HOA HAO MONK DEFIES GOVERNMENT ORDER AND CLIMBS A

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 001140 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI KIRF VM HUMANR RELFREE SUBJECT: HOA HAO MONK DEFIES GOVERNMENT ORDER AND CLIMBS A TREE (AGAIN) REF: HO CHI MINH CITY 0719 ¶1. (SBU) ON NOVEMBER 7, CONTROVERSIAL HOA HAO MONK NAM UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HO CHI 01140 110628Z LIEM (VO THANH LIEM) CLIMBED A TREE INSIDE THE COMPOUND OF HIS PRIVATE PAGODA FOR THE THIRD TIME IN EIGHT YEARS (SEE REFTEL),AFTER LOCAL AUTHORITIES GAVE HIM THREE DAYS TO TEAR DOWN A GATE ON HIS PROPERTY. HE HAS THREATENED TO THROW HIMSELF FROM THE TREE, IF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TAKES ANY ACTION AGAINST HIS PROPERTY. ACCORDING TO CONTACTS, POLICE HAVE SURROUNDED AND BARRICADED HIS PAGODA. HOA HAO BELIEVERS, A SIZABLE NUMBER OF WHOM WORSHIP AT LIEM'S PRIVATE PAGODA ON A REGULAR BASIS, HAVE GATHERED OUTSIDE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION. ¶2. (SBU) ON NOVEMBER 6, A HOA HAO ORGANIZATION IN THE U.S. NOTIFIED POST THAT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAD ORDERED NAM LIEM TO REMOVE THE GATE TO HIS PROPERTY IN AN GIANG PROVINCE'S CHO MOI DISTRICT. HOA HAO BELIEVERS HEAVILY POPULATE THIS DISTRICT. TWO RESPECTED HOA HAO ELDERS IN HO CHI MINH CITY VERIFIED THE U.S.-ORIGINATED INFORMATION BY COMMUNICATING WITH SOURCES ON THE GROUND NEAR NAM LIEM'S HOME. SURPRISINGLY, NEITHER OF THE HCMC ELDERS HAD HEARD ABOUT THE INCIDENT UNTIL POST CONTACTED THEM. ONE OF THE ELDERS REPORTED THAT LOCAL POLICE HAD VISITED HIM ON NOVEMBER 6 - A MOVE HE NOW INTERPRETED AS INTENDED TO INTIMIDATE HIM FROM TRAVELING TO AN GIANG. THIS ELDER STATED THAT HE WOULD CONSIDER TAKING ACTION IF OFFICIALS DID ANYTHING TO HARM NAM LIEM OR REMOVE THE GATE. HE ADDED THAT HOA HAO BELIEVERS IN AN GIANG WERE PREPARED TO DO THE SAME. ¶3. (SBU) NAM LIEM FIRST CLIMBED UP A TREE AND STAYED THERE FOR FOUR DAYS IN 1994, AFTER POLICE CAME TO ARREST HIM FOR CONSTRUCTING PARTS OF HIS PRIVATE PAGODA, INCLUDING THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 01140 110628Z GATE, WITHOUT A BUILDING LICENSE. HE SERVED A FOUR-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOLLOWING THAT INCIDENT, BUT NEVER REMOVED THE GATE. UPON HIS RELEASE FROM PRISON, HE WELCOMED THE GOVERNMENT'S RECOGNITION OF THE HOA HAO, ALTHOUGH HE LATER BECAME DISILLUSIONED WITH THE GVN-SANCTIONED HOA HAO ORGANIZATION. IN NOVEMBER 2001, NAM LIEM WENT UP THE SAME TREE WITH GASOLINE AND A KNIFE IN RESPONSE TO GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE HOA HAO FLAGS AND OTHER INSIGNIA FROM HIS GATE. HE WAS NOT ARRESTED THE SECOND TIME, BUT MUTILATED HIS OWN LEG, BEFORE EVENTUALLY COMING DOWN FROM THE TREE VOLUNTARILY. ¶4. (SBU) THIS TIME, IT IS UNCLEAR WHAT PROMPTED THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO ACT -- NAM LIEM'S DISPLAY OF CONTROVERSIAL HOA HAO INSIGNIA ON HIS GATE, OR PREVIOUS CONCERNS OVER THE UNLICENSED CONSTRUCTION, THOUGH THE ONE CERTAINLY EXACERBATES THE OTHER. (POST NOTE: PER REFTEL, PREVIOUS POLOFF WAS PREVENTED FROM VISITING NAM LIEM IN JUNE 2002, BY A GANG OF YOUNG MEN BLOCKING THE PATH TO HIS PAGODA IN A THREATENING MANNER.) ALTHOUGH THE HOA HAO ELDERS IN HCMC ARE SOMEWHAT CONCERNED ABOUT THE SITUATION, THEY HAVE NOT ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE OR INQUIRIES ON OUR PART. POST WILL DO ITS BEST TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION YAMAUCHI UNCLASSIFIED