Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05HANOI387
2005-02-18 09:44:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH AFM NGUYEN DUC HUNG:

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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 SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 000387 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT PASS TO EAP/BCLTV; EAP/RSP; DRL; PRM; L/EAP; PM; T

State for USTR E. Bryan

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM PREF KIRF OTRA OVIP VM KICC RELFREE HUMANR ETMIN
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH AFM NGUYEN DUC HUNG:
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACTION PLAN, PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT

Ref: A. Hanoi 312; B. State 29193; C. EAP/BCLTV O-I 17-05;

D. Hanoi 284

SUMMARY
-------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 000387

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT PASS TO EAP/BCLTV; EAP/RSP; DRL; PRM; L/EAP; PM; T

State for USTR E. Bryan

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM PREF KIRF OTRA OVIP VM KICC RELFREE HUMANR ETMIN
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH AFM NGUYEN DUC HUNG:
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACTION PLAN, PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT

Ref: A. Hanoi 312; B. State 29193; C. EAP/BCLTV O-I 17-05;

D. Hanoi 284

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (SBU) The Ambassador met February 18 with Assistant
Foreign Minister Nguyen Duc Hung at the latter's request,
and their discussion focused on the Prime Minister's
proposed June visit to the United States and the religious
freedom "action plan." On the PM's visit, AFM Hung
requested protocol treatment commensurate with the PM's
status as "number two" in Vietnam and urged the USG to nail
down the dates of visit. In the June 20-30 timeframe, the
PM wants to spend five days in four U.S. cities and also
plans to visit Canada. AFM Hung also reiterated that the
GVN hopes to conclude a number of agreements prior to the
PM's visit, such as the Framework on Economic and Technical
Assistance and maritime and agricultural agreements, and is
considering adoption, Article 98 and IMET agreements.


2. (SBU) Summary, cont'd. On religious freedom, AFM Hung
said that the Foreign Minister gave the "go ahead" to work
on an exchange of notes with the United States and that the
GVN is putting together its draft. AFM Hung responded with
some confusion to the Ambassador's presentation of Ref B,
questioning the use of the term "action plan" and asking how
many notes would be exchanged and whether the notes would be
duplicates of each other. Ultimately, AFM Hung agreed that
the Embassy and the MFA's Americas Department would work
closely to ensure that the notes ultimately exchanged
reflect each side's views and concerns. AFM Hung raised in
familiar terms his Government's concerns about both Nguyen
Huu Chanh and a recent open letter from the U.S. Commission
on International Religious Freedom (CIRF) to the Secretary
on the religious situation in Vietnam. The Ambassador

described briefly his upcoming travel to the Central
Highlands, outlined the purpose of S/P Inboden's February 20-
24 visit to Vietnam, urged the GVN to both allow MIA
investigation and recovery operations in the Central
Highlands and give permission for a medevac helicopter to
operate in support of site activities and pressed the GVN to
give favorable consideration to imprisoned Mennonite Le Thi
Hong Lien. He also thanked the MFA for its help in allowing
an Amcit detainee to see his family, sought assistance in
facilitating the upcoming Codel McHugh visit and passed a
nonpaper requesting the GVN return to the United States the
Great Seal from the former Saigon Embassy compound, now on
display in a museum in HCMC. End Summary.

Prime Minister's Visit
--------------


2. (SBU) The Ambassador met with Assistant Foreign Minister
and Americas Department Director General Nguyen Duc Hung
February 18. Pol/C and U.S. Desk Director Nguyen Hoanh Nam
were also present. AFM Hung opened by noting that the
Ambassador plans to travel to the Central Highlands
provinces of Lam Dong and Dak Lak February 25-March 1. The
Ambassador said that he wishes to travel to region before
Easter and added that, during his meetings with local
officials and religious and civic leaders, he plans to
deliver a familiar message: that the United States values
highly religious tolerance and that the United States
supports the territorial integrity of Vietnam.


3. (SBU) Turning to his prepared notes, AFM Hung said that,
during his February 4-5 discussions with NSC Senior Director
Michael J. Green (Ref A),he had touched on "various
aspects" of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai's proposed visit to
the United States in June. AFM Hung noted that he would
like to start discussing "details," first among them the
"protocol level" of the PM's visit. The GVN understands
that the United States only has "State" and "non-State"
visits, but nonetheless hopes that the PM's visit will be an
"official" one. Pressed for further details by the
Ambassador, AFM Hung explained that this means the GVN
desire is for the visit to be "formal, with all the protocol
and other measures commensurate with the PM's status as
number two in Vietnam." This will be important for
Vietnamese "domestic consumption," as the Vietnamese people
will "watch closely" to see how PM Khai is welcomed and
treated. For example, "whether he has an honor guard," AFM
Hung explained.


