HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS:

UNCLAS HANOI 001169 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL, PRM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM VM HUMANR ETMIN SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS: -- "GVN HAS NOTHING TO HIDE" REF: A. HANOI 1133 B. HANOI 1165 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY. AMBASSADOR DINH THI MINH HUYEN, DIRECTOR OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS' DEPARTMENT OF UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 01169 100714Z INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, TOLD DCM ON MAY 7 THAT THE GVN IS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE WITH THE U.S. SHE BELIEVES THAT THE DIALOGUES ARE USEFUL FOR EXPLAINING WHAT SHE TERMED VIETNAM'S "FAIR HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY" AND FOR PROMOTING MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING. THE GVN'S POLICY IS TO ASSIST ALL PEOPLE IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS REGION, SHE CLAIMED, BUT SHE ALSO NOTED THAT THE POLICY IS NOT ALWAYS IMPLEMENTED SUCCESSFULLY. END SUMMARY -------------- HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUES A GOOD OPPORTUNITY -------------- ¶2. (U) AMBASSADOR HUYEN SAID THE GVN VIEWS HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUES AS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN TO OTHER COUNTRIES ITS POLICIES SO "THEY WILL UNDERSTAND US BETTER." IN ADDITION TO DIALOGUES WITH THE U.S., VIETNAM HOLDS SIMILAR MEETINGS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION, NORWAY, AUSTRALIA, AND CANADA. "WE'LL TALK WITH ANY COUNTRY ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS," AMBASSADOR HUYEN PROMISED. IN ADDITION TO THE DIALOGUES, VIETNAM "WELCOMES" FOREIGN VISITORS; AMBASSADOR HUYEN SAID IT IS A "GOOD IDEA" FOR MORE PEOPLE TO SEE THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION "FIRST HAND." -------------- HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS -------------- ¶3. (U) IN RESPONSE TO THE DCM'S QUESTION CONCERNING HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, AMBASSADOR HUYEN SAID THERE IS MUCH "MISLEADING INFORMATION" ABOUT THIS ISSUE. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 01169 100714Z THE GVN'S POLICY IS TO "IMPROVE AND HELP" THE ETHNIC PEOPLES OF THE AREA TO DEVELOP BOTH "ECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLY." AMBASSADOR HUYEN ADDED IT IS "PART OF OUR CONSTITUTION THAT ALL NATIONALITIES ARE EQUAL AND THUS ENTITLED TO EQUAL DEVELOPMENT." ¶4. (U) AMBASSADOR HUYEN ADMITTED THAT, WHILE THE POLICY IN PLACE IS FAIR, IMPLEMENTATION HAS NOT ALWAYS SUCCEEDED. DUE TO "VARIOUS PROBLEMS," THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IS NOT WELL DEVELOPED AND REMAINS RATHER "UNATTRACTIVE" TO FOREIGN INVESTORS; NONETHELESS, THE GVN IS TRYING HARD TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF ORDINARY PEOPLE IN THE AREA, SHE CLAIMED. AMBASSADOR HUYEN POINTED OUT THAT THE GVN PAYS FEES FOR ETHNIC MINORITY CHILDREN TO ATTEND BOARDING SCHOOLS. (NOTE: ONLY SELECTED CHILDREN ATTEND MINORITY BOARDING SCHOOLS. END NOTE.) "WE WANT TO HELP THEM DEVELOP AND BE EQUAL," SHE SAID. ANOTHER EXAMPLE SHE GAVE OF THE GVN'S ATTEMPT TO SPUR DEVELOPMENT IS THE SELECTION OF "1,000 POOR VILLAGES" FOR GVN ASSISTANCE IN SECTORS SUCH AS INFRASTRUCTURE, ELECTRICITY, WATER, EDUCATION, AND HEALTH CARE. ¶5. (U) AMBASSADOR HUYEN ALSO TERMED AS "MISLEADING," STORIES ABOUT ETHNIC MINORITY PEOPLE LOSING LAND TO COFFEE PLANTATIONS AS A MATTER OF GVN POLICY. SHE SAID "THERE IS A LOT OF HATRED SPREAD BY PEOPLE FROM THE FORMER (SOUTH VIETNAMESE) REGIME." WHILE THE GVN SHOULD BE DOING MORE TO CONTROL MIGRATION, NOW PEOPLE ARE FREER TO MOVE AROUND AND HENCE MIGRATION IS MORE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. ADDRESSING THE MONTAGNARD SITUATION SPECIFICALLY, SHE CLAIMED THAT THE MAIN REASON THE MONTAGNARDS FLED TO CAMBODIA WAS THAT "OUTSIDERS" TOLD THEM THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SETTLE IN THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 01169 100714Z U.S. OR ANOTHER COUNTRY. THE DCM STRESSED THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE GVN TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS ETHNIC MINORITIES. AMBASSADOR HUYEN REITERATED THAT, WHILE THERE ARE VARIOUS SOCIOECONOMIC PROBLEMS IN THE AREA, THE GVN "WILL CONTINUE ITS POLICY TO HELP THE ETHNIC MINORITY PEOPLE." BURGHARDT UNCLASSIFIED