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### Viewing cable 03HANOI135, Vietnam on Religious Freedom

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
03HANOI135 | 2003-01-16 09:26 | 2011-08-25 00:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Hanoi

`

    This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

` `

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 000135

    SIPDIS

    SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

    DEPT FOR DRL/IRF and EAP/BCLTV

    E.O. 12958:  N/A
    TAGS: PHUM PREL KIRF VM ETMIN HUMANR RELFREE
    SUBJECT:  Vietnam on Religious Freedom

    REF:  A.  Hanoi 072      B.  02 STATE 235694

    -     C.  02 Hanoi 2862  D.  02 Hanoi 2969

    ¶1.  (SBU)  Summary:  In two recent meetings with the
    Ambassador, GVN officials discussed religious freedom issues
    originally raised by Ambassador Hanford at the November 2002
    Human Rights Dialogue in a frank manner, but had little
    specific information.  The most welcome news was that the
    Southern Evangelical Church of Vietnam should be able to
    open its long-anticipated theological school to 50 students
    in January.  Reductions in restrictions on Thich Huyen Quang
    and Thich Quang Do remain possible and Father Nguyen Van
    Ly's sentence might be reduced as well, based on "good
    attitude."  Officials promised to continue to investigate
    various problems cited by Ambassador Hanford and Ambassador
    Burghardt, including an apparently official document
    describing efforts on renunciations of faith.  Officials
    also indicated the possibility that independent foreign
    observers might be allowed to investigate problems.  While
    these good discussions were welcome and offer the
    possibility of Vietnam moving more in the right direction on
    these issues, concrete GVN actions since Ambassador
    Hanford's November demarche have been few.  End summary.

    Expressing USG Concerns
    -----------------------

    ¶2.  (U)  Ambassador met separately with Government Committee
    on Religious Affairs (CRA) Chairman Le Quang Vinh and Deputy
    Foreign Minister Le Van Bang on January 14 to discuss
    religious freedom issues initially raised by Ambassador
    Hanford during the November 8, 2002 US-Vietnam Human Rights
    Dialogue (ref b).  He noted that he had also discussed these
    issues in late November with Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien
    (ref c).

    ¶3.  (U)  Ambassador noted that concerns about new reported
    religious freedom problems circulated in the international
    press had drawn considerable attention, including from
    members of Congress.  Moreover, the International Religious
    Freedom Act (IRFA) requires Ambassador Hanford to make
    recommendations on Country of Particular Concern designation
    based on the best available information.  Even if
    information was difficult to obtain and verify, the IRFA
    still required an annual recommendation.  Ambassador
    emphasized that the main purpose of meeting with both
    Chairman Vinh and DFM Bang was to clarify specific
    allegations, to determine if the GVN was investigating them,
    and learn what was being done if the allegations were true.

    ¶4.  (U)  Observing that the GVN was often defensive about
    religious freedom issues, Ambassador suggested the GVN
    undertake a more pro-active stance, such as inviting
    journalists, human rights NGO's, and diplomats freely to
    investigate reported problems, rather than the GVN issuing
    blanket denials.  The most noteworthy problems recently
    included reports of house church closings, forced
    renunciations of faith, disappearances of about 40
    Protestant leaders in the Central Highlands as well as
    others in the Northwest Highlands.   Ambassador also asked
    for any information relevant to allegations that police had
    beaten Hmong Christian leader Mua Bua Senh a number of
    times, leading to Senh's eventual death in August 2002.

    ¶5.  (U)  Following up on the Embassy's provision to the CRA
    in December 2002 of a copy of what was purported to be a
    Khanh Hoa provincial police document that described efforts
    to convince citizens to renounce their faith (ref a),
    Ambassador asked if the CRA had yet investigated the
    document and, if genuine, if anything had been done to the
    involved authorities.  If the document was false, Ambassador
    urged the GVN to make this clear as well as to reaffirm that
    forced renunciations of faith were counter to GVN policy on
    religious freedom.

    ¶6.  (U)  Ambassador also asked if reports that hundreds of
    house church closings in the Central Highlands and Northwest
    Highlands were true.  He expressed concern that formal
    registration remained so difficult that many house churches
    do not try to register, and urged instead that local
    authorities provide assistance and encourage registration.

