Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05HANOI1652
2005-06-24 07:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:  

ANOTHER ROUND OF HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUES IN HANOI

Tags:  PHUM PREL PGOV VM HUMANR ETMIN RELFREE 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 001652 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV and DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV VM HUMANR ETMIN RELFREE
SUBJECT: ANOTHER ROUND OF HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUES IN HANOI

Reftels: A) 04 Hanoi 3417, B) HCMC 493

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 001652

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV and DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV VM HUMANR ETMIN RELFREE
SUBJECT: ANOTHER ROUND OF HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUES IN HANOI

Reftels: A) 04 Hanoi 3417, B) HCMC 493


1. (SBU) Summary: The Government of Vietnam (GVN) has
recently begun new human rights dialogues with Switzerland
and the Delegation of the European Commission to Vietnam and
held a round of its semi-annual dialogue with the European
Union. Both of the new dialogues focused largely on
confidence building for future, more substantive sessions.
Switzerland will place a full-time "human security" officer
in its Hanoi Embassy. The GVN and EC discussed joining the
International Criminal Court and the rendition of illegal
aliens during part of their dialogue. The European Union
dialogue included a discussion on new Vietnamese laws on
religion and assembly. The Vietnamese queried the EU about
European laws restricting the rights of foreigners and noted
they are considering signing the International Convention
against Torture. End Summary.

Switzerland
--------------


2. (U) Switzerland resumed its previously suspended human
rights dialogue with Vietnam in Hanoi May 16 to 18. This
was the third time the two countries have held a dialogue,
and the first after a six-year hiatus. The Swiss had
discontinued the dialogues in 1999 after two rounds due to a
lack of funds. In 2003, the GVN approached the Swiss with a
request to restart the dialogue.


3. (SBU) Ambassador Thomas Greminger, Head of the Human
Security Division of the Swiss Department of Foreign
Affairs, told Poloff that this first round of the resumed
dialogue had been largely about confidence building and
looking for areas where Swiss assistance could best be
targeted in Vietnam. On the first day of the dialogue, the
Swiss delegation met in succession with representatives of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),the Ministry of
Public Security (MPS) and the National Assembly. Greminger
described the MFA discussions as covering a range of issues,
with the GVN diplomats giving "very polished" responses to
Swiss questions. Greminger was also impressed by his
discussions with Nguyen Si Dzung, Vice Chairman of the
Office of the National Assembly. This was in stark contrast

to the MPS, where their counterpart, whom Greminger
described as a "director" but could not recall the name,
expressed views that "would not be considered politically
correct." Much of this discussion apparently dealt with
Vietnam's Central Highlands, with the MPS commenting on
religious issues and "American involvement" in unrest.


4. (SBU) The Swiss Delegation spent its second day visiting
Women's Union-funded legal aid programs in and around Hanoi.
The Swiss diplomats commented only on the extreme heat of
the meeting rooms. When they met with Poloff, the group
still had a final plenary session remaining with the MFA,
and Greminger suggested that they might explore women's
rights and ethnic minority rights as focus areas for
cooperation. Switzerland also plans to post a full-time
"human security" officer in its Embassy in Hanoi, starting
this July. This position will be funded directly by the
Human Security Division in Bern and will be the only member
of Hanoi's diplomatic corps focusing solely on human rights
issues.

European Union
--------------


5. (SBU) The European Union held its working level dialogue
session June 7. The EU holds two human rights dialogue
sessions each year: a working level session between Troika
Ambassadors and the MFA International Organizations
Department, and a plenary session at the end of the year
with representatives from a number of GVN ministries. Both
the EU and the GVN identify in advance issues they wish to
have discussed at the dialogues. In the June session, the
EU raised the issues of respect for fundamental freedoms,
persons of concern, ethnic minorities and the Central
Highlands and the death penalty. The Vietnamese identified
discrimination against foreigners in Europe and areas for
technical cooperation as discussion subjects.


