PAO DISCUSSES COVERAGE OF ANTI-TERROR CAMPAIGN WITH SENIOR COMMUNIST PARTY PRESS OFFICIAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002985 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/PD MSPEER, EAP/BCLTV, EAP/PA HO CHI MINH CITY FOR PAO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO PROP OIIP VM CWG PD CTERR SUBJECT: PAO DISCUSSES COVERAGE OF ANTI-TERROR CAMPAIGN WITH SENIOR COMMUNIST PARTY PRESS OFFICIAL REF: HANOI 2834 ¶1. THE HANOI PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER PAID A VISIT NOVEMBER UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 02985 01 OF 02 150919Z 14 TO COMMUNIST PARTY HEADQUARTERS TO DISCUSS WITH DR. VU DUY THONG, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM AND PUBLISHING OF THE CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE, THE VIETNAMESE MEDIA'S HANDLING OF POST-SEPTEMBER 11 EVENTS. ALSO PRESENT WERE MR. QUE LIEM, VICE DIRECTOR OF NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION, MS. MAI Y VAN, SPECIALIST, AND MS. NGUYEN THI QUYEN, SPECIALIST. THE TONE OF THE ONE-HOUR MEETING WAS CORDIAL. ¶2. THE PAO SAID THAT THE U.S. APPRECIATED ACTIONS TAKEN BY VIETNAM IN SUPPORT OF THE ANTI-TERROR CAMPAIGN, INCLUDING ENHANCEMENT OF EMBASSY SECURITY, NAME CHECKS AT IMMIGRATION CHECKPOINTS, AND INSTRUCTIONS TO BANKS TO SEARCH FOR ASSETS BELONGING TO TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE U.S. IS CONCERNED THAT MEDIA COVERAGE IN VIETNAM, WHILE DRAWING ON WESTERN WIRE SERVICE AND TELEVISION REPORTS, HAS TENDED SELECTIVELY TO OVERPLAY STORIES OF CIVILIAN CASUALTIES BASED ON TALIBAN CLAIMS, AND HAS GIVEN A MISLEADING IMPRESSION, ESPECIALLY IN HEADLINES, THAT SMALL PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS IN SOME COUNTRIES AGAINST COALITION MILITARY ACTION REPRESENT A MAJORITY OPINION ("WORLD REJECTS MILITARY CAMPAIGN"). THE PAO ASKED THAT THE VIETNAMESE MEDIA TAKE MORE CARE TO PRESENT A BALANCED PICTURE AND TO CREDIT THE U.S. AND ITS PARTNERS WITH SEEKING TO AVOID CIVILIAN CASUALTIES WHENEVER POSSIBLE, IN CONTRAST WITH OUR AL-QAEDA FOES, WHO DELIBERATELY TARGET CIVILIANS, AND THEIR TALIBAN PROTECTORS. ¶3. DR. THONG STATED THAT UNDER THE VIETNAMESE PRESS LAW, THE MEDIA ARE UNDER STATE MANAGEMENT BUT "FREE"; EACH EDITOR- IN-CHIEF MAY DECIDE WHAT TO COVER AND HOW, BUT IS UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 02985 01 OF 02 150919Z RESPONSIBLE FOR OBSERVING THE LAW. HAVING NO CORRESPONDENT IN REMOTE AND UNFAMILIAR AFGHANISTAN, THE VIETNAMESE MEDIA RELY LARGELY ON WESTERN WIRE SERVICES, CNN, AND OTHER FOREIGN NEWS SOURCES FOR THEIR REPORTING. THE VIETNAMESE VALUE HUMAN LIFE HIGHLY, AND HAVE SUFFERED MUCH IN PAST WARS, HE NOTED. THEY ARE COMMITTED TO FIGHTING TERRORISM, BUT WANT TO DO SO WITHOUT CAUSING HARM TO INNOCENT LIVES OR HUNGER AMONG THE POPULATION. VIETNAM TOO IS A VICTIM OF TERRORISM, HE SAID, REFERRING TO RECENT INCIDENTS OF BOMBS PLANTED BY EXPATRIATE VIETNAMESE AT VIETNAMESE EMBASSIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA (WHICH CAUSED NO CASUALTIES). HE