Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02HANOI1885
2002-07-29 09:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:
PROTESTANT SEMINARY TO OPEN?
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 290925Z Jul 02 2002HANOI01885 - CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ7605 PAGE 01 HANOI 01885 290930Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PERC-00 DS-00 FBIE-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 NSAE-00 SS-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /003W ------------------D17203 290931Z /38 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7159 INFO AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 001885
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/12
TAGS: PHUM PINS VM HUMANR RELFREE
SUBJECT: PROTESTANT SEMINARY TO OPEN?
REF: HO CHI MINH CITY 630
C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 001885
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/12
TAGS: PHUM PINS VM HUMANR RELFREE
SUBJECT: PROTESTANT SEMINARY TO OPEN?
REF: HO CHI MINH CITY 630
1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY POL/C SCOTT BELLARD, REASON: 1.5
(D)
2. (C) DURING A LUNCHEON WITH POL/C AND POLOFF ON JULY
26, ACTING HEAD OF THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF VIETNAM-
NORTH (ECVN) REVEREND AU QUANG VINH (PLEASE PROTECT)
SAID THAT THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF VIETNAM-SOUTH (ECVS
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HANOI 01885 290930Z
-- RECOGNIZED BY THE GVN ONLY IN 2001) WAS PREPARING TO
OPEN A SEMINARY IN HO CHI MINH CITY IN SEPTEMBER 2002,
ALTHOUGH IT STILL HAD NOT LOCATED A SUITABLE SITE.
(ITS PRE-1975 CAMPUS IN NHA TRANG IS NO LONGER
AVAILABLE, HE NOTED.) REVEREND VINH PREDICTED THE
NUMBER OF STUDENTS WOULD BE ABOUT 100. HE EXPRESSED
CONCERN, HOWEVER, THAT THE GVN'S PERMISSION APPEARS TO
BE ONLY APPLICABLE TO THIS ONE CLASS; IT IS FAR FROM
CLEAR WHETHER THE SEMINARY WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE
AFTER THE GRADUATION OF THAT CLASS. HE POINTED TO THE
EXPERIENCE OF THE ECVN'S SEMINARY IN HANOI, WHICH BOTH
VINH AND HIS WIFE ATTENDED; THE HANOI SEMINARY CLOSED
IN 1993 AFTER PRODUCING ONLY ONE CLASS OF 12 GRADUATES.
HE NOTED THAT THE GVN CONTINUED TO BLOCK THE ECVN'S
EFFORTS TO GET ITS SEMINARY GOING AGAIN (UNDER THE
PRETEXT THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS)
OR EVEN TO HOLD A GENERAL MEETING OF THE ECVN
LEADERSHIP (THE LAST MEETING WAS HELD IN 1988).
3. (C) REVEREND VINH CONFIRMED OTHER REPORTS (REFTEL)
THAT THE LATE HEAD OF THE ECVS, REVEREND PHAM XUAN
THIEU, HAD COME UNDER MUCH CRITICISM WITHIN THE ECVS
FOR HAVING PARTICIPATED IN A MAY DELEGATION OF GVN AND
RELIGIOUS OFFICIALS TO THE U.S. HE SAID THAT REVEREND
THIEU (WHOM HE DESCRIBED AS ONE OF HIS OWN FORMER
TEACHERS) HAD FELT THAT HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO
PARTICIPATE, BUT WAS CLEARLY UNCOMFORTABLE IN BEING
PART OF THIS DELEGATION.
4. (C) REVEREND VINH ALSO EXPRESSED CONTINUED CONCERN
OVER GVN SUPERVISION OF ECVN ACTIVITIES. HE NOTED THAT
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HANOI 01885 290930Z
HE HAD BEEN EFFECTIVELY BARRED FROM TRAVELING TO LAO
CAI PROVINCE, FOR EXAMPLE, DUE TO EARLIER "PROBLEMS"
(WHICH HE DID NOT WISH TO DESCRIBE IN DETAIL) RELATING
TO HMONG CHRISTIANS. HE REMAINS CAUTIOUS ABOUT MEETING
WITH FOREIGNERS; HE URGED POL/C NOT TO TRY TO CONTACT
ANY OF THE WORSHIPPERS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE SUNDAY
SERVICES. REVEREND VINH EXPRESSED CERTAINTY THAT THERE
WAS MPS SUPERVISION, IF PROBABLY INDIRECT, OF THESE
WORSHIP SERVICES AT THE SOLE VIETNAMESE PROTESTANT
CHURCH IN HANOI. (REVEREND VINH NOTED THAT THERE HAD
BEEN NINE PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN 1954.) HE ADMITTED
HIS OWN RELUCTANCE TO MEET WITH FOREIGN DELEGATIONS,
INCLUDING THE UPCOMING VISIT OF AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM JOHN HANFORD, BECAUSE HE FEELS HE
CANNOT ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS FREELY AND OPENLY, AND
YET DOES NOT WANT TO SPOUT THE OFFICIAL LINE.
5. (C) COMMENT: REVEREND VINH'S COMMENTS REFLECT THE
DUALITY OF RELIGIOUS LIFE IN VIETNAM: WHILE THERE IS
PROGRESS ON SOME FRONTS, SUCH AS THE PROBABLE OPENING
OF THE ECVS SEMINAR, OTHER GVN RESTRICTIONS AND ONGOING
SUPERVISION MAKE AT LEAST MANY RELIGIOUS LEADERS FEEL
FRUSTRATED AND HAMPERED IN THEIR RELIGIOUS WORK.
