mount more pressure on Father Nam and Father Thuc. Today, many have gathered on the grounds outside Parliament House to demonstrate their solidarity by holding a 24-hour hunger strike.

Around the world, the Catholic Church has long promoted peace, justice and care for communities in need. Yet in Vietnam today the church appears to be persecuted for continuing to stand up for these rather vital principles. I have been told that the Vinh Diocese Working Group Supporting Victims of the Marine Environmental Disaster was formed to help the thousands of people affected by the Formosa environmental disaster. A petition started by the working group has now garnered more than 193,000 signatures worldwide, with 90 per cent of the signatures originating in Vietnam itself. This petition is an expression of the people's concern for the livelihoods of all those affected by this environmental disaster. The petition was released to mark the one-year anniversary of the environmental disaster, and yet the Vietnamese people have seen a lack of government response and the mistreatment of the peaceful activists who are pursuing just compensation for those affected.

While the Vietnamese government is keen to sign free trade agreements and enhance its standing within the global community, it is essential that it be encouraged to take steps towards freedom of expression, freedom of speech and the recognition of human rights, as well as protecting religious liberty.

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