A/59/366
88. By letter of 14 July 2004, the Government replied that the allegations
concerning the events that occurred in April in the Central Highlands were
fabrications made up by elements hostile to Viet Nam. On 9 April 2004, the so-called
“Montagnard Foundation” announced that there would be demonstrations in the
Central Highlands on 10 April with the participation of about 150,000 people. The
“Montagnard Foundation” admitted its involvement in the incidents in the Central
Highlands. Spreading the rumour that participants at the demonstrations would be
allowed to migrate to the United States, the organizers of the demonstrations
committed a number of acts causing grave public disorder and used dangerous
weapons to beat police officers, causing serious injuries. While law enforcement had
taken appropriate action, local authorities took measures to limit the number of
demonstrators. Only the instigators of the demonstration were taken in custody
89. Regarding the case of Thich Vien Dinh, the Government replied that on
20 May 2004, a staff member from the Gia Dinh Electricity Company went to Giac
Hoa pagoda and met Thich Vien Dinh to discuss the signing of a contract for the
sale of electricity to the pagoda. But Thich Vien Dinh refused to submit a photocopy
of his residence certificate, a condition for signing the contract, and claimed that the
electricity company was intentionally hindering the activities of Giac Hoa pagoda.
At the moment, he is not subjected to interrogation, harassment or threats, nor has
he been placed under any kind of administrative detention. Thich Quang Do and
Thieh Huyen Quang are neither under house detention nor on administrative
probation. Thich Quang Do is leading a normal life and practising religion as usual
at Thanh Minh pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City.
III. In situ visits
90. Since the creation of the mandate, the following country visits have been carried
out by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief: Bulgaria (1987),
China (1994), Pakistan (1995), Iran (Islamic Republic of) (1995), Greece (1996),
Sudan (1996), India (1996), Australia (1997), Germany (1997), United States of
America (1998), Viet Nam (1998), Turkey (1999), Holy See (1999), Bangladesh
(2000), Argentina (2001), Algeria (2002), Georgia (2003) and Romania (2003).
91. Moreover, while the Islamic Republic of Iran and China have extended an
invitation to the Special Rapporteur, requests for visits have also been addressed to
Indonesia (1996), Israel (1997), the Russian Federation (1998), the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea (1999), Nigeria (2000) and Turkmenistan (2003).
IV. Prevention activities
92. From 2 to 5 September 2004, the Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or
Belief and the Norwegian Committee of the United Nations Education Scientific
and Cultural Organization will organize in Oslo a global meeting of experts in the
field of tolerance education, intercultural education and human rights education
related to religion or belief, as one of the initiatives in follow-up to the
recommendations of the 2001 Madrid Consultative Conference on Tolerance, NonDiscrimination and Freedom of Religion or Belief in Relation with School
Education. The Special Rapporteur attaches great importance to this meeting and
hopes to reflect its results in her next report to the Commission on Human Rights.
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