Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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02HOCHIMINHCITY39 | 2002-01-15 14:16:00 | 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. 151416Z Jan 02 2002HOCHI00039 - UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ3774 PAGE 01 HO CHI 00039 01 OF 03 151450Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-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 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PC-01 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 IRM-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 ------------------57FA7B 151451Z /38 FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5880 INFO AMEMBASSY HANOI IMMEDIATE USMISSION GENEVA ASEAN COLLECTIVE |
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HO CHI MINH CITY 000039 |
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: ACCORDING TO TWO ETHNIC MINORITY LEADERS, ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANTS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS ENCOUNTERED A MIXTURE OF TOLERANCE AND REPRESSION BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES AT CHRISTMASTIME. THERE WERE ALLEGED INCIDENTS OF SEVERE POLICE ABUSE IN SOME VILLAGES, BUT IN OTHER VILLAGES, AUTHORITIES SEEMED TO ALLOW GROUPS AS LARGE AS SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE TO ATTEND CHRISTMAS PRAYER SERVICES. IN A SEPARATE INCIDENT, VIETNAMESE SOLDIERS WERE ALLEGED TO HAVE KILLED AS MANY AS EIGHT PERSONS WHEN UP TO 230 PERSONS WERE PREVENTED FROM CROSSING THE BORDER INTO CAMBODIA ON CHRISTMAS DAY. SEPTEL REPORTS FURTHER ON PROTESTANTS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. END SUMMARY. CHRISTMAS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS -------------------------- 2. (SBU) ON JANUARY 15, TWO ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANT LEADERS, ONE FROM DAK LAK PROVINCE AND ONE FROM GIA LAI PROVINCE, CAME DOWN FROM THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS TO MEET WITH CG AND POLOFF FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS. THEY SAID LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HAD BEEN WORRIED THAT THE SAME GROUPS WHO HAD ORGANIZED ANTI- GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATIONS IN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2001 WOULD USE CHRISTMAS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO STAGE MORE DEMONSTRATIONS. OFFICIALS IN THE VARIOUS LOCALITIES TOOK DIFFERENT APPROACHES IN TRYING TO PREVENT CHRISTMAS GATHERINGS FROM GETTING OUT OF HAND. IN SOME LOCATIONS, OFFICIALS ALLOWED GATHERINGS OF SEVERAL UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 00039 01 OF 03 151450Z HUNDRED PEOPLE; IN OTHER PLACES, THEY ALLOWED PEOPLE TO PRAY TOGETHER ONLY IN SMALL GROUPS IN THEIR HOMES. YET IN OTHERS, PROTESTANT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS WERE FORBIDDEN OUTRIGHT. SOME LOCAL AUTHORITIES PUSHED CHRISTMAS SERVICES AHEAD TO THE SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS. 3. (SBU) ACCORDING TO THE LEADER FROM DAK LAK PROVINCE, 400-500 ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANTS GATHERED IN BUON CUOR KNIA VILLAGE FOR AN OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS EVE VIGIL THAT AUTHORITIES ALLOWED TO GO ON ALL NIGHT. (POST NOTE: THIS VILLAGE WAS VISITED BY CONGENOFFS DURING A PRE-CHRISTMAS TRIP TO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS.) ON CHRISTMAS DAY, HOWEVER, THE TWO ETHNIC MINORITY MINISTERS WHO LED THE SERVICES WERE DETAINED AND HELD FOR FIVE DAYS. THEIR DETENTION WAS NOT IN CONNECTION WITH THE CHRISTMAS SERVICE, ACCORDING TO OUR SOURCE. POLICE DETAINED THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE SUSPECTED OF BEING INVOLVED WITH TWELVE VILLAGERS WHO HAD ATTEMPTED TO CROSS THE BORDER TO CAMBODIA ON CHRISTMAS DAY (SEE NEXT SECTION). 