    ¶7.  (U)   Noting that the last congress of the Evangelical
    Church of Vietnam-North (ECVN) was in 1988, Ambassador noted
    that this delay had fueled suspicions that the GVN was
    afraid that the ECVN would select leaders that the GVN did
    not like.  He urged that the GVN work with the ECVN to
    encourage it to hold its congress, rather than continue to
    claim that this delay was due to ECVN internal reasons only.
    ¶8.  (U)  Ambassador noted that one of the most frequent
    complaints from both Catholics and Protestants was that they
    do not have enough clergy.  He regretted the delays in
    opening a new Catholic seminary (or seminary branch) in Dong
    Nai province as well as the theological school of the
    Southern Evangelical Church of Vietnam (SECV) in Ho Chi Minh
    City; he urged the GVN to provide adequate permission and
    assistance in the establishment of these overdue and much-
    needed facilities.

    ¶9.  (U)  Ambassador rejected GVN claims that Vietnam had no
    religious prisoners, noting that there are clearly prisoners
    whom people overseas see as religious leaders.  He expressed
    concern that it was almost impossible for foreigners to get
    information about these prisoners or to meet with them.  He
    offered his personal view that the single best and easiest
    thing Vietnam could do to gain international respect would
    be to drop restrictions on highly respected Buddhist leaders
    Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do so that they might live
    where they wish, see whom they wish, and do what they want.
    Regarding prisoner Father Nguyen Van Ly, Ambassador
    emphasized that GVN stories about Father Ly's personal life
    were beside the point; regardless, 15 years imprisonment was
    too long a sentence for doing nothing more than saying
    something that the GVN did not like.  Ambassador asked for
    assistance in delivering the many Christmas cards he has
    received for Father Ly.

    -------------
    GVN Responses
    -------------

    ¶10.  (U)  SECV Theological school:  CRA Chairman Vinh
    assured Ambassador that the SECV would be able to open its
    theological school in January.  He said that he had
    personally informed the SECV of this after Christmas,
    following the Prime Minister's approval.  The school was
    currently recruiting students and facility as well as
    establishing its curriculum, and would be able to admit 50
    students.  For the time being, however, its student body
    would be limited due to its temporary location at the SECV
    headquarters.  He claimed that delay in opening had stemmed
    from Ho Chi Minh City authorities.  Separately, DFM Bang
    appeared to be aware of the decision regarding the SECV
    theological school, but offered no further comment.

    ¶11.  (U)  New Catholic Seminary:  CRA Chairman Vinh
    explained that the new Catholic seminary in Dong Nai had
    similarly been held up by the adamant refusal of provincial
    authorities; the CRA was now encouraging the search for a
    different site.  (Note:  Dong Nai authorities have
    attributed their reluctance to approve the seminary to the
    lack of provincial educational authorities able to supervise
    a tertiary-level institution.  End note)

    ¶12.  (U)  Persons of concern:  Chairman Vinh promised that
    the CRA would work with the Ministry of Public Security and
    "higher authorities" to facilitate actions regarding persons
    of concern such as Thich Huyen Quang, Thich Quang Do, and
    Father Nguyen Van Ly.  He claimed that it should be possible
    to forward mail to prisoners, including Father Ly.
    Separately, DFM Bang said that he had heard that Father Ly's
    attitude in prison had improved, a precondition to reduction
    in sentence.  MFA officials also indicated that they would
    ask MPS to identify the prison location of Father Ly, and
    share that information with Embassy.  DFM Bang added that
    MFA was continuing to research the list of persons of
    concern the Ambassador Hanford provided in August 2002, and
    agreed to determine whether any of them had been amnestied
    in 2002.

    ¶13.  (U)  Independent investigations:  Chairman Vinh
    responded positively to the suggestion of inviting
    journalists, NGO's, and diplomats to investigate reported
    problems.  While he clarified that he could not make
    decisions about such matters, he promised to recommend the
    idea to his superiors.

    ¶14.  (U)  Renunciations:  Chairman Vinh confirmed that the
    GVN strictly prohibited discriminatory treatment on
    religious grounds.  He emphasized that a citizen is free to
    persuade a fellow citizen to adopt or drop a religious
    belief, but that the State definitely would not do so.  He
    pledged that the GVN would openly address any violations of
    that policy and would criticize -- or discipline -- any
    officials guilty of such violations.  In answer to
    Ambassador's question, Vinh claimed that the GVN had
    actually done so in some cases already, while admitting that
    central authorities could not easily inspect and control
    activities in many remote places.  Ambassador urged the GVN
    to publicize when it punished officials for interfering with
    citizens' freedom of belief.

