Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02HANOI2078
2002-08-23 09:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:
UPDATE ON DETAINED DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 230915Z Aug 02 2002HANOI02078 - CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ7621 PAGE 01 HANOI 02078 230926Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 ED-01 FBIE-00 VC-00 HHS-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /011W ------------------DD0431 230926Z /38 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7374 INFO AMEMBASSY BEIJING AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 002078
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL 08/22/2012
TAGS: PHUM PINS PGOV SOCI VM HUMANR
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DETAINED DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS
REF: HANOI 1787
C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 002078
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL 08/22/2012
TAGS: PHUM PINS PGOV SOCI VM HUMANR
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DETAINED DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS
REF: HANOI 1787
1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY POL/C SCOTT BELLARD; REASON 1.5(D)
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HANOI 02078 230926Z
2. (C) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST -- SEE PARA 7.
3. (C) FOLLOWING THE EXPECTED JULY 27 EXPIRATION DATE OF
A FOUR-MONTH DETENTION ORDER ON DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST PHAM
HONG SON DURING INVESTIGATION OF HIS ALLEGED "SPY
ACTIVITIES," POLOFF HAS CONTACTED HIS WIFE VO THI HA BY
TELEPHONE. MRS. HA ON AUGUST 22 DECLINED TO DISCUSS HIS
CURRENT STATUS OVER AN OPEN PHONE LINE BUT DID NOT OFFER TO
MEET. SHE NONETHELESS ASKED POLOFF WHETHER EMBASSY HAD ANY
NEWS ABOUT HIS CASE AND ASKED WITH SOME APPARENT URGENCY IF
THE EMBASSY COULD QUERY THE GVN AGAIN ABOUT HER HUSBAND'S
STATUS. SHE ADMITTED THAT SHE HERSELF WAS HAVING A "LITTLE
BIT OF DIFFICULTY" AT HER WORKPLACE (THE HANOI OFFICE OF
THE ASIA-PACIFIC FRANCPHONIE ORGANIZATION),BUT ONLY
BECAUSE OF HER "DISTRACTION" OVER HER HUSBAND'S CASE.
4. (C) DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST DR. NGUYEN THANH GIANG ON AUGUST
21 HAD TOLD POLOFF OF MRS. HA'S REPORTED TROUBLES AND URGED
POLOFF TO WEIGH IN WITH HER BOSS, A REQUEST THAT SHE
HERSELF HAS NOT MADE TO POLOFF SEPARATELY DESPITE HIS
INQUIRIES ABOUT HOW EMBASSY COULD BE HELPFUL. DR. GIANG
ALSO RELATED THAT MRS. HA HAD TOLD HIM THAT POLICE HAD
QUESTIONED HER ABOUT CONNECTIONS WITH GIANG AND
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A WIDELY DISTRIBUTED LETTER (REFTEL)
THAT SHE HAD WRITTEN COMPLAINING ABOUT HER HUSBAND'S
DETENTION. DR. GIANG CLARIFIED THAT HE HAD ADVISED HER
ABOUT THE LETTER'S CONTENTS BUT HAD NOT WRITTEN IT FOR HER.
5. (C) DR. GIANG ADDED THAT, AFTER THE GVN DETAINED LE
CHI QUANG IN FEBRUARY AND PHAM HONG SON IN MARCH, HE HAD
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HANOI 02078 230926Z
CONTACTED THEIR FAMILIES, WHOM HE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY KNOWN.
INITIALLY, HE SAID, THEY WERE RELUCTANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO
DO WITH HIM, BUT SINCE THEN HE HAS INVITED THEM TO HIS HOME
FOR MEALS AND HAS NOW BUILT UP RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM, HE
CLAIMED. IN A SEPARATE CONVERSATION ON AUGUST 20,
DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST PHAM QUE DUONG TOLD POLOFF THAT HE HAD
VISITED MRS. HA AT HER OFFICE EARLIER THAT DAY BUT NOTED NO
SPECIAL PROBLEMS.
6. (C) DR. GIANG INFORMED POLOFF THAT ACTIVIST NGUYEN VU
BINH, REPORTED BY THE NEW YORK-BASED COMMITTEE TO PROTECT
JOURNALISTS TO HAVE BEEN DETAINED BY POLICE O/A JULY 19,
HAD NOT ACTUALLY BEEN UNDER DETENTION. FOR A FEW DAYS
THEREAFTER, HE WAS "INVITED" TO GO TO A POLICE STATION TO
"WORK WITH THE POLICE," ACCORDING TO GIANG. BINH
REPORTEDLY REMAINS UNDER HEIGHTENED SURVEILLANCE AND WAS
DESCRIBED AS NOW "RELUCTANT" TO VISIT OTHER ACTIVISTS.
BINH WAS FORMERLY AN EDITOR AT THE COMMUNIST JOURNAL, THE
CPV'S OFFICIAL MAGAZINE.
7. (C) ACTION REQUEST: PLEASE ADVISE IF DEPARTMENT
AUTHORIZES EMBASSY TO MAKE A FORMAL OR INFORMAL REQUEST FOR
AN UPDATE OF PHAM HONG SON'S STATUS, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF
FOREIGN NEWS REPORTS THAT HIS DETAINMENT WAS RELATED TO
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENTS ABOUT DEMOCRACY ON THE STATE
DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE. EMBASSY DOES NOT BELIEVE IT
ADVISABLE AT THIS TIME TO MAKE ANY INTERVENTION WITH MRS.
