PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS REFUSE TO MEET WITH CONGEN

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000991 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/DKIRCHOFFER STATE ALSO FOR DRL SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN NSC FOR RAVIC HUSO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM VM SUBJECT: PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS REFUSE TO MEET WITH CONGEN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HO CHI 00991 131002Z ¶1. CONGEN DPO AND POLOFF CANCELLED A VISIT TO DAC LAC AND BINH PHUOC PROVINCES IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IN EARLY JUNE AFTER PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES REFUSED TO MEET WITH THEM. ORIGINALLY, THE PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN OF BINH PHUOC PROVINCE AGREED TO MEET PROVIDED THE DISCUSSIONS DID NOT INCLUDE THE ISSUES OF ETHNIC MINORITIES OR RELIGION. LATER, THE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE CANCELLED THE MEETING ALTOGETHER. ¶2. NOT ONLY DID THE TWO PEOPLE'S COMMITTEES REFUSE TO MEET, BUT THEY INSTRUCTED OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR PROVINCES TO CANCEL ALREADY CONFIRMED MEETINGS AS WELL (THIS IS ACCORDING TO TWO SEPARATE RELIABLE SOURCES IN THOSE PROVINCES). CONGEN NOTED BOTH TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS EXTERNAL RELATIONS OFFICE (ERO) IN HCMC, AS WELL AS TO THE PROVINCIAL OFFICES, THAT BY REFUSING TO MEET WITH CONGENOFFS, PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS DEPRIVE THEMSELVES OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY REGARDING SUCH POLITICALLY-SENSITIVE ISSUES AS MIGRATION AND LAND DISTIRBUTION. ¶3. COMMENT: PER NORMAL PRACTICE, WE PROVIDED THE ERO WITH ADVANCE NOTICE OF OUR TRAVEL PLANS. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NO DIRECT EVIDENCE THAT MFA INTERVENED TO ABORT THE TRIP, WE SUSPECT THAT MAY BE THE CASE GIVEN THE MORE BELLIGERENT MFA ATTITUDE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED RECENTLY. JOHN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 00991 131002Z UNCLASSIFIED