    ¶15.  (U)  Khanh Hoa:  Chairman Vinh promised to report the
    information on forced renunciations, including the Khanh Hoa
    document, to higher authorities.  However, he did not
    respond specifically to the validity of the Khanh Hoa
    document.  DFM Bang did not address the Khanh Hoa document
    either, but the MFA Americas Department staff requested a
    copy, which Embassy provided on January 15.

    ¶16.  (U)  Highlands:  Both Chairman Vinh and MFA officials
    described the situation in the Central Highlands and the
    Northwest Highlands as "special."  Chairman Vinh provided a
    lengthy account of separate efforts to establish a "Dega"
    state in the Central Highlands and a Hmong kingdom
    encompassing parts on Vietnam, Laos, China, Thailand, and
    Burma.  Tracing these efforts to FULRO on the one hand and
    Vang Pao on the other, Vinh claimed that the violent history
    of these efforts and their current use of "Dega"
    Protestantism and "Vang Chu" (a Hmong term for
    Protestantism) "worries" provincial authorities.   MFA
    officials echoed these points in less detail.  Ambassador
    noted that, although only a few people seemed to be involved
    in these movements, local authorities appeared to treat all
    Protestants in these areas the same regardless of whether
    they had anything to do with the separatist groups.  This
    probably had the negative effect of driving more people into
    these movements.  Chairman Vinh replied that central
    authorities had spoken "many times" with local officials
    about the need to respect religion.  While the State was
    working hard to ensure respect for "those who practice
    religion with pure intent," it could not ignore those who
    "use religion as a cover for political conspiracies."

    ¶17.  (U)  Mua Bua Senh:  Chairman Vinh claimed that he was
    not aware of the case of Mua Bua Senh, but promised that he
    would contact local authorities.  He expressed disbelief
    that Senh had been beaten just because of his religion.

    ¶18.  (U)  ECVN:  Chairman Vinh explained that, although the
    ECVN is small, it had two factions that sued each other
    after the last ECVN congress over a financial issue.  Until
    that dispute was resolved, Vinh claimed, it would not be
    possible to hold another congress.  He rejected Ambassador's
    suggestion that the ECVN settle the dispute at a congress,
    because the settlement and congress must happen "according
    to law."  He added that the situation was further muddied by
    "unqualified" persons who claim to be "authorized voices" as
    well as evangelists within the ECVN.  He noted that CRA
    officials recently traveled to help provincial authorities
    sort out who was and who was not an ECVN official.  Vinh
    emphasized that the CRA indeed wanted the ECVN to hold a
    congress and was trying to be supportive.

    ¶19.  (SBU)  Hanford demarche:  DFM Bang said that the MFA
    was investigating the four points Ambassador Hanford
    highlighted during the November 2002 Human Rights Dialogue.
    He invited Ambassador Hanford to visit Vietnam again.  He
    noted that it was also important to keep in sight how the
    overall religious situation in Vietnam had improved over the
    last ten years.  He revealed that the CPV Central Committee
    had discussed how to work out religious issues over the long-
    term during the second session of its seventh plenum, which
    began on January 13.  This was unprecedented, he claimed,
    and showed how seriously CPV and GVN authorities were about
    further improving the situation of religious freedom.   He
    noted that CPV General Secretary Nong Duc Manh had
    acknowledged that one-fourth of the Vietnamese population
    followed religion, and that religion had strong beneficial
    effect on the youth.  He pointed out Vietnam's relations
    with the Vatican were much better than China's, and that
    Vietnam had a great deal more religious freedom than
    countries like Saudi Arabia.

    ¶20.  (SBU)  Comment:  These two meetings were the broadest
    and most candid on the subject of religion that Ambassador
    has conducted with GVN officials since his arrival over one
    year ago.  The increasing willingness of the GVN to engage
    in a discussion as detailed as this would have been
    unthinkable not too many years ago.  They had some solid
    good news on the SECV theological school and indicated new
    signs of flexibility about investigating other areas of
    concern.  This offers the possibility of Vietnam moving in
    the right direction on these issues.  That said, Ambassador
    Hanford's own demarche to the GVN delegation in November
    should have set the ball in motion about addressing our main
    concerns, but there does not appear to have been much
    significant movement in the intervening months in response.
    PORTER

`