Vietnam acknowledged some human rights "wrongdoings" in its appearance before a United Nations human rights forum today, but rejected accusations from exiles about its treatment of dissidents and minorities, according to Reuters. Those exiles, backed by a major international human rights group, submitted a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council accusing the Southeast Asian country of quashing press freedom and Internet access in a bid to silence critics. Their report demanded the release of political prisoners held under "vague national security provisions" of Vietnam's law, and raised concerns about religious repression, widespread use of the death penalty and coercive birth control practices. Vietnam defended its record at the 47 member-state forum in Geneva, which is assessing the Vietnamese human rights record under a "universal periodic review" mechanism which will subject all United Nations members to scrutiny. Pham Binh Minh, Vietnam's first vice minister of foreign affairs, said Hanoi had made achievements in protecting human rights. Religious activities have increased and ethnic minorities are "participating in an increasingly equal manner in social and political life," he said. He acknowledged shortcomings, including "wrongdoings" by some civil servants who had a limited understanding of human rights, but rejected "unfounded reports" about its record.
