PROTESTANT PROBLEMS IN KON TUM PROVINCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000759 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/KFOSTER DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR PRM DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM KIRF SOCI VM ETMIN HUMANR RELFREE SUBJECT: PROTESTANT PROBLEMS IN KON TUM PROVINCE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HO CHI 00759 01 OF 02 290756Z ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: AN ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANT PASTOR AND ONE OF HIS CONGREGATION MEMBERS TRAVELED TO HO CHI MINH CITY TO TELL CONGENOFFS OF AN ASSAULT BY 20-PLUS VILLAGERS IN THAT CENTRAL HIGHLANDS PROVINCE OF KON TUM THIS PAST APRIL. THE PASTOR SAID THE VILLAGERS WHO ATTACKED THEM HAD ACTED ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM LOCAL POLICE. THE PASTOR NOTED HE WAS AWARE OF THE SEPARATIST "DEGA PROTESTANTS" IN THE OTHER CENTRAL HIGHLANDS PROVINCES OF DAK LAK AND GIA LAI, BUT MAINTAINED THAT ONLY MAINSTREAM PROTESTANTS RESIDE IN KON TUM. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) ON JULY 24, AN ETHNIC CO TU (KATU) PROTESTANT PASTOR AND AN ETHNIC RO NGAO (RENGAO) CONGREGATION MEMBER FROM KON TUM PROVINCE - THE MOST REMOTE OF VIETNAM'S CENTRAL HIGHLANDS PROVINCES - TRAVELED DOWN TO HCMC TO TELL CG AND POLOFF OF THE DIFFICULTIES THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THERE. AN HCMC RELIGIOUS CONTACT HAD RECOMMENDED THAT THEY TRY TO SEE US. (NOTE: POST IS REFRAINING FROM NAMING SOURCES IN THIS SBU REPORT.) ¶3. (SBU) THE PASTOR, WHO LIVES IN KON TUM CITY, SAID HE HAS BEEN PREACHING TO SEVERAL FAMILIES IN A PREDOMINANTLY CATHOLIC ETHNIC RO NGAO VILLAGE NAMED DAK CHACH IN KON TUM PROVINCE'S DAK HA DISTRICT FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THE CONGREGATION MEMBER, A RESIDENT OF THIS VILLAGE, SAID DISTRICT AND VILLAGE POLICE HAD GATHERED THE VILLAGERS TOGETHER ON MARCH 20, TO TELL THEM TO GIVE UP PROTESTANTISM AND TO BEAT THE PASTOR AND DESTROY HIS VEHICLE NEXT TIME HE CAME TO THE VILLAGE. ON MARCH 30, DISTRICT AND VILLAGE POLICE TOLD THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 00759 01 OF 02 290756Z RESIDENTS THAT THEY EXPECTED THE PASTOR THE FOLLOWING DAY AND REITERATED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS TO "GIVE HIM A BEATING." ¶4. (SBU) THE PASTOR AND CONGREGATION MEMBER DESCRIBED THAT WHEN THE PASTOR CAME TO DAK CHACH VILLAGE ON APRIL 1, ABOUT 20 ETHNIC RO NGAO CATHOLIC RESIDENTS CORNERED HIM AND BEAT HIM SEVERELY FOR THREE HOURS. (POST NOTE: POST HAS SEEN PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PASTOR, ALLEGEDLY TAKEN AFTER HE RETURNED TO KON TUM CITY. HE IS CLEARLY HEAVILY BRUISED AND SWOLLEN, WITH WELTS ON HIS BACK, SIDES, AND BLACK EYES.) THE CONGREGATION MEMBER CALLED THE PASTOR'S WIFE (WHO WAS 25 KILOMETERS AWAY) TO NOTIFY HER. THE PASTOR'S WIFE CALLED PROVINCIAL AND DISTRICT SECURITY OFFICES AND THE POLICE 113 EMERGENCY NUMBER, BUT THEY TOLD HER IT WAS JUST A MINOR CLASH BETWEEN CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS. THE CONGREGATION MEMBER SAID THAT WHEN HE AND HIS WIFE TRIED TO ASSIST THE PASTOR, THEY WERE ALSO BEATEN BY THE VILLAGERS. THE PASTOR RELATED THAT SOME VILLAGERS HAD APOLOGIZED TO HIM AFTERWARDS, SAYING THEY HAD BEEN ORDERED TO DO WHAT THEY DID. ¶5. (SBU) THE PASTOR SAID THAT AFTER HE RETURNED TO KON TUM CITY, DAK HA DISTRICT POLICE INFORMED HIM THAT HE WOULD NO LONGER BE ALLOWED TO PREACH IN THE DISTRICT -- AND IF HE DID, THE LAW WOULD