DEMONSTRATORS PROTEST U.S. INTERFERENCE

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 001082 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/JMARTIN DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR USTR CINCPAC FOR FPA SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HO CHI 01082 200051Z DEPTTREAS FOR OASIA USDOC FOR 4431/MAC/AP/OKSA/HPPHO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL VM HUMANR SUBJECT: DEMONSTRATORS PROTEST U.S. INTERFERENCE REF: HANOI 2307 ¶1. A SMALL GROUP OF PEACEFUL STUDENT DEMONSTRATORS (APPROXIMATELY 35 TO 50 PERSONS) ARRIVED IN FRONT OF CONGEN AT 7:40 A.M. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, TO PROTEST RECENT CONGRESSIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LEGISLATION TARGETED AT VIETNAM. THE GROUP CARRIED SEVERAL BANNERS WITH SLOGANS SUCH AS "LONG LIVE THE VIETNAM COMMUNIST PARTY" AND "US GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO INTERFERE IN VIETNAM." RSO WAS ALREADY PRESENT AT CONGEN, AND LOCAL UNDERCOVER POLICE WERE NEARBY. THE DEMONSTRATORS DISBURSED AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES. THEY DID NOT ATTEMPT TO SPEAK WITH ANYONE OR PASS ANY WRITTEN DOCUMENTS TO CONGEN. ¶2. THE PROTEST OCCURRED JUST PRIOR TO A MEETING OF SEVERAL HUNDRED YOUNG PEOPLE CALLED TOGETHER BY THE HCMC COMMUNIST PARTY YOUTH UNION, THE HCMC COMMUNIST YOUTH BRIGADE, AND THE HCMC STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION TO DENOUNCE THE PASSAGE BY THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON SEPTEMBER 6 OF THE VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT. THE DEMONSTRATORS WERE LIKELY ON THEIR WAY TO THAT MEETING, WHICH WAS HELD AT THE HCMC YOUTH UNION CENTER JUST THREE BLOCKS FROM CONGEN. SEVERAL PARTY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 01082 200051Z ORGANS UNDER THE UMBRELLA FATHER LAND FRONT COMMITTEE HAVE ORGANIZED MASS MEETINGS IN THE CITY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS TO DENOUNCE THE ACT. ¶3. VIETNAMESE VERNACULAR MEDIA IN THE CITY ALSO HAS BEEN CARRYING DAILY EDITORIALS CONDEMNING THE ACT AND DENOUNCING AMERICAN INTERFERENCE IN VIETNAM'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS. THE CAMPAIGN APPARENTLY HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN STIRRING UP SOME ANTI-AMERICAN FEELING. THE DEUTSCHE PRESSE-AGENTUR ON SEPTEMBER 13 PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE STATING THAT MANY VIETNAMESE WERE PLEASED WITH THE RECENT TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE U.S. QUOTING ONE STUDENT AS SAYING THE ATTACKS SHOULD OPEN THE U.S.'S EYES TO THE RESULTS OF "INTERVENING IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF OTHER NATIONS." WHILE POST HAS NOT HEARD SUCH SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED, THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY AND CONDOLENCES FROM THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY IN HCMC HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT LIMITED. WHITE UNCLASSIFIED