RESTRICTIONS ON US NGOS IN CENTRAL HIGHLANDS?

UNCLAS HANOI 002865 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAID PHUM PREF VM ETMIN SUBJECT: RESTRICTIONS ON US NGOS IN CENTRAL HIGHLANDS? REF: HANOI 2694 UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 02865 291002Z ¶1. (SBU) IN A DISCUSSION WITH AMBASSADOR NOVEMBER 25, PRESIDENT OF THE VIETNAM UNION OF FRIENDSHIP ORGANIZATIONS (AND DELEGATE TO THE 11TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY) VU XUAN HONG DENIED REPORTS THAT HE HAD RECOMMENDED A BAN ON US NGOS AND/OR RELIGIOUS NGOS FROM OPERATING IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. HE DID NOT, HOWEVER, DENY THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH A RECOMMENDATION TO THE PRIME MINISTER, BUT IMPLIED THAT NO FORMAL DECISION HAD BEEN REACHED. ¶2. (SBU) ECHOING COMMENTS MADE ON NOVEMBER 6 TO MINISTER FOR ETHNIC MINORITIES KSOR PHUOC (REFTEL),AMBASSADOR REITERATED THAT ANY SUCH DECISION TO BAN THESE NGOS WOULD UNHELPFULLY REFLECT A "MISTRUST" OF THE U.S. AND WOULD RUN COUNTER TO THE EFFORTS OF BOTH GOVERNMENTS TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS OF FULL NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS. HE EMPHASIZED THE POSITIVE ROLE THAT SUCH ORGANIZATIONS COULD PLAY IN FURTHERING THE HUMANITARIAN OBJECTIVES OF BOTH GOVERNMENTS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE RESIDENTS OF THESE AREAS. HE URGED THAT THE GVN NOT IMPOSE ANY SUCH BAN, AND INSTEAD WORK TO CREATE CONDITIONS THAT WOULD ENABLE SUCH ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS TO OPERATE EFFECTIVELY. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: WE CONTINUE TO HEAR THAT SUCH A DECISION IS IN THE WORKS, AND WILL CONTINUE TO VOICE OUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE NEGATIVE AND COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE EFFECT SUCH A STEP WOULD HAVE NOT ONLY IN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS SPECIFICALLY, BUT ALSO IN BROADER IMPLICATIONS FOR THE BILATERAL RELATIONS. BURGHARDT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 02865 291002Z UNCLASSIFIED