Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|
02HOCHIMINHCITY336 | 2002-04-06 02:17:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Consulate Ho Chi Minh City |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 060217Z Apr 02 2002HOCHI00336 - UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ4858 PAGE 01 HO CHI 00336 01 OF 02 060300Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 ED-01 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 HHS-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 JUSE-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PC-01 PER-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /011W ------------------7FF43F 060300Z /38 FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6193 INFO AMEMBASSY HANOI IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY |
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000336 |
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: SIX WEEKS AFTER THEIR UNHCR REPATRIATION AND THE ONSET OF REALITY, ETHNIC MINORITY RETURNEES HAVE OPENLY ARTICULATED THEIR REASONS FOR LEAVING VIETNAM FOR CAMBODIA - LACK OF FARMLAND, AND TO A SOMEWHAT LESSER EXTENT, RELIGION. ALL SIX OF THE UNHCR RETURNEES WE SPOKE TO ON A RECENT TRIP TO KON TUM PROVINCE ASKED FOR UNHCR TO BEGIN ITS FOLLOW-UP MONITORING OF THEIR SITUATIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. TWO SAID THEY LIVED IN FEAR. THE ONE "SPONTANEOUS, VOLUNTARY RETURNEE" WE SPOKE TO CLEARLY REGRETTED HIS DECISION TO RETURN TO GIA LAI PROVINCE. ANOTHER VILLAGER WHO "HAD THOUGHT ABOUT" LEAVING FOR CAMBODIA CHANGED HIS MIND WHEN HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW WAS ARRESTED FOR TRYING TO CROSS THE BORDER AND BEATEN. YET ANOTHER VILLAGER SAID SHE HOPED HER HUSBAND, A HOUSE CHURCH PREACHER, WOULD NOT RETURN BECAUSE IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS. WHILE SOME PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS SEEMED SENSITIVE TO LAND ISSUES AND TENSIONS BETWEEN ETHNIC MINORITIES AND THE VIETNAMESE KINH MAJORITY, THE LACK OF RESOURCES, AN UNIMAGINATIVE BUREAUCRACY, AND WEAK POLITICAL DIRECTION HAVE HAMPERED EFFORTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS MESSAGE PROVIDES A MORE DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE SAME TRIP DISCUSSED BY AMBASSADOR BURGHARDT IN REFTEL A. END SUMMARY. 2. (SBU) AMBASSADOR AND CONGENOFFS VISITED THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS PROVINCES OF KON TUM AND GIA LAI, MARCH 30 THROUGH APRIL 1. PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES CONCEDED VIRTUALLY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE UNHCR RETURNEES IN KON TUM. IN RAC VILLAGE, THE AMBASSADOR MET WITH SIX OF THE 15 UNHCR UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 00336 01 OF 02 060300Z RETURNEES - TWO OF WHOM HAD MET WITH CONGENOFFS BACK ON MARCH 1. THIS TIME THEIR STORY WAS DIFFERENT. ACCORDING TO THESE VILLAGERS, THEY FACED DISCRIMINATION AND INTIMIDATION AFTER THEIR RETURN. LAND PROBLEMS WERE NOW SEEMINGLY INTRACTABLE -- UNFERTILE LAND IN ROCKY SOIL ON STEEP HILLS AT BEST; LAND THE VILLAGERS HAD HAD TAKEN AWAY BY VILLAGE AUTHORITIES TO ESTABLISH NEW ECONOMIC ZONES OR GIVEN TO RECENT VIETNAMESE KINH MIGRANTS AT WORST. KON TUM OFFICIALS ACKNOWLEDGED THEY WERE TWO YEARS BEHIND IN PROVIDING LAND COMPENSATION FOR SOME VILLAGES, BUT SAID THEY HAD ALREADY RESETTLED SEVERAL VILLAGES IN NEW LOCATIONS, BUILT STURDY HOUSES AND ALLOCATED VIABLE FARMLAND. 