UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION PROFILES-VIETNAM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002956

SIPDIS

STATE FOR DRL AND EAP/BCLTV

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/12
TAGS: PHUM PREL KPAO VM UNHRC HUMANR
SUBJECT: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION PROFILES-VIETNAM

REF: A. STATE 252917 B. HANOI 2612

- C. HANOI 2621 D. HANOI 2823


1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR RAYMOND BURGHARDT,
REASON: 1.5 (D)
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2. (C) AS FAR AS EMBASSY CAN ASCERTAIN FROM THIS
DISTANCE, VIETNAM IS AT BEST A MARGINAL PLAYER ON THE
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, AND AT TIMES IS ACTIVELY
OPPOSED TO US VALUES AND VIEWS. VIETNAM LIKELY SOUGHT
A SEAT ON THE COMMISSION PRIMARILY AS A MEANS OF
ENHANCING ITS INTERNATIONAL STATURE, A PROCESS TOWARD
WHICH IT HAS WORKED ASSIDUOUSLY AND SUCCESSFULLY OVER
THE PAST DECADE. THE OTHER PART OF THE GVN'S CALCULUS
WAS PROBABLY TO BE WELL-PLACED TO PROTECT ITS OWN
INTERESTS -- AND THOSE OF "TRADITIONAL FRIENDS" LIKE
LIBYA, IRAN, AND IRAQ -- AGAINST WHAT IT CLAIMS IS THE
EROSION OF INTERNATIONAL PRINCIPLES RESPECTING NATIONAL
SOVEREIGNTY AND NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
EMBASSY IS NOT OPTIMISTIC THAT THE USG CAN CHANGE
VIETNAM'S VIEWS OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY MEANINGFUL
MANNER. (SEE REF B FOR A DISCUSSION ON VIETNAM'S TAKE
ON HUMAN RIGHTS, AND REF C FOR ITS OVERALL WORLDVIEW.)


3. (C) COUNTRY PROFILE:

A. THE MFA DETERMINES VIETNAM'S VOTES IN INTERNATIONAL
FORA, FOLLOWING OVERALL POLICY GUIDELINES SET DOWN BY
THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM (CPV). A CPV "CELL"
OVERSEEING BOTH THE MFA AND THE CPV'S COMMISSION ON
EXTERNAL RELATIONS PROBABLY MAKES KEY DECISIONS, APART
FROM EXTREMELY SENSITIVE ONES THAT NEED TO BE PRESENTED
TO THE CPV POLITBURO. FEW, IF ANY, DECISIONS REGARDING
THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ARE LIKELY VETTED AT THE
POLITBURO LEVEL. THE GVN REPRESENTATIVE IN GENEVA IS
PROBABLY ON A FAIRLY SHORT LEASE, WHILE THE AMBASSADOR
IN WASHINGTON ALMOST CERTAINLY PLAYS NO ROLE
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WHATSOEVER. VIETNAM WILL NONETHELESS LISTEN
ATTENTIVELY TO THE VIEWS OF THE G-77 AND ASEAN ON MAJOR
ISSUES, AND LIKES WHENEVER POSSIBLE TO VOTE WITH THE
MAJORITY.


B. THE TOP MFA CONTACT IS FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN DY
NIEN, WHO SPEAKS GOOD ENGLISH (ALTHOUGH HE OFTEN
PREFERS TO USE AN INTERPRETER). HIS OFFICE TELEPHONE
IS 84-4-199-2218 OR 84-9-13238218 DURING WORKING HOURS
(12 HOURS DIFFERENCE FROM WASHINGTON),OR 84-4-845-2980
(NON-WORKING HOURS). THERE IS NO POINT IN TRYING TO
CONTACT CPV OFFICIALS DIRECTLY; THEY CLAIM THEIR ROLE
IS PARTY-TO-PARTY RELATIONS.


C. THE GVN IN GENERAL DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS SHOULD INVOKE SANCTIONS OR
SINGLE OUT PARTICULAR COUNTRIES (APART FROM THE U.S. OR
ISRAEL) FOR CRITICISM. SENSITIVE TO INTERNATIONAL
CRITICISM ON ITS OWN HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD, VIETNAM WILL
SEEK TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMISSION SPENDS AS LITTLE
TIME AS POSSIBLE EXAMINING INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES. ITS
REPRESENTATIVE IN GENEVA WILL GENERALLY DISCOURAGE
FORMAL CONDEMNATIONS OF SPECIFIC COUNTRIES -- UNLESS
THERE IS A CLEAR CONSENSUS AMONG THE G-77 OR OTHER
MAJOR GROUPING OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. EMBASSY DOES
NOT BELIEVE THAT THE GVN HAS A SPECIFIC AGENDA OF ITS
OWN TO ADVANCE WITHIN THE COMMISSION, AND EXPECTS IT
WILL BE A FOLLOWER, NOT A LEADER, IN ITS DELIBERATIONS.


