BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE FIRST LADY'S FORUM: PROFOUND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE "TWO VIETNAMS"

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 HANOI 002777 SIPDIS STATE FOR S/S, S/PICW (LOAR),P, E, S/P STATE ALSO FOR EAP (BOYCE),EAP/BCLTV, DRL, EB, INR CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 02777 01 OF 06 261043Z STATE PASS USAID FOR ANE (FERRARA) WHITE HOUSE FOR OFFICE OF THE FIRST LADY (VERVEER) WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC (PRITCHARD),NEC (ROSEN) NSC FOR LIEBERTHAL, CHRISTY AND SCHWARTZ LABOR FOR U/S SAMET/BENJAMIN USDOC FOR 4431/MAC/AP/OKSA/HPPHO TREASURY FOR OASIA SECDEF FOR ISA/EAP STERN USDA FOR FAA/AO/SHUETE PARIS FOR SUE BREMNER E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2020 TAGS: PGOV KWMN PREL PHUM SOCI ELAB PINR VM DPOL SUBJECT: BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE FIRST LADY'S FORUM: PROFOUND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE "TWO VIETNAMS" REF: A) HANOI 2776 B) HANOI 2775 C) HANOI 2667 D) HANOI 2639 E) HANOI 2590 F) HO CHI MINH CITY 1766 ¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY POLCOUNS JAMES BRUNO; REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). SUMMARY -------------- ¶2. (C) THE DRAMA BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE FIRST LADY'S WOMEN'S FORUM REVEALS A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE INSTITUTIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON WOMEN AND MEN IN VIETNAM TODAY. OVER LUNCH BEFORE THE EVENT, IN CANDID DISCUSSIONS IN ENGLISH WITH SENIOR STAFF OF THE FIRST LADY'S OFFICE, THE SEVEN VIETNAMESE PANELISTS IN ATTENDANCE SHARED BALANCED CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02777 01 OF 06 261043Z ASSESSMENTS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES FACING VIETNAMESE WOMEN. BY CONTRAST, WHEN THEY SPOKE AT THE FORUM ITSELF, IN THE PRESENCE OF SENIOR COMMUNIST PARTY OFFICIALS, MOST OF THE PANELISTS' PRESENTATIONS WERE BLAND AND PROPAGANDISTIC. ONE PANELIST SAID LATER THAT, ON THE WAY TO THE PUBLIC EVENT, SHE WAS TOLD BY A COLLEAGUE THEIR PRESENTATIONS SHOULD BE IN VIETNAMESE (AS AN ISSUE OF "SOVEREIGNTY"). SHE ALSO OBSERVED THAT THREE PARTICIPANTS READ TEXTS STAMPED "OFFICIALLY APPROVED" BY THE AUTHORITIES, EVEN THOUGH ONLY ONE OF THE THREE WAS A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL. SIMILAR TO THE CHOREOGRAPHED REACTIONS FOR STUDENTS IN THE AUDIENCE FOR THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH (REF B),VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES DELIBERATELY SCRIPTED KEY PANELISTS. ¶3. (C) THE STRIKINGLY DIFFERENT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COMMENTS OF SOME FORUM PARTICIPANTS HIGHLIGHT WHAT ONE PANELIST LATER CALLED THE TWO VERY DIFFERENT "CULTURES" OF VIETNAM -- ONE OFFICIAL, FORMAL AND INSISTENT ON CENTRALIZED CONTROL; THE OTHER INFORMAL, OPEN TO CANDID DIALOGUE AND INCREASED DEALINGS WITH THE U.S. THE WOMEN IN THE FORUM REPRESENTED THE COMPETING WORLDVIEWS OF THESE "TWO �0A;VIETNAMS" -- ONE WHICH LOOKS LARGELY TO THE PAST; THE OTHER FOCUSED ON THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE