SPOUTING THE PARTY LINE ALONG ROUTE ONE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002885 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2006 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ETRD VM CTERR BTA HUMANR SUBJECT: SPOUTING THE PARTY LINE ALONG ROUTE ONE ¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY POL/C SCOTT BELLARD, REASON: 1.5 (D) ¶2. (C) SUMMARY. PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES ALONG ROUTE ONE EXPRESSED TO POL/C THEIR CONDOLENCES ON THE 9/11 TRAGEDIES AND OPPOSITION TO TERRORISM, SATISFACTION OVER THE BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT, AND DEEP OPPOSITION TO THE DRAFT VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT. THE UNIFORMITY CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 02885 01 OF 02 051011Z OF THEIR LANGUAGE SUGGESTS CENTRAL GUIDANCE, PROBABLY FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTRY, WHICH HAD APPARENTLY WORKED HARD TO CONVINCE THEM TO ARRANGE MEETINGS. OFFICIALS SEEMED GLAD OF THE CHANCE TO DESCRIBE LOCAL CONDITIONS, AND WERE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE PROSPECTS FOR CONTINUING THE PROCESS OF STRENGTHENING BILATERAL TIES, ALTHOUGH SOME SUSPICION REMAINS ABOUT US GLOBAL OBJECTIVES. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (U) POL/C AND POL FSN TRAVELED BY EMBASSY FOUR WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE ALONG THE PICTURESQUE (BUT OFTEN DECREPIT) NATIONAL HIGHWAY ONE BETWEEN HO CHI MINH CITY AND HANOI OCTOBER 25-NOVEMBER 2 TO MEET WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS IN BINH THUAN, KHANH HOA, BINH DINH, QUANG NAM, QUANG BINH, AND NGHE AN PROVINCES, AS WELL AS IN HOI AN AND DANANG CITIES. THE PRIMARY INTERLOCUTOR AT EACH STOP WAS EITHER THE CHAIRMAN OR VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE (EQUIVALENT OF GOVERNOR OR VICE GOVERNOR),USUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY A VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S COUNCIL (LOCAL LEGISLATURE) AND CHAIRMAN OR DEPUTY OF THE PROVINCIAL EDUCATION OFFICE. SEPTELS WILL FOCUS ON THE EVOLVING ROLES OF THE PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S COUNCILS (LOCAL LEGISLATURES) AND LOCAL EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND EFFORTS, AS WELL AS A LOOK AT SELECTED CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES. SAD NEWS -------------- ¶4. (C) AT SOME POINT IN EACH DISCUSSION (USUALLY AT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02885 01 OF 02 051011Z THE BEGINNING),THE SENIOR INTERLOCUTOR WOULD EXPRESS THE CONDOLENCES OF HIS PROVINCE TO THE VICTIMS AND FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS OF THE SEPTEMBER 11 TRAGEDIES, AS WELL AS TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN GENERAL. (WHILE EXPRESSING APPRECIATION, POL/C EMPHASIZED THE INTERNATIONAL NATURE OF THE TRAGEDY, WITH VICTIMS FROM ABOUT 80 COUNTRIES.) THE PROVINCIAL OFFICIAL WOULD THEN EXPRESS OPPOSITION TO TERRORISM IN "EVERY FORM," OFTEN ADDING THAT VIETNAM ITSELF HAD BEEN THE VICTIM OF TERRORIST ATTACKS. IN RESPONSE, POL/C REVIEWED ACTIONS BY THE USG TO ENSURE THE ARREST OF INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE RECENT BOMBING ATTEMPTS AT VIETNAMESE EMBASSIES IN BANGKOK AND MANILA, AND EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE GVN'S COOPERATION AS PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST TERRORISM. SEVERAL OFFICIALS ALSO EXPRESSED A HOPE FOR AN EARLY END TO THE ONGOING MILITARY CAMPAIGN IN AFGHANISTAN AND WORRIES ABOUT CIVILIAN CASUALTIES. NGHE AN VICE CHAIRMAN HOANG TY SPENT MUCH OF THE DINNER HE HOSTED IN POL/C'S HONOR QUERYING ABOUT US INTENTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN AND WHAT APPEARED TO HIM US INDIFFERENCE TO CIVILIAN LOSSES. POL/C DESCRIBED US EFFORTS TO MINIMIZE CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AND LOSSES AS WELL AS EXTENSIVE USG EFFORTS TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF AFGHANISTAN. GLAD NEWS -------------- ¶5. (C) TURNING TO A HAPPIER NOTE, PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES WOULD THEN DECLARE THEIR SATISFACTION ABOUT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 02885 01 OF 02 051011Z THE SENATE RATIFICATION OF THE BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT AND EXPRESS A CONVICTION THAT VIETNAM'S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WOULD SHORTLY ALSO APPROVE IT. KHANH HOA PROVINCIAL CHAIRMAN PHAM VAN CHI NOTED THAT THE AGREEMENT WOULD MARK A "NEW PHASE" IN BILATERAL RELATIONS AS WELL AS A BOOST TO LOCAL EXPORTS OF SEAFOOD PRODUCTS. BINH DINH PROVINCIAL CHAIRMAN