Chairwoman Hautala has expressed concern over the information her office has received concerning the recent events and developments at the Ba Nha Monastery and Phuoc Temple in Vietnam. The reported violent expulsion of more than 300 monks and nuns from these monasteries and the continued harassment are a clear violation of internationally accepted standards of freedom of religion. Moreover, Vietnam has undertaken to respect this right as a member of the UN Security Council and future chair of ASEAN. Chairwoman Hautala has taken the issue up with the Vietnamese authorities and stressed that the persecution of this community must stop immediately.