FUTURE. THE FORWARDING-LOOKING CAMP INCLUDED A GROUP OF ENTREPRENEURIAL WOMEN OF DIFFERENT GENERATIONS WHO READILY AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FORUM AND CLEARLY RELISHED PROSPECTS FOR GREATER ENGAGEMENT WITH THE U.S. IN THE OTHER CAMP WERE PATERNALISTIC OFFICIALS WHO SOUGHT TO CONTROL AND LIMIT THE MESSAGE, PUBLICITY AND ATTENDEES FOR THE FORUM. PARANOID ABOUT MAINTAINING CONTROL, INSISTENT ON MICRO-MANAGING EVERY FACET, OFFICIALS REPRESENTING THIS CAMP HAGGLED FOR CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 02777 01 OF 06 261043Z HOURS OVER THE SHAPE OF THE TABLE FOR THE EVENT. IN MANY WAYS, THE DIFFERENT CULTURES OF THE "TWO VIETNAMS" SYMBOLIZE BROADER DIFFERENCES IN SOCIETY THAT WERE ON DISPLAY DURING THE VISIT OF THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY -- BETWEEN AN ENTREPRENEURIAL PEOPLE EAGER FOR GREATER ENGAGEMENT WITH THE U.S. AND A PATERNALISTIC STATE INSISTENT ON STABILITY AND CONTROL. END SUMMARY. THE IMPACT OF THE FIRST LADY'S WOMEN'S FORUM -------------- ¶4. (C) THE FIRST LADY'S FORUM WITH WOMEN LEADERS IN HANOI, HELD NOVEMBER 18 AS PART OF THE PRESIDENT'S HISTORIC VISIT TO VIETNAM, HIGHLIGHTED MAJOR CHALLENGES FACING VIETNAMESE WOMEN AS THEY SEEK FULL ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL EQUALITY (REF A). LIKE THE PRESIDENT'S TRIP IN GENERAL, HANOI HAD NOT SEEN ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THIS ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION, PULLING TOGETHER SEVEN WOMEN AND ONE MAN FROM DIFFERENT GENERATIONS AND A RANGE OF PROFESSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES. THE DISCUSSION FRAMEWORK AND THE UNIFYING COMMENTS BY MRS. CLINTON HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF VIETNAMESE WOMEN IN IMPROVING WORKING CONDITIONS AND PRESSING FOR EQUALITY IN LAW AS WELL AS REALITY. THE FORUM ALSO FOCUSED ON CONTINUING CHALLENGES, INCLUDING PROBLEMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS. ¶5. (SBU) INCLUDED IN THE FORUM WERE SEVERAL OF THE MOST PROMINENT WOMEN OFFICIALS IN VIETNAM, INCLUDING MINISTER OF LABOR NGUYEN THI HANG AND VIETNAM WOMEN'S UNION PRESIDENT HA THI KHIET, WHO GAVE WELCOMING REMARKS. BOTH OF THEM ARE MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM (CPV). PANELISTS INCLUDED A THREE-TERM MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, A LONG-TIME LEADER OF THE VIETNAM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF ONE OF VIETNAM'S PRIVATIZED FORMER STATE-OWNED FIRMS, AND THE HEAD OF A QUASI-OFFICIAL NGO ADVOCATING FOR CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02777 02 OF 06 261043Z WOMEN'S RIGHTS. THREE YOUNGER PANELISTS WERE A MALE RESEARCHER ON HIV/AIDS, A WOMAN CONSULTANT AT UNDP, AND A 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHO WAS VIETNAM'S DELEGATE TO THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH PARLIAMENT. ¶6. (C) COMING ON THE HEELS OF MRS. CLINTON'S ELECTION TO THE U.S. SENATE, THE FORUM SYMBOLIZED FOR VIETNAMESE WOMEN THE GROWING POLITICAL CLOUT OF WOMEN LEADERS AROUND THE WORLD, AND THIS MESSAGE WAS NOT LOST ON THE FORUM'S ATTENDEES. SEVERAL STUDENTS AND WOMEN PROFESSIONALS IN THEIR 20S AND 30S TOLD