Mr BOWEN (1:47 PM) —Civil and human rights for the people of Vietnam is an issue which many honourable members are concerned about. Late last year, a cross-section of members from all parties signed an open letter of support for the pro-democratic Vietnamese movement. Since then the situation in Vietnam has worsened.

On 5 February, a group of activists from the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam and the Vietnam Human Rights Committee were detained. The arrests were linked to their involvement in demanding more religious, political and other rights. Official charges have yet to be laid. On 16 February, Mr Nguyen Phong, the co-founder of the Vietnam Progressive Party, was arrested. On 17 February, his colleague Mr Nguyen Binh Than was also arrested. On 18 February, Father Nguyen Van Ly was arrested in the Archdiocese of Hue.

These are very concerning developments. The situation in Vietnam is taking a turn for the worse when it should be taking a turn for the better. I call on the government of Vietnam to release all political prisoners. You should not be imprisoned for advocating democracy. In any decent system you cannot be imprisoned for advocating for the rights of your fellow citizens. The advocates of democracy in Vietnam and around the world will not be silenced by these arrests—in fact, quite the opposite. These arrests give the advocates of democracy more cause and more heart to continue their fight. I, on behalf of my colleagues who signed that letter, extend our support to them and our encouragement to keep up the efforts for democracy in Vietnam.