4. (SBU) THE LEADER SAID THAT IN KRONG PA DISTRICT, DAK LAK PROVINCE, ABOUT 600 ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANTS GATHERED FOR AN OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS VIGIL. ON CHRISTMAS DAY, HOWEVER, POLICE SUMMONED THE FEMALE MINISTER OF THE CONGREGATION TO THE POLICE STATION FOR SEVERAL DAYS OF QUESTIONING. OUR SOURCE SPECULATED THE POLICE WERE DISMAYED AT THE LARGE TURNOUT AT HER CHURCH. 5. (SBU) THE LEADER SAID THAT HE HAD PERSONALLY LED A UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HO CHI 00039 01 OF 03 151450Z PRAYER CEREMONY OF ABOUT 250 PERSONS OUTSIDE HIS HOME. HE SAID HE WAS AWARE OF AT LEAST FIVE OR SIX OTHER PLACES IN DAK LAK PROVINCE WHERE PEACEFUL PRAYER GATHERINGS OF MORE THAN 100 PERSONS TOOK PLACE. HE SAID THAT IN NUMEROUS VILLAGES IN THE PROVINCE, POLICE ALLOWED GROUPS OF 50 PEOPLE OR FEWER TO GATHER IN HOMES TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS. 6. (SBU) THIS SOURCE EMPHASIZED, HOWEVER, THAT IN OTHER VILLAGES IN DAK LAK PROVINCE, AUTHORITIES PASSED THE WORD THAT NO ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANT CHRISTMAS SERVICES WOULD BE ALLOWED. AS A RESULT, OUR SOURCE CLAIMED MOST ETHNIC MINORITY CHRISTIANS EITHER DID NOT CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS OR PRAYED QUIETLY IN THEIR HOMES. 7. (SBU) THE LEADER FROM GIA LAI PROVINCE SAID CHRISTMAS THERE WAS SIMILAR. IN PLEI BRENG VILLAGE, NEAR THE PROVINCIAL SEAT OF PLEIKU, SOLDIERS ASSISTED IN ORGANIZING THE CHRISTMAS PRAYER SERVICES. THIS SOURCE SPECULATED IT WAS LESS A MATTER OF HOLIDAY SPIRIT THAN A MEANS FOR MAINTAINING CONTROL OVER EVENTS. HE SAID THAT IN GIA LAI'S CHU PRONG AND CHU SE DISTRICTS, NO CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS WERE ALLOWED. 8. (SBU) IN PEK VILLAGE IN DAK DOA DISTRICT, ABOUT 1500 PERSONS GATHERED ON DECEMBER 24, AND WERE PREPARING TO PAGE 02 HO CHI 00039 02 OF 03 151451Z SUBJECT: CHRISTMAS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS: TOLERANCE AND REPRESSION FOR ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANTS STAGE AN ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATION. AFTER A FEW HOURS, POLICE AND ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANT LEADERS PERSUADED THE PEOPLE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES PEACEFULLY. OUR SOURCE SAID HE WITNESSED EVENTS IN DAK DOA PERSONALLY. 9. (SBU) HE SAID THAT POLICE DETAINED AND TORTURED TWO PASTORS FROM CHU SE DISTRICT BY PUTTING STICKS BETWEEN THEIR FINGERS AND THEN SLAMMING THEIR HANDS WITH A BOOK. ONE OF THE TWO, 32-YEAR-OLD R'MAH NHUI (ALSO KNOWN AS AMA SOREN) FROM IA LE VILLAGE IN CHU SE DISTRICT, CAME TO THE LEADER'S HOME AND SHOWED HIM HIS BROKEN FINGERS. HE ASSERTED THE POLICE DID THIS BECAUSE THEY HEARD HE WAS PLANNING TO ORGANIZE A CHRISTMAS PRAYER SERVICE. 