USCIRF MEETINGS WITH RELIGIOUS FIGURES IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000559 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF DEPARTMENT PASS TO USCIRF SECDEF FOR ABLAGG E.O. 12958: DECL 03/12/2012 TAGS: PHUM KIRF SOCI VM HUMANR ETMIN RELFREE SUBJECT: USCIRF MEETINGS WITH RELIGIOUS FIGURES IN HANOI REF: A. HANOI 432 B. HANOI 443 ¶C. HO CHI MINH CITY 236 D. HO CHI MINH CITY 237 ¶E. HO CHI MINH CITY 238 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 00559 01 OF 03 120747Z ¶1. (U ) CLASSIFIED BY RAYMOND F. BURGHARDT, AMBASSADOR; REASON 1.5(D) ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: THE COMPLEX AND EVOLVING INTERRELATIONS BETWEEN RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT IN VIETNAM CAME TO LIGHT IN UNOFFICIAL MEETINGS BETWEEN A DELEGATION FROM THE U.S. COMMISSION FOR INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (USCIRF) AND TWO HANOI RELIGIOUS FIGURES. WHILE INDIVIDUAL CONGREGATIONS OF THE OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED HANOI-BASED EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF VIETNAM (ECVN) OPERATE WITH FEW RESTRICTIONS, THE GVN HAS NOT PERMITTED THE ECVN'S LEADERSHIP TO MEET SINCE 1988. THE GVN SEEMS TO REGARD THE ACTING CHAIRMAN WITH SOME SUSPICION AND WILL NOT RECOGNIZE ANY LEADERSHIP CHANGES. MEANWHILE, THE MONKS AT HANOI'S HISTORIC ONE PILLAR PAGODA ARE THE FOCUS OF A COMPLICATED STRUGGLE PRIMARILY INVOLVING FACTIONS OF THE RECOGNIZED BUDDHIST CHURCH AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. THIS STRUGGLE HAS DRAWN IN THE DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL PRESS, AND A PROMINENT DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST. REFTELS REPORT ON THE USCIRF DELEGATION'S OTHER MEETINGS IN HANOI AND HO CHI MINH CITY. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (C) ON FEBRUARY 22, USCIRF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STEVEN MCFARLAND AND ANALYST JOHN TAI, ACCOMPANIED BY EMBOFFS, MET PASTOR AU QUANG VINH OF THE ECVN AT THE PROTESTANT CHURCH IN HANOI. PASTOR VINH SAID THAT HE WAS THE ACTING CHAIRMAN OF THE ECVN, BUT THAT SINCE HIS STATUS HAD NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE GVN HE WAS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 00559 01 OF 03 120747Z SPEAKING TO THE DELEGATION IN HIS ROLE AS THE PASTOR OF THE ECVN CONGREGATION IN HANOI. PASTOR VINH STATED THAT HIS FELLOW PASTORS IN THE ECVN REQUESTED THAT HE BECOME ACTING-CHAIRMAN OF THE ECVN MANAGEMENT COUNCIL AFTER THE DEATH OF THE INCUMBENT IN 1999. HE SAID THAT THE GVN HAS NOT ALLOWED THE COUNCIL TO MEET SINCE 1988, DESPITE ANNUAL ECVN REQUESTS. HE SAID THAT THE GVN NEVER GAVE A REASON FOR DENYING PERMISSION TO MEET. DUE TO HIS UNOFFICIAL STATUS PASTOR VINH CLAIMED THE GVN SUBJECTED HIM TO ADDITIONAL SCRUTINY AND QUESTIONING. HE SAID THAT THE GVN HAD LABELED HIM A "REACTIONARY" ELEMENT IN THE EARLY 1990'S AFTER HE HELPED PUBLISH A HMONG LANGUAGE BIBLE WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. ¶4. (C) PASTOR VINH DESCRIBED THE ECVN'S ORGANIZATION IN 14 CONGREGATIONS SCATTERED AROUND NORTHERN VIETNAM. THERE ARE THREE IN HAIPHONG AND EIGHT IN OTHER NORTHERN TOWNS AND CITIES. THE 14 GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZED CONGREGATIONS ALSO INCLUDE THREE GROUPS OF ETHNIC HMONG AND