NEWS RELEASES
CANADA ANNOUNCES REVIEW OF RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM
April 27, 2000 (4:30 p.m. EDT) No. 85
CANADA ANNOUNCES REVIEW OF RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) Raymond
Chan today announced diplomatic measures that respond to the Government of
Vietnam's execution of a Canadian citizen, Nguyen Thi Hiep. Ms. Nguyen was
sentenced to death for drug trafficking in March 1997, but her case was still under
examination at the time of her execution on April 25.
"This unwarranted action by the Vietnamese government does not, and cannot, allow
for the continuation of 'business as usual' between our countries," said Mr. Axworthy. "I
have asked our ambassador to Vietnam, Cécile Latour, who is currently in Canada, to
stay here until we have reviewed all aspects of our bilateral relations. As well, I have
asked that Canadian officials withdraw an offer to provide training on the World Trade
Organization for Vietnamese officials. I am also writing to my Vietnamese counterpart,
Nguyen Dy Nien, to register Canada's concerns."
In this letter, Mr. Axworthy asks the Vietnamese government to respond favourably to
the request of Ms. Nguyen's family that her aged mother, Tran Thi Cam, who received a
life sentence on the same charge as Ms. Nguyen, be released on humanitarian
grounds. The Minister also supports the family's wish for Ms. Nguyen's remains to be
returned to them.
"The measures the Government of Canada has taken express our utmost
condemnation of the Vietnamese government's action," said Mr. Chan.
Minister Axworthy and Secretary of State Chan also noted that Canadian officials would
not attend events sponsored by the Vietnamese government this weekend to mark the
twenty-fifth anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war.
- 30 -
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Debora Brown
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Naseem Nuraney
Office of the Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
(613) 995-1852
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
| 
