LARGE-SCALE PROTESTS END IN CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, 20 DEMONSTRATORS ARRESTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 HANOI 000313

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL, PRM, INR
NSC FOR EAST ASIAN DIRECTORATE
SECDEF FOR ISA/EAP STERN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/9/2011
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SOCI PINR VM RELFREE HUMANR ETMIN
SUBJECT: LARGE-SCALE PROTESTS END IN CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, 20 DEMONSTRATORS ARRESTED


CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 HANOI 00313 01 OF 05 091054Z
REF: A) HANOI 247 AND PREVIOUS
B) 00 HO CHI MINH CITY 1110
C) 00 HO CHI MINH CITY 563 AND PREVIOUS


1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY ACTING DCM ROBERT DRY;
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).


2. (C) SUMMARY: REPORTS FROM THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS
PROVINCES OF GIA LAI AND DAKLAK SUGGEST LARGE-SCALE
DEMONSTRATIONS HAVE ENDED FOLLOWING THE ARRESTS OF AT LEAST
20 PROTESTERS. THOUSANDS OF VIETNAM'S ETHNIC MINORITIES
PROTESTED THIS PAST WEEK IN FRONT OF GOVERNMENT AND
COMMUNIST PARTY BUILDINGS IN PROVINCIAL CAPITALS.
INJURIES, BUT NO DEATHS, HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS SECURITY
FORCES HAVE ACTED TO STEM THE ARREST. THE MFA DESCRIBED
THOSE ARRESTED AS "PROVOCATIVE PEOPLE" WHO DESTROYED
PROPERTY AND CAUSED INSTABILITY, BUT THE ROOTS OF THE
PROTESTS ARE VARIED. THE PROTESTS APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN
TRIGGERED MOST DIRECTLY BY THE ARREST JANUARY 29 OF TWO
ETHNIC MINORITY MEN WHO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN LEADERS IN
PROTESTANT HOUSE CHURCHES IN THE REGION. THE TWO MEN WERE
PROMPTLY RELEASED AFTER SIGNING A STATEMENT BEFORE
GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES. HOWEVER, TENSION HAS BEEN BUILDING
FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS: SMOLDERING RESENTMENT BY
MINORITIES OVER LARGE-SCALE ETHNIC VIETNAMESE MIGRATION
INTO THE AREA; SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF THEIR TRADITIONAL LAND TO
THE MIGRANTS; AND THE EXTREME IMPOVERISHMENT OF MINORITIES,
WHICH HAS BEEN EXACERBATED BY THE DROP OF COFFEE PRICES TO
A THIRD OF THEIR PREVIOUS VALUE.


3. (C) SUMMARY (CONT'D): THE DEMONSTRATIONS ARE THE LARGEST
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03 HANOI 00313 01 OF 05 091054Z
IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IN MEMORY AND COME AT A TIME WHEN
FARMERS IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY ARE VOICING
GRIEVANCES RELATED TO LAND ISSUES. IT IS UNLIKELY THE
UNREST OCCURRING IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WILL FAN OUT TO
OTHER PROVINCES, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE ISSUES SPURRING THE
DEMONSTRATORS ARE UNIQUE TO THIS REGION. THE
DEMONSTRATIONS COME AT A SENSITIVE TIME FOR VIETNAMESE
OFFICIALDOM, WEEKS BEFORE THE NINTH COMMUNIST PARTY
CONGRESS, WHEN JOCKEYING OVER LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AND THE
PARTY PLATFORM IS AT A FEVER PITCH. END SUMMARY.

LARGE-SCALE DEMONSTRATIONS APPEAR TO HAVE ENDED
-------------- --


4. (U) THE DEMONSTRATIONS BEGAN IN PLEIKU, CAPITAL OF GIA
LAI PROVINCE, ON FEBRUARY 2. RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN TOLD
FOREIGN JOURNALISTS THAT THREE TO FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE, ALL
MEMBERS OF INDIGENOUS MINORITY GROUPS, MARCHED IN WELL-
ORGANIZED GROUPS ALONG ROADS LEADING INTO PLEIKU. "THE
MOOD OF THE DEMONSTRATION WAS STRIKINGLY PEACEFUL,"
ACCORDING TO A BUSINESSMAN WHO WITNESSED THE EVENT. ON THE
FOLLOWING DAY, AND FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS, OCCASIONAL
VIOLENCE MARRED THE DEMONSTRATIONS, AND SEVERAL POLICEMEN
AND PROTESTORS WERE INJURED IN CLASHES, ACCORDING TO PRESS
ACCOUNTS.


5. (U) ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY THE STATE-RUN VIETNAM NEW
AGENCY, THE DEMONSTRATIONS WERE PROVOKED BY "BAD ELEMENTS"
AND "EXTREMISTS" WHO WHIPPED UP POPULAR MISUNDERSTANDING
OVER THE ARREST OF TWO ETHNIC MINORITY MEN ON JANUARY 29.
THE VNA REPORT SAID THE PROTESTS BEGAN IN PLEIKU WHEN LARGE
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04 HANOI 00313 01 OF 05 091054Z
NUMBERS OF PEOPLE GATHERED TO DEMAND THE RELEASE OF THE TWO
MEN. VNA SAID THE TWO WERE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY AFTER
"SIGNING A PROTOCOL CONFIRMING THEIR ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR AND
ASKING FOR LENIENCY."


6. (U) ON FEBRUARY 6, THE DEMONSTRATIONS MOVED SOUTHWARD TO
NEIGHBORING DAKLAK PROVINCE AND ITS CAPITAL CITY BUON ME
THUOT, ACCORDING TO PRESS ACCOUNTS. UP TO TWO THOUSAND
PROTESTORS TOOK PART IN THESE DEMONSTRATIONS, WHICH TOOK ON
A MORE VIOLENT CHARACTER. PROTEST