ASSEMBLIES OF GOD IN VIETNAM: STILL AN "UNDERGROUND ORGANIZATION"

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000400 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/KFOSTER DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM KIRF VM HUMANR RELFREE SUBJECT: ASSEMBLIES OF GOD IN VIETNAM: STILL AN "UNDERGROUND ORGANIZATION" REF: A. HANOI 3601 (1999) B. HANOI 1755 (1999) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE 22,000-STRONG UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HO CHI 00400 01 OF 02 190630Z FULL GOSPEL ASSEMBLIES OF GOD (AOG) IN VIETNAM SAID HE WOULD WELCOME GOVERNMENT RECOGNITION OF THE GROUP, BUT EXPECTED IT TO REMAIN AN "UNDERGROUND ORGANIZATION" FOR YEARS TO COME. THE GOVERNMENT STILL "REPRESSES" THE AOG, HE CLAIMED, BUT NO LONGER IMPRISONS AOG BELIEVERS OR PASTORS. END SUMMARY. "SOPHISTICATED REPRESSION" IN THE NORTH -------------- ¶2. (SBU) REVEREND DUONG THANH LAM, GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE FULL GOSPEL ASSEMBLIES OF GOD (AOG) IN VIETNAM MET WITH POLOFF ON APRIL 15, THE FIRST CONTACT MISSION HAS HAD WITH THE AOG LEADER. [NOTE: MISSION'S ONLY PREVIOUS CONTACT WITH THE AOG OCCURRED WHEN POLICE DETAINED REVEREND TRAN DINH "PAUL" AI IN MID-1999 FOR TAKING PART IN A BIBLE MEETING IN HANOI. MISSION LATER ASSISTED AI IN OBTAINING A RELIGIOUS WORKER (R) VISA, WHICH HE AND HIS FAMILY USED TO TRAVEL TO THE U.S. IN DECEMBER 1999 (SEE REFTELS).] ¶3. (SBU) LAM SAID HE HAS SERVED AS AOG GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT SINCE 1997. HE STATED THAT HE HAS ONLY 30 PASTORS (10 OF WHOM ARE ORDAINED, THE OTHER 20 FULLY TRAINED BUT NOT YET ORDAINED) TO MINISTER TO 22,000 AOG FOLLOWERS IN VIETNAM. HE SAID THE RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF AOG FOLLOWERS (COMPARED TO APPROXIMATELY 800,000 PROTESTANT BELIEVERS NATIONWIDE) WAS DUE TO SEVERE REPRESSION OF THE AOG AFTER 1975. HE SAID THE CHURCH REORGANIZED ITSELF IN 1989, AND HAS SINCE BEEN GROWING RAPIDLY. MOST OF THE GROUP'S 225 HOUSE CHURCHES ARE IN HCMC. THE NEXT LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF AOG WORSHIPPERS IS AMONG THE K'HO AND EDE ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS IN LAM DONG AND DAK LAK PROVINCES IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF THAI, H'MONG UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 00400 01 OF 02 190630Z AND OTHER ETHNIC MINORITY PERSONS PARTICIPATE IN AOG HOUSE CHURCH SERVICES IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCES BORDERING CHINA. ¶4. (SBU) LAM SAID HIS GROUP FACES ITS SEVEREST PERSECUTION IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCES. HE SINGLED OUT LAI CHAU AND LANG SON PROVINCES AS THE MOST REPRESSIVE. IN SOME VILLAGES IN LAI CHAU, LAM ASSERTED, NON-UNIFORMED SECURITY PERSONNEL STAY IN CHRISTIAN HOMES TO PREVENT THEM FROM CARRYING OUT WORSHIP SERVICES. POLICE SUMMON FOR QUESTIONING PERSONS SUSPECTED OF ORGANIZING HOUSE CHURCH SERVICES ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS. DISTRICT OFFICIALS ALLEGEDLY ORGANIZE MEETINGS WHERE AOG FOLLOWERS ARE COERCED INTO SIGNING DOCUMENTS PLEDGING TO ABANDON CHRISTIANITY. LAM MENTIONED THAT THOSE WHO RENOUNCE THEIR FAITH SOMETIMES DRINK ANIMAL BLOOD, BUT NOTED THIS IS A COMMON PRACTICE AMONG CERTAIN ETHNIC GROUPS. THE ACT IN THIS CONTEXT DEMONSTRATES A RETURN TO TRADITIONAL BELIEFS AND PRACTICES. ¶5. (SBU) LAM GAVE POLOFF A COPY OF A DOCUMENT PURPORTEDLY USED FOR RENUNCIATION IN DIEN BIEN PHU IN LAI CHAU PROVINCE. THE SIGNATORY AGREES TO FIVE