Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02HANOI1454
2002-06-06 04:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:  

EVANGELICAL PASTOR'S VIEWS ON HOUSE CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS

Tags:  PHUM KIRF SOCI VM ETMIN HUMANR RELFREE 
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2002HANOI01454 - CONFIDENTIAL
 
 
 
 CONFIDENTIAL PTO7994

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ACTION DRL-02 

INFO LOG-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EAP-00 
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 LAB-01 L-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OPIC-01 PRS-00 
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 ------------------B8D68D 060431Z /38 
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6674
INFO USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 001454 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR DRL/IRF AND EAP/BCLTV

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2012
TAGS: PHUM KIRF SOCI VM ETMIN HUMANR RELFREE
SUBJECT: EVANGELICAL PASTOR'S VIEWS ON HOUSE CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM

THIS IS AN AMCONGEN HO CHI MINH CITY CABLE. CLASSIFIED BY EMI
YAMAUCHI, CONSUL GENERAL, REASON 1.5 (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 001454

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR DRL/IRF AND EAP/BCLTV

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2012
TAGS: PHUM KIRF SOCI VM ETMIN HUMANR RELFREE
SUBJECT: EVANGELICAL PASTOR'S VIEWS ON HOUSE CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM

THIS IS AN AMCONGEN HO CHI MINH CITY CABLE. CLASSIFIED BY EMI
YAMAUCHI, CONSUL GENERAL, REASON 1.5 (D).


1. (C) PASTOR NGUYEN HONG QUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE MENNONITE CHURCH AND
MEMBER OF THE VIETNAM EVANGELICAL FELLOWSHIP OF HOUSE CHURCHES (VEF),
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PAGE 02 HANOI 01454 060431Z
RECENTLY VISITED THE CONGEN. THE VEF IS NOT REGISTERED WITH THE GVN
AND IS THEREFORE NOT A RECOGNIZED RELIGION. QUANG, WHO IS A RELATIVELY
NEW BUT SEEMINGLY RELIABLE RELIGIOUS ACTIVIST, BROUGHT ALONG PHOTOS AND
"TESTIMONIES" OF TWO HOUSE CHURCH PASTORS WHO HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO
HARASSMENT AND/OR BEATINGS IN HO CHI MINH CITY AND KON TUM PROVINCE IN
THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. POST IS IN THE PROCESS OF
TRANSLATING/SUMMARIZING THE 25-PLUS PAGES OF DOCUMENTS, POLICE
COMPLAINTS, ETC.


2. (C) QUANG IS PERSONALLY ACQUAINTED WITH THE TWO VICTIMS. THE HCMC
VICTIM IS A HOUSE CHURCH PASTOR WHOSE HOME WAS RAIDED BY POLICE.
ACCORDING TO QUANG, THE HCMC PASTOR WAS THREATENED BUT NOT HARMED. THE
POLICE INSTEAD WALKED OFF WITH HIS TELEVISION SET, RADIO, AND OTHER
HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS. (POST NOTE: POST HAS HEARD SIMILAR STORIES IN THE
PAST ABOUT CONFISCATED TELEVISIONS, BICYCLES, ETC. IN THE PROVINCES,
BUT SUCH OCCURRENCES ARE SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL IN HCMC.) HE WAS WARNED TO
STOP ILLEGAL RELIGIOUS MEETINGS.


3. (C) THE KON TUM PROVINCE VICTIM WAS A HOUSE CHURCH PASTOR WHOSE
MOTORCYCLE WAS RUN OFF THE ROAD, ALLEGEDLY BY PLAINCLOTHES POLICEMEN.
THE PASTOR WAS TAKEN TO JAIL FOR "CAUSING" THE ACCIDENT, AND WAS BEATEN
BADLY ENOUGH TO BE ADMITTED TO A HOSPITAL, ACCORDING TO QUANG.
ENCLOSED WITH THE KON TUM PROVINCE VICTIM'S TESTIMONY WERE PHOTOS,
WHICH CLEARLY SHOWED CUTS AND BRUISES ON THE HEAD AND NECK, AND TORN
CLOTHING.