EMBOFFS AFTER THE FORUM THEY WERE INSPIRED BY MRS. CLINTON'S CALL FOR WOMEN TO IMPROVE THEIR EDUCATION AND SKILLS AND TO SEEK GREATER LEADERSHIP IN SOCIETY. HOWEVER, MANY IN THE AUDIENCE ALSO EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT THERE WAS SO LITTLE CANDOR AND INTERACTION AMONG THE PANELISTS AND BETWEEN THE PANELISTS AND THE AUDIENCE. IN RETROSPECT, IT IS CLEAR THIS WAS A DELIBERATE EFFORT ON THE PART OF THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES. IN VIETNAM THE SHAPE OF THE TABLE STILL MATTERS -------------- -- ¶7. (C) IN THE WEEKS PRIOR TO THE FORUM, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FIRST LADY'S OFFICE AND EMBASSY ENGAGED IN PROTRACTED, HAIR-SPLITTING NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE SIDE OVER EVERYTHING ABOUT THE FORUM -- THE PARTICIPANTS, MESSAGE AND FORMAT, EVEN THE SHAPE OF THE TABLE. THE FIRST LADY'S STAFF CAREFULLY CHOSE THE PANELISTS SO THEY WOULD REPRESENT A BROAD MIX OF PERSPECTIVES, OCCUPATIONS AND GENERATIONS. THIS WAS DONE SUCCESSFULLY, AND SEVERAL YOUNG WOMEN IN THE AUDIENCE REMARKED AFTERWARDS THIS WAS ONE OF THE MAIN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 02777 02 OF 06 261043Z ATTRACTIONS OF THE EVENT. HOWEVER, REACHING AGREEMENT WAS A PAINSTAKING PROCESS. AS IS THEIR CUSTOM, VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS WANTED TO ARRANGE THE PROGRAM AND COMPOSITION OF THE PARTICIPANTS WHO WOULD "HOST" MRS. CLINTON, AND MFA OFFICIALS STRONGLY INSISTED THAT OTHER PANELISTS BE ADDED TO THE EVENT. ¶8. (C) COMMENT: THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS WAS REVEALING FOR WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT OFFICIAL VIETNAM'S CONCERNS. FOR ONE THING, IT POINTS UP THE EXTREME SENSITIVITY OF THE NATIONALISTIC VIETNAMESE TO PRESERVING THE SYMBOLISM OF EQUALITY AND MUTUAL RESPECT. THUS, VIETNAM, AS THE OFFICIAL HOST FOR CLINTONS' VISIT, BELIEVED ITS ROLE WAS TO DETERMINE WHAT MRS. CLINTON WANTED TO DO AND THEN TO ARRANGE THE REQUISITE EVENTS FOR HER. IN SIMILAR TERMS, THE VIETNAMESE SIDE FELT IT SHOULD PROVIDE THE "OFFICIAL" ANSWER TO THE FIRST LADY'S QUESTIONS AT THE FORUM. THE ARGUMENT OVER THE SHAPE OF THE TABLE ILLUSTRATES THESE CONCERNS, AS DESCRIBED BELOW. END COMMENT. ¶9. (C) THE EVENING PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE FIRST LADY, THE TWO SIDES CONTINUED NEGOTIATING BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FORUM -- WHO THE PARTICIPANTS WOULD BE, WHAT QUESTIONS THEY WOULD FOCUS ON, INDEED WHETHER THE HOST VIETNAMESE SIDE WOULD ALLOW MRS. CLINTON TO HAVE SUCH A FORUM WITH WOMEN OF HER OWN CHOOSING. THE NEGOTIATIONS BOGGED DOWN OVER THE COMPOSITION OF THE PANEL, BUT EVEN MORE SO OVER HOW THE PANELISTS WOULD BE SEATED. ¶10. (C) THE FIRST LADY'S ADVANCE STAFF WAS INTENT ON LIMITING THE NUMBER OF PANELISTS TO NO MORE THAN SEVEN, WHILE THE GVN SIDE PRESSED FOR FURTHER ADDITIONS OF HIGH- LEVEL OFFICIALS WHO THEY BELIEVED NEEDED TO BE INCLUDED FOR PROTOCOL REASONS. AFTER FIVE HOURS OF BARGAINING, THE U.S. HAD AGREED TO EIGHT PANELISTS PLUS THE HEAD OF THE WOMEN'S UNION TO MAKE WELCOMING REMARKS. HOWEVER, THE TWO SIDES WERE AT AN IMPASSE OVER WHO WOULD ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02777 03 OF 06 261044Z HIV/AIDS, WITH THE U.S. SIDE PROPOSING ONE RESEARCHER AND THE GVN SIDE WANTING THAT PERSON BUT ALSO INSISTING ON ADDING ANOTHER MAN. THE FIRST LADY'S REPRESENTATIVE WARNED THAT HE WAS CLOSE TO CALLING OFF THE EVENT AND INSTEAD HAVING THE FIRST LADY CONDUCT A SMALLER PRIVATE FUNCTION WITHOUT GVN PARTICIPATION. ¶11. (C) AFTER PROBING THE GVN SIDE ONE LAST TIME FOR FLEXIBILITY, IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THE GVN WAS NOT ATTACHED TO THE SECOND PANELIST; RATHER, WHAT WAS IMPORTANT WAS THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS AT THE SEMI-CIRCULAR TABLE (COUNTING MRS. CLINTON AND THE MODERATOR) BE AN EVEN NUMBER. THIS WAS SO THAT MRS. CLINTON WOULD NOT BE CENTERED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TABLE, BUT THAT MRS. CLINTON AND A VIETNAMESE COUNTERPART WOULD BE EQUALLY SPACED TO ONE SIDE. ONE U.S. PARTICIPANT PROPOSED A COMPROMISE WHEREBY THE TABLE WOULD BE ARCHED SO THAT MRS. CLINTON AND THE LABOR MINISTER BE EQUIDISTANT FROM THE CENTER, WITH FIVE PERSONS ARRAYED TO ONE SIDE AND SIX TO THE OTHER. THE GVN NEGOTIATOR EXCUSED HERSELF FOR FIVE MINUTES TO CALL HER SUPERIORS ON HER CELL PHONE. SHE CAME BACK SAYING THAT WAS FINE. (COMMENT: AMAZINGLY, THE GVN SIDE WAS WILLING TO RISK CALLING OFF THE FIRST LADY'S DIALOGUE ON WOMEN'S ISSUES BECAUSE OF THE SYMBOLISM THAT SHE NOT BE CENTERED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TABLE. THIS ECHOED THE MONTHS-LONG ARGUMENTS OVER THE SHAPE OF THE TABLE IN THE PARIS PEACE TALKS DECADES BEFORE. END COMMENT.) CONTRAST BETWEEN A CANDID LUNCHEON AND A SCRIPTED FORUM -------------- -------------- CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 02777 03 OF 06 261044Z ¶12. (C) PERHAPS THE MOST INSTRUCTIVE LESSONS TO COME OUT OF THE FORUM WERE ABOUT THE CLASH OF WHAT ONE OF THE PANELISTS LATER CALLED THE "TWO CULTURES OF VIETNAM." THIS PANELIST (STRICTLY PROTECT) LATER TOLD US THAT SHE HAD BEEN VERY DISAPPOINTED BY HOW SHE FELT THE "AGREED PURPOSE" OF THE FORUM HAD BEEN UNDERMINED BY HER FELLOW PANELISTS. SHE WAS STRUCK BY THE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT TONE OF THE PUBLIC REMARKS MADE BY SOME PANELISTS IN THE FORUM, AND THOSE MADE IN PRIVATE AT THE LUNCH HOSTED BY MODERATOR VI PETERSON, A TRADE CONSULTANT AND SPOUSE OF THE AMBASSADOR. (SHE CITED IN PARTICULAR THE CONTRASTING REMARKS OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEMBER NGO BA THANH AND VUONG THI HANH OF THE CENTER FOR EDUCATION PROMOTION AND EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN.) AT THE LUNCH, ATTENDED BY THE FIRST LADY'S CHIEF OF STAFF MELANNE VERVEER AND S/PICW COORDINATOR THERESA LOAR, THE PANELISTS HAD GIVEN CANDID ASSESSMENTS IN ENGLISH OF HOW VIETNAMESE WOMEN HAD MADE IMPORTANT PROGRESS IN RECENT YEARS BUT YET MUCH STILL REMAINED TO BE DONE. (NOTE: THE LABOR MINISTER AND VIETNAM WOMEN'S UNION PRESIDENT DECLINED TO ATTEND THE LUNCH. ASSEMBLY MEMBER THANH WAS THE ONLY GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE TO ATTEND. END NOTE.) ¶13. (C) AT THIS PRE-FORUM LUNCHEON, WHICH WAS SEEN AS A "WARM-UP" FOR THE FORUM ITSELF, ONE OF THE MAJOR THEMES