Vietnam protests Canada's bill on Vietnamese refugees

Vietnam "vehemently protests" Canada's passage of the Bill S-219 or the so-called "Journey to Freedom Day Act" relating to Vietnamese refugees.

The remark was made by Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' spokesperson Le Hai Binh on Friday in responding to Canada's passage of the bill, reported Vietnam News, an edition of state- run news agency VNA on Saturday.

"S-219 was an absolutely wrong bill and had content that distort the history on Vietnamese people's struggle for national liberation and reunification, which had received support from the international community, including Canada," Binh said.

"This is a backward step in the relationship between the two countries, adversely affecting the growing ties between Vietnam and Canada and hurting the feelings of Vietnamese people as well as a great part of the Vietnamese community in Canada," Binh added.

Binh said that over the past years, both Vietnam and Canada have been making efforts to strengthen their relationship. "We hopes that Canada is aware of the negative impact of the passage of S-219, takes remedial measures and prevents recurrence of similar events," he said.

Also on Friday, the Vietnamese foreign ministry summoned the Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam to express the nation's protest and make clear Vietnam's stand on the issue.

The "Journey to Freedom Day Act", which was introduced in the Canadian Senate in April 2014 by Vietnam-born Senator Thanh Hai Ngo, designates April 30 as a day to commemorate Vietnamese "boat people" Canada has received after the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War.

Vietnam is organizing a series of activities to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the liberation of South Vietnam that eventually led to national reunification.

Vietnam's southern Ho Chi Minh City, which was earlier known as Saigon, will be the focal point of a grand celebration on April 30.