4. (C) IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS FROM THE CG, QUANG RESPONDED:

-- HE HIMSELF HAS HAD MEETINGS WITH GVN AUTHORITIES FROM THE MINISTRY
OF PUBLIC SECURITY (MPS),THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS,
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, ETC. HE BELIEVES THAT AT THE NATIONAL

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LEVEL, THE GVN IS MAKING AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THE HOUSE CHURCH
EVANGELICAL MOVEMENT AND TO IMPROVE TREATMENT OF "NON-REGISTERED
RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS."

-- IN SPITE OF THE ABOVE CASE OF HARASSMENT IN HCMC, QUANG BELIEVES THE
LEVEL AND FREQUENCY OF SUCH INCIDENTS HAVE DECLINED GRADUALLY THIS
YEAR. AS PROOF, HE SHOWED US HIS NEW "HOUSEHOLD REGISTRATION" BOOKLET,
WHICH MAKES HIM AN OFFICIAL HCMC RESIDENT. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN
POSSIBLE, HE NOTED, WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE HCMC RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE.

-- IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, HE BELIEVES THERE HAS NOT BEEN MUCH
CHANGE. HARASSMENT AND BEATINGS OCCUR WHEN POLICE DISCOVER "ILLEGAL
MEETINGS" HOSTED BY UNREGISTERED HOUSE CHURCH LEADERS.


5. (C) QUANG DID NOT WISH US TO RAISE THESE SPECIFIC CASES WITH
VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES. HE SAID IT WAS ENOUGH THAT THE USG WAS "AWARE
OF THESE INCIDENTS" AND THAT WE WOULD "RECORD THESE PROBLEMS" FOR THE
ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORTS.


6. (C) IN RESPONSE TO CG'S QUESTION ABOUT ANOTHER VISIT TO THE CENTRAL
HIGHLANDS, QUANG INDICATED THAT THE FELLOWSHIP OF HOUSE CHURCHES WAS
PLANNING A CONFERENCE IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IN LATE JUNE. IF THE
CONFERENCE WENT SMOOTHLY, THE FELLOWSHIP'S EXECUTIVE BOARD WOULD SEEK
TO MEET WITH PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS. IN THE MEANTIME, FOR HIS
FELLOWSHIP'S OWN PURPOSES, HE DID NOT BELIEVE CALLING INCREASED
ATTENTION TO THE HIGHLANDS WAS HELPFUL. HE SEEMED CERTAIN THAT THE KON
TUM PASTOR WOULD WELCOME A VISIT FROM CONGENOFFS.


7. (C) COMMENT: QUANG, WHO MET WITH THE COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM THIS PAST FEBRUARY, HAS IMPRESSED US AS A SERIOUS,
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PAGE 04 HANOI 01454 060431Z
DETERMINED CRUSADER FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. THIS WAS, HOWEVER, OUR
FIRST MEETING WITH HIM ALONE (USUALLY HE IS WITH TWO OR THREE OTHER
PASTORS OF OTHER PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS). HE DREW A CLEAR LINE
BETWEEN THE GVN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES - WHETHER THEY
WERE OFFICIALS OF THE RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS COMMITTEES, MINISTRY OF PUBLIC
SECURITY, PEOPLE'S COMMITTEES, OR POLICE DEPARTMENT. HE ACKNOWLEDGED
THERE HAD BEEN SOME MODEST PROGRESS IN MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING WITH GVN
OFFICIALS, AND SHOWED US PHOTOS OF SEVERAL HOUSE CHURCH LEADERS AT
MEETINGS WITH MPS, PEOPLE'S COMMITTEES, AND RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
COMMITTEES IN HANOI. QUANG IS FINDING IT JUST AS DIFFICULT AS WE DO,
HOWEVER, TO FIGURE OUT WHO EXACTLY CONTROLS EACH OF THE PROVINCIAL,
DISTRICT, VILLAGE, AND HAMLET PEOPLE'S COMMITTEES/COUNCILS, POLICE
DEPARTMENTS, AND RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS COMMITTEES -- AND HOW THE GVN CAN
COMMUNICATE ITS OWN INCREMENTAL ATTITUDE CHANGES EFFECTIVELY TO THEM.
PORTER

CONFIDENTIAL