TWO VIETNAMESE ACTIVISTS DETAINED

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 003096 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL SECDEF FOR ISA/ACHAU E.O. 12958: DECL 12/30/2007 TAGS: PHUM PINS PREL VM HUMANR SUBJECT: TWO VIETNAMESE ACTIVISTS DETAINED REF: HANOI 3046 ¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY A/DCM SCOTT BELLARD, REASON 1.5(D) CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 03096 300955Z ¶2. (C) SUMMARY. POLICE DETAINED DEMOCRACY AND ANTI- CORRUPTION ACTIVISTS PHAM QUE DUONG AND TRAN KHUE ON DECEMBER 28 AND 29, RESPECTIVELY, IN HO CHI MINH CITY. THEIR CURRENT WHEREABOUTS AND CONDITION ARE UNKNOWN, BUT THEY MAY NOW BE FACING PROSECUTION ON POTENTIALLY SERIOUS CHARGES AFTER YEARS OF HIGHLY VISIBLE ACTIVISM. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (C) PROMINENT ACTIVIST DR. NGUYEN THANH GIANG ON DECEMBER 30 CONFIRMED TO POLOFF AN ANONYMOUS REPORT RECEIVED BY EMBASSY ABOUT THESE DETENTIONS. DR. GIANG SAID THAT KHUE'S DAUGHTER HAD TELEPHONED HIM TO "WARN" ABOUT THE DETENTIONS ON DECEMBER 29. ACCORDING TO HER, DUONG WAS DETAINED ALONG WITH HIS WIFE, A FRIEND (DESCRIBED BY DR. GIANG AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE GVN'S CULTURAL PUBLISHING HOUSE),AND TWO WELL-WISHERS AT THE MAIN TRAIN STATION IN HO CHI MINH CITY ON THE AFTERNOON OF DECEMBER 28. THEY HAD GONE TO HO CHI MINH CITY A FEW DAYS BEFORE TO SEE FELLOW ACTIVIST TRAN KHUE. POLICE DETAINED ALL FIVE AS DUONG, WIFE, AND FRIEND WERE ABOUT TO BOARD A TRAIN HOMEWARD. THE TWO WELL- WISHERS, FROM HO CHI MINH CITY, WERE RELEASED AFTER A FEW HOURS, ACCORDING TO KHUE'S DAUGHTER. ¶4. (C) KHUE'S DAUGHTER ADDED THAT POLICE HAD COME TO TRAN KHUE'S HOUSE ON THE AFTERNOON OF DECEMBER 29. THEY DETAINED KHUE AND TOOK AWAY HIS COMPUTER AND VARIOUS DOCUMENTS. ¶5. (C) DR. GIANG SPECULATED THAT THE DETENTIONS WERE LINKED TO THE DECEMBER 20 SENTENCING OF NGUYEN KHAC CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 03096 300955Z TOAN (REFTEL) FOR ESPIONAGE. HE CLAIMED THAT A DOCUMENT USED AT THE TRIAL HAD ALLEGED THAT KHUE AND DUONG, AS WELL AS DR. GIANG AND FELLOW ACTIVIST HOANG MINH CHINH, WERE CONTINUING TOAN'S ACTIVITIES. HE DECLINED TO ELABORATE ON HOW HE HAD LEARNED OF A DOCUMENT USED AT TOAN'S CLOSED TRIAL. DR. GIANG CONFIRMED, HOWEVER, THAT NOTHING UNTOWARD HAD HAPPENED RECENTLY TO HIM, CHINH, OR OTHER ACTIVISTS TO HIS KNOWLEDGE. ¶6. (C) COMMENT: GVN SECURITY OFFICIALS ARE OFTEN QUICK TO SEE CONSPIRACIES EVEN IN OTHERWISE INNOCENT ACTIVITIES. THEY MAY HAVE JUDGED THAT DUONG'S UNUSUAL TRIP TO HO CHI MINH CITY TO VISIT KHUE HAD A SINISTER MOTIVE, GIVEN THE PROMINENCE THESE TWO HAVE HAD IN THE ACTIVIST COMMUNITY SINCE THE SEPTEMBER 2001 EFFORT THEY SPEARHEADED TO SET UP NON-GOVERNMENT ANTI-CORRUPTION WATCHDOG. DUONG'S WIFE HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN KNOWN TO EMBASSY AS A POLITICAL ACTIVIST; HER SIMULTANEOUS DETENTION MAY JUST BE AN MPS EFFORT TO GAIN EXTRA BARGAINING LEVERAGE OVER HER HUSBAND TO BEHAVE. THERE IS, HOWEVER, CONCERN HERE THAT DUONG AND KHUE MAY NOW HAVE PUSHED THE ENVELOPE ENOUGH THAT THE GVN WILL FEEL OBLIGED TO PROSECUTE THEM UNDER POTENTIALLY SERIOUS CHARGES. BURGHARDT CONFIDENTIAL