Reported attempts at forced renunciation of faith

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000551 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/IRF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM KIRF PINS SOCI VM ETMIN HUMANR RELFREE SUBJECT: Reported attempts at forced renunciation of faith Ref: Hanoi 0349 ¶1. (SBU) A reliable contact within the Evangelical Church of Vietnam - North (ECVN) provided Embassy with copies of 13 handwritten letters from Hmong Protestants in the Northwest Highlands province of Lao Cai, detailing harassment by local authorities and attempts at forced renunciation of faith. All letters were apparently written in mid-February; many indicate that pressures were especially notable in October and November 2002. The letters uniformly request help from the UN, the ECVN, and the world protestant council (sic) to "resolve" their problems. Many letters note that, although their churches had been recognized by the ECVN, the government refused to accept this affiliation. Several letters reported authorities confiscating Bibles, hymnbooks, and even tables and chairs. (Septel will report on poloff's February visit to Lao Cai, which unfortunately preceded our receipt of these reports. When poloff asked about similar problems other Lao Cai Protestants had earlier reported, provincial authorities denied the existence of Protestants in their jurisdiction.) ¶2. (U) The letters come from individuals in several villages in four of Lao Cai's nine districts: Bao Thang, Bao Yen, Van Ban, and Bac Ha. One Protestant from Thai Nien commune in Bao Thang district claimed a 100-person "delegation to forbid faith" composed of commune, district, and provincial officials had arrived in the commune on October 6, 2002, while another smaller group came on October ¶10. They told people not to pray and claimed that following Protestantism was really "following America," since "America" was spreading this faith to undermine the Vietnamese Government. They reportedly claimed that Vietnam "forbids" Protestantism. In another village in the same commune, a "working delegation" also arrived on October 6 and broke up a prayer meeting. Another delegation came on October 13 and tried -- unsuccessfully -- to "force" people to sign statements renouncing Protestantism. In yet another village in this commune, officials from an "office to prohibit faith" arrived on October 13, 2002 to forbid communal prayer, and have come regularly on weekends since then to make sure no one was praying. They reportedly threatened that those whose houses are used for communal prayer might be arrested or kept under house arrest. ¶3. (U) Protestants in Dien Quan commune of Bao Yen district wrote that "party and government cadres" had claimed that anyone who doesn't renounce their faith "must leave Vietnam" and had claimed that Protestantism was from the U.S. and so people who refuse to renounce should go to live there. Officials came on at least two occasions in May 2002 to urge people to renounce their faith, but residents refused. Residents in a different village in the same commune wrote that some people were pressured in detention to sign renunciations but nonetheless maintain their faith. Officials told them that not only were Protestants "following America" but were also "reactionaries." ¶4. (U) Another letter from Son Thuy commune in Van Ban district reported unsuccessful efforts by local authorities in November 2002 to forced people to sign renunciations, to stop communal prayers, and to detain certain believers. In a different village in this commune, officials from the "delegation to prohibit faith" tried on October 28 and November 1 to get people to sign renunciations of faith, but without success. ¶5. (U) Protestant Hmongs in Bao Nhai commune of Bac Ha district reported that authorities had organized meetings "many times" to stress that Protestantism is an "illegal religion" that "follows America" and sometimes order believers to report to the police chief. They noted that they refuse to go. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: These reports make clear that at least some local authorities in ethnic minority areas are attempting -- usually without great success -- to suppress the spread of Protestantism, and often incorrectly asserting that this faith is illegal in Vietnam. Especially worrisome are the allegations of formal committees or offices set up for such a campaign, at least in Lao Cai province. As noted in reftel, however, other Vietnamese Protestant leaders have denied that there is any widespread campaign to force renunciation of the Protestant faith. It is also striking that these letter writers usually indicate that they refused blandishments -- in some cases, cash offers -- and threats to induce them to renounce their faith. Virtually all the letter writers also noted that they only became Protestants in 1989 or 1990, which underscores the perception on the part of many Vietnamese officials that Protestantism is somehow "non-Vietnamese." The frequent references to "following America" reflect the unfortunate belief by local officials that attempts by US-based evangelical individuals or groups to convert ethnic minorities are somehow part of a US "plot" against Vietnam. While Embassy does not have any firm evidence of a systematic campaign against Protestants, even in ethnic areas, these reports are disturbing. Embassy will continue to raise this issue with local, provincial, and national officials and urge greater respect for freedom of religion throughout Vietnam and among all faiths. BURGHARDT