Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02HANOI2777
2002-11-18 09:53:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:
ANOTHER MINISTERIAL-LEVEL VICTIM OF NAM CAM
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 180953Z Nov 02 2002HANOI02777 - UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ6023 PAGE 01 HANOI 02777 181011Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 ED-01 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 HHS-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 ECA-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /008W ------------------0A3FFD 181011Z /38 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8120 INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS HANOI 002777
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS SOCI VM
SUBJECT: ANOTHER MINISTERIAL-LEVEL VICTIM OF NAM CAM
REF: A. FBIS SEP 20021118000011 B. HANOI 1795
UNCLAS HANOI 002777
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS SOCI VM
SUBJECT: ANOTHER MINISTERIAL-LEVEL VICTIM OF NAM CAM
REF: A. FBIS SEP 20021118000011 B. HANOI 1795
1. (U) OFFICIAL VIETNAMESE MEDIA (REF A) AND FOREIGN MEDIA
HAVE CARRIED REPORTS OF THE NOVEMBER 15 DISMISSAL OF VICE
MINISTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY MAJOR GENERAL HOANG NGOC NHAT
FOR "BREACHES OF THE LAW" LINKED TO THE NAM CAM "MAFIA"
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 HANOI 02777 181011Z
CASE. NHAT, WHO WAS ALSO DEMOTED TO COLONEL BUT ONLY
"DISCIPLINED" BY -- NOT FORMALLY SACKED FROM -- THE
MINISTRY, HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE OFFICIAL WHO IN 1997
SIGNED TRUONG VAN CAM'S INITIAL RELEASE FROM PRISON EIGHT
MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. REF B REPORTED ON THE EARLIER
DISMISSALS AND EVENTUAL EXPULSION FROM THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
OF TWO OTHER HIGH FLIERS -- VICE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY
LIEUTENANT GENERAL BUI QUOC HUY AND DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE
VOICE OF VIETNAM TRAN MAI HANH -- FOLLOWING THE SIXTH PARTY
PLENUM JULY 4-15. ANOTHER, PHAM SI CHIEN, WAS FORMALLY
DISMISSED AS VICE GENERAL PROCURATOR OF THE SUPREME PEOPLE'S
PROCURACY IN AUGUST.
2. (U) TRIALS IN THE NAM CAM CASE ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN
HO CHI MINH CITY ON DECEMBER 10 AND CONTINUE UNTIL JANUARY
28. AT LEAST 156 PEOPLE WILL BE ON TRIAL, INCLUDING HUY,
HANH, AND CHIEN. IT APPEARS THAT NHAT WILL NOT BE
PROSECUTED. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AMONG FOREIGN
JOURNALISTS TO COVER THE TRIALS, BUT THE GVN HAS NOT YET
ANNOUNCED WHETHER THE COURTS WILL BE OPEN FOR THE MEDIA.
3. (U) IN HIS OPENING REMARKS AT THE SECOND SESSION OF THE
11TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ON NOVEMBER 12, PRIME MINISTER PHAN
VAN KHAI SPECIFICALLY CITED "NAM CAM" AS A NOTORIOUS EXAMPLE
OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES PENETRATING INTO THE WORKINGS OF THE
STATE APPARATUS, AND NOTED THE NEED TO HAVE "TRUSTWORTHY"
PEOPLE WORKING IN SECURITY-RELATED ORGANS. GENERAL
SECRETARY NONG DUC MANH ADMITTED TO THE CLOSING SESSION OF
SIPDIS
THE SEVENTH PLENUM OF THE 9TH PARTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE ON
NOVEMBER 9 THAT "ORGANIZED CRIMINALS HAVE MADE CONTACT WITH
CORRUPT AND DEGENERATE OFFICIALS AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES,
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 HANOI 02777 181011Z
INCLUDING A NUMBER OF HIGH-RANKING OFFICIALS," A SUBJECT OF
"GREAT CONCERN" TO THE PARTY AND STATE.
4. (U) COMMENT: THE CPV AND GVN WILL ATTEMPT TO USE THE
UPCOMING MASS TRIALS RELATED TO NAM CAM AS SHOWCASES OF
THEIR SERIOUSNESS IN CRACKING DOWN ON CORRUPTION AND IN
DEMONSTRATING THAT EVEN SENIOR OFFICIALS ARE NOT IMMUNE TO
PROSECUTION. HEAVY SENTENCES CAN BE EXPECTED, INCLUDING A
POSSIBLE DEATH PENALTY AT LEAST FOR NAM CAM HIMSELF.
FOREIGN JOURNALISTS ARE SKEPTICAL THAT THEY WILL BE ALLOWED
TO WITNESS THE TRIALS, GIVEN POSSIBLE GVN WORRIES ABOUT WHAT
NAM CAM MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO SAY IN HIS OWN DEFENSE (I.E.,
ABOUT HIS ALLEGED LINKS WITH FAMILY MEMBERS OF VERY HIGH
RANKING CPV AND GVN OFFICIALS). PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE
CASE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE HIGH, HOWEVER (AT LEAST IN
HANOI),NOR IS IT LIKELY THAT EVEN SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS
OF THESE CASES -- A FOREGONE CONCLUSION IN THIS JUDICIAL
ENVIRONMENT -- WILL WIN BACK MUCH PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE
SANCTITY OF GVN AND CPV OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS.
