Evidence of meeting #70 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was vietnam.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
Jim Hillyer Conservative Lethbridge, AB
Hi.
You recommended some sanctions. One of issues that complicate sanctions is the impact they will have on the people of the country we impose sanctions upon. We usually aren't very reluctant at all to impose sanctions if we know they would only impact the people who are causing the problem, but we don't want to make life worse for the people who are being abused already.
Can you just comment on that and help us maybe walk that fine line?
1:55 p.m.
As an Individual
Actually, in reality the majority of people are still living in poverty. Whatever benefits have been derived from the recent foreign assistance, foreign investment, and the economic prosperity have gone into the hands of people who are related to the Vietnamese authorities. Because Vietnam is a one-party system, they control enterprise and they control the companies. Whatever benefits there are go to them, not to the majority of the people. That's number one. So if we apply sanctions, then the Vietnamese people in general, being already in poverty, would not be seriously affected.
Number two, if we do not apply sanctions and if despite all that we continue to accept Vietnam in TPP, then they will just take it for granted that we really do not pay much attention to these issues. They will continue with their suppression of freedom, they will continue with their harassment, and deprive the people of freedom and democracy.
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Scott Reid
Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for that round.
Mr. Benskin.
May 12th, 2015 / 1:55 p.m.
NDP
Tyrone Benskin NDP Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
Thank you, and thank you for your testimony.
As my colleague said earlier, what you're saying is underscored by previous testimony we've had, so I thank you for that.
There are a couple of things floating around in my head, but first and foremost just to follow up on the comments you just made, according to some of the notes that I have, there are those who are saying poverty in Vietnam has been reduced from 58% as of around 1993 to 11% in 2012. Your statement just said that in fact the majority of Vietnamese are still living in poverty.
Can you expand on that a little for me, please?
2 p.m.
As an Individual
There are two points to your remarks. First of all, the statistics in Vietnam are usually open to questions, and secondly, thanks to the foreign investment and the foreign assistance of many countries to Vietnam in the last few decades, GDP has increased significantly, but the distribution of wealth is deplorable. The wealth is concentrated with a small minority. When we talk about GDP per head it will be higher, but when you go into more detail there are sections of the population who would not benefit from that prosperity.
2 p.m.
NDP
Tyrone Benskin NDP Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
Thank you.
In regard to the bloggers, according to your testimony there is a clamp down. Where are the bloggers getting their feed from? How are they accessing the Internet? I'm assuming the Internet is readily available in Vietnam, or is it being brought in, or fed in, some underground way that allows bloggers to access it?
2 p.m.
As an Individual
Precisely. On the point you mentioned, the Internet—as I mentioned earlier in the presentation—is severely controlled by the government. The bloggers and other people have difficulty getting the true information to the vast majority of the people. The Prime Minister of Vietnam has signed three decrees limiting the use of the Internet and subjecting the spread of information from the Internet to very severe control.
On these issues, I would like to appeal to Canada, to other countries, and to other organizations that advocate for the protection of human rights to provide more assistance to the people who would like to have a freer society and a freer means of expression.
2:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Scott Reid
Thank you very much.
Thank you, colleagues, for being here, and thank you to our witness for coming and testifying today, and for being patient with some of the practical issues that unfortunately the language barrier has provided. We're very grateful you could be here.
Colleagues, it's now past 2 p.m., our normal adjournment time, and we are therefore adjourned.
Thank you.