UN Human Rights Office Alarmed about Environmental Disaster in Vietnam

The United Nations Human Rights Office for South-East Asia (OHCHR) last week expressed concern over the enjoyment of human rights in the country, in particular, the right to health and food, as Vietnam’s central coast suffers from the worst massive fish deaths to date. The Regional Office also wrote in its statement its worries about the treatment of those joining protests which erupted over the fish deaths, and called on authorities to respect the right to freedom of assembly in line with international law. “Vietnamese authorities should adopt legal and institutional frameworks that protect against such environmental harm that interferes with the enjoyment of human rights, and ensure that all the persons negatively affected, in particular fishermen, have access to effective remedies,” said Laurent Meillan, OHCHR’s Acting Regional Representative. “The right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment is integral to the full enjoyment of a wide range of human rights, including the rights to life, health, food, water and sanitation, recognized in the International Covenant on Cultural, Economic and Social Rights, to which Vietnam is a party,” the statement asserted. The UN agency urged the Vietnamese government to conduct an independent, thorough and impartial investigation of the reported cases of excessive use of force by law enforcement officers. Since April, tons of dead fish have washed ashore along a 200-km stretch of coastline in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hua provinces. Meanwhile, Vietnam continues its investigation on the fish deaths as well as Formosa’s alleged discharge of toxic chemicals and wastes. The slow investigation has angered local people while the state media coverage of the case has been limited. (ohchr.org May 5)