BURGHARDT
CONFIDENTIAL
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/12
TAGS: PHUM PINS VM HUMANR RELFREE
SUBJECT: PROTESTANT SEMINARY TO OPEN?
REF: HO CHI MINH CITY 630
1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY POL/C SCOTT BELLARD, REASON: 1.5
(D)
2. (C) DURING A LUNCHEON WITH POL/C AND POLOFF ON JULY
26, ACTING HEAD OF THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF VIETNAM-
NORTH (ECVN) REVEREND AU QUANG VINH (PLEASE PROTECT)
SAID THAT THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF VIETNAM-SOUTH (ECVS
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HANOI 01885 290930Z
-- RECOGNIZED BY THE GVN ONLY IN 2001) WAS PREPARING TO
OPEN A SEMINARY IN HO CHI MINH CITY IN SEPTEMBER 2002,
ALTHOUGH IT STILL HAD NOT LOCATED A SUITABLE SITE.
(ITS PRE-1975 CAMPUS IN NHA TRANG IS NO LONGER
AVAILABLE, HE NOTED.) REVEREND VINH PREDICTED THE
NUMBER OF STUDENTS WOULD BE ABOUT 100. HE EXPRESSED
CONCERN, HOWEVER, THAT THE GVN'S PERMISSION APPEARS TO
BE ONLY APPLICABLE TO THIS ONE CLASS; IT IS FAR FROM
CLEAR WHETHER THE SEMINARY WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE
AFTER THE GRADUATION OF THAT CLASS. HE POINTED TO THE
EXPERIENCE OF THE ECVN'S SEMINARY IN HANOI, WHICH BOTH
VINH AND HIS WIFE ATTENDED; THE HANOI SEMINARY CLOSED
IN 1993 AFTER PRODUCING ONLY ONE CLASS OF 12 GRADUATES.
HE NOTED THAT THE GVN CONTINUED TO BLOCK THE ECVN'S
EFFORTS TO GET ITS SEMINARY GOING AGAIN (UNDER THE
PRETEXT THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS)
OR EVEN TO HOLD A GENERAL MEETING OF THE ECVN
LEADERSHIP (THE LAST MEETING WAS HELD IN 1988).
3. (C) REVEREND VINH CONFIRMED OTHER REPORTS (REFTEL)
THAT THE LATE HEAD OF THE ECVS, REVEREND PHAM XUAN
THIEU, HAD COME UNDER MUCH CRITICISM WITHIN THE ECVS
FOR HAVING PARTICIPATED IN A MAY DELEGATION OF GVN AND
RELIGIOUS OFFICIALS TO THE U.S. HE SAID THAT REVEREND
THIEU (WHOM HE DESCRIBED AS ONE OF HIS OWN FORMER
TEACHERS) HAD FELT THAT HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO
PARTICIPATE, BUT WAS CLEARLY UNCOMFORTABLE IN BEING
PART OF THIS DELEGATION.
4. (C) REVEREND VINH ALSO EXPRESSED CONTINUED CONCERN
OVER GVN SUPERVISION OF ECVN ACTIVITIES. HE NOTED THAT
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HANOI 01885 290930Z
HE HAD BEEN EFFECTIVELY BARRED FROM TRAVELING TO LAO
CAI PROVINCE, FOR EXAMPLE, DUE TO EARLIER "PROBLEMS"
(WHICH HE DID NOT WISH TO DESCRIBE IN DETAIL) RELATING
TO HMONG CHRISTIANS. HE REMAINS CAUTIOUS ABOUT MEETING
WITH FOREIGNERS; HE URGED POL/C NOT TO TRY TO CONTACT
ANY OF THE WORSHIPPERS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE SUNDAY
SERVICES. REVEREND VINH EXPRESSED CERTAINTY THAT THERE
WAS MPS SUPERVISION, IF PROBABLY INDIRECT, OF THESE
WORSHIP SERVICES AT THE SOLE VIETNAMESE PROTESTANT
CHURCH IN HANOI. (REVEREND VINH NOTED THAT THERE HAD
BEEN NINE PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN 1954.) HE ADMITTED
HIS OWN RELUCTANCE TO MEET WITH FOREIGN DELEGATIONS,
INCLUDING THE UPCOMING VISIT OF AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM JOHN HANFORD, BECAUSE HE FEELS HE
CANNOT ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS FREELY AND OPENLY, AND
YET DOES NOT WANT TO SPOUT THE OFFICIAL LINE.
5. (C) COMMENT: REVEREND VINH'S COMMENTS REFLECT THE
DUALITY OF RELIGIOUS LIFE IN VIETNAM: WHILE THERE IS
PROGRESS ON SOME FRONTS, SUCH AS THE PROBABLE OPENING
OF THE ECVS SEMINAR, OTHER GVN RESTRICTIONS AND ONGOING
SUPERVISION MAKE AT LEAST MANY RELIGIOUS LEADERS FEEL
FRUSTRATED AND HAMPERED IN THEIR RELIGIOUS WORK.
BURGHARDT
CONFIDENTIAL