BOTH EXPRESSED AND DEMONSTRATED BY THE WOMEN'S STORIES WAS THE CREATIVITY, RESOURCEFULNESS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL ENERGY OF THESE WOMEN. MANY OF THEM HAD BEEN TRAILBLAZERS IN PRIVATIZING COMPANIES, ORGANIZING RURAL WOMEN TO SPEAK UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS, AND PRESSING FOR ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS GUARANTEEING WOMEN EQUAL RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW. OUR PANELIST SOURCE SAID SHE LEFT THE LUNCHEON FEELING SHE WOULD BE PARTICIPATING IN SOMETHING TRULY HISTORIC IN VIETNAM. (COMMENT: THIS WAS EXACTLY THE SENTIMENT OF THE FORUM ORGANIZERS. IN RETROSPECT, IT SEEMS THAT THE GVN'S TOUGH NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE PARTICIPANTS WERE FOLLOWED UP BY "SCRIPTING" A NUMBER OF THE PARTICIPANTS. END COMMENT.) CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02777 04 OF 06 261044Z ¶14. (C) THE PANELIST TOLD EMBOFF THE CONTRAST WAS DRAMATIC AND IMMEDIATELY FELT. AFTER FINISHING THE LUNCHEON, ON THE WALK TO THE FORUM ITSELF, SHE WAS TOLD BY A SENIOR FELLOW PANELIST THAT ALL THEIR PRESENTATIONS SHOULD BE IN VIETNAMESE. "THIS IS AN ISSUE OF SOVEREIGNTY," THE SENIOR VIETNAMESE TOLD HER, IMPLYING THAT THEY SHOULD ONLY SPEAK VIETNAMESE IN A PUBLIC EVENT IN THEIR COUNTRY. THE PANELIST WHO SPOKE WITH US DISAGREED, FEELING THEY WOULD HAVE A MORE CANDID INTERACTION WITH MRS. CLINTON IF THEY SPOKE IN ENGLISH, BUT SHE WAS PRECEDED BY OTHERS WHO SPOKE FIRST IN VIETNAMESE. ¶15. (C) FURTHERMORE, IN CONTRAST TO THEIR REMARKS IN PRIVATE, SEVERAL OF THE FORUM PARTICIPANTS REVERTED TO SLOGANEERING, PRAISING THE "CENTRAL ROLE" OF THE CPV IN LEADING THE CAMPAIGN FOR WOMEN'S EQUALITY. THE INITIAL PRESENTATIONS -- BY WOMEN'S UNION PRESIDENT KHIET AND LABOR MINISTER HANG, WHO AS CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE THE HIGHEST-RANKING CPV MEMBERS ATTENDING -- INCLUDED PREDICTABLE NODS TO THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY, BUT WERE NOT OVERLY IDEOLOGICAL. HOWEVER, THE FOLLOWING THREE PRESENTERS, ONE AFTER ANOTHER, LAUNCHED INTO EXTENSIVE REMARKS THAT CONTRASTED DRAMATICALLY WITH THEIR PRIVATE REMARKS AT THE LUNCHEON. ¶16. (C) NGO BA THANH, NOT A MEMBER OF THE CPV AND IN MANY SETTINGS FIERCELY INDEPENDENT AND KNOWN AS A CRUSADER FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS, DISCOURSED AT LENGTH ON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE CPV IN THIS REGARD, AT ONE POINT SAYING THAT EQUITY HAD BEEN ACHIEVED AND ENSHRINED IN FOUNDING CPV DOCUMENTS IN ¶1945. LIKEWISE, BOTH PHAM CHI LAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 02777 04 OF 06 261044Z VIETNAMESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AND VUONG THI HANH REMARKED ON THE "PROMINENT ROLE" OF THE CPV IN ADVANCING WOMEN'S RIGHTS "UNDER THE REVOLUTION." THE PANELIST WHO SPOKE WITH US SAID SHE WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THANH, LAN AND HANH HAD TEXTS STAMPED "OFFICIALLY APPROVED" SIGNIFYING THAT THEY HAD BEEN VETTED BY GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES. SINCE THESE PANELISTS WERE NOT REPRESENTING GOVERNMENT OFFICES, SHE FOUND THIS TO BE TELLING. (NOTE: THANH IS A SELF-DESCRIBED "INDEPENDENT" MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY, LAN IS A LEADER OF THE QUASI- OFFICIAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND HANH HEADS UP AN INDIGENOUS NGO.) (COMMENT: AT ONE LEVEL, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THE GVN AUTHORITIES WOULD SEEK TO INFLUENCE SUCH A HIGH-PROFILE FORUM AS THIS ONE. BUT WE WERE STRUCK BY THE SHARP CONTRAST BETWEEN WHAT FORUM PARTICIPANTS SAID IN PRIVATE AND WHAT THEY SAID IN A PUBLIC SETTING UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYES OF SENIOR CPV OFFICIALS. END COMMENT.) COMMENT: BEHIND THE SCENES: PORTRAITS OF THE "TWO VIETNAMS" -------------- -------------- ¶17. (C) THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE PUBLIC SPEECHES BY SEVERAL PANELISTS AND THEIR CANDID PRIVATE REMARKS HIGHLIGHTS THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE COMPETING VIEWS OF THE "TWO VIETNAMS" -- ONE OFFICIAL, FORMAL AND INSISTENT ON CENTRALIZED CONTROL; THE OTHER INFORMAL, OPEN TO CANDID DIALOGUE AND INCREASED DEALINGS WITH THE U.S. THE FORMER VIEW IS CAUTIOUS, PATERNALISTIC, XENOPHOBIC AND HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS OF WESTERN INTENTIONS. THIS IS THE DOMINANT VIEW AMONG CPV HARDLINERS AND WAR VETERANS, AND THROUGH THEM, THE SECURITY MINISTRIES OF THE GOVERNMENT, ELEMENTS OF THE PARTY'S MASS ORGANIZATIONS AND THE STATE ORGANS THAT ENFORCE STATE CENSORSHIP OF THE PRESS AND OTHER PUBLIC SPEECH. ¶18. (C) BY CONTRAST, THE OTHER VIEW IS MORE OPEN, ENGAGING, ENTREPRENEURIAL AND EAGER TO HAVE VIETNAM INTEGRATE MORE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02777 05 OF 06 261044Z FULLY WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD. IN THIS CAMP, WE BELIEVE, ARE THE VAST MAJORITY OF VIETNAM'S YOUNGER POPULATION, WHO HUNGER FOR THE PROMISES OF BETTER JOBS AND A BETTER LIFE, INCLUDING NOT ONLY MATERIAL WELL-BEING, BUT ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE GREATER CONTROL OVER THEIR DESTINIES. THIS CAMP FINDS SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT AMONG TECHNOCRATS AND MANY YOUNGER OFFICIALS IN THE CPV AND GOVERNMENT. HOWEVER, AS ONE OF THE PANELISTS POINTED OUT TO US, WORKING IN THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TODAY REQUIRES AT LEAST TACIT DEFERENCE TO THE DOMINANT OFFICIAL CULTURE OF CENTRALIZED CONTROL AND, FOR SOME POSITIONS, PARTY AFFILIATION AND MEMBERSHIP ARE REQUIRED. THE MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL CAMP FOCUSES ON THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE FUTURE, WHILE THE OTHER CAMP LOOKS LARGELY TO THE PAST, RECYCLING OLD-FASHIONED IDEOLOGY TO WHICH VIRTUALLY NO ONE SUBSCRIBES TODAY. DURING THE VISIT, THE MESSAGES OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE FIRST LADY WERE FOCUSED ON REACHING OUT TO THIS YOUNGER GENERATION. THE EFFUSIVE POPULAR REACTION THEY RECEIVED REVEALS THE RESONANCE OF THEIR MESSAGE. ¶19. (C) THE DIFFERENT CULTURES OF THE "TWO VIETNAMS" ARE STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY GENERATIONAL AND REGIONAL FACTORS, AS WELL AS CPV MEMBERSHIP, THOUGH THESE MATTERS ARE NOT DETERMINATIVE. AS A RULE, YOUNGER AND SOUTHERN