POTUS VISIT AND BTA STIMULATED PROTESTANT

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 002740 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF E.O. 12958: DECL 10/18/2011 TAGS: PHUM PINS PREL PGOV VM RELFREE HUMANR ETMIN BTA SUBJECT: POTUS VISIT AND BTA STIMULATED PROTESTANT - REGISTRATION PROCESS REF: HANOI 2591 ¶1. (U) CLASSFIED BY POLITICAL COUNSELOR SCOTT D. BELLARD, REASON 1.5 (D) ¶2. (C ) THEN-PRESIDENT CLINTON'S VISIT TO VIETNAM IN NOVEMBER 200 CAUSED THE SRV TO FACILITATE PROTESTANT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 02740 190724Z CHURCH EFFORTS TO REGISTER, ACCORDING TO PASTOR TINH, WHO DESCRIBED HIMSELF AS THE CHAIRMAN OF VIET NAM GOOD NEWS MISSIONS (STRICTLY PROTECT). TINH, WHO MET WITH POLOFF ON OCTOBER 11 IN HANOI, SAID THAT GVN RELIGION OFFICIALS LAST YEAR BEGAN TRAVELLING AROUND THE COUNTRYSIDE ENCOURAGING AND ASSISTING PROTESTANT GROUPS IN BEGIN LEGALIZING THEIR STATUS. HE CLAIMED THAT A SYMPATHETIC OFFICIAL OF THE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE ON RELIGION TOLD HIM RECENTLY THAT THE SRV HAD LAST YEAR DIRECTED THE COMMITTEE TO SEEK OUT PROTESTANT GROUPS AND TRY TO REGISTER THEM IN ORDER TO "HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT" AND TO INFLUENCE FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION OF THE BTA. TINH ADDED THAT WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON WOULD NOT SIGN THE BTA DURING HIS VISIT, GOVERNMENT INTEREST IN CHURCH REGISTRATION TAPERED OFF. ¶3. (C ) AT LEAST TWO PROTESTANT CHURCHES ARE STILL IN THE REGISTRATION PROCESS, INCLUDING HIS, TINH SAID. HOWEVER, GVN OFFICIALS ARE NO LONGER GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO FACILITATE THE PROCESS, HE ADDED. TINH EXPRESSED A GENERAL BELIEF THAT A "HOLD" ON THE BTA MIGHT HAVE HAD SOME FURTHER BENEFICIAL INFLUENCE ON CHURCH REGISTRATION. PASTOR TINH SAID THAT HE BELIEVED THAT CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION OF THE VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT (VHRA) COULD SIMILARLY INDUCE PROGRESS ON NEW CHURCH REGISTRATION, ADDING A HOPE THAT THE VHRA BE APPROVED. ¶4. (C ) COMMENT: MUCH AS THE GVN DECRIES FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN ITS INTERNAL AFFAIRS, IT REMAINS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02740 190724Z SENSITIVE TO OUTSIDE PRESSURE AND CONCERN. REFTEL NOTED THE IMPACT OF THE VHRA VOTE ON THE BAPTIST REGISTRATION PROCESS. WHILE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO LINK DIRECTLY THE MARCH 2001 OFFICIAL REGISTRATION OF THE SOUTHERN EVANGELICAL CHURCH TO THE POTUS VISIT OR BTA CONSIDERATION, GVN POLICY TOWARD A MORE INCLUSIVE APPROACH TO UNAUTHORIZED RELIGIOUS GROUPS IS CLEARLY NOT IMMUNE TO THE EBBS AND FLOWS OF POLICY DELIBERATIONS ABROAD, ESPECIALLY IN WASHINGTON. PORTER CONFIDENTIAL