IMPACT OF VHRA DEBATE ON PROTESTANTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 002591 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2011 TAGS: PHUM SOCI PREL PINS VM HUMANR RELFREE SUBJECT: IMPACT OF VHRA DEBATE ON PROTESTANTS ¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES ROBERT C. PORTER, REASON: 1.5 (D) ¶2. (C) SUMMARY. REACTION IN VIETNAM TO THE VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT MAY HAVE CREATED A NEW OBSTACLE FOR POSSIBLE LEGAL RECOGNITION OF AN UNDERGROUND BAPTIST GROUP. THE ATMOSPHERE ALSO APPARENTLY REMAINS TOO "SENSITIVE" EVEN FOR THE OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED TIN LANH ASSOCIATION TO AGREE TO MEET WITH EMBOFFS. END CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 02591 091104Z SUMMARY. ¶3. (C ) IN A MEETING WITH POL/C ON OCTOBER 6, THE REVEREND NGUYEN NGOC HIEN (STRICTLY PROTECT) OF THE VIETNAM BAPTIST GENERAL CONFERENCE DESCRIBED HIS CHURCH'S EFFORTS TO OBTAIN LEGAL RECOGNITION FROM THE SRV. REVEREND HIEN, WHO SAID HE HAD IN 1991 LEFT THE SOUTHERN EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN WHICH HIS FATHER AND TWO BROTHERS ARE PASTORS, CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN ORDAINED BY KOREAN PRESBYTERIANS. HE SAID HE HAD SWITCHED THE AFFILIATION OF HIS UNDERGROUND CHURCHES TO THE BAPTISTS IN 1997, FOLLOWING CONTACTS WITH VIETNAMESE-AMERICAN BAPTISTS. HE CLAIMED TO HAVE BEGUN WITH ONLY 10 FOLLOWERS BUT NOW TO HAVE APPROXIMATELY 8,000 MEMBERS NATIONWIDE, WITH ABOUT 100 HOUSE CHURCHES IN 25 PROVINCES (14 IN THE NORTH, 4 IN THE CENTRAL REGION, AND 7 IN THE SOUTH). HE DESCRIBED MOST MEMBERS AS WORKERS, FARMERS, AND RETIRED PEOPLE; A FEW ARE ACTIVE OR FORMER PARTY MEMBERS, HE ADDED. TRAINED CLERGY IS A PROBLEM; HE SAID HIS CHURCH HAS ONLY ABOUT TEN ACTUAL MINISTERS TO SERVICE THE MANY FOLLOWERS. HIS FOLLOWERS AND MINISTERS FACE REGULAR HARASSMENT, INCLUDING FINES AND OCCASION BEATINGS, HE CLAIMED. ¶4. (C ) ACCORDING TO REVEREND HIEN, HE HELD THREE FORMAL MEETINGS WITH THE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE ON RELIGION SINCE JUNE 2001 IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A LEGAL STATUS FOR HIS CHURCH. IN THIS PROCESS, HE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED NUMEROUS FORMS REGARDING THE HISTORY OF HIS GROUP, ITS PURPOSE, ACTIVITIES, AND MEMBERS. HE HAD BEEN PROMISED A RESPONSE BY THE END OF AUGUST BUT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02591 091104Z DID NOT RECEIVE ONE, HE SAID. ¶5. (C ) REVEREND HIEN CLAIMED THAT THE PASSAGE BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT (VHRA) HAD DRAMATICALLY CHANGED THE ATMOSPHERE FOR DISCUSSION. BETWEEN JUNE AND AUGUST, HIS CONTACTS AT THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE ON RELIGION HAD BEEN POSITIVE AND "VERY HAPPY," BUT SINCE SEPTEMBER 6 THEIR ATTITUDES CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED HOW UPSET THEY WERE WITH THE VHRA, HE STRESSED. HE NOTED THAT HIS CONTACTS APPEARED MARGINALLY MORE POSITIVE SINCE THE SENATE RATIFICATION OF THE BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT, BUT HE WAS UNWILLING TO SPECULATE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO HIS APPLICATION SHOULD THE SENATE ALSO PASS THE VHRA IN SOME FORM OR ANOTHER. ¶6. (C ) SEPARATELY, THE REVEREND AU QUANG VINH, THE ACTING CHAIRMAN OF THE HANOI ASSOCIATION OF PROTESTANTS (TIN LANH),THE GOVERNMENT-RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATION TO SUPERVISE PROTESTANTS IN THE NORTH, SENT A LETTER TO POL/C INDIRECTLY BY FOREIGN CONTACTS TO REGRET THAT HE COULD NOT AGREE TO MEET POL/C OFFICIALLY DUE TO CURRENT "SENSITIVE TIME IN VIETNAM-US RELATIONS." HE CLAIMED THAT THE TIN LANH CHURCH AND HE PERSONALLY MIGHT ENCOUNTER "COMPLICATIONS" WITH THE GOVERNMENT IF HE AGREED TO MEET NOW. (NOTE: POL/C HAD PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN TO THE HEADS OF ALL THE MAJOR RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS IN HANOI REQUESTING COURTESY CALLS. REVEREND VINH APPARENTLY CHOSE TO REPLY AVOIDING THE POST OFFICE DUE TO HIS INCLUSION OF COPIES OF SEVERAL OFFICIAL JUDGMENTS LEVYING FINES AGAINST HIM SEVERAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 02591 091104Z TIMES SINCE 1994 FOR HAVING PROVIDED INFORMATION TO VARIOUS FOREIGNERS. END NOTE) ¶7. (C ) COMMENT: THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VHRA AND DELAY IN FURTHER DISCUSSIONS OVER THE BAPTISTS' STATUS MAY BE LESS GENUINE THAN PERCEIVED BY REVEREND HIEN. HOWEVER, OVERALL VIETNAMESE SENSITIVITY TO PERCEIVED INTERFERENCE BY THE US ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES ISSUES DOES SEEM TO HAVE BEEN HEIGHTENED BY THE HOUSE VOTE ON VHRA. PASSAGE BY THE SENATE WOULD FURTHER EXACERBATE THIS PERCEPTION. IF SO, THERE MAY BE INCREASED OFFICIAL RELUCTANCE TO TAKE FURTHER POSITIVE STEPS ON HUMAN RIGHTS THAT COULD INTERPRETED BY DOMESTIC CRITICS AS HAVING BEEN ADOPTED IN RESPONSE TO US PRESSURE. PORTER CONFIDENTIAL