Int’l community supports VN’s stance on East Sea issue The international community supports Viet Nam’s consistent stance on peaceful settlement of East Sea issue, said Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh at recent “People ask, Ministers answer” program.    Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh – File photo The settlement of the issue must be based on international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, without resorting to the threat or use of force. Viet Nam is keen on addressing divergences through dialogues and peaceful measures while working with ASEAN members to strive for a Code of Conduct for peace and stability in the region. Regarding human rights, Deputy Prime Minister Minh said after nearly 30 years of renewal process, the rights of Vietnamese people have been increasingly improved and ensured. In the chapter 2 of the newly-amended Constitution, all 36 articles are related to human rights and in accordance with international conventions on human rights that Viet Nam is signatory to, he said. For example, Viet Nam is among countries with highest rate of Internet growth. The number of Internet users is higher than the world’s average figure. Viet Nam is also among few countries that fulfill a number of UN-led millennium development goals. The above achievements helped Viet Nam to win international support for its bid for the membership of the UN Human Rights Council last year. However, some people always try to criticize human right policies for different purposes. According to Deputy Prime Minister Minh, Viet Nam needs to speed up the improvement of related regulations while providing enough information on human right achievements and measures to be deployed. Some countries also tend to criticize others at international forums, partly because of the lack of information on human rights. Viet Nam is now running mechanisms on human right dialogue with some countries to promote mutual understanding. VGP