GIAY IN NORTHWESTERN PROVINCES. HE ADDED THAT THREE OF THESE GROUPS DO NOT HAVE PASTORS OR CHURCH BUILDINGS, BUT THAT THEY HAVE SOME LAY LEADERS. HE ALSO SAID THAT WHILE THE GVN HAS NOT ALLOWED THE ECVN TO OPERATE A TRAINING FACILITY SINCE 1993, HE TRAINS PASTORS ANYWAY, IN SECRET. PASTOR VINH SAID THAT THE ETHNIC KINH CONGREGATIONS AVERAGE ABOUT 1000 MEMBERS AND THAT THE MINORITY CONGREGATIONS ARE CONSIDERABLY LARGER. HIS OWN CONGREGATION IN HANOI NUMBERS ABOUT 800, MOSTLY YOUNG PEOPLE. BY CONTRAST, A FEW YEARS AGO, IT WAS A RELATIVELY OLD CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 00559 01 OF 03 120747Z GROUP AND ONLY NUMBERED ABOUT 150. ¶5. (C) DESPITE THE PROBLEMS FACED BY THE ECVN, PASTOR VINH SAID THAT HE FELT THE OVERALL SITUATION FOR RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS IN VIETNAM IS CONSIDERABLY BETTER THAN IT WAS TEN YEARS AGO. IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION FROM MCFARLAND, PASTOR VINH VOICED DOUBT THAT U.S. SANCTIONS WOULD HAVE A BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN VIETNAM. HE SAID THAT HE THOUGHT DIALOGUE HAD BROUGHT GOOD RESULTS SO FAR AND EXPRESSED FAITH THAT THE SITUATION WOULD CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. HE ALSO NOTED THE IRONY THAT SEEMING GVN DISAPPROVAL OF THE PROTESTANT CHURCH APPEARED TO BOTH ATTRACT THE CURIOUS AND STRENGTHEN THE FAITH OF BELIEVERS. (NOTE: POLOFF WAS NOT PRESENT DURING THE ENTIRE CONVERSATION BETWEEN PASTOR VINH AND THE USCIRF DELEGATION. END NOTE.) ¶6. (C) ON FEBRUARY 21, THE ENTIRE DELEGATION INCLUDING COMMISSIONER FIRUZ KAZEMZADEH, STEVEN MCFARLAND, AND JOHN TAI, ACCOMPANIED BY EMBOFFS, VISITED ONE PILLAR PAGODA AND ASKED TO SPEAK WITH THE ABBOT. AFTER A FEW MINUTES THICH TAM KIEN, WHO CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ3820 PAGE 01 HANOI 00559 02 OF 03 120747Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 ED-01 OIGO-00 E-00 HHS-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OPIC-01 PC-01 PRS-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /010W -------------- 72F133 120747Z /38 P 120722Z MAR 02 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5747 INFO SECDEF WASHDC USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 HANOI 000559 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF DEPARTMENT PASS TO USCIRF SECDEF FOR ABLAGG DESCRIBED HIMSELF AS THE ASSISTANT ABBOT AND THE JUNIOR OF THE TWO MONKS AT ONE PILLAR PAGODA, APPEARED AND SAID THAT THE ABBOT WAS NOT PRESENT, BUT THAT HE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 00559 02 OF 03 120747Z COULD SPEAK TO THE DELEGATION. AFTER INTRODUCTIONS, MCFARLAND ASKED THICH TAM KIEN ABOUT REPORTS THAT THE GVN WAS TRYING TO REPLACE THE PAGODA'S ABBOT. THE MONK REPLIED THAT THIS WAS TRUE AND THAT THE AUTHORITIES WERE TRYING TO REMOVE HIM AS WELL. HE SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN THE ONLY STUDENT OF THE FORMER ABBOT, WHO DIED IN JULY 1996. THE NEW ABBOT HAD ADOPTED HIM AS HIS STUDENT, BUT THE ABBOT'S ASSIGNMENT TO ONE PILLAR PAGODA WAS TECHNICALLY "TEMPORARY" AND HE WAS ALSO THE ABBOT OF ANOTHER HANOI PAGODA. ¶7. (C) THICH TAM KIEN SAID THAT EFFORTS TO REPLACE THE TWO MONKS AT ONE PILLAR PAGODA REPRESENTED NOT ONLY A STRUGGLE BETWEEN DIFFERENT FACTIONS OF THE CENTRAL BUDDHIST SANGHA (CBS--THE OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED BUDDHIST ORGANIZATION),BUT AN EFFORT OF THE BA DINH DISTRICT (A SUBDIVISION OF HANOI) GOVERNMENT TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE PAGODA. THICH TAM KIEN CITED "DECISION LETTER 927 OF THE BA DINH PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE" DATED JULY 27, 1999 IN WHICH THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES ASKED THE ABBOT TO LEAVE ONE PILLAR PAGODA ON THE GROUNDS OF HIS AGE AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR TWO PAGODAS. THICH TAM KIEN CLAIMED THAT THE CBS AND BA DINH DISTRICT WISHED TO ASSIGN THICH THANH PHUC, WHOM HE DESCRIBED AS THE CHIEF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS REPRESENTATIVE IN THE DISTRICT AND AS SOMEONE CLOSE TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES, TO ONE PILLAR PAGODA. IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION FROM MCFARLAND, THICH TAM KIEN SAID THAT THE DISTRICT AUTHORITIES HAD NO ROLE IN DECIDING WHO THE ABBOT SHOULD BE. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 00559 02 OF 03 120747Z ¶8. (C) THICH TAM KIEN SAID THAT HE WROTE A LETTER FOR HIS NEW MASTER REFUSING THE DISTRICT'S REQUEST THAT THE ABBOT LEAVE. HE SAID THAT THE CENTRAL GROUP WITHIN THE CBS WANTED TOTAL CONTROL OF THE PAGODA, SO THEY DEMOTED HIM AND STRIPPED HIM OF HIS RANK ON THE GROUNDS OF AN UNSPECIFIED VIOLATION OF BUDDHIST MORALS. THICH TAM KIEN SAID THAT HE WENT TO HIS ORIGINAL MASTER IN HO CHI MINH CITY WHO ADVISED HIM TO FILE A WRITTEN COMPLAINT WITH THE BOARD THAT TOOK ACTION AGAINST HIM ASKING THEM FOR PROOF OF THE CHARGE AND TO RE-INSTATE HIM IF THEY WOULD NOT. HE SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO OFFICIAL ACTION SINCE THEN AND THAT HE KEPT HIS TITLE AND RANK. ¶9. (C) ON APRIL 30, 2000, THICH TAM KIEN CLAIMED HE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM "LOCAL AUTHORITIES" STATING THAT IF HE DID NOT LEAVE, THEY WOULD ASK "OTHER FORCES" TO PHYSICALLY REMOVE HIM FROM ONE PILLAR PAGODA. HE SAID THAT THE LETTER ONLY MENTIONED HIM NOT HIS MASTER. HE SPECULATED THAT THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES DID NOT WANT TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE ABBOT BECAUSE THEY FEARED HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLAINTS, NOTING THAT THE ABBOT HAD A NETWORK OF CONTACTS IN THE U.S. AND FRANCE. NOW HE WAS BEGINNING TO INHERIT THIS NETWORK FROM HIS MASTER, HE SAID. NONETHELESS, THICH TAM KIEN CLAIMED THAT THE VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE DISTRICT THREATENED HIM WITH PHYSICAL HARM IF HE DID NOT RESIGN. HE RECOUNTED THAT THE THREAT GOT OUT ON THE INTERNET AND WAS PICKED UP BY THE BBC, PROMPTING THE DISTRICT CHAIRMAN TO MEET WITH JOURNALISTS TO CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 00559 02 OF 03 120747Z "CLARIFY" THE SITUATION. CONSEQUENTLY, HE SAID THAT NOW LOCAL AUTHORITIES COULD NOT MOVE THEM BECAUSE OF INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION. ASIDE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT THE TWO MONKS HAVE RECEIVED, THICH TAM KIEN CLAIMED THAT HIGH-RANKING MONKS IN HO CHI MINH CITY, INCLUDING HIS ORIGINAL MASTER, ARE ON THEIR SIDE. MOREOVER, HE SAID THAT TUOI TRE NEWSPAPER, THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE HO CHI MINH CITY