HA'S EMPLOYER.
PORTER
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HANOI 02078 230926Z
CONFIDENTIAL
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL 08/22/2012
TAGS: PHUM PINS PGOV SOCI VM HUMANR
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DETAINED DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS
REF: HANOI 1787
1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY POL/C SCOTT BELLARD; REASON 1.5(D)
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 HANOI 02078 230926Z
2. (C) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST -- SEE PARA 7.
3. (C) FOLLOWING THE EXPECTED JULY 27 EXPIRATION DATE OF
A FOUR-MONTH DETENTION ORDER ON DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST PHAM
HONG SON DURING INVESTIGATION OF HIS ALLEGED "SPY
ACTIVITIES," POLOFF HAS CONTACTED HIS WIFE VO THI HA BY
TELEPHONE. MRS. HA ON AUGUST 22 DECLINED TO DISCUSS HIS
CURRENT STATUS OVER AN OPEN PHONE LINE BUT DID NOT OFFER TO
MEET. SHE NONETHELESS ASKED POLOFF WHETHER EMBASSY HAD ANY
NEWS ABOUT HIS CASE AND ASKED WITH SOME APPARENT URGENCY IF
THE EMBASSY COULD QUERY THE GVN AGAIN ABOUT HER HUSBAND'S
STATUS. SHE ADMITTED THAT SHE HERSELF WAS HAVING A "LITTLE
BIT OF DIFFICULTY" AT HER WORKPLACE (THE HANOI OFFICE OF
THE ASIA-PACIFIC FRANCPHONIE ORGANIZATION),BUT ONLY
BECAUSE OF HER "DISTRACTION" OVER HER HUSBAND'S CASE.
4. (C) DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST DR. NGUYEN THANH GIANG ON AUGUST
21 HAD TOLD POLOFF OF MRS. HA'S REPORTED TROUBLES AND URGED
POLOFF TO WEIGH IN WITH HER BOSS, A REQUEST THAT SHE
HERSELF HAS NOT MADE TO POLOFF SEPARATELY DESPITE HIS
INQUIRIES ABOUT HOW EMBASSY COULD BE HELPFUL. DR. GIANG
ALSO RELATED THAT MRS. HA HAD TOLD HIM THAT POLICE HAD
QUESTIONED HER ABOUT CONNECTIONS WITH GIANG AND
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A WIDELY DISTRIBUTED LETTER (REFTEL)
THAT SHE HAD WRITTEN COMPLAINING ABOUT HER HUSBAND'S
DETENTION. DR. GIANG CLARIFIED THAT HE HAD ADVISED HER
ABOUT THE LETTER'S CONTENTS BUT HAD NOT WRITTEN IT FOR HER.
5. (C) DR. GIANG ADDED THAT, AFTER THE GVN DETAINED LE
CHI QUANG IN FEBRUARY AND PHAM HONG SON IN MARCH, HE HAD
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 HANOI 02078 230926Z
CONTACTED THEIR FAMILIES, WHOM HE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY KNOWN.
INITIALLY, HE SAID, THEY WERE RELUCTANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO
DO WITH HIM, BUT SINCE THEN HE HAS INVITED THEM TO HIS HOME
FOR MEALS AND HAS NOW BUILT UP RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM, HE
CLAIMED. IN A SEPARATE CONVERSATION ON AUGUST 20,
DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST PHAM QUE DUONG TOLD POLOFF THAT HE HAD
VISITED MRS. HA AT HER OFFICE EARLIER THAT DAY BUT NOTED NO
SPECIAL PROBLEMS.
6. (C) DR. GIANG INFORMED POLOFF THAT ACTIVIST NGUYEN VU
BINH, REPORTED BY THE NEW YORK-BASED COMMITTEE TO PROTECT
JOURNALISTS TO HAVE BEEN DETAINED BY POLICE O/A JULY 19,
HAD NOT ACTUALLY BEEN UNDER DETENTION. FOR A FEW DAYS
THEREAFTER, HE WAS "INVITED" TO GO TO A POLICE STATION TO
"WORK WITH THE POLICE," ACCORDING TO GIANG. BINH
REPORTEDLY REMAINS UNDER HEIGHTENED SURVEILLANCE AND WAS
DESCRIBED AS NOW "RELUCTANT" TO VISIT OTHER ACTIVISTS.
BINH WAS FORMERLY AN EDITOR AT THE COMMUNIST JOURNAL, THE
CPV'S OFFICIAL MAGAZINE.
7. (C) ACTION REQUEST: PLEASE ADVISE IF DEPARTMENT
AUTHORIZES EMBASSY TO MAKE A FORMAL OR INFORMAL REQUEST FOR
AN UPDATE OF PHAM HONG SON'S STATUS, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF
FOREIGN NEWS REPORTS THAT HIS DETAINMENT WAS RELATED TO
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENTS ABOUT DEMOCRACY ON THE STATE
DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE. EMBASSY DOES NOT BELIEVE IT
ADVISABLE AT THIS TIME TO MAKE ANY INTERVENTION WITH MRS.
HA'S EMPLOYER.
PORTER
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 HANOI 02078 230926Z
CONFIDENTIAL