Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05HANOI2857
2005-10-27 10:08:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:  

ASEAN PARTNERSHIP, HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE, EMBASSY

Tags:  PREL PHUM AMGT ASEAN VN HUMANR RELFREE 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS HANOI 002857 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EAP/RSP, OBO, DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM AMGT ASEAN VN HUMANR RELFREE
SUBJECT: ASEAN PARTNERSHIP, HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE, EMBASSY
COMPOUND DISCUSSED WITH ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER

UNCLAS HANOI 002857

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EAP/RSP, OBO, DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM AMGT ASEAN VN HUMANR RELFREE
SUBJECT: ASEAN PARTNERSHIP, HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE, EMBASSY
COMPOUND DISCUSSED WITH ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER


1. (SBU) Summary: The Charge met a senior Ministry of
Foreign Affairs official October 27 and made key points on
the ASEAN Enhanced Partnership, the upcoming Human Rights
Dialogue and the New Embassy Compound. The MFA official
complained about what the GVN feels is an increased tempo of
meetings between ConGen Ho Chi Minh City staff and political
dissidents and cautioned that the possible Congressional
earmark of funds for the Montagnard Development Project
could support a group the GVN considers a terrorist
organization. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Charge D'Affaires John Boardman met with Assistant
Foreign Minister Nguyen Duc Hung October 27 at the Foreign
Ministry at the Embassy's request.


3. (SBU) The Charge reiterated the USG's interest in
launching the U.S.-ASEAN Enhanced Partnership at the APEC
Summit in Busan and encouraged Vietnam to support such a
formulation. AFM Hung said Vietnam will consider the U.S.
position on the issue in consultations with other ASEAN
members. He noted, however, that Vietnam operates in the
context of ASEAN consensus and decisionmaking.


4. (SBU) The Charge raised the issue of the discussions with
the GVN regarding the acquisition of a site for a New
Embassy Compound (NEC). It is necessary, he said, for both
sides to sign the Agreed Minutes from the July 2005 USG-GVN
meeting before the USG can authorize the Vietnamese request
to relocate their Consulate General in San Francisco.
Unfortunately, the Hanoi People's Committee has taken a long
time to review the Agreed Minutes and made some changes to
the document that are significant enough to require further
discussion. The Charge asked AFM Hung to intervene with the
Hanoi People's Committee to encourage them to meet with the
Embassy. To date, the People's Committee has not responded
to Embassy requests to meet and discuss the Agreed Minutes.
AFM Hung pledged to raise the issue with the Hanoi People's
Committee.


5. (SBU) AFM Hung asked the Charge to be aware of the public
relations consequences of USG actions relating to human
rights. "We have noticed lately that the U.S. Consulate
General staff in Ho Chi Minh City has been meeting more
often with dissidents," he said. "It is your right to meet
with them, but you need to know that increasing the profile
and the number of visits sends the wrong signal: that the
United States is trying to create opposition forces in
Vietnam." The Charge replied that, on the contrary, the
meetings demonstrate the progress in human rights in Vietnam
because the GVN is willing to let dissidents speak to
foreign government representatives without harassment. In
addition, such meetings benefit Vietnam because they allow
the USG to respond to Vietnam's critics with fact-based
eyewitness evidence rather than second- or third-hand
reports.


6. (SBU) Looking somewhat stricken at this interpretation,
AFM Hung protested further: "The dissidents always say
things that cause problems after their meetings with the
Consulate General staff. You are letting yourself be used
by them this way and letting them take advantage of you. You
really increase their popularity when you do that. This
does not improve the bilateral environment." The Charge
noted that both sides have the same goal, which is to
encourage positive developments in Vietnam.


7. (SBU) Sticking with the human rights theme, AFM Hung said
that the GVN is waiting anxiously for the release of the
International Religious Freedom Report. The Charge said
that we, too, are looking forward to seeing the report, but
cannot predict when it will be available. AFM Hung also
noted the Senate's approval of several million dollars in
funding for the Montagnard Development Project, which the
GVN feels has close ties to Kok Ksor's Montagnard
Foundation, a group they consider to be a terrorist
organization. "That," AFM Hung said with a deep frown,
"would be VERY bad."


8. (SBU) The Charge advised AFM Hung that we expect the
Human Rights Dialogue to be in early December; AFM Hung
nodded and said that would be fine. The Charge also noted
that the delegation would want to meet with other groups and
individuals in Hanoi and HCMC after the Dialogue; AFM Hung
said that, too, would be fine.

BOARDMAN