Resolution: Vietnam
The ELDR Congress
- Regrets that a new repression is underway one year after the political opening-up of 2006, which saw the birth of independent and democratic parties in Vietnam;
- Regrets that, in spite of constant and repeated appeals from the international community, the Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, Thich Huyen Quang (87 years old), and his deputy, Thich Quang Do (79 years old), winner of the 2006 Rafto Prize for human rights, have been imprisoned without trial in their monastery since 1982 for the sole reason of being ardent supporters of religious freedom, non-violence, human rights and democracy;
-  Condemns the religious persecution and forced assimilation suffered by the Khmer Krom community;
- Condemns the policy of discrimination and confiscation of their land suffered by the Montagnards ethnic minority of the Northern and Central Highlands and the systematic attack against various indigenous traditions and customs of the Montagnards tribes, starting from their dialect;
- Notes that despite the strong GDP growth registered by the Vietnamese economy (7.9%), in March 2007 the European Union decided to increase aid to Vietnam by 30% for the 2007-2013 period (EUR 304 million), which is largely earmarked for governance and human rights actions;
- Calls on the Vietnamese Government to put an end to all forms of repression towards people exercising their right to the freedom of expression, freedom of thought and freedom of assembly, in line with international law on human rights;
- Calls, therefore, for the immediate and unconditional release of all individuals imprisoned for the sole reason that they have peacefully and legitimately exercised their right to freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, freedom of the press and freedom of religion, including the Catholic priest Nguyen Van Ly (sentenced to eight years' imprisonment), Nguyen Phong (six years), Nguyen Binh Thanh (five years), the lawyers Nguyen Van Dai (five years) (all members of the pro-democracy and reform group Bloc 8406) and Le Thi Cong Nhan (four years), spokeswoman for the Progression Party, Tran Quoc Hien (five years), representative of the Workers-Farmers Organisation, the leader of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Le Nguyen Sang (five years), Nguyen Bac Truyen (four years) and Huynh Nguyen Dao (three years), and the Buddhists Hoa Hao Duong Thi Tron (six years), Le Van Soc (six years) and Nguyen Van Thuy (five years), Nguyen Van Tho (four years), the Patriarch of the UBCV, Thich Huyen Quang, Thich Quang Do and Bui Thi Kim Tanh;
- Calls on the Vietnamese Government to respect freedom of religion and belief and to restore the legal status of all religious communities, including the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam and to put an end to the religious discrimination against Christian Montagnards in the Central Highlands and catholic communities all over the country;
- Stresses that human rights dialogue between the European Union and Vietnam must lead to tangible improvements in Vietnam,  reassessing the policy of cooperation with Vietnam, bearing in mind Article 1 of the Cooperation Agreement of 1995, which states that cooperation is based on respect for democratic principles and fundamental rights.