10. (SBU) SPECIFICALLY ASKED ABOUT ALLEGATIONS OF TORTURE BY ELECTRIC SHOCK, THE LEADER FROM GIA LAI PROVINCE SAID HE WAS UNAWARE OF POLICE USING THESE TACTICS. THE LEADER FROM DAK LAK PROVINCE, HOWEVER, SAID BUON CUOR KNIA POLICE BEAT UP AND SHOCKED WITH ELECTRIC WIRES 12 PEOPLE WHO HAD ATTEMPTED TO CROSS INTO CAMBODIA. BOTH LEADERS SAID POLICE -- ETHNIC MINORITY AS WELL AS ETHNIC VIETNAMESE KINH -- ROUTINELY ROUGHED UP SUSPECTS DURING DETENTION. NEITHER SOURCE WAS AWARE OF ANYONE DETAINED IN CONNECTION WITH CHRISTMAS SERVICES WHO WAS STILL BEING HELD. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 00039 02 OF 03 151451Z ALLEGATIONS OF KILLINGS ON THE CAMBODIAN BORDER -------------------------- -- 11. (SBU) BOTH LEADERS RELATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 230 ETHNIC MINORITY PERSONS ATTEMPTED TO CROSS INTO CAMBODIA ON CHRISTMAS DAY. THEY CAME IN TWO GROUPS - ONE GROUP OF ABOUT 30 PERSONS FROM KON TUM PROVINCE; ANOTHER GROUP OF ABOUT 200 PERSONS FROM DAK LAK PROVINCE. A GUIDE LED THEM TO A PLACE ON THE CAMBODIAN BORDER NEAR GIAO VILLAGE IN DAK MIL DISTRICT, DAK LAK PROVINCE. 12. (SBU) ACCORDING TO OUR SOURCES, THE GUIDE TOLD THE GROUP HE WOULD LEAVE THEM AND RETURN AFTER PURCHASING A MOBILE PHONE IN DAK MIL TOWN. TWO HOURS LATER, VIETNAMESE SOLDIERS SURROUNDED THE GROUP. THE LEADERS, WHO WERE RELATING SECOND-HAND REPORTS, INSISTED THAT ONE GROUP OF VIETNAMESE SOLDIERS APPROACHED FROM THE EAST AND ANOTHER FROM THE WEST, I.E. VIETNAMESE FROM THE CAMBODIAN SIDE OF THE BORDER. OUR DAK LAK SOURCE SAID THIS WAS CLEARLY A "SET-UP". 13. (SBU) THIS LEADER FROM DAK LAK SAID A SECURITY OFFICIAL TOLD HIM THAT 186 PERSONS WERE DETAINED, BUT MOST WERE RETURNED TO THEIR HOME VILLAGES BY MILITARY VEHICLE AND RELEASED THE SAME DAY. HE STRESSED THAT NONE OF THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE GROUP WAS MISTREATED, BUT ASSERTED THAT A DOZEN MEN WERE BEATEN AND TORTURED WITH ELECTRIC SHOCK UPON THEIR RETURN TO BUON CUOR KNIA. 14. (SBU) THE LEADER FROM GIA LAI PROVINCE SAID THAT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HO CHI 00039 02 OF 03 151451Z ETHNIC MINORITY VILLAGERS WHO LIVE IN THE AREA TOLD HIM THAT NEAR TO WHERE KON TUM, GIA LAI AND THE CAMBODIAN PROVINCES OF RATANAKIRI AND MONDULKIRI MEET, SEVERAL PERSONS FROM THE GROUP BEING RETURNED TO KON TUM TRIED TO ESCAPE. SOLDIERS OPENED FIRE AND KILLED FOUR PERSONS, ACCORDING TO THESE VILLAGERS. IN A SEPARATE INCIDENT, ACCORDING TO THIS SAME LEADER, SOLDIERS SHOT AND MAY HAVE KILLED FOUR OTHER PEOPLE AS THEY TRIED TO ESCAPE BY SWIMMING ACROSS THE SRE PAK RIVER IN DAK LAK PROVINCE. (THE LEADER FROM DAK LAK PROVINCE DID NOT MENTION THESE INCIDENTS BEFORE DEPARTING.) WHEN ASKED SPECIFICALLY IF HE BELIEVED IT WAS GVN POLICY TO KILL VILLAGERS ATTEMPTING TO CROSS INTO CAMBODIA, OUR GIA LAI SOURCE SAID "NO", BUT HE BELIEVES SOLDIERS ARE TOLD TO "STOP PEOPLE FROM CROSSING," AND SOMETIMES "MISTAKES ARE MADE." 15. (SBU) THE LEADER FROM GIA LAI PROVINCE SAID THAT TWO OF THE 30 PEOPLE FROM KON TUM PROVINCE ARE STILL UNDER DETENTION IN A PRISON IN PLEIKU. THEIR NAMES ARE HOANH AND AMA XUAN. THREE PERSONS FROM DAK LAK ARE STILL BEING DETAINED, BUT HE KNEW THE NAME OF ONLY ONE OF THEM - RAHLAM LUA (ALSO KNOWN AS AMA DUY). "DEGA PROTESTANTS" VS. MAINSTREAM PROTESTANTS -------------------------- 16. (SBU) BOTH LEADERS SPOKE OPENLY ABOUT THE SPLIT BETWEEN MAINSTREAM ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANTS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND THE "DEGA PROTESTANTS" WHO ACTIVELY SUPPORT AN INDEPENDENT ETHNIC MINORITY ("DEGA") STATE IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. ALL OF THE PERSONS WHO ATTEMPTED TO CROSS THE BORDER INTO CAMBODIA WERE "DEGA PROTESTANTS," ACCORDING TO THE LEADERS. THE LEADER FROM DAK LAK PROVINCE CHARACTERIZED THE "DEGA PROTESTANTS" AS "FALSE CHRISTIANS," WHO IGNORE THE ADVICE OF "TRUE" PROTESTANT PASTORS TELLING THEM NOT TO GO TO CAMBODIA. 