Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Vietnam about the detention of human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai, ahead of his trial on 5 April.

The British Embassy in Hanoi has discussed the case of Ngunyen Van Dai with Vietnamese officials and continues to monitor his case closely. The UK regularly discusses human rights issues with the government of Vietnam and encourages Vietnam to enable free speech and protect the rights of its citizens. Most recently, my Rt. Hon Friend Mark Field, Minister for Asia and the Pacific, raised these issues as part of the UK-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue in January this year.