PROGRESS TOWARD PROTESTANT RECOGNITION

UNCLAS HANOI 002421 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL/CRT, DRL/IRF, INR NSC FOR GENE CHRISTY SECDEF FOR ISA/LSTERN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM KIRF PREL VM HUMANR RELFREE SUBJECT: PROGRESS TOWARD PROTESTANT RECOGNITION ¶1. THIS IS AN ACTION MESSAGE FOR DRL/CRT. ¶2. THE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE ON RELIGION ON OCTOBER 21 RELEASED A COMMUNIQUE ANNOUNCING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 02421 020714Z "MOBILIZATION BOARD" OF 25 PROTESTANT MINISTERS TO PREPARE FOR A CONGRESS THAT WOULD OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZE SELECTED PROTESTANT ("TIN LANH") CHURCHES IN THE SOUTH AND CENTER OF THE COUNTRY. THIS STEP HAS BEEN DISCUSSED FOR SOME TIME, AND WE BELIEVE THIS IS A PRECURSOR TO THE GVN'S RECOGNIZING THE "TIN LANH" (GOOD NEWS) CHURCHES IN THE SOUTH. (NOTE: CURRENTLY THE GVN RECOGNIZES "PROTESTANTISM" AS ONE OF ITS SIX OFFICIALLY APPROVED RELIGIONS, BUT ONLY ABOUT A DOZEN "TIN LANH" PROTESTANT CONGREGATIONS HAVE OFFICIAL STATUS. END NOTE.) ¶3. A LEADER OF ONE OF THE LARGE "TIN LANH" CHURCHES IN HO CHI MINH CITY TOLD A VISITING UK PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION RECENTLY THAT HE EXPECTED THAT RECOGNITION COULD COME "BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR." WHILE WE ARE UNCERTAIN AS TO WHEN THIS WILL TAKE PLACE, THE RELEASE OF THE COMMUNIQUE IS THE FIRST OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION THIS IS COMING CLOSER TO REALITY. ¶4. ACTION REQUEST FOR DRL/CRT: WE WOULD RECOMMEND INCLUDING A MENTION OF THE COMMUNIQUE IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT, FOR EXAMPLE: "IN OCTOBER THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE ON RELIGION RELEASED A COMMUNIQUE ANNOUNCING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A "MOBILIZATION BOARD" OF 25 PROTESTANT MINISTERS TO PREPARE FOR A CONGRESS THAT WOULD OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZE SELECTED "TIN LANH" PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN THE SOUTH AND CENTER OF THE COUNTRY. ONCE FINALIZED, THIS STEP IS EXPECTED TO GRANT TO THESE "TIN LANH" CHURCHES THE SAME LEGAL STANDING CURRENTLY HELD BY THE ROUGHLY DOZEN RECOGNIZED "TIN LANH" CONGREGATIONS IN THE NORTH." PETERSON UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 02421 020714Z UNCLASSIFIED