17. (SBU) WHEN ASKED DIRECTLY ABOUT THE REASONS FOR ETHNIC MINORITY VILLAGERS TO CROSS INTO CAMBODIA, THE LEADER FROM GIA LAI PROVINCE DIVIDED THE GROUPS INTO TWO. HE SAID HE BELIEVED THE PEOPLE WHO FLED TO CAMBODIA IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2001 UNREST WANTED TO ESCAPE GVN PERSECUTION. BUT, HE BELIEVES THOSE WHO HAVE GONE TO CAMBODIA SINCE THE SUMMER (INCLUDING THE GROUP WHO ATTEMPTED TO CROSS ON CHRISTMAS DAY) WERE MOTIVATED BY PROMISES OF MONEY AND THE HOPE OF RESETTLEMENT IN THE U.S. HE ASSERTED THEY HAD "HEARD BY TELEPHONE" THAT SUCH OPPORTUNITIES WERE AVAILABLE. (NOTE: THIS ETHNIC MINORITY LEADER'S COMMENT IS SIMILAR TO WHAT GVN OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN TELLING US. END NOTE.) 18. (SBU) SINCE THIS GIA LAI SOURCE WAS FAMILIAR WITH UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 00039 03 OF 03 151451Z THE MONTAGNARD FOUNDATION, WE ASKED HOW HE WOULD CHARACTERIZE IT. HE RESPONDED THAT WHILE IT ADVOCATED HUMAN RIGHTS, THESE DAYS ITS POLITICAL AGENDA (AN INDEPENDENT DEGA STATE) HAD THE UPPER HAND. WHEN ASKED HOW MUCH SUPPORT THERE WAS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS FOR AN INDEPENDENT DEGA STATE, THIS SOURCE SAID THAT WHILE 100 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE SUPPORTED HUMAN RIGHTS, NOT MORE THAN 30 PERCENT OF ETHNIC MINORITIES SUPPORTED A SEPARATE STATE. THIS LEADER DESCRIBED THE DEGA PROTESTANTS AS USING RELIGION TO FURTHER THEIR POLITICAL AGENDA. WHILE EVERYONE SUPPORTS FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND HUMAN RIGHTS, HE SAID, MOST OF THE PEOPLE DO NOT SUPPORT USING THESE IDEAS TO WAGE A WAR AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. DOES ANYONE HAVE A MONOPOLY ON THE TRUTH? -------------------------- 19. (SBU) WE BELIEVE OUR TWO SOURCES ARE RELIABLE AND PRESENTED INFORMATION THEY THOUGHT ACCURATE. HOWEVER, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORROBORATE THE SECOND-HAND REPORTS OF KILLINGS AT THE BORDER. WHEN ASKED IF THEY WOULD CHARACTERIZE WHAT HAPPENED WITH PROVINCIAL CHRISTMAS SERVICES AS "NORMAL" OR "EXCEPTIONAL" REPRESSION, THEY SAID THE WIDE RANGE OF OFFICIAL ACTIONS WAS "NORMAL." WHILE NEITHER LEADER SYMPATHIZED WITH "DEGA" POLITICAL AIMS, THEY WERE CLEARLY CONCERNED ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES. THEY AGREED THAT PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES WANTED TO PREVENT RELIGIOUS SERVICES FROM TAKING A POLITICAL TURN. BUT AS THEIR ACCOUNTS INDICATE, THE CHRISTMAS SITUATION VARIED FROM VILLAGE TO VILLAGE IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS REGION. THESE TWO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HO CHI 00039 03 OF 03 151451Z SOURCES DID NOT MAKE ANY OVERALL GENERALIZATIONS, AS THEY ACKNOWLEDGED IT IS POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE OF ONE VILLAGE TO BE UNAWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ANOTHER VILLAGE JUST ONE KILOMETER DOWN THE SAME ROAD. YAMAUCHI UNCLASSIFIED |