DISSIDENT FATHER NGUYEN VAN LY AT HIS CHURCH UNDER VIRTUAL HOUSE ARREST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000496 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY (PARA 5) STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL/IRF, DRL/BA, AND INR E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/1/11 TAGS: KIRF PHUM PREL VM HUMANR RELFREE SUBJECT: DISSIDENT FATHER NGUYEN VAN LY AT HIS CHURCH UNDER VIRTUAL HOUSE ARREST (U) CLASSIFIED BY POLCOUNS JAMES BRUNO, REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 00496 01 OF 02 081113Z ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: DISSIDENT CATHOLIC PRIEST NGUYEN VAN LY IS UNABLE TO LEAVE HIS CHURCH COMPOUND IN HUE UNDER CONDITIONS RESEMBLING HOUSE ARREST. A PARISH PRIEST IN HO CHI MINH CITY TOLD VISITING REP. SENSENBRENNER FEBRUARY 24 THAT FATHER LY HAS BEEN HELD UNDER "HOUSE ARREST" SINCE HE SUBMITTED WRITTEN TESTIMONY HIGHLY CRITICAL OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO THE U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN EARLY FEBRUARY. SEPARATELY, VICE FOREIGN MINISTER BIN SAID LOCAL OFFICIALS REPORT LY HAD "VIOLATED THE LAW" AND SHOULD BE PROSECUTED ACCORDING TO VIETNAM'S CRIMINAL CODE. HOWEVER, BIN SAID OFFICIALS ARE INSTEAD APPLYING "ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES" TO RESTRICT HIS MOVEMENTS, AND HE CLAIMED LY IS STILL ABLE TO FUNCTION AS A PRIEST. EMBASSY AND CONSULATE CONTINUE TO URGE THAT LY BE ALLOWED TO CARRY OUT HIS DUTIES PEACEFULLY WITHOUT GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE. END SUMMARY. HOUSE ARREST IN HUE -------------- ¶2. (C) REPRESENTATIVE F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, ACCOMPANIED BY HCMC CONGEN POLOFF AND CONGEN INTERPRETER, MET FATHER FRANCIS XAVIER LE VAN NHAC AT CHO QUAN CATHOLIC CHURCH ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, IN HCMC'S DISTRICT 5. FATHER NHAC IS THE SENIOR OF TWO PRIESTS AT THE CHURCH, WHICH IS THE OLDEST CATHOLIC CHURCH IN HCMC AND THE LARGEST PARISH IN CHOLON. POLICE AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM MFA, MPS, AND THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ESCORTED THE CONGRESSMAN INTO THE CHURCH COMPOUND, BUT THE ESCORTS DID NOT ENTER THE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 00496 01 OF 02 081113Z MEETING ROOM. ¶3. (C) REPRESENTATIVE SENSENBRENNER'S FIRST QUESTION WAS TO ASK WHETHER FATHER NHAC HAD ANY INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE SAFETY AND CONDITION OF FATHER NGUYEN VAN LY IN HUE AFTER LY'S WRITTEN TESTIMONY TO THE COMMISSION ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION WAS MADE PUBLIC, NOTING THAT THE U.S. MISSION HAD TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO REACH FATHER LY BY PHONE. ¶4. (C) IN A LOWERED VOICE, FATHER NHAC SAID THAT FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS, THE HCMC POLICE HAD SURROUNDED THE CHO QUAN CHURCH. TWICE THEY ENTERED THE COMPOUND TO WARN HIM NOT TO TALK WITH THE CONGRESSMAN ABOUT FATHER LY'S PROBLEMS IN HUE. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO SAY THAT FATHER LY IS UNDER HOUSE ARREST AT HIS HOME CHURCH IN HUE. THE CHURCH IN HUE IS SURROUNDED BY POLICE, AND FATHER LY IS NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE COMPOUND. POLICE ALSO CUT FATHER LY'S PHONE COMMUNICATIONS. FATHER NHAC SAID THAT AS FAR AS HE KNEW, FATHER LY COULD PERFORM HIS PRIESTLY DUTIES, BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW MANY, IF ANY, OF HIS PARISHIONERS ARE COMING TO MASS. POLICE PRESENCE AT CHO QUAN -------------- ¶5. (C) FATHER NHAC AND REPRESENTATIVE SENSENBRENNER WENT ON TO DISCUSS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND CATHOLICISM IN MORE GENERAL TERMS, INCLUDING PROBLEMS WITH APPOINTMENT OF BISHOPS AND GOVERNMENT LIMITATIONS ON CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 00496 01 OF 02 081113Z NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS ALLOWED TO ENTER THE SEMINARY. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, FATHER NHAC SAID FOR THE PAST 5- 6 YEARS, HCMC GOVERNMENT HAS ALLOWED THE CHURCH TO OPEN AND OPERATE KINDERGARTENS IN THE CITY. ALSO, THERE ARE NO LONGER ANY RESTRICTIONS IN HCMC ON PROVIDING SUNDAY SCHOOL AND RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION TO YOUNG PEOPLE. FATHER NHAC SHOWED THE CONGRESSMAN A NEWLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDING ON HIS CHURCH GROUNDS THAT SERVES AS CLASSROOMS TO ABOUT 500 SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENTS. ¶6. (C) FATHER NHAC SAID THAT AT CHO QUAN, PEOPLE WERE STILL COMING TO CHURCH DESPITE THE HEAVY POLICE PRESENCE OUTSIDE. (HE POINTED TO ABOUT 30 PERSONS LINED UP AT THE BACK OF THE CHURCH TO GO TO CONFESSION.) BUT HE WAS VISIBLY NERVOUS AND SAID HE WAS CERTAIN TO BE CALLED IN FOR POLICE QUESTIONING LATER THAT DAY OR THE NEXT. ¶7. (C) POLOFF CALLED FATHER NHAC ON FEBRUARY 28 TO ASK IF HE HAD EXPERIENCED ANY MORE DIFFICULTIES WITH THE CONFIDENTIAL