QFOREIGN MINISTRY OBJECTS TO VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT AND US POSTAL SERVICE ACTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 002175 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/11 TAGS: PINS US VM QPREL HUMANR SUBJECT: QFOREIGN MINISTRY OBJECTS TO VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT AND US POSTAL SERVICE ACTION ¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE DQAFFAIRES ROBERT C. PORTER, JR. REASON: 1.5(D). ¶2. (C) THE DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAS DEPARTMENT AT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY, MR. NGUYEN XUAN PHONG, CALLED IN THE CHARGE ON SEPTEMBER 5 TO REAFFIRM THE GVN'S POSITION ON "CERTAIN ISSUES WHICH RECENTLY HAVE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED" BILATERAL RELATIONS: HR 2368 (THE VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT) AND THE RECENT ACTION OF THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE TO WITHDRAW FROM CIRCULATION A BROCHURE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 02175 051102Z WHICH INCLUDED THE CURRENT VIETNAMESE FLAG (AMONG THE FLAGS OF MANY OTHER NATIONS). -------------- VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT (HR 2368) -------------- ¶3. (C) PHONG STATED THAT THE GVN BELIEVES THAT HR 2368 REPRESENTS THE ATTEMPT OF A "SMALL GROUP WHICH LACKS GOOD WILL" TO INTERFERE IN VIETNAM'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS -- AN ATTEMPT WHICH RUNS COUNTER TO THE TREND TO IMPROVE BILATERAL RELATIONS, SUCH AS NEGOTIATION AND PASSAGE OF THE BTA. HE FURTHER STATED THAT SOME ALSO PERCEIVE THE RESOLUTION AS AN ATTEMPT BY CERTAIN GROUPS IN THE U.S. TO OVERTURN OR DESTROY THE CURRENT SYSTEM IN VIETNAM, AN APPROACH HE LABELED "PEACEFUL DESTRUCTION" RATHER THAN PEACEFUL EVOLUTION. HE OBSERVED THAT THE USG ONCE USED PROGRESS ON THE POW/MIA ISSUE AS A WAY TO REGULATE THE PACE OF IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP AND THAT SOME IN VIETNAM BELIEVE THAT THE USG IS NOW USING "OTHER ISSUES" FOR THE SAME PURPOSE. HE CALLED ON THE USG TO URGE CONGRESS TO DEFEAT THE RESOLUTION. -------------- POSTAL SERVICE BROCHURE -------------- ¶4. (C) PHONG THEN RAISED THE NOW OUT-OF-CIRCULATION US POSTAL SERVICE BROCHURE TO WHICH SOME VIETNAMESE AMERICANS OBJECTED BECAUSE IT CONTAINED AN IMAGE OF CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02175 051102Z THE FLAG OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM. ACCORDING TO PHONG, THE GVN RAISED THE ISSUE DIRECTLY WITH THE US POSTAL SERVICE, WHICH INDICATED THAT IT HAD WITHDRAWN THE BROCHURE FROM CIRCULATION AND WHICH ALSO REPORTEDLY APOLOGIZED TO VIETNAM FOR DOING SO. PHONG TOLD THE CHARGE THAT THE WITHDRAWAL WAS AN INSULT TO VIETNAM AND ITS FLAG, AND OBSERVED THAT IF A US AGENCY GAVE IN TO PRESSURE FROM SUCH A "SMALL GROUP" IN THIS CASE, IT WOULD INEVITABLY DO SO AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. HE URGED THE DEPARTMENT TO WORK WITH THE US POSTAL SERVICE TO SHOW PROPER RESPECT FOR THE VIETNAMESE FLAG JUST AS IT WOULD SHOW RESPECT FOR THE FLAG OF ANY OTHER SOVEREIGN NATION, ESPECIALLY ONE WITH WHICH THE U.S. HAS FRIENDLY RELATIONS. ¶5. (U) PHONG HANDED CHARGE A NON-PAPER ON THE ABOVE TWO ISSUES. (COPY FAXED TO EAP/BCLTV.) ¶6. (C) AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS PRESENTATION, PHONG ALSO RENEWED EARLIER GVN REQUESTS FOR THE USG TO ARREST THOSE IN THE U.S. WHO ARE WORKING FOR THE VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF THE GVN OR WHO ARE PLANNING AND CARRYING OUT TERRORIST OPERATIONS AGAINST VIETNAMESE EMBASSIES ABROAD. HE ASKED THAT THE USG, IN THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION, PROVIDE THE GVN WITH ANY INFORMATION IT MAY HAVE ON PLANS TO CONDUCT TERRORIST OPERATIONS AGAINST GVN EMBASSIES AND FACILITIES. ¶7. (C) IN RESPONSE, CHARGE PROMISED TO PASS ON GVN CONCERNS TO THE DEPARTMENT. HE BRIEFED PHONG ON THE STATUS OF THE BTA, AND REMINDED PHONG, WHO RECENTLY CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 02175 051102Z RETURNED FROM SAN FRANCISCO AS CONSUL-GENERAL, THAT CONGRESS WAS AN INDEPENDENT BRANCH NOT UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OR THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. HE EMPHASIZED TO PHONG THAT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS REPRESENTED THE INTERESTS OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND THAT BOTH THE CONGRESS AND USG BELIEVED THAT VIETNAM NEEDED TO DO MORE TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS. PORTER CONFIDENTIAL >