CALLED FOR GREATER INFORMATION EXCHANGE TO COUNTERACT THE NEGATIVE PICTURE OF VIETNAM PAINTED IN THE WEST BY EMBITTERED EXILES AND A FEW JOURNALISTS. HE OBSERVED THAT PAS HO CHI MINH CITY WAS "PERMITTED" THAT MORNING TO HOLD A DIGITAL VIDEO CONFERENCE WITH A U.S. EXPERT ON TERRORISM FOR LOCAL EDITORS. ¶4. THE PAO RESPONDED THAT THE WAR ON TERRORISM DID NOT BEGIN ON SEPTEMBER 11, BUT DATES BACK AT LEAST TO THE FIRST WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING OF 1993; ALSO, OSAMA BIN LADEN AND HIS ACCOMPLICES WERE UNDER INDICTMENT FOR THE TWO EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN EAST AFRICA. THE U.S. HAD TRIED BY NON- MILITARY MEANS SINCE LONG BEFORE SEPTEMBER 11 TO PERSUADE THE TALIBAN TO HAND OVER BIN LADEN TO FACE JUSTICE. WHEN AL- QAEDA, WHICH WE KNOW HAS BEEN SEEKING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, PERPETRATED ITS BRUTAL SEPTEMBER ATTACK ON THE U.S., THE WORLD HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FIGHT BACK AND DEFEAT THIS THREAT, OR FACE THE IMMINENT POSSIBILITY OF EVEN WORSE ATROCITIES. WITH DR. THONG'S INFLUENTIAL ROLE REGARDING THE MEDIA, THE PAO HOPED THAT HE WOULD ENCOURAGE EDITORS TO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 02985 01 OF 02 150919Z CONSIDER THE WHOLE PICTURE AND BALANCE THEIR COVERAGE AND COMMENTARY FAIRLY. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY SHOULD NOT UNCRITICALLY ACCEPT TALIBAN CASUALTY CLAIMS AND SHOULD CLEARLY REPORT THE EMPHATICALLY REPEATED U.S. POLICY NOT TO TARGET CIVILIANS. AS FOR HUNGER IN AFGHANISTAN, THE U.S. HAS DONE AND CONTINUES TO DO MORE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY TO FEED THE AFGHAN PEOPLE. REGARDING VIETNAM'S CLAIM TO BE A VICTIM OF TERRORISM, THE PAO SAID HE WAS GLAD THAT U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WERE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ARREST IN SOUTHEAST ASIA OF SUSPECTS IN THE RECENT INCIDENTS, AND TO ARREST ONE OF THEM IN CALIFORNIA. ¶5. THE PAO DEPARTED AFTER OFFERING TO SEND ALL FOUR PARTY OFFICIALS OUR LATEST INFORMATION IN VIETNAMESE ON THE ANTI- TERRORISM CAMPAIGN. ¶6. COMMENT: IN THE WORLD OF VIETNAM'S IDEOLOGICALLY CONTROLLED MEDIA, DR. THONG, HIS STAFF, AND HIS SUPERIORS ARE THE ULTIMATE GATEKEEPERS. WHEN HE TALKS, EDITORS LISTEN. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER HE WILL ELECT TO STEER THEM TO A LESS SKEPTICAL VIEW OF THE ANTI-TERRORISM CAMPAIGN AND THE U.S. ROLE IN IT. AN APPARENT SHIFT IN THE LAST DAY OR TWO AWAY FROM SOME OF THE HARSHER TONES IN VIETNAM'S MEDIA COVERAGE MIGHT OWE SOMETHING TO THE DESIRE TO AVOID SIDING WITH A LOSER AFTER THE PRECIPITOUS MILITARY COLLAPSE OF THE TALIBAN. END COMMENT. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 02985 02 OF 02 150920Z ¶7. BIOGRAPHIC NOTE: DR. THONG, WHO APPEARS TO BE ABOUT FIFTY YEARS OLD, SAID THAT HE HAD STUDIED IN RUSSIA FOR THREE YEARS, BUT DID NOT RESPOND IN KIND WHEN ADDRESSED IN RUSSIAN. HE SAID HE ALSO SPENT SEVERAL YEARS IN CHINA. HE SPEAKS LITTLE ENGLISH. PORTER UNCLASSIFIED