The violent attack of the Ministry of Public Security against Dong Tam commune in the early hours of January 9 has shocked not only Vietnam’s people but also the international community.
A spokesman for the European Union recently said that the organization was “concerned” about the action “resulting in costly loss of life” in Dong Tam, and revealed it had “asked” to meet high-ranking officials of Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security.
Virginie Battu-Henriksson, a spokesman for the European Union on Foreign Relations and Security Policy, said that on January 9, the day of the incident, Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, head of the EU Delegation to Hanoi, “directly raised the issue with Mr. Mai Tien Dung, head of the Government Office, expressing concerns and reservations about how to handle the situation of security forces.”
“The use of violence against civilians has led to significant loss of life. We extend our condolences to the families and friends of the victims,” added Ms. Battu-Henriksson.
The civilized world cannot accept when Vietnam’s authorities use guns to suppress and kill people while they were sleeping.
The case will also be discussed at the upcoming EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue. “The European Union expects the Vietnamese government to respect the basic rights of its citizens to meet and express peaceful views without facing any threat or use of force.”
The spokesperson did not indicate Dung’s reaction after the EU, one of Vietnam’s largest trading partners, expressed concern about the killing case, which many sources said happened at the early hours in the morning of January 9, with presence of a strong security force and least 4 deaths.
Ms. Battu-Henriksson added that the European Union Delegation to Vietnam had “proposed” a “specific meeting with the Deputy Minister of Public Security” and would “continue to monitor the situation“.
After the Vietnamese police attacked the people of Dong Tam early in the morning of September 9, 2020 and killed Mr. Le Dinh Kinh who was 60-year party membership member of the Communist Party at his home, Kinh’s daughter said the following (Video)
The EU has always paid attention to Vietnam’s human rights issues, and this has delayed the consideration of approving the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
Late last year, on the occasion of World Human Rights Day, the Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Hanoi issued a statement, stating that “the EU is strongly committed to protecting human rights defenders in Vietnam. and all over the world.”
“The EU and Vietnam have had close cooperation in many areas, including political and security issues, global challenges, trade and development,” said the statement publicized on December 11, 2019. “Respecting human rights is a fundamental part of EU relationships with partner countries and international institutions.”
Although EVFTA was signed in Hanoi in June 2019, the European parliament has not yet ratified it. The chance of the agreement to be ratified by the EU Parliament sharply decrease after the bloody raid in Dong Tam.
The Hanoi government once said that the EU is one of Vietnam’s largest trading partners.
In the middle of last year, after years of negotiation, the country located in Southeast Asia and the European Union signed the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Investment Protection Agreement, which the two sides said “will set a milestone in the strong partnership between the two sides.”
There was a call for protests in front of the European Parliament in Belgium on January 21, the day the Legislature’s International Trade Commission was said to be “meeting to decide whether to ratify articles clause of EVFTA.”
Before the Dong Tam incident, there was much talk about whether or not the European parliament would ratify the agreement which is expected by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
The Council of Europe and the European Commission are expected to have a key voting round for EVFTA next week. On 11 January from Berlin, freelance journalist Le Manh Hung said:
“The FTA and the IPA Investment Protection Agreement are currently in the focus of cooperation between the EU and Vietnam, serving the practical interests of both sides, so both sides’ efforts are made to the finish line.”
Mr. Hung said from Germany, the key EU country: “The European Parliament is considering and whether the ratification of the two Agreements will take place in early 2020.”
The fragile thing is that the European parliament now has only one final meeting before the general election, but the Dong Tam incident is very serious and the Ministry of Public Security
here are being provided with detailed information the violent raid in which innocent people were shot in early hours. Vietnam and Europe sign the Trade Agreement EU-Vietnam Freedom and Investment Protection Agreement on June 30, 2019.
Dr. Nguyen Quang A, who was given a brief overseas visit to attend a hearing in the European Parliament in October 2018 regarding the ratification of the EVFTA Agreement, said:
“It is only unclear when they signed and I personally think that after signing, the ratification is unlikely to happen before May 2019 – the time when the European Parliament elects a new parliament. European Parliament’s approval may take another one to two years. “
“The only reason is that the European Parliament has only one more session before electing a new parliament, and in such a short time they cannot complete the EVFTA approval process.”
“We do not know what the views of the new European Parliament will be like? A new European Parliament will have a lot of work to do, so the adoption of EVFTA in 2019 is not their priority.”
It seems that just waiting for the vice-president of the European Parliament to leave Hanoi, Vietnams government, headed by Prime Minister Phuc, ordered an attack on Dong Tam with the riot police forces believed to be over 3,000 soldiers equipped with modern weaponry.
Before the Dong Tam incident, the EU and Vietnam had high-level contacts.
On January 7, two days prior to the Dong Tam incident, Sheidi Hautala, vice president of the European Parliament (EP), was present in Hanoi during her visit to Vietnam and was welcomed by National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.
The Vietnamese newspaper quoted Kim Ngan as expressing her desire for the European Parliament to ratify the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) soon.
The President of Vietnam National Assembly also affirmed that Vietnam always listens to the opinions of European economic policy makers and businesses so that the Agreement can be implemented in the most effective and practical manner for both sides.
The bloody raid in which the Ministry of Public Security brutally killed a 84-year-old veteran revoltioner with 60-year party membership is spreading hatred of millions of Vietnamese people for the regime.
The Ambassadors of the Democratic and Liberal States and the 70th Anniversary of the Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Recalling before the Dong Tam incident, Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the Council of Europe to postpone EVFTA approval “until the Vietnamese government takes concrete steps to improve the record.” human rights, “HRW said Tuesday.
In September 2018, 32 members of the European Parliament signed an open letter expressing concern about Vietnam’s continued persecution of human rights and urging it to improve the situation before any vote. Any deal on EVFTA.
“The Council of Europe and the European Parliament need to send a clear message that EVFTA cannot be approved until the Vietnamese government is serious about addressing human rights issues,” Keith Sifton was quoted as saying in the HRW’s release.
Before being attacked and shot dead four times by police, Mr. Le Dinh Kinh was still a Party member who wholeheartedly supported the anti-corruption and the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam.
He clearly showed his thinking in a video shared on social media before being killed.
And right after he shot and killed veteran communist Le Dinh Kinh, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Phuc and General Security Lam were very happy, immediately praised the first-class merit of victory for 3 policemen who reportedly died while persecuting the people of Dong Tam. This is the most evident evidence of the vile, cruel tricks of the party. The communists are ready to kill people, including the most loyal comrades.
Trung Hieu from Hochiminh city – Thoibao.de (translated)