YOUTH LEAGUE, HAD ADVOCATED THEIR CAUSE. FINALLY HE ADDED THAT DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST PHAM QUE DUONG HAD INTERVENED IN SOME WAY, CLAIMING THAT DUONG HAD ALSO HELPED STOP DESTRUCTION OF THE PAGODA SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO MAKE MORE ROOM FOR THE NEARBY MUSEUM DEDICATED TO HO CHI MINH. ¶10. (C) THICH TAM KIEN CONCLUDED BY ASKING THE USCIRF DELEGATION TO TAKE UP THREE POINTS WITH THE GVN ON BEHALF OF HIS MASTER AND HIM: -- TO "ABOLISH THE ILLEGAL ORDINANCE AND DECISION OF BA DINH DISTRICT" ABOUT THE PAGODA -- TO REQUEST THAT HIS MASTER BE APPOINTED THE PERMANENT ABBOT OF ONE PILLAR PAGODA -- TO OFFICIALLY TRANSFER HIS RESIDENCE REGISTRATION CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ3821 PAGE 01 HANOI 00559 03 OF 03 120747Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 ED-01 OIGO-00 E-00 HHS-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OPIC-01 PC-01 PRS-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /010W -------------- 72F139 120747Z /38 P 120722Z MAR 02 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5748 INFO SECDEF WASHDC USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 HANOI 000559 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF DEPARTMENT PASS TO USCIRF SECDEF FOR ABLAGG AND OFFICIAL RELIGIOUS REGISTRATION TO ONE PILLAR PAGODA. THE DELEGATION MADE NO REPLY TO THICH TAM KIEN'S CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 00559 03 OF 03 120747Z REQUEST. SEPARATELY, ON FEBRUARY 23, MCFARLAND ASKED THICH THANH TU, THE SECOND RANKING OFFICIAL IN THE CBS, ABOUT THE STATUS OF ONE PILLAR PAGODA'S ABBOT. THICH THANH TU REPLIED, "HE IS STILL THERE," BUT WOULD NOT COMMENT FURTHER. ¶11. (C) COMMENT: PASTOR VINH HAS EXPRESSED RELUCTANCE TO MEET WITH EMBOFFS IN THE PAST, CITING PROBLEMS HE HAS WITH THE POLICE. WHILE HE POINTED OUT A NUMBER OF THE ECVN'S PROBLEMS, MOST NOTABLY ITS INABILITY TO MAKE OFFICIAL DECISIONS SINCE 1988, HIS OVERALL APPRAISAL WAS CLEARLY POSITIVE. THICH TAM KIEN'S ACCOUNT GAVE AN UNEXPECTED GLIMPSE INTO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE CBS'S INTERNAL MACHINATIONS AND INTERACTIONS WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES. THICH THANH TU'S SUCCINCT, "HE IS STILL THERE," MAY INDICATE A DE FACTO CBS DECISION TO LEAVE THE ABBOT WHERE HE IS. PARTS OF THICH TAM KIEN'S STORY ARE DIFFICULT TO VERIFY AND IT IS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO KNOW HIS ENTIRE AGENDA, AS COMMISSIONER KAZEMZADEH POINTED OUT. DURING THE YOUNG MONK'S CONVERSATION WITH THE DELEGATION HE APPEARED TO DECIDE TO GIVE THE DELEGATION MORE AND MORE DETAIL, REPEATING SOME OF HIS EARLIER POINTS IN MORE DEPTH. HIS MENTION OF PHAM QUE DUONG'S ASSISTANCE AND HIS UNSOLICITED CITATION OF DUONG'S ADDRESS AND CELL PHONE NUMBER WAS SURPRISING. DUONG, ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF THE SEPTEMBER 2001 PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH AN NGO CORRUPTION WATCHDOG GROUP, IS A RELATIVELY HIGH PROFILE ACTIVIST AND CRITIC OF THE GVN AND CPV WHO USED TO BE EDITOR OF THE ARMY'S POLITICAL JOURNAL. END COMMENT. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 00559 03 OF 03 120747Z ¶12. (U) THE USCIRF DELEGATION WAS UNABLE TO REVIEW THIS CABLE BEFORE THEY LEFT VIETNAM. BURGHARDT CONFIDENTIAL