CONDITIONS, THE THIRD OF WHICH TRANSLATES AS FOLLOWS: "WE WILL NOT FOLLOW ANY RELIGION, WE WILL NOT READ THE BIBLE, WE WILL NOT SING RELIGIOUS SONGS, AND WE WILL NOT GATHER IN A GROUP TO PRAY WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF COMPETENT AUTHORITIES." ACCORDING TO LAM, SINCE THE COMPETENT AUTHORITIES NEVER GIVE PERMISSION, SIGNING THE DOCUMENT AMOUNTS TO A RENUNCIATION OF FAITH. ¶6. (SBU) LAM SAID THAT UNTIL TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, POLICE IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCES OFTEN BEAT OR IMPRISONED AOG PASTORS AND BELIEVERS, BUT RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NO AOG UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HO CHI 00400 01 OF 02 190630Z PASTORS OR BELIEVERS IMPRISONED. OFFICIALS USE "OTHER MEANS OF INTIMIDATION." HOUSEHOLDERS WHO REFUSE TO RECANT THEIR FAITH MAY LOSE THEIR JOBS, OR THEIR CHILDREN MAY BE FORBIDDEN TO ATTEND SCHOOL. THEY MAY HAVE THEIR PROPERTY CONFISCATED, OR BE OSTRACIZED IN THEIR OWN VILLAGE. LAM WORRIED THAT THIS "SOPHISTICATED REPRESSION" WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN PHYSICAL ABUSE OR IMPRISONMENT. MORE TOLERANCE IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) LAM SAID CONDITIONS FOR ETHNIC MINORITY AOG BELIEVERS HAVE IMPROVED IN THE LAM DONG AND DAK LAK PROVINCES IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, SINCE THE ETHNIC UNREST LAST FEBRUARY. MANY H'MONG FAMILIES FROM LANG SON PROVINCE IN THE NORTH HAVE MIGRATED TO DAK LAK. LAM ADMITTED ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY WAS A STRONG MAGNET FOR MIGRATION, BUT INSISTED GREATER RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE WAS ALSO AN IMPORTANT REASON FOR MOVING TO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. OTHER PROTESTANT CONTACTS HAVE NOTED THAT H'MONG AND OTHER NORTHERN ETHNIC MINORITIES, WHO HAVE MIGRATED TO DAK LAK, LAM DONG AND BINH PHUOC PROVINCES, SAY THEY FACE LESS RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION THAN THEY DID IN THE NORTH. ¶8. (SBU) BUT THE AOG ALSO FACES PROBLEMS IN THE FAR SOUTH. LAM CLAIMED THAT DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL, TIEN GIANG PROVINCE IN THE MEKONG DELTA BROADCAST A TELEVISION SPOT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HO CHI 00400 02 OF 02 190631Z THAT CALLED THE AOG A "COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY RELIGION OF THE UNITED STATES," AND CALLED ON PEOPLE TO REPORT AOG MEMBERS OR ACTIVITIES TO THE AUTHORITIES. NO LEGAL STATUS ANYTIME SOON -------------- ¶9. (SBU) LAM ASSERTED THAT THE AOG WOULD NEVER REGISTER WITH THE NEWLY RECOGNIZED SOUTHERN EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF VIETNAM BECAUSE OF DOCTRINAL DIFFERENCES. HE WOULD WELCOME SEPARATE LEGAL RECOGNITION, BUT ONLY IF THE GVN ALLOWED THE AOG TO FUNCTION FREE OF GOVERNMENT CONTROL AND CENSORSHIP. SINCE THIS IS NOT LIKELY, HE SAID HE EXPECTED THE AOG TO REMAIN AN "UNDERGROUND ORGANIZATION" FOR YEARS TO COME. ¶10. (SBU) ALONG WITH OTHER "CHARISMATIC" DENOMINATIONS, THE AOG ACTIVELY EVANGELIZES IN VIETNAM. THEIR RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBERS DO NOT REFLECT THE VIGOR WITH WHICH THEY SEEK NEW CONVERTS, ESPECIALLY AMONG ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS. THEY ARE THE FASTEST GROWING SEGMENT WITHIN VIETNAM'S PROTESTANT COMMUNITY, WHICH MAY ALSO EXPLAIN WHY AUTHORITIES IN VIETNAM -- WHERE PROSELYTIZING IS ILLEGAL -- ARE WARY AND MONITOR THEM CLOSELY. YAMAUCHI UNCLASSIFIED