NOT PROTECT HIM. HE HAS NOT BEEN BACK TO PREACH. ¶6. (SBU) THE CONGREGATION MEMBER SAID THAT ON APRIL 2, DISTRICT AND VILLAGE POLICE EXPELLED HIM, HIS WIFE, AND UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HO CHI 00759 01 OF 02 290756Z THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN FROM THE VILLAGE. WHEN THEY REFUSED TO LEAVE, AUTHORITIES DEMOLISHED THEIR HOME WITH A BULLDOZER. HE PROVIDED PHOTOGRAPHS OF SOME WRECKAGE THAT HE SAID WAS HIS FORMER HOUSE. BULLDOZER TRACKS COULD BE CLEARLY SEEN. HE SAID THE POLICE ALSO CONFISCATED THE "RED BOOK," WHICH PROVES HIS OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY WHERE HIS HOUSE STOOD. HE HAS BEEN UNEMPLOYED SINCE APRIL, AND HAS BEEN LIVING WITH FRIENDS OR RELATIVES FOR A FEW DAYS OR WEEKS, BEFORE MOVING ON SOMEWHERE ELSE. ¶7. (SBU) IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS, THE PASTOR WAS EMPHATIC IN ASSERTING THAT THE SIZABLE PROTESTANT POPULATION OF KON TUM PROVINCE ARE MAINSTREAM BELIEVERS WHO ONLY PRACTICE PRAYING TO GOD. THERE ARE NO "DEGA PROTESTANTS" - PROTESTANTS WITH A POLITICAL AGENDA - ACCORDING TO THE PASTOR. HE BELIEVES PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES IN KON TUM REFUSE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN "DEGA" AND MAINSTREAM PROTESTANTS IN AN EFFORT TO JUSTIFY "ELIMINATING" PROTESTANTISM IN THE PROVINCE. ¶8. (SBU) PREVIOUSLY, THIS PASTOR HAD SENT WORD THROUGH OUR MUTUAL HCMC CONTACT THAT HE WOULD WELCOME A VISIT UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ7256 PAGE 01 HO CHI 00759 02 OF 02 290757Z ACTION DRL-02 INFO LOG-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 SRPP-00 EAP-00 EB-00 ED-01 UTED-00 HHS-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OPIC-01 PRS-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PRM-00 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /009W -------------- D16618 290757Z /38 P 290644Z JUL 02 FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6568 INFO AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY USMISSION GENEVA ASEAN COLLECTIVE DIA WASHDC NSC WASHDC UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000759 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/KFOSTER DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR PRM DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HO CHI 00759 02 OF 02 290757Z BY CONGENOFFS TO KON TUM. WHEN ASKED FACE-TO-FACE WHETHER SUCH A VISIT WOULD BE HELPFUL OR HURTFUL TO HIM AND HIS CONGREGATION, HE HESITATED. HE THEN RESPONDED THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT HOW LOCAL AUTHORITIES WILL REACT TO "INFORMAL" VISITS. HE SAID HE WOULD LET US KNOW AFTER HIS RETURN TO KON TUM. ¶9. (SBU) COMMENT: POST CANNOT GENERALIZE ABOUT SYSTEMIC VIOLENT HARASSMENT OF MAINSTREAM PROTESTANTS IN KON TUM PROVINCE BASED ON THIS SINGLE FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT. BUT WE BELIEVE IN THIS PASTOR'S BONAFIDES. ELEMENTS DESCRIBED IN THIS REPORT - BEATINGS OF PROTESTANT PASTORS AND FOLLOWERS, POLICE HIRING OR ORDERING LOCAL RESIDENTS AND/OR THUGS TO DO THE DIRTY WORK, AND PROTESTANT RESIDENTS BEING EXPELLED FROM THEIR VILLAGES - ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE WE HAVE HEARD IN NUMEROUS SECOND AND THIRD-HAND REPORTS FROM THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND OTHER PROVINCES. THIS HAS BEEN THE FIRST FIRSTHAND REPORT ABOUT AN ASSAULT ON A PROTESTANT PASTOR IN KON TUM PROVINCE WITH CREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE. YAMAUCHI UNCLASSIFIED