6. (SBU) A Dutch Embassy officer told Poloff that, on the
issue of fundamental freedoms, the EU brought up concerns
about recent Vietnamese legislation on national security,
public order and religion. (Note: The Netherlands is
serving as representative of the EU President in Hanoi as
Luxembourg has no diplomatic presence here. End note.) On
persons of concern, the exchange was "the usual kabuki" of
the GVN's accepting a list of cases but stating that there
are no prisoners of conscience in Vietnam. The Dutch
officer expressed disappointment that the GVN provided no
information on Baptist preacher Than Van Truong, who is
being kept in a mental hospital in Dong Nai Province (ref.
B),despite the EU's highlighting his case in advance of the
dialogue. On the Central Highlands, the EU discussed its
plans to focus development aid toward the region and pressed
for responses to their previous inquiries about the trials
of ethnic minorities accused of separatist activities. On
the death penalty, the Dutch officer said the MFA had
acknowledged it was pressing the Government to declassify
statistics on death penalty implementation. (Note: The
statistics were made a State secret by decision of the Prime
Minister in January 2004 after Vietnam was criticized by
human rights groups for excessive use of capital punishment.
End note.)

7. (SBU) In a Vietnamese-led discussion on the issue of
discrimination against foreigners, the MFA queried the EU
representatives about laws in certain EU member states,
especially anti-terror legislation, that they believed
unfairly targeted non-Europeans. A European Commission
diplomat commented that it seemed the Vietnamese did not
really understand the laws, but had simply "trolled the web"
for something to bring up in the dialogue. Nonetheless, the
EU promised to respond to the Vietnamese concerns in
writing, hoping this would elicit a similar response to the
inquiries they had directed at the GVN. The GVN also
requested EU assistance in holding seminars for Vietnamese
Government officials on how to ensure domestic policies are
in line with human rights obligations of international
treaties to which Vietnam has acceded. The GVN noted that
they are still studying the possibility of signing the
International Convention against Torture.

European Commission
--------------


8. (SBU) The Delegation of the European Commission began its
bilateral "Subgroup for Cooperation on Issues Regarding
Governance and Human Rights" with a meeting on June 17. A
European Commission diplomat explained to Poloff that the
original 1995 Terms of Reference for cooperation between the
European Commission and GVN stated that "human rights is a
fundamental principle" for bilateral interaction. As a
result, European Parliament members pushed the EC to more
actively engage the GVN on human rights issues. The GVN
identified the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) as the EC's
principal counterpart for the subgroup, and MOJ bureaucracy
and nervousness to engage on these issues had delayed the
start of the subgroup for several years, the EC diplomat
recounted. Also present at this year's meeting were
representatives of the MFA, National Assembly, Ministry of
Public Security, Committee for Religious Affairs and Supreme
People's Procuracy. The subgroup plans to meet annually.


9. (SBU) In the meeting, the subgroup addressed four issues:
the International Criminal Court (ICC),development of civil
society and regulation of religious freedom (identified by
the EC) and Vietnamese guest workers in Europe (identified
by the GVN). The EC agreed to host a seminar on the ICC for
GVN leaders and to consider a study trip to visit the Court
in The Hague. The GVN did not explain what difficulties it
has in joining the ICC, but noted that other "bilateral
agreements" are an issue. On development of civil society,
the GVN queried the EC about how Europeans regulate civil
society groups on financial grounds and from a security
standpoint. The GVN explained new regulations for religious
freedom "in general terms" and requested to keep it on the
agenda for next year's session as it anticipated a number of
developments over the coming year. On guest workers, the
GVN expressed concerns about Vietnamese workers abroad
overstaying their visas. They proposed a separate group
meet regularly on migration issues, with a particular focus
on the mechanics of rendition of Vietnamese who are living
illegally in the EU.

Norway and Canada - Delayed
--------------


10. (SBU) Australia had planned its annual dialogue for May,
but Canberra delayed this due to other commitments. They
are now hoping to set a new date in September. Norway's
annual dialogue will be held in October this year.

Comment
--------------


11. (SBU) We were please to see both the European Union and
European Commission engage the Vietnamese on religious
freedom. Until recently, other embassies had generally
treated religious issues only as a continuation of freedom
of assembly. Also positive is that the GVN reportedly
indicated to the EC that it would like to keep religious
freedom on the agenda for next year as "significant
developments" are expected between now and then. End
Comment.

BOARDMAN