HOW NOT TO MAKE FRIENDS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000579

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USCIRF

SECDEF FOR ABLAGG

E.O. 12958: DECL 03/14/2012
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV SOCI VM RELFREE HUMANR
SUBJECT: HOW NOT TO MAKE FRIENDS

REF: A. HANOI 432 B. HANOI 443


C. VIENTIANE 235


1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY RAYMOND F. BURGHARDT,
AMBASSADOR; REASON 1.5(D)
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2. (C) SUMMARY: GVN ACTIONS HINDERED CONTACT
BETWEEN RELIGIOUS LEADERS IT DID NOT HAND PICK AND THE
U.S. COMMISSION FOR INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM'S
(USCIRF) DELEGATION. CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING A
PACKED ITINERARY, SELECTIVE COMPLIANCE WITH SCHEDULE
CHANGE REQUESTS, PLAINCLOTHES TAILS, AND POORLY
EXPLAINED DETOURS, COMBINED TO MAKE UNOFFICIAL
MEETINGS DIFFICULT. THE GVN'S ESSENTIALLY UNDISGUISED
EFFORTS TO CONTROL THE DELEGATION LEFT A WORSE
IMPRESSION OF VIETNAM THAN THE CONTENTS OF THE
MEETINGS THE GVN SEEMS TO HAVE FEARED SO MUCH. END
SUMMARY.

PLAYING GAMES WITH THE SCHEDULE
--------------


3. (C) DESPITE USCIRF REQUESTS IN WRITING, SENT
BEFORE THE DELEGATION LEFT THE UNITED STATES, THEIR
VIETNAMESE HOSTS, THE VIETNAM - USA SOCIETY, AN OFFICE
OF THE VIETNAM UNION OF FRIENDSHIP ORGANIZATIONS
(VUFO),REFUSED TO ELIMINATE ANY OF THE 26 ENGAGEMENTS
IT SCHEDULED OVER FIVE DAYS. VUFO ALSO REBUFFED A
SERIES OF ORAL REQUESTS TO STREAMLINE THE SCHEDULE
MADE BY THE DELEGATION, POLOFF, AND (SEPTEL) CONGEN
POLOFF. ON FEBRUARY 22, TRAN VAN DANG, GENERAL
SECRETARY OF THE VIETNAM FATHERLAND FRONT, VUFO'S

SIPDIS
PARENT ORGANIZATION, "CONGRATULATED" THE DELEGATION ON
ITS "ABUNDANT" SCHEDULE, BUT SAID THAT IT WOULD BE TOO
COMPLICATED TO CHANGE. LATER, IN AN ASIDE TO POLOFF,
THE DELEGATION'S HOST, HOANG CONG THUY, GENERAL
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SECRETARY OF THE VIETNAM - USA SOCIETY, SAID THAT HIS

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BOSS HAD TOLD HIM THERE COULD BE NO CHANGES. VUFO DID
COMPLY WITH AN EARLY REQUEST THAT THE DELEGATION TRIED
TO REVERSE AFTER IT REALIZED THAT THE CHANGE MEANT AT
LEAST TWO HOURS OF EXTRA TRAVEL TIME. VUFO REFUSED TO
REVERSE THE CHANGE, DESPITE CONGENOFF'S OFFER TO MAKE
THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS. CONFRONTED WITH THIS
INTRACTABLE SCHEDULE, THE DELEGATION DECIDED IT WOULD
HAVE TO SPLIT UP TO MEET INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE ITS
OFFICIAL SCHEDULE AT THE SAME TIME AS OFFICIAL
MEETINGS. THEY ALSO DECIDED TO SIMPLY REFUSE TO
ATTEND EVENTS THEY HAD ASKED VUFO TO CANCEL.

MOTORBIKE TAILS
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4. (C) THE DELEGATION HAD TWO UNOFFICIAL MEETINGS
(SEPTEL/REF D) IN HANOI, BUT PLAINCLOTHESMEN ON
MOTORBIKES FOLLOWED THE DELEGATION'S EMBASSY VEHICLE
TO BOTH. THE FIRST MEETING, ON FEBRUARY 21, WAS AT
ONE PILLAR PAGODA NEAR HO CHI MINH'S MAUSOLEUM. TWO
PLAINCLOTHESMEN DISMOUNTED FROM THEIR MOTORBIKES AND
FOLLOWED THE DELEGATION AND ACCOMPANYING EMBOFFS ONTO
THE PAGODA'S GROUNDS ON FOOT. THE DELEGATION SPOKE
WITH A MONK IN ONE OF THE PAGODA'S PUBLIC ROOMS FOR
ABOUT AN HOUR. EACH PLAINCLOTHESMEN CAME IN ONCE FOR
A FEW MINUTES AT A TIME, OSTENSIBLY TO PRAY AND MAKE
AN OFFERING WHILE STANDING CLOSE ENOUGH TO EAVESDROP
EASILY. THE MONK, RECOUNTING PROBLEMS WITH THE
DISTRICT GOVERNMENT (SEPTEL/REF D),SEEMED TO PAY
LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE LISTENERS.
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ANOTHER TAIL AND THE PHONE CALL THAT SAID IT ALL
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5. (C) ON FEBRUARY 22, USCIRF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
STEVEN MCFARLAND, ANALYST JOHN TAI, AND EMBOFFS PAID A
CALL ON PASTOR VINH OF THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF
VIETNAM (ECVN). PLAINCLOTHESMEN IN TOW, THE
DELEGATION AND EMBOFFS DROPPED BY PASTOR VINH'S CHURCH
ON FEBRUARY 20 TO TRY TO MEET WITH HIM. PASTOR VINH
ASKED THAT THEY SEND A WRITTEN REQUEST FOR A MEETING.
THE DELEGATION COMPLIED AND HE CALLED TO ACCEPT THAT
AFTERNOON. AFTER THE DELEGATION AND EMBOFFS RETURNED
TO THE CHURCH ON FEBRUARY 22, PASTOR VINH SAID THAT
THE POLICE HAD CONTACTED HIM IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE
DELEGATION LEFT ON FEBRUARY 20 AND ASKED HIM WHAT HE
HAD DISCUSSED WITH THE DELEGATION. HE SAID THAT HE
HAD NOT SAID ANYTHING TO THE DELEGATION, BUT TOLD THE
POLICE THAT HE INTENDED TO MEET WITH THE DELEGATION
BEFORE SUNDAY. A MAN AND A WOMAN ON A MOTORBIKE
FOLLOWED THE DELEGATION FROM THEIR HOTEL TO THE ECVN