D. A TOP GVN PRIORITY OVER THE COMING DECADE IN THE
INTERNATIONAL ARENA IS TO WIN A UN SECURITY COUNCIL
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SEAT FOR 2008. IT HAS ALREADY BEGUN ITS CAMPAIGN,
QUIETLY LOBBYING A VARIETY OF NATIONS, INCLUDING THE
U.S. (REF D). ASEAN ENDORSED THIS CANDIDACY IN ITS
ANNUAL MEETING IN 2002. THE USG CAN PLAY THIS CARD,
CITING RESPONSIBLE AND PRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR WITHIN THE
COMMISSION AS ONE CRITERION THE USG WILL CONSIDER WHEN
MAKING ITS DECISION ON A UNSC SEAT. THE USG AID
PROGRAM FOR VIETNAM IS EXCLUSIVELY HUMANITARIAN AND
TRADE-RELATED, AND SO DOES NOT LEND ITSELF TO LEVERAGE
RELATED TO COMMISSION ACTIVITIES OR HUMAN RIGHTS
BEHAVIOR.


E. THE MFA HAS ALREADY INDICATED THAT IT WISHES TO
PICK UP THE PACE OF BILATERAL DIPLOMATIC EXCHANGES OVER
THE NEXT YEAR, INCLUDING POSSIBLE VISITS TO THE US BY:
MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENSE TRA (FEBRUARY/MARCH);
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER KHOAN (MARCH/APRIL); FOREIGN
MINISTER NIEN (JUNE); AND PRIME MINISTER KHAI
(NOVEMBER/DECEMBER). THEY WOULD WELCOME VISITS TO
VIETNAM IN 2003 OF USTR ZOELLICK (MARCH); DEPUTY
SECRETARY ARMITAGE (JUNE); AND SECRETARY POWELL

SIPDIS
(JUNE/JULY). IN ADDITION, THE SECRETARY WILL MEET WITH
THE FOREIGN MINISTER AT THE ASEAN POST-MINISTERIAL
CONFERENCE AND ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM IN PHNOM PENH IN
MID-JUNE, WHILE THE PRESIDENT SHOULD AGAIN BE SEATED
NEXT TO PRIME MINISTER KHAI AT THE APEC SUMMIT NEXT

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ACTION DRL-02

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00
DS-00 EAP-00 EB-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00
INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 MOFM-05 MOF-01
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00
PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00
STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 R-00 ECA-00 IIP-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /015W
-------------- 168896 120932Z /38
O 120854Z DEC 02
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8329
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 002956

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STATE FOR DRL AND EAP/BCLTV



YEAR. ALL OF THESE VISITS WOULD GIVE US A GOOD FACE-
TO-FACE OPPORTUNITY TO LOBBY OUR OWN CANDIDACY FOR THE
COMMISSION AS WELL AS FOR OUR AGENDA.


F. VIETNAM'S GOVERNMENT- AND PARTY-CONTROLLED MEDIA
OFFER NO OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEDIA OUTREACH. THERE ARE
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NO DOMESTIC NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (ONLY CPV-
CONTROLLED "MASS ORGANIZATIONS"). FOREIGN NGOS, WHICH
ARE MOSTLY INVOLVED IN HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS, ARE
GENERALLY LOATHE TO GET INVOLVED IN HUMAN RIGHTS-
RELATED ISSUES, AND VOICED OPPOSITION IN 2001 (SOME AT
THE GVN BEHEST) TO THE DRAFT VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT
PASSED BY THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. VISITS TO
VIETNAM BY US EXPERTS (BOTH ACADEMICS AND
ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS) ON THE UN SYSTEM AND ON HUMAN
RIGHTS OFFER THE BEST LONG-TERM HOPE FOR INFLUENCING
OPINIONS AT LEAST OF ELITE GROUPS, BUT PROVIDE LIMITED
VALUE IN ACHIEVING USG GOALS FOR THE CHR-59.
BURGHARDT

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