4. (SBU) On the issue of timing, the Prime Minister wishes
to travel to the United States for five days during the June
20-30 timeframe. He also plans to travel to Canada, and, in
order to nail down the Canadian half of the trip, the GVN
needs to know soonest when the PM will be welcome in the
United States. The Prime Minister would prefer to visit the
United States first. His "preliminary itinerary" contains
stops in four cities over five days, including: Seattle,
where he will meet with the Governor, State legislators and
local Vietnamese-Americans and "sign the contract" for four
Boeing 787's; Washington, D.C., where during his two-day
stay he wishes to meet the President, APNSA Hadley,
Secretary Rice and Members of Congress whom the PM is "close

SIPDIS
to," such as Senators McCain, Kerry, Hagel and Lugar; in
addition, the PM hopes to participate in a number of
agreements' "signing ceremonies;" New York City, where he
will meet with "financial and insurance company leaders,
such as the head of New York Life" and deliver the keynote
address to the U.S.-Vietnam Business Forum; and Boston,
where he will meet with "intellectuals" and give a speech at
Harvard University, Hung said.


5. (SBU) As for the agreements the GVN would like to
conclude by the time the Prime Minister visits - with the PM
himself "witnessing the signing ceremonies" - AFM Hung
listed the Framework Agreement on Economic and Technical
Cooperation (which Hung noted is in its final clearance
stage); the Maritime Transportation Agreement (which the
Ambassador said will be the subject of discussion during a
Maritime Administration team's visit in March); and the
Agreement on Agriculture and Related Fields. The GVN "hopes
to finalize" these three agreements before the PM's visit.
The GVN is also "considering" agreements on adoptions,
Article 98 and International Military and Education Training
(IMET),AFM Hung added.


6. (SBU) Responding to a number of AFM Hung's points, the
Ambassador noted that, regarding protocol, the White House
controls these matters and every President has a different
style. We will convey the GVN's desiderata to Washington,
but it is also important for the Vietnamese Embassy to begin
discussions with the White House and the Department. The
same is true for the visit's timing. On the subject of the
787 purchase, the Ambassador said that, in light of China's
recent agreement to purchase 70 787's, the sooner Vietnam
can get its own order into the pipeline, the better.
China's large order could impact Vietnam's own delivery
timetable and it may not be wise to wait until the Prime
Minister's visit to Seattle to seal the deal, the Ambassador
observed. Finally, in preparation for the visit of the
Prime Minister and his delegation, the Ambassador asked the
MFA to provide us as soon as possible with names and dates
of birth (and passport numbers, if feasible) to begin our
necessary visa-related security check procedures.

Religious Freedom Action Plan
--------------


7. (SBU) Turning to another subject of discussion during the
Dr. Green visit, AFM Hung noted that both sides had
discussed exchanging diplomatic notes to address religious
freedom issues. The Americas Department received
instructions from the Foreign Minister to "go ahead" and is
currently working on the contents of a note. AFM Hung
expressed his hope that the Embassy and the Americas
Department, "working together," will be able to conclude
this matter "by early March."


8. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that resolving this issue will
be a key element in creating the right atmosphere for the
Prime Minister's visit. Continuing, he said that he had
received a green light from Washington to hand over to the
GVN the list of priority actions (Ref B) which would form
the heart of our proposed action plan. Furthermore, while
we are not yet authorized to present to the GVN the
remaining text of the action plan (but will do so as soon as
possible),we are able to read the full text of the proposed
action plan to GVN officials (Ref C). Following his
presentation to AFM Hung, the Ambassador observed that all
of the elements both sides have discussed as important are
contained within our draft action plan. The Embassy
recognizes that time is short and looks forward to moving
this process forward.


9. (SBU) Expressing some confusion, AFM Hung said that
"there appears to have been some misunderstanding" regarding
the action plan. The GVN understands that there will be "an
exchange of notes," but "does not like" to have these notes
refer specifically to a "work plan" or "action plan." The
Ambassador replied that, at the GVN's request, the term
"work plan" was replaced by "action plan." That said, the
important thing is not nomenclature but rather how the two
sides reach their desired goal. AFM Hung nodded in
agreement and returned to the question of notes, asking "how
many notes are going to be exchanged" and "will they be
different from each other?" The Ambassador responded that,
while the specifics of the notes have yet to be discussed,
there will be two notes, and one note will have to
acknowledge the receipt of the other. The Ambassador and
AFM Hung agreed that, in the days ahead, both sides will
need to exchange their thoughts and opinions about their
respective texts, and AFM Hung urged the U.S. side to "take
into consideration" Vietnam's concerns.