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ACTION EAP-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DS-00 FBIE-00 VC-00
TEDE-00 INR-00 VCE-00 NSAE-00 SS-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /002W
-------------- 744461 140555Z /38
P 140529Z MAR 02
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5776
INFO SECDEF WASHDC
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 000579

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USCIRF

SECDEF FOR ABLAGG

CHURCH ON FEBRUARY 22 AND APPARENTLY WAITED OUTSIDE
THE CHURCH GATE DURING THE MEETING. ABOUT THIRTY
MINUTES INTO THE MEETING MR. THUY OF THE VIETNAM - USA
SOCIETY CALLED POLOFF'S CELL PHONE. AFTER ASKING
AMONG OTHER THINGS, POLOFF'S LOCATION, THUY, SOUNDING
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SOMEWHAT STRAINED, SAID, "MEETINGS OUTSIDE THE
OFFICIAL SCHEDULE ARE NOT HIGHLY APPRECIATED," AND
HUNG UP.

THE HOST AS PEST
--------------


6. (C) THUY SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED POLOFF ON TWO OR
THREE OCCASIONS IF THERE WERE GOING TO BE "OTHER"
OUTSIDE MEETINGS, ONCE WINKING AT POLOFF. ON FEBRUARY
23, WHILE THE DELEGATION WAS IN HUE, THUY AGAIN CALLED
POLOFF TO ASK FOR CONGEN POLOFF'S PHONE NUMBER (EVEN
THOUGH HE ALMOST CERTAINLY HAD IT). AT ABOUT THAT
TIME, CONGEN POLOFF AND PART OF THE DELEGATION WERE
AWOL FROM AN OFFICIAL DINNER (SEPTEL).

WE WANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON YOU; WILL YOU PAY FOR IT?
-------------- --------------


7. (C) THUY AND POLOFF HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT WHETHER THE DELEGATION WOULD USE A GVN PROVIDED
VEHICLE OR EMBASSY AND CONGEN VEHICLES, PARTICULARLY
FOR A TRIP FROM HO CHI MINH CITY TO AN GIANG PROVINCE.
THUY PERSISTENTLY PUSHED FOR VUFO TO PROVIDE ALL THE
VEHICLES NEEDED TO ACCOMMODATE THE DELEGATION, EMBASSY
TRANSLATOR, CONGEN STAFF, AND VUFO'S TWO HANDLERS. HE
EXPRESSED NO INTEREST IN CONGEN'S OFFER TO PROVIDE TWO
VEHICLES, EVEN THOUGH HE AND HIS VUFO SUPERIORS
REPEATEDLY ASKED, FIRST THE DELEGATION, THEN THE
EMBASSY, IF THEY WOULD PAY VUFO'S TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR
THE TRIP.
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THE FIASCO MOVES SOUTH
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7. (C) SEPTEL DETAILS THE GVN'S MISHANDLING OF THE
USCIRF DELEGATION IN HUE, AN GIANG, AND HO CHI MINH
CITY. POLICE CONFINED AT LEAST TWO INDIVIDUALS TO
THEIR HOMES TEMPORARILY. TWO OTHERS REPORTEDLY LOST
PHONE SERVICE AFTER AGREEING TO MEET USCIRF. WITH THE
DELEGATION IN A CONGEN VEHICLE AND VUFO IN ANOTHER,
VARIOUS EXASPERATING CIRCUMSTANCES PROLONGED THE TRIP
TO AND FROM AN GIANG. POLICE GATHERED CONSPICUOUSLY
OUTSIDE PLACES WHERE THE DELEGATION HAD OR MIGHT HAVE
HAD UNOFFICIAL MEETINGS, INCLUDING THE CONSUL
GENERAL'S RESIDENCE. FINALLY, VUFO'S THUY BECAME
INCREASINGLY UNPLEASANT AS THE VISIT WORE ON.


8. (U) THE USCIRF DELEGATION WAS UNABLE TO REVIEW
THIS CABLE BEFORE THEY DEPARTED VIETNAM.
BURGHARDT

CONFIDENTIAL