3. (SBU) SPEAKING OPENLY IN FRONT OF DISTRICT/VILLAGE LEADERS, LOCAL MEDIA, AND OTHER VILLAGERS, ONE 24-YEAR OLD UNHCR RETURNEE STATED THAT LAND PROBLEMS WERE AT THE HEART OF HIS DISCONTENT. EVEN WITH SOME FELLOW VILLAGERS EXPRESSING DISAGREEMENT AND TRYING TO SHUSH HIM UP, THIS RETURNEE WAS DEFIANT: "I WANT MY FRIENDS TO COME UP HERE AND LISTEN BECAUSE I WANT THEM TO KNOW I SPEAK THE TRUTH. THEY CAN ALSO SHARE THEIR OPINIONS. I DO NOT WANT THEM TO COMPLAIN LATER THAT I HAVE SAID TOO MUCH. . . . .MY LAND WAS NOT FERTILE AND MY LIVELIHOOD WAS TOO UNSTABLE." HE SAID SINCE HIS FEBRUARY 19 RETURN AFTER FIVE MONTHS IN A CAMP, HE HAS NOT HAD ANY LAND TO FARM. 4. (SBU) TWO OTHER UNHCR RETURNEES (ONE WHO HAD BEEN SICK WHEN CONGENOFFS VISITED ON MARCH 1, AND THE SECOND VERY UNCOMMUNICATIVE THE FIRST TIME AROUND) NODDED IN AGREEMENT. ALL THREE ARE PROTESTANTS. ONE MENTIONED RELIGION AS A PROBLEM, BUT IN A RATHER CONVOLUTED WAY: "MY LAND WAS NOT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HO CHI 00336 01 OF 02 060300Z PRODUCING MUCH, OTHER THINGS WERE GOING WRONG IN MY LIFE WITH MONEY AND MY COW AND CHICKENS DIED, SO I PRAYED TO THE TRADITIONAL DEITIES." 5. (SBU) A LATECOMER TO THE GROUP, HOWEVER, EXPLICITLY STATED THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE FLED TO CAMBODIA IF HE HAD NOT FEARED BEING ARRESTED BECAUSE HE WAS A RECENT CONVERT TO PROTESTANTISM. 6. (SBU) NONE OF THESE UNHCR RETURNEES EXPECTED ANY MORE OF THE 39 VILLAGERS WHO HAD LEFT FOR CAMBODIA TO RETURN - NOR WOULD THEY ENCOURAGE THEM TO, INCLUDING ONE RETURNEE WHOSE SON IS STILL IN MONDOLKIRI CAMP. TWO RETURNEES WHO HAD COMPLETED SOME SCHOOLING SAID THEY UNDERSTOOD THEIR THREE OPTIONS ON REPATRIATION AND MADE A CHOICE TO RETURN TO VIETNAM. TWO YOUNGER RETURNEES WITH NO/NO SCHOOLING - WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THEY WANTED TO RETURN TO VIETNAM - SAID THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE THREE OPTIONS, NOR THE PAPER THEY WERE ASKED TO SIGN IN THE CAMP. 7. (SBU) TWO RETURNEES GAVE LETTERS TO THE AMBASSADOR FOR TRANSMITTAL TO UNHCR, IN WHICH THEY CLAIMED DISCRIMINATION AND INTIMIDATION. THEY PLEADED WITH UNHCR TO START THEIR FOLLOW-UP MONITORING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. "YES, YOU MUST COME VISIT OUR VILLAGE AGAIN," ALL SIX RETURNEES URGED CONGENOFFS." 8. (SBU) VISITING PUIH VILLAGE IN GIA LAI PROVINCE, THE AMBASSADOR AND CONGENOFFS MET WITH A VARIETY OF VILLAGERS. THE "SPONTANEOUS" VOLUNTARY RETURNEE WAS QUIET AND NOT READY TO ANSWER TOO MANY QUESTIONS. HE HAD RETURNED WITH 29 OTHERS JUST ONE WEEK AGO. HE SAID HE HAD PARTICIPATED IN THE FEBRUARY 2001 DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST AUTHORITIES WHO HAD TAKEN HIS LAND. ACCORDING TO HIM, VILLAGE OFFICIALS DEMANDED 200-300 SQUARE METERS FROM CERTAIN VILLAGERS ("NOT EVERYBODY, JUST SOME") FOR A PURPORTED COFFEE PLANTATION THAT WOULD PROVIDE MORE EMPLOYMENT FOR THE ETHNIC MINORITIES. IN FACT, THE LAND WENT TO "OTHER (VIETNAMESE KINH) INDIVIDUALS." ANOTHER VILLAGER SAID HE HAD THOUGHT ABOUT GOING TO CAMBODIA HIMSELF, BUT CHANGED HIS MIND AFTER HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW WAS ARRESTED LEAVING THE VILLAGE FOR THE BORDER AND WAS BEATEN. YET A THIRD VILLAGER DESCRIBED HOW HER HUSBAND, A HOUSE CHURCH PREACHER, HAD BEEN DETAINED AND BEATEN FOR A WEEK. AFTER HIS RELEASE, HE DECIDED TO GO TO CAMBODIA. THE WIFE DOES NOT EXPECT HIM TO RETURN, NOR DOES SHE BELIEVE IT WOULD BE SAFE IN ANY CASE. 9. (SBU) CONVERSATIONS AT BOTH VILLAGES WERE MARKED BY SOME UNEASE, BUT ALSO FRANKNESS AND COURAGE. SOCIAL TENSIONS BETWEEN THE ETHNIC MINORITIES AND THE VIETNAMESE KINH, THE INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE KINH MIGRANTS FROM THE NORTH, SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE AND PRACTICING PLANTATION AGRICULTURE ON OVERWORKED AND SHRINKING PARCELS OF LAND HAVE MADE THE ALREADY HAND-TO-MOUTH EXISTENCE OF THE VILLAGERS EVEN MORE UNBEARABLE. COMPARED TO BARELY A MONTH AGO, UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 00336 02 OF 02 060300Z CONGENOFFS BELIEVE THE MOOD IN AT LEAST RAC VILLAGE HAS WORSENED IN TERMS OF DESPERATION FOR OUTSIDE HELP. YAMAUCHI UNCLASSIFIED |