On behalf of the Community of Vietnamese Refugees in Europe, on the violation of human rights and the free trade agreements between the EU and Vietnam 

The petitioner states that Vietnam is violating human rights and does not accept the International Labour Standards, as established by ILO. Many NGOs report about serious human rights violations in Vietnam. Therefore, the petitioner asks to review and suspend the verification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) until the Vietnamese Government implements the requests, which were listed in the letter of 17.09.2018 signed by 32 European parliamentarians to Mrs Mogherini and Commissioner Malmström. These requests include the ratification of ILO Conventions No. 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize), No. 98 (Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining), No.105 (Abolition of Forced Labour) and the release of political prisoners. According to the petitioner, the Vietnamese government should also delete Articles 109, 116, 117, 118 and 331 of its Criminal Code, ensure compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), repeal Articles 74 and 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code, and revise the law concerning Cyber Security to ensure compliance with international human rights standards. The petitioner calls for the EU to keep a much firmer and clearer stance on measures against ongoing human rights violations in Vietnam and sanction these.