BURGHARDT
UNCLASSIFIED
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS SOCI VM
SUBJECT: ANOTHER MINISTERIAL-LEVEL VICTIM OF NAM CAM
REF: A. FBIS SEP 20021118000011 B. HANOI 1795
1. (U) OFFICIAL VIETNAMESE MEDIA (REF A) AND FOREIGN MEDIA
HAVE CARRIED REPORTS OF THE NOVEMBER 15 DISMISSAL OF VICE
MINISTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY MAJOR GENERAL HOANG NGOC NHAT
FOR "BREACHES OF THE LAW" LINKED TO THE NAM CAM "MAFIA"
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 HANOI 02777 181011Z
CASE. NHAT, WHO WAS ALSO DEMOTED TO COLONEL BUT ONLY
"DISCIPLINED" BY -- NOT FORMALLY SACKED FROM -- THE
MINISTRY, HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE OFFICIAL WHO IN 1997
SIGNED TRUONG VAN CAM'S INITIAL RELEASE FROM PRISON EIGHT
MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. REF B REPORTED ON THE EARLIER
DISMISSALS AND EVENTUAL EXPULSION FROM THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
OF TWO OTHER HIGH FLIERS -- VICE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY
LIEUTENANT GENERAL BUI QUOC HUY AND DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE
VOICE OF VIETNAM TRAN MAI HANH -- FOLLOWING THE SIXTH PARTY
PLENUM JULY 4-15. ANOTHER, PHAM SI CHIEN, WAS FORMALLY
DISMISSED AS VICE GENERAL PROCURATOR OF THE SUPREME PEOPLE'S
PROCURACY IN AUGUST.
2. (U) TRIALS IN THE NAM CAM CASE ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN
HO CHI MINH CITY ON DECEMBER 10 AND CONTINUE UNTIL JANUARY
28. AT LEAST 156 PEOPLE WILL BE ON TRIAL, INCLUDING HUY,
HANH, AND CHIEN. IT APPEARS THAT NHAT WILL NOT BE
PROSECUTED. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AMONG FOREIGN
JOURNALISTS TO COVER THE TRIALS, BUT THE GVN HAS NOT YET
ANNOUNCED WHETHER THE COURTS WILL BE OPEN FOR THE MEDIA.
3. (U) IN HIS OPENING REMARKS AT THE SECOND SESSION OF THE
11TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ON NOVEMBER 12, PRIME MINISTER PHAN
VAN KHAI SPECIFICALLY CITED "NAM CAM" AS A NOTORIOUS EXAMPLE
OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES PENETRATING INTO THE WORKINGS OF THE
STATE APPARATUS, AND NOTED THE NEED TO HAVE "TRUSTWORTHY"
PEOPLE WORKING IN SECURITY-RELATED ORGANS. GENERAL
SECRETARY NONG DUC MANH ADMITTED TO THE CLOSING SESSION OF
SIPDIS
THE SEVENTH PLENUM OF THE 9TH PARTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE ON
NOVEMBER 9 THAT "ORGANIZED CRIMINALS HAVE MADE CONTACT WITH
CORRUPT AND DEGENERATE OFFICIALS AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES,
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 HANOI 02777 181011Z
INCLUDING A NUMBER OF HIGH-RANKING OFFICIALS," A SUBJECT OF
"GREAT CONCERN" TO THE PARTY AND STATE.
4. (U) COMMENT: THE CPV AND GVN WILL ATTEMPT TO USE THE
UPCOMING MASS TRIALS RELATED TO NAM CAM AS SHOWCASES OF
THEIR SERIOUSNESS IN CRACKING DOWN ON CORRUPTION AND IN
DEMONSTRATING THAT EVEN SENIOR OFFICIALS ARE NOT IMMUNE TO
PROSECUTION. HEAVY SENTENCES CAN BE EXPECTED, INCLUDING A
POSSIBLE DEATH PENALTY AT LEAST FOR NAM CAM HIMSELF.
FOREIGN JOURNALISTS ARE SKEPTICAL THAT THEY WILL BE ALLOWED
TO WITNESS THE TRIALS, GIVEN POSSIBLE GVN WORRIES ABOUT WHAT
NAM CAM MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO SAY IN HIS OWN DEFENSE (I.E.,
ABOUT HIS ALLEGED LINKS WITH FAMILY MEMBERS OF VERY HIGH
RANKING CPV AND GVN OFFICIALS). PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE
CASE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE HIGH, HOWEVER (AT LEAST IN
HANOI),NOR IS IT LIKELY THAT EVEN SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS
OF THESE CASES -- A FOREGONE CONCLUSION IN THIS JUDICIAL
ENVIRONMENT -- WILL WIN BACK MUCH PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE
SANCTITY OF GVN AND CPV OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS.
BURGHARDT
UNCLASSIFIED