S/P Inboden Visit
--------------


10. (SBU) Continuing on the subject of religious freedom,
the Ambassador noted that S/P staffer and DRL/IRF Ambassador
Hanford associate Will Inboden will travel to Vietnam next
week for meetings with Government officials and religious,
particularly Protestant, leaders in HCMC and Hanoi. The
purpose of this visit will be to understand the religious
freedom situation in Vietnam as well as possible, and, to
that end, S/P Inboden will likely meet with a number of
house church leaders. The purpose of these meetings will
only be to gather information. Inboden will not visit
Vietnam to negotiate the action plan, the Ambassador added.
AFM Hung said that the MFA had instructed the External
Relations Office in HCMC to assist in arranging meetings for
Dr. Inboden.

CIRF Recommendations to S
--------------


11. (SBU) AFM Hung expressed concern about the U.S.
Commission on Religious Freedom's (CIRF) February 8 letter
to the Secretary, which recommends putting People's
Committee Chairs of problem provinces on visa watchlists and
providing USD one million for religious freedom and human
rights programs in Vietnam. The GVN understands that the
CIRF is independent and that its recommendations do not
constitute a State Department decision, but the CIRF letter
"irritated" Vietnamese public opinion and "certain law
enforcement agencies." AFM Hung urged the United States to
"be careful," because "such news can spoil things."
Responding to the Ambassador's question about whether AFM
Hung had seen the CIRF's reaction to the Prime Minister's
Instruction on Protestantism, he said that he had, but that
the CIRF recommendations could still "cause some problems."
The Ambassador rejoined that Vietnam's failure to issue the
implementing regulations for the Ordinance on Religion left
it open to criticism. AFM Hung replied that he had attended
a meeting February 17 chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vu
Khoan, and said it seemed that the regulations will be out
"in a couple of days."

Nguyen Huu Chanh
--------------


12. (SBU) Responding to AFM Hung's request for "more
information" Nguyen Huu Chanh (the self-described leader of
the "Government of Free Vietnam" (GFVN)),the Ambassador
reiterated points he had made two weeks before in a
conversation with Vice Foreign Minister Le Van Bang (Ref D).
On the specific issue of the GFVN's office in Washington,
the Ambassador remarked that opening an office is not
illegal and, as far as we could tell, would have virtually
no real significance in terms of damaging GVN interests.
AFM Hung expressed his understanding but noted that some in
his Government "exaggerated" Chanh's activities. Hung urged
the USG to "give serious consideration" to Vietnamese public
opinion and take some measures to prevent Chanh from
carrying out his activities, which could include "something"
on the occasion of the Prime Minister's visit. The
Ambassador responded that, because of societal and other
differences, there are some issues in which one side is not
prepared to do what the other wishes. When it comes to the
Prime Minister's safety and security, however, there will be
no higher priority. That said, we cannot stop individuals
from speaking out or perhaps demonstrating, even if it is
during the PM's visit.

Codel McHugh
--------------


13. (U) The Ambassador noted that a three-person delegation
of House Members will travel to Vietnam next week to discuss
issues related to the fullest possible accounting of MIAs.
However, while their plans are to visit Vietnam and Laos and
then return to Vietnam, they only received single-entry
visas from the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington. The
Ambassador asked for the MFA's assistance in addressing this
issue.

Fullest Possible Accounting
--------------


14. (SBU) Our inability to carry out MIA investigation and
recovery activities in the Central Highlands remains an
issue, the Ambassador continued, as does the matter of
allowing a medevac helicopter to operate. The Ambassador
urged the GVN to take steps to resolve these concerns.

Lien Case
--------------


15. (SBU) On the subject of imprisoned Mennonite Le Thi Hong
Lien, the Ambassador pressed the GVN to consider favorably
her case, noting that she needs medical treatment, not
imprisonment. AFM Hung promised to look into her situation.

Amcit Detention
--------------


16. (SBU) Returning to another subject raised during the
Ambassador's February 1 meeting with VFM Bang (Ref D),the
Ambassador thanked the MFA for its assistance in allowing
the family of imprisoned Amcit Bao Phat Tang to visit him.

The Great Seal
--------------


17. (SBU) The Ambassador concluded by raising the issue of
the Great Seal of the United States, which was part of the
former Embassy compound in Saigon. Noting that the Seal is
now on display in a museum in Ho Chi Minh City, the
Ambassador said that, as part of the 1995 property agreement
between the United States and Vietnam, the Seal should have
been returned. A GVN decision to return the Seal would be a
welcome and highly symbolic gesture. Its display in a
museum as a trophy of war is not appropriate for the current
positive state of bilateral relations. If the Seal's return
could be quietly arranged, it would be greatly appreciated.
The Ambassador handed AFM Hung a nonpaper to this effect.

MARINE