MEETING WITH AFM HUNG

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002369 SIPDIS FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM PINS ETRD VM APEC RELFREE HUMANR SUBJECT: MEETING WITH AFM HUNG ¶1. (U) CIRF: IN A MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR ON OCTOBER 2 (SEPTEL WILL COVER DISCUSSION OF THE TRIAL OF NGUYEN THI NGOC HANH),ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN DUC HUNG EXPRESSED THE GVN'S "DISAPPOINTMENT" OVER THE RECENTLY REPORTED RECOMMENDATION OF THE US COMMISSION FOR INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (CIRF) TO INCLUDE VIETNAM ON COUNTRIES OF "PARTICULAR CONCERN" REGARDING ABUSES OF UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 02369 01 OF 02 011045Z RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE IN PARA 4.) HE CLAIMED THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION DID NOT "SHOW GOODWILL," NOR WAS IT "USEFUL" IN THE PROCESS OF DIALOGUE ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES. HE EMPHASIZED THAT IT WAS "NOT GOOD" FOR THE PROMOTION OF BILATERAL RELATIONS, AND THAT IT WOULD "NOT HELP TO ACCELERATE" THE PROCESSES OF DIALOGUE. HE INSISTED THAT INCLUDING VIETNAM ON THIS LIST WOULD BE "VERY BAD," ALTHOUGH HE ADMITTED THAT DIALOGUE WAS BETTER THAN NO DIALOGUE. HE URGED AMBASSADOR TO CONVEY THIS CONCERN TO THE USG, WHICH AMBASSADOR AGREED TO DO, WHILE ALSO REITERATING THE VALUE OF DIALOGUE INCLUDING WHEN THE TWO SIDES DO NOT AGREE. ¶2. (U) ACTOR: AMBASSADOR RAISED THE CASE OF NOTED VIETNAMESE ACTOR DON DUONG, WHO IS REPORTED BY INTERNATIONAL MEDIA (AS WELL AS IN NUMEROUS LETTERS FROM HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT FIGURES) TO HAVE HAD HIS PASSPORT CONFISCATED AND TO BE UNDER THE THREAT OF ADDITIONAL PUNISHMENTS BY VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES. HE NOTED THE HARMFUL AFFECT THAT SUCH ACTIONS WOULD HAVE ON VIETNAM'S INTERNATIONAL IMAGE AND ASKED AFM HUNG'S ASSISTANCE IN COORDINATING WITH THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE TO DETERMINE THE TRUE FACTS OF THE CASE. ¶3. (U) APEC: AMBASSADOR EXPLAINED TO AFM HUNG ARRANGEMENTS THAT WOULD BE IN PLACE AT THIS YEAR'S APEC LEADERS' MEETING TO ALLOW FOR WHISPER INTERPRETERS AT THE TWO SOCIAL EVENTS AND URGED THAT THE GVN PROVIDE ITS OWN INTERPRETER FOR POSSIBLE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN PRESIDENT BUSH AND PRIME MINISTER KHAI AT THE DINNER AND LUNCH. AFM HUNG NOTED THAT THE GVN HAD BEEN IN COORDINATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO ON THESE ARRANGEMENTS. AMBASSADOR ALSO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 02369 01 OF 02 011045Z ASKED FOR AFM HUNG'S HELP IN ENSURING THAT THE USG WAS AWARE AHEAD OF TIME THE SUBJECTS PM KHAI WAS LIKELY TO RAISE WITH THE PRESIDENT SO THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT COULD ADEQUATELY BRIEF HIM TO ENSURE A MORE PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION. AFM HUNG AGREED TO DO SO, AND ASKED THAT THE US SIDE DO THE SAME. ¶4. (UI) INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE: NO. 407/NG-CM THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM PRESENTS ITS COMPLIMENTS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND WOULD LIKE TO INFORM IT THAT: ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2002, THE U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SUBMITTED A REPORT TO RECOMMEND THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CLASSIFY SIPDIS VIETNAM IN A LIST OF COUNTRIES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN IN THE AREA OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. THIS IS AN ACT THAT VERY MUCH LACKS GOODWILL AND IS FULL OF FIXED VIEWS OF THE U.S. CIRF TOWARD VIETNAM. IT NEEDS TO BE REAFFIRMED THAT IN VIETNAM THE RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF BELIEF AND OF NON-BELIEF IS GUARANTEED BY THE CONSTITUTION AND IS EXERCISED IN REAL LIFE IN THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM. THE REALITY OF THIS RIGHT OF FREEDOM HAS BEEN WIDELY RECOGNIZED BY THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC OPINION, INCLUDING THE OBJECTIVE PUBLIC OPINION OF US CITIZENS. IN THE LARGER INTERESTS OF VIETNAM-US RELATIONS, WHICH ARE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 02369 01 OF 02 011045Z EXPANDING, AND WITH AN ATTITUDE OF GOODWILL, VIETNAM RECEIVED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE USCIRF IN FEBRUARY 2002 SO THAT THEY COULD WITNESS BIG CHANGES IN VIETNAM WITH THEIR OWN EYES. THE COMMISSION ALSO RECEIVED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THROUGH MEETING WITH VIETNAM'S DELEGATION OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN WASHINGTON IN MAY 2002. HOWEVER, UNFORTUNATELY THIS COMMISSION STILL DELIBERATELY EVALUATED THE RELIGIOUS SITUATION IN VN INCORRECTLY AND SUBMITTED A NON-CONSTRUCTIVE RECOMMENDATION. WE DEEM THE ABOVE RECOMMENDATION, IF ACCEPTED AND APPROVED, WILL NOT HELP THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTIVE AND CANDID DIALOGUE AIMED AT STRENGTHENING MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE PEOPLES OF THE TWO COUNTRIES, AND IT WILL AFFECT NEGATIVELY THE BENEFICIAL AND DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VIETNAM AND THE UNITED STATES. THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM STRONGLY REQUESTS THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NOT TO ACCEPT THE ABOVE- MENTIONED RECOMMENDATION FULL OF FIXED IDEAS OF THE USCIRF. THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM AVAILS ITSELF OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RENEW TO THE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ4440 PAGE 01 HANOI 02369 02 OF 02 011045Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 DODE-00 WHA-00 DS-00 EB-00 E-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 VCE-00 NSAE-00 OES-01 SS-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /004W -------------- EF825E 011046Z /38 R 011046Z OCT 02 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7671 INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY AMEMBASSY MEXICO UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 002369 SIPDIS FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF DEPARTMENT OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THE ASSURANCES OF ITS HIGHEST CONSIDERATION. 1 OCTOBER 2002 END TEXT BURGHARDT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 02369 02 OF 02 011045Z UNCLASSIFIED