VU HOANG HA NOTED ITS "VERY POSITIVE" EFFECT ON BILATERAL TIES. QUANG NAM PROVINCIAL VICE CHAIRMAN HO THI THANH LAM (THE SOLE FEMALE INTERLOCUTOR DURING THE ENTIRE TRIP) EXPRESSED HER PLEASURE OVER THE BTA AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN IMPROVING RELATIONS FURTHER, IN ADDITION TO BRINGING MORE US TRADE AND INVESTMENT TO HER PROVINCE. DANANG FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICIALS NOTED THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF BTA ON ALL LOCALITIES, INCLUDING THEIR CITY. QUANG BINH PROVINCIAL VICE CHAIRMAN PHAN VIET DUNG CALLED BTA A "GOOD STEP" IN THE VIETNAMESE- AMERICAN RELATIONSHIP. BAD NEWS -------------- ¶6. (C) USUALLY AT THE END OF THEIR PRESENTATIONS ON BILATERAL TIES, THE OFFICIALS WOULD ASSUME A STERN DEMEANOR AND DENOUNCE THE DRAFT VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT. KHANH HOA CHAIRMAN CHI LAMBASTED IT AS "GROSS INTERFERENCE" IN VIETNAM'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS. BINH DINH CHAIRMAN HA SAID ITS PASSAGE BY THE SENATE WOULD BE A "BIG PROBLEM" FOR BILATERAL RELATIONS AND CITED THE "STRONG FEELINGS" OF PEOPLE IN HIS PROVINCE AGAINST IT. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 02885 02 OF 02 051012Z HE URGED THE USG TO "STOP" SENATE PASSAGE. QUANG NAM VICE CHAIRMAN LAM CALLED THE VHRA "RUDE INTERFERENCE" AND DEMANDED TO KNOW WHY THE US CONGRESS REFUSED TO "LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE" ABOUT THIS BILL, WHICH SHE SAID WOULD "HURT RELATIONS." SHE ALSO CLAIMED THE VHRA VIOLATED THE "INDEPENDENCE AND SOVEREIGNTY" OF VIETNAM AND POINTED TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DONE BY THE US MILITARY IN HER PROVINCE DURING THE WAR AS AN EXAMPLE OF US VIOLATIONS OF VIETNAMESE HUMAN RIGHTS. QUANG BINH VICE CHAIRMAN DUNG FAILED TO RAISE THE VHRA DURING THE FORMAL MEETING BUT THEN, AT THE DINNER HE HOSTED THAT EVENING, EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD TRIED TO "CONCENTRATE ON POSITIVE ASPECTS" DURING THE AFTERNOON TALKS BUT NONETHELESS WANTED TO DENOUNCE THE VHRA AS "RUDE INTERFERENCE." BUT LET'S BE FRIENDS -------------- ¶7. (C) THE OVERALL TENURE OF THE TALKS WAS WELCOMING AND PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SEEMINGLY CANDID EXCHANGES OF VIEWS ABOUT THESE AND OTHER TOPICS (SEPTELS). BINH THUAN CHAIRMAN CHI STRESSED HOW MUCH HIS PROVINCE WANTED IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH THE US, ALTHOUGH HE DECRIED THE ACTIVITIES OF "SOME" US NGOS THAT "SAY THEY WILL DO ONE THING AND THEN DO ANOTHER," ESPECIALLY ENGAGING IN RELIGIOUS PROSELYTIZING. KHANH HOA CHAIRMAN CHI EXPRESSED A HOPE FOR "BETTER AND BETTER" RELATIONS, TOWARD WHICH BOTH SIDES MUST "CONTINUE TO STRIVE." BINH DINH CHAIRMAN HA NOTED THAT BETTER RELATIONS WERE CLEARLY "IN THE INTEREST" OF BOTH CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02885 02 OF 02 051012Z SIDES. QUANG NAM VICE CHAIRMAN LAM SAID THAT HER PROVINCE DEEPLY WANTED "NORMAL RELATIONS" AFTER THE YEARS OF SACRIFICE AND MARTYRDOM DURING THE WAR, WHICH MUST NEVER BE REPEATED, SHE STRESSED. QUANG BINH'S VICE CHAIRMAN DUNG SAID HIS PROVINCE "CARED GREATLY" ABOUT PROMOTING THE NATIONAL POLICY OF MULTIFACETED FOREIGN RELATIONS AND THE NEED FOR MORE COOPERATION WITH THE US. COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (C) THESE PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES, WHILE APPARENTLY HAVING FLEXIBILITY IN DISCUSSING PROVINCIAL CONDITIONS AND PROSPECTS, APPEARED CLEARLY TO BE READING FROM A PRE-APPROVED SCRIPT REGARDING THE SENSITIVE ISSUES OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, BTA, AND VHRA. GIVEN THE SIMILARITY OF THEIR COMMENTS ON THESE TOPICS, EMBASSY SUSPECTS THAT THE MFA PROVIDED TALKING POINTS AND INSTRUCTED THEM TO RAISE THESE POINTS. AS THE MFA HAS INDICATED TO CHARGE THAT IT HAD ACTIVELY WORKED TO CONVINCE THE PROVINCES TO ARRANGE POL/C'S VISITS, IT IS LIKELY THAT PROVISION OF TALKING POINTS WAS ANOTHER WAY OF GIVING THE PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES GREATER CONFIDENCE THAT THEY WERE ALL READING FROM THE SAME BRIEFING BOOK ON ISSUES BEYOND THEIR USUAL MANDATE. THERE IS NONETHELESS A CLEAR RECOGNITION IN THE PROVINCES OF THE VITAL IMPORTANCE IN CONTINUING THE PROCESS OF NORMALIZING AND IMPROVING BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH THE US. AT THE SAME TIME, HOWEVER, THERE ALSO REMAIN LINGERING UNHAPPY MEMORIES ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION DURING CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 02885 02 OF 02 051012Z THE WAR, AS WELL AS SOME SUSPICION ABOUT US GLOBAL OBJECTIVES TODAY. PORTER CONFIDENTIAL