HOA HAO MONK COMES DOWN FROM THE TREE

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 001266 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/MSPEER DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF CINCPAC FOR FPA SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/ABLAGG E.O. 12958: N/A UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HO CHI 01266 091009Z TAGS: PHUM KIRF VM RELFREE HUMANR SUBJECT: HOA HAO MONK COMES DOWN FROM THE TREE REF: HANOI 2924 ¶1. (U) REFTEL REPORTED THAT ON NOVEMBER 6, HOA HAO BUDDHIST MONK NAM LIEM, OF AN GIANG PROVINCE IN THE MEKONG DELTA, HAD CLIMBED UP A TREE NEAR HIS PAGODA CARRYING A KNIFE AND A CONTAINER OF GASOLINE. HE WAS THREATENING TO IMMOLATE HIMSELF TO PROTEST LOCAL POLICE ENTERING HIS PAGODA AND MAINTAINING A PRESENCE THERE SINCE NOVEMBER 1. AS OF NOVEMBER 8, NAM LIEM WAS STILL UP IN THE TREE. APPROXIMATELY 30 POLICE OFFICERS WERE TRYING TO PERSUADE HIM TO COME DOWN. AN UNDETERMINED NUMBER OF SUPPORTERS AND CURIOUS BYSTANDERS WERE ALSO ON HAND. ¶2. (SBU) ON NOVEMBER 9, POLOFF SPOKE BY TELEPHONE TO LE QUANG LIEM (LQL),A HOA HAO ELDER CURRENTLY UNDER HOUSE ARREST IN HCMC, BUT WHO CONTINUES TO BE WELL INFORMED OF EVENTS REGARDING HOA HAO ISSUES. LQL SAID THAT DURING THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 8, NAM LIEM CUT HIS THIGH WITH THE KNIFE HE HAD CARRIED UP INTO THE TREE. LQL SAID THAT EARLY IN THE EVENING OF NOVEMBER 8, NAM LIEM CAME DOWN THE TREE. HE SAID WITNESSES TOLD HIM NAM LIEM APPEARED WEAK WITH WHAT THEY SUGGESTED WAS A LOSS OF BLOOD AND FATIGUE. ¶3. (SBU) AS OF NOVEMBER 9, ACCORDING TO LQL, NAM LIEM REMAINED INSIDE HIS HOME AND PAGODA COMPLEX. LQL ADDED THAT 30 POLICEMEN AND 50-70 LOCAL OFFICIALS WERE ALSO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 01266 091009Z INSIDE THE COMPOUND. THE POLICE WERE ENCOURAGING THE LOCAL TOWNSPEOPLE TO STAY AT HOME. ¶4. (U) POST HAS NO WORD YET ON THE STATUS OF NAM LIEM'S HEALTH, OR WHETHER OR NOT LOCAL OFFICIALS WILL TAKE ANY LEGAL/POLICE ACTION AGAINST HIM. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY AND REPORT ON DEVELOPMENTS. YAMAUCHI UNCLASSIFIED