CHRISTMAS 2005 IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 001338

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KIRF SCUL SOCI PHUM VM HUMANR RELFREE
SUBJECT: CHRISTMAS 2005 IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM

REF: A) HCMC 1310, B) HCMC 1182


1. (SBU) Summary: ConGen contacts in the Catholic and
Protestant communities report that, barring a handful of
exceptions, Christmas services in all Central Highland provinces
and elsewhere in southern and central Vietnam were held without
any government interruption despite increased police and
military presence prior to the holiday. The GVN's concern that
ethnic minority separatists would use Christmas to stage
anti-GVN protests reportedly resulted in the arrest of some
suspected "Dega Protestants" in the Central Highlands before
Christmas, but in no other disruptions to the religious
celebrations (ref A). On the eve of Christmas, the GVN
announced approval for the legalization of the first two
previously unrecognized churches under Vietnam's new legal
framework on religion. These developments reflect the GVN's
strategy of promoting non-threatening religious groups as
alternatives for the "Dega Church", which the GVN believes has
separatist aspirations. End summary.

Peaceful Celebrations
--------------


2. (SBU) Catholic officials said Christmas services were packed
throughout the Central Highlands and elsewhere in southern and
central Vietnam with no incidents reported. Our contacts from
the Kon Tum diocese (which covers Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces)
said the diocese secured permission to hold additional services
in 51 temporary locations in Gia Lai and 4 in Kon Tum, but still
could not meet parishioner demand. In Dak Lak and Dak Nong,
Catholic services were also held without impediment.


3. (SBU) The GVN-recognized Southern Evangelical Church of
Vietnam (SECV) told us its congregations were able to observe
Christmas throughout the Central Highlands without police
interference although police scrutiny had reportedly increased
before the holidays. In Gia Lai province, the SECV held services
for more than 75,000 - mostly Montagnard - followers. Our SECV
contact in Gia Lai told us that SECV Christmas services were
held at all of its 29 recognized churches and at over 250 other
"meeting points." In Kon Tum province, the SECV was allowed to
hold Christmas services in all of its 13 "meeting points."


4. (SBU) In Dak Lak province, despite stepped-up security in the
run-up to the holiday, local officials permitted the SECV to
hold services at the five churches and 11 "meeting points" that
have been officially recognized. A provincial SECV leader said
that the organization was also allowed to hold Christmas
services at most of its 300 other unrecognized "meeting points."
The exceptions were those congregations who did not apply for
permission in advance to hold church services, and were
therefore instructed to celebrate privately. The Dak Lak SECV
representative added that provincial authorities were
considering recognizing in 2006 another six meeting points that
have been "operating stably." In Dak Nong province, the SECV was
allowed to hold Christmas services at all of its recognized and
unrecognized "meeting points". A provincial SECV leader there
said that, in addition to the one church that has been
recognized to date, the authorities are considering recognizing
in 2006 four out of 122 "meeting points" in the province.


5. (SBU) Protestant house church leaders told us they heard few
reports of serious police harassment at the thousands of house
church Christmas services in the southern, central and Central
Highland provinces of Vietnam. According to a close contact in
the house church community, a local police official informed him
before Christmas that house churches in HCMC would be allowed to
hold Christmas celebrations in hotels or restaurants provided
they gave local authorities advance notice of their celebration.
(Note: According to the current regulations, religious
activities are only allowed to take place within registered
religious premises. End Note.) Our contact also noted that three
days before Christmas the GVN approved the applications to
legalize the HCMC operations of the Grace Baptist Church (also
known as the Vietnam Southern Baptist Convention) and the
Seventh Day Adventist Church. These were the first two
previously unrecognized churches successfully registered under
the new legal framework on religion (reftel B).

But Some Problems Remained
--------------


6. (SBU) The exceptions to general reports of unimpeded
Christmas celebrations are a handful of cases of police attempts
to prevent or interrupt Christmas celebrations, especially at
unrecognized house churches. House church contacts reported
about a dozen incidents scattered throughout southern, central
and Central Highland regions in Can Tho City, and Binh Dinh, Dak
Nong, Kon Tum, Binh Phuoc, Long An and Vinh Long provinces. In
most cases, when church leaders contacted central-level MPS
officials requesting intervention, local officials backed off
and celebrations eventually resumed.


7. (SBU) A reliable contact in the SECV told us that, in a
meeting to congratulate the SECV on Christmas, Gia Lai
provincial authorities informed the organization of the
existence of "an overseas reactionary organization" called the
"Dega Movement" or "Dega Church". The authorities said an
alleged Dega plot to cause disturbances in the Central Highlands
during Christmas resulted in the arrest of a number of people
suspected of involvement with the movement. Separately, the
Montagnard Foundation posted on its website a list of 27 Dega
Protestants allegedly arrested in this roundup, but our contacts
have not been able to confirm any of these cases. Our contacts
have also not been able to confirm if there was any interference
by police in the Christmas services of Protestant groups
suspected of being sympathetic to the "Dega Church" and ethnic
minority separatism. Post will continue to monitor the
situation.


8. (SBU) Comment: SECV and Protestant house church leaders
agreed that the GVN showed greater openness and tolerance
towards their Christmas celebrations this year than in the past.
The remaining cases of police harassment were not concentrated
in any particular area, such as the Central Highlands, but
scattered throughout various provinces in southern and central
Vietnam. This bears out the religious community's concern that
the new legal framework on religion may be implemented
inconsistently at different levels of government and in
different provinces. The long-awaited successful registration
of the first two previously unrecognized churches under
Vietnam's new legal framework on religion is an important step
as these applications are considered test cases for both the
GVN, in ironing out bureaucratic procedures, and for
unrecognized churches, in testing the sincerity of the GVN to
liberalize its religious policy. These developments further
reflect the GVN's two-track strategy of promoting
non-threatening religious groups while continuing to suppress
the "Dega Movement." End Comment.
WINNICK