VIETNAMESE ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO FIT THE MORE OPEN, CANDID PARADIGM. UNDER THE CPV UMBRELLA THERE ARE PERSONS IN BOTH CAMPS; SOME PERSONS, FOR INSTANCE, JOIN THE CPV FOR PRAGMATIC RATHER THAN IDEOLOGICAL REASONS, IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THEIR PROSPECTS FOR ADVANCEMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, PANELIST NGUYEN THI MAI THANH, GENERAL DIRECTOR OF THE REE REFRIGERATION COMPANY, IS A CPV MEMBER IN HER LATE 40S, AND SHE CLEARLY CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 02777 05 OF 06 261044Z IS IN THE REFORMIST CAMP. SHE LARGELY ESCHEWED IDEOLOGY IN HER FORUM PRESENTATION AND FOCUSED ON THE INCREASED BUSINESS BENEFITS TO BE DERIVED FROM PRIVATIZATION AND GREATER TRANSPARENCY. IN A MEETING WITH POLOFF AFTER THE FORUM, SHE SAID SHE HOPED THE UPCOMING CPV PARTY CONGRESS WOULD PRESS FOR GREATER OPENNESS AND DEBATE, AND WOULD EMBRACE A PROGRAM OF GREATER ENGAGEMENT WITH THE U.S. AND THE REST OF THE WORLD. ¶20. (C) THE PANELIST WE DEBRIEFED AFTERWARDS JOKED THAT HER FRIENDS WERE SAYING "EVEN THE AMERICANS" COULDN'T PULL OFF A CANDID PUBLIC FORUM OF VIETNAMESE WOMEN. SHE ASSESSED, HOWEVER, THAT THE FORUM HAD PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HIGHLIGHTING IMPORTANT ISSUES OF CONCERN TO VIETNAMESE WOMEN, AND SHE EXPRESSED STRONG INTEREST IN HOLDING A FOLLOW-UP SESSION TO DISCUSS MANY OF THE ISSUES RAISED IN THE FORUM, INCLUDING EXPLORING LINKS TO MRS. CLINTON'S "VITAL VOICES" NETWORK OF WOMEN LEADERS AROUND THE WORLD. (NOTE: IN STRATEGIZING WITH THIS PANELIST AND OTHERS HERE ABOUT A FOLLOW-UP PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM, THERE ARE SEVERAL CLEAR "LESSONS LEARNED" TO ENABLE THE VOICES OF THE NEW, MORE OPEN VIETNAM TO BE HEARD. WE WILL HOLD THE DISCUSSION IN ENGLISH, INVITE YOUNGER PARTICIPANTS TO SPEAK FIRST, ENCOURAGE QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE, AND NOT ALLOW THE CPV "ELDERS" TO CONTROL THE DISCUSSION. THE TRADEOFF MAY BE THAT "OFFICIAL VIETNAM" WILL NOT AGREE TO PARTICIPATE UNDER SUCH GROUND RULES.) END COMMENT. CONCLUDING COMMENT -------------- ¶21. (C) OUR EXPERIENCE HELPING ORGANIZE THE FIRST LADY'S WOMEN'S FORUM POINTED UP SOME OF THE SHARP CONTRASTS BETWEEN THE "TWO VIETNAMS" -- AND THE LONG SHADOW THAT THE OFFICIAL CULTURE OF CENTRALIZED CONTROL CASTS OVER THE BROADER SOCIETY'S CULTURE OF ENTREPRENEURISM. AS SHOWCASED IN THIS FORUM, OFFICIAL VIETNAM'S IMPERATIVE TO SCRIPT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02777 06 OF 06 261045Z PUBLIC OPINION SIGNIFICANTLY HOLDS BACK VIETNAM'S MORE DYNAMIC LEADERS. THE EXTENSIVE MANEUVERING OF PARTY/GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BEHIND THE SCENES REVEALS THE EXTRAORDINARY EXTENT OF CONTROL EXERCISED BY THE PATERNALISTIC, TOP-DOWN DECISION-MAKERS OF OFFICIAL VIETNAM. IN "MANAGING" THE REACTION AND PUBLICITY OF THE PRESIDENT'S TRIP, THIS GROUP SOUGHT TO LIMIT ACCESS AND TO SCRIPT RESPONSES. AS REPORTED REF B, WHAT THE EXTRAORDINARY POPULAR RECEPTION GIVEN TO THE PRESIDENT REVEALS IS HOW MUCH OUT OF TOUCH THIS GROUP IS WITH THE FEELINGS OF THE VIETNAMESE PUBLIC AT LARGE. END COMMENT. HARTER CONFIDENTIAL