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Viewing cable 08HANOI133, COVERING THE SPRATLYS; SILENCE IS OFFICIALLY GOLDEN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08HANOI133 2008-02-05 00:20 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Hanoi
VZCZCXRO9299
RR RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0133/01 0360020
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050020Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7117
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 4245
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000133 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/PA 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO OEXC SCUL PHUM PREL PGOV VM
SUBJECT: COVERING THE SPRATLYS; SILENCE IS OFFICIALLY GOLDEN 
 
REF: HANOI 86 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: While international media widely covered the visit 
of Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian to one of the disputed Spratly 
Islands over the weekend, Vietnamese media were largely silent.  The 
Vietnam News Agency, the Government wire service, carried a story in 
which the Foreign Ministry Spokesman strongly criticized Taiwanese 
claims that the islands were "an intrinsic part" of their territory. 
 But major newspapers, Vietnam's National Television, and online 
news outlets failed to pick up the story.  This limited coverage of 
a significant policy topic reflects the restrictions the government 
imposes on editors and journalists on issues it deems sensitive.  At 
least one prominent editor has paid professionally for pressing 
those boundaries a month earlier with his reporting on public 
protests regarding China's claims to the Spratlys.  End Summary. 
 
ISLANDS OF DISPUTE: 
------------------- 
 
2. (U) Over the weekend on Saturday, February 2, Taiwanese President 
Chen Shui-bian inaugurated a runway on one of the disputed Spratly 
Islands and insisted the archipelago belongs to Taiwan. 
Disregarding the claims of other countries, he declared the island 
he visited, Taiping Dao - known as Ba Binh Island to the Vietnamese 
- "an intrinsic part of our territory."  The visit and comments drew 
sharp and immediate criticism from Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le 
Dzung, who insisted the Taiwanese leader's visit was a violation of 
Vietnam's territorial sovereignty. 
 
3.  (U) Vietnam News Agency - Vietnam's national wire service - 
reported that Le Dzung said of the visit, "Vietnam considers the 
action a serious escalation that violated Vietnam's territorial 
sovereignty in regard to Truong Sa archipelago and increased tension 
as well as complication in the region."  He went on to say that, 
"Vietnam demands Taiwan put an immediate end to such violations in 
the region." 
 
4.(SBU) For an issue of such political importance, which also 
elicits strong public response, Vietnamese media provided only 
limited coverage of both the Taiwanese visit and GVN response. 
Virtually none of the major newspapers or online outlets picked up 
the Vietnam News Agency story.  According to Embassy contacts in the 
media, the Spratlys dispute is an extremely sensitive one for the 
GVN who prefers it stay out of the headlines.  The GVN also wants to 
avoid what happened in early January when Chinese - Vietnamese 
confrontations in the archipelago led to large protests in front of 
the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi (Reftel).  Media sources tell us that, 
while the government authorities tolerated and perhaps even 
initiated the initial protests, they changed their attitude after 
Vietnamese students quickly used cell phones and text-messaging to 
spread word or the gathering.  Crowds around the Chinese Embassy 
grew far more quickly than officials had imagined possible and by 
the third day, GVN authorities stepped in to disband the protests. 
 
 
YOU'RE (NOT) FIRED 
------------------ 
 
5. (SBU) Again according to PAS contacts, at the same time, GVN 
officials cautioned editors and journalists not to cover the 
protests, or carry stories related to the Spratlys.  In defiance of 
the Government's directive, Nguyen Anh Tuan, Editor in Chief of 
VietnamNet - the country's major online news service - ran a story 
on the protests, including background on the sovereignty dispute. 
Almost immediately the Ministry of Information and Communication 
notified Mr. Tuan that it was firing him and fining him the 
equivalent of $2000. 
 
6. (SBU) Our contact told us that readers flooded the online 
service, as well as other outlets, with messages of protest 
demanding Tuan's return.  Shortly after a very senior Vietnamese 
official (there are conflicting versions of whether or not this was 
the Prime Minister) contacted Tuan, who was in the United States at 
the time, and told him that he could ignore the fine and return to 
Hanoi where he would be reinstated as Editor in Chief as long as he 
agreed to the presence of a co-editor assigned to VietnamNet from 
the Ministry.  Tuan did return to Hanoi to resume his editorial 
duties, with his new Ministry minder in place.  He did, however, 
insist on paying the fine. 
 
7. (SBU) Comment: As the weekend and January Spratlys stories and 
the official reactions to them highlight, the GVN remains anxious 
about maintaining its ability to control discussion of sensitive 
issues whose history might open it to public criticism.  They also 
illustrate that the GVN is still apprehensive about public protests 
- particularly ones that grow and spread as rapidly as those at the 
Chinese Embassy.  The Government's concern is to maintain control. 
Challenging this penchant, however, the Vietnamese public is clearly 
developing a taste for individual expression, albeit slowly and 
cautiously.  Even as the Government works to limit certain stories, 
 
HANOI 00000133  002 OF 002 
 
 
there are those in the media who continue to seek the very edge of 
official boundaries. 
 
MICHALAK