Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the European Union (EU) to reassess its engagement with Vietnam over increasing concerns regarding human rights violations. In a report published on July 3, HRW urged the EU to implement more effective measures to address what it describes as the Vietnamese government’s escalating repression against local activists, journalists, and environmental advocates. This appeal comes just ahead of the planned EU-Vietnam human rights dialogue set for July 4. Read more.
HRW’s recent appeal is not its first. The organization issued a similar plea to the EU in 2022, emphasizing the necessity of measurable human rights benchmarks in Vietnam. The 2024 report enumerates various alleged violations, including restrictions on freedom of expression, association, and religion, and offers recommendations to align Vietnam’s practices with its international obligations. Read the 2022 call.
Since 1995, the EU and Vietnam have conducted a human rights dialogue, initiated under the EU-Vietnam cooperation agreement, which was the first treaty where Vietnam recognized a binding human rights clause. This cooperation evolved with the ratification of the EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) in 2012 and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in 2020, aiming to foster trade and improve human rights conditions. However, critics argue that repressive measures by Vietnamese authorities have increased, contradicting the nation’s commitments under these agreements. Read the EU-Vietnam cooperation agreement.
Recent years have seen the arrest of journalists for governmental criticism online and the detention of environmental activists, particularly those involved with the EVFTA’s EU Domestic Advisory Group. These actions appear to breach Vietnam’s bilateral political and trade agreements with the EU. HRW emphasizes that the PCA includes a clause allowing for appropriate action in cases of significant human rights breaches. The organization is calling for the EU to impose targeted sanctions on those responsible for systemic human rights abuses in Vietnam to underscore the seriousness of its human rights commitments. For additional details, see the full EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
Claudio Francavilla, Associate EU Advocacy Director at HRW, reaffirmed this stance, suggesting that only through specific sanctions and concrete consequences can the EU signal its seriousness about human rights to Hanoi. The effectiveness of such measures remains to be seen, particularly given the complex economic and political ties between the EU and Vietnam.