Religion in the NW Highlands

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001051

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KIRF VM HUMANR ETMIN RELFREE
SUBJECT: Religion in the NW Highlands

Reftels: A) Hanoi 353, B) 03 Hanoi 3371, C) 04 Vientiane
281, D) 04 Hanoi 608


1. (SBU) Summary: The situation for religious believers
remains difficult in Vietnam's Northwest Highlands, but
there are signs of some improvements. During the
Ambassador's April 20-24 trip to the region, officials in
Dien Bien and Lai Chau Provinces said that there are no
religious believers in their two provinces. The Ambassador
noted the recent Prime Minister's Instruction on
Protestantism (Ref A) and statistics from the Evangelical
Church of Vietnam: North (ECVN) showed otherwise. In Lao
Cai Province, officials acknowledged the presence of
Catholic and Protestant believers and said they are trying
to implement Vietnam's new legal reforms regarding religion.
A Catholic priest described the Church as growing in the
region, despite a shortage of priests, and said that
relations with Lao Cai provincial authorities are good. End
Summary.

Dien Bien and Lai Chau Haven't Gotten the Message
-------------- --------------


2. (SBU) In both Dien Bien and Lai Chau Provinces,
provincial officials told the Ambassador that there are no
religious believers in the two provinces, aside from ethnic
minorities adhering to traditional beliefs. Both provinces
claimed to follow Government polices permitting freedom of
belief, however. The Chairman of the Lai Chau People's
Committee acknowledged that, in the past, some people had
tried to spread "superstitious beliefs" that had "caused
divisions among ethnic minorities." These beliefs included
claims that the end of the world would occur in 2000 and
that people should stop working and abandon their land.
Authorities helped people understand the "true nature" of
these "false schemes." (Note: The Chairman was likely
referring to the "Vang Chu" Hmong sect. Many Highlands
authorities apparently have associated all Protestants with
this sect, either as a result of ignorance of the religion
or as a deliberate attempt to tarnish it. Refs B and C.
End note.)


3. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that the Prime Minister's
Instruction on Protestantism recognized the existence of
believers in the Northwest Highlands, and the ECVN has
documented over 70,000 Protestants belonging to unrecognized
house churches in Dien Bien and Lai Chau. He urged
authorities to take steps to facilitate religious adherents'
ability to register house churches and worship freely.


4. (SBU) The Ambassador visited three ethnic minority
villages in Dien Bien and Lai Chau. In visits arranged by
provincial authorities to two Thai villages, local leaders
stated plainly that there are no resident religious
believers, aside from those who follow traditions of
ancestor worship. The Ambassador specifically requested to
visit a third village that had been identified to us by the
ECVN as containing a Hmong Protestant house church. There,
an anxious looking village leader responded to the
Ambassador's questions with some coaching from his "elder
brother," while provincial officials sat nearby. He stated
he is not Protestant and that there is no house church in
his village, although there are some believers. His claim
was seemingly belied by a snapshot on the wall of the
village leader standing in front a church with the words
"Protestant Church" emblazoned on its facade.


5. (SBU) At the Ambassador's request, we were taken to the
neighboring house of a Protestant convert. The believer,
seemingly unnerved by his official Vietnamese and foreign
visitors, said that outsiders had come and told him to
follow Protestantism, and he had obliged. He acknowledged
having heard Protestant radio broadcasts in the Hmong
language. When asked what he understands his religion to
represent, he responded that he does not know and just
follows what others tell him. (Note: There was a striking
difference between the three villages we visited. While not
affluent, both Thai villages contained larger and sturdier
houses, and were located on richer, riverside land. The
Hmong village was high on a mountainside, with simple and
sparsely furnished houses and far more visible signs of
poverty. End Note.)

Lao Cai Follows New Religious Laws
--------------


6. (SBU) Authorities in Lao Cai Province were more
forthcoming. Provincial People's Committee Chairman Bui
Quang Vinh acknowledged that religion is a "very sensitive
issue." Authorities respect the different beliefs of all of
the province's ethnic groups. Chairman Vinh admitted that
forced renunciations "may have happened," but added that
some people have spread Protestantism "as a way to collect
money from others" and "to spread false information to
create instability and overthrow the Government." "Ethnic
minorities in Lao Cai have long established traditions.
Protestantism is new and different, and it has caused
disputes among families and communities, and disorder in
society. As a result, some low-level authorities acted
against it, so some of the reports (of forced renunciations)
you have heard may be true," Vinh explained. The provincial
authorities are aware of the new laws regarding religion and
they "respect religion," but seek only to support "true
religion." The promotion of religion must not "cause damage
to family or community unity," and authorities will not
support a religion that "damages another one or acts against
traditional beliefs." Vinh also noted that many village and
commune leaders themselves members of ethnic minority
groups. These individuals often resent Protestantism as an
alien religion that threatens their traditional beliefs and
practices. Hau A Lenh, the People's Committee Chairman of
Lao Cai's Sapa District and himself an ethnic Hmong, said
that authorities in his district have already reached out to
Protestant and Catholic believers to explain Vietnam's new
laws on religion and help ensure their practices can be kept
in accordance with them.


7. (SBU) Father Nguyen Huy Tuc (protect),the sole Catholic
priest for all of Lao Cai, Lai Chau and Dien Bien Provinces,
described to the Ambassador the situation for his followers.
Father Tuc was assigned to his position in 2004; before
this, there were no Catholic priests in the three provinces
(Ref D). There are seven Catholic churches and 10,000
faithful in Lao Cai under Tuc's oversight, and two
additional congregations with 3,000 believers in Lai Chau
and Dien Bien cities, although they do not have church
buildings. Father Tuc has "good relations" with authorities
in Lao Cai Province, but has not yet had a chance to visit
the Lai Chau and Dien Bien congregations or meet with
authorities there. The majority of Catholics in the region
are ethnic Kinh Vietnamese, but churches in mountainous
areas, including Sapa, are mostly ethnic minority. The
Church is growing in the region despite the shortage of
priests. Congregations are able to hold religious education
classes for youth and have an internal charity focused on
aiding Church members. Father Tuc said he has met with
provincial authorities in regards to the new legal framework
regarding religions, and the authorities have provided him
forms with which the Church can register its activities.


8. (SBU) Comment: The acknowledgement by Lao Cai authorities
of the presence of Protestant adherents and their apparent
willingness to work with religious believers is a major
change. Previous visits by U.S. and other diplomats to the
region had simply met with uniform denials by all provincial
authorities of any religious practice. There is clearly a
great deal of ignorance and suspicion of Christianity among
provincial officials. This will take time to overcome in
the Northwest Highlands, but we are hopeful that success in
Lao Cai eventually will spill over into its more reluctant
neighbors. End Comment.

MARINE