LETTER TO AMBASSADOR HANFORD - SIX PROTESTANT CHURCHES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 001764

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TAGS: PREL KIRF PHUM PGOV HUMANR VM
SUBJECT: LETTER TO AMBASSADOR HANFORD - SIX PROTESTANT CHURCHES
REGISTERED IN THE NORTH

Ref: Hanoi 1466

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1. (SBU) On July 12, the MFA's Americas Department forwarded a
letter (full text in para. 3) from Chairman Ngo Yen Thi of the GVN's
Committee on Religious Affairs (CRA) to Ambassador-at-Large for
International Religious Freedom John Hanford relating the CRA's
concerns that we will accept a recent Committee on International
Religious Freedom (CIRF) recommendation to retain Vietnam as a
Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for religious freedom
violations. Accompanying the letter is an attachment (full text in
para. 4) listing various religious freedom developments in the
Northwest and Central Highlands regions and in Ho Chi Minh City over
the last few months.


2. (SBU) Of particular note is the news in the attachment that six
Evangelical Church of Vietnam North (ECVN) house churches in the
Northwest Highlands are now registered: two in Lai Chau Province
and four in Lao Cai. CRA officials state that the Lai Chau
congregations were registered on June 29 and July 3. However, the
Lao Cai churches are actually not yet registered, but a "decision is
pending," they said. These house church registrations are
consistent with the CRA's stated desire of registering eight total
congregations as a pilot project by the end of July (reftel). The
remaining two of the eight will be in Ha Giang Province, according
to the CRA. We will confirm these registrations with the ECVN as
soon as possible. End Summary and Comment


3. (SBU) BEGIN VERBATIM TEXT OF LETTER (GVN TRANSLATION):

The Government's Committee
for Religious Affairs
--------------
Hanoi, 26 June, 2006

H.E. John Hanford III
U.S. Ambassador at large
for International Religious Freedom

Dear Ambassador,

On behalf of the Committee for Religious Affairs of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam and for myself, I would like to send you my
sincere greetings.

It was brought to my attention that on 4th of May 2006, the U.S.
Committee for International Religious Freedom has submitted to the
U.S. State Department a report recommending keeping Vietnam in the
list of "Countries of Particular Concerns" (CPC). We view this as a
regrettable action and would like to share with you some of my
thoughts as follows:

In recent years, you and your colleagues have paid working visits to
Vietnam. I believe that the exchanges and meetings that you made
with Vietnam's leaders from central and local authorities, religious
organizations and dignitaries have helped you understand and witness
the Government and State of Vietnam's efforts in respecting and
assuring the rights to religious freedom for its citizens, meeting
the spiritual needs of the people while respecting the traditions
and customs of the nation.

At the Vietnam - U.S. Human Rights Dialogue in Hanoi last February,
you acknowledged the positive improvements in the religious
situation in Vietnam and expressed that you would suggest to the
U.S. Secretary of State to withdraw Vietnam from the CPC list.

There is an increasing number of U.S. and European delegations
coming to Vietnam, including most recently the Institute of Global
Engagement (IGE) mission, and the recent delegation of Vietnam's
religious dignitaries that went to Washington for a dialogue on
religious freedom in Washington, D.C. The objective views and
exchanges at these visits from both sides showed a common
recognition that that the situation of religion and belief
practicing of the followers, most notably in Central Highlands, is
remarkably improved.

The Northwest provinces have witnessed positive changes. Many
training seminars on the implementation of the recent policies and
legislations on religion affairs, especially Decree 01, were
organized for the local authorities officials. The registration of
religious worship groups has also been quickened.

Local authorities are carrying out registration of religious
practice as stated in the Ordinance on Belief and Religion in order
to recognize legal status for religious organizations once they meet
required conditions.

In this early June, delegations from European Union and Institute
for Global Engagement visited Central Highlands (Dak Lac, Gia Lai)

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and Northwest provinces (Lao Cai, Lai Chau) and witnessed first hand
changes in religious life of believers living in these areas.

These improvements are the results of the implementation of policies
on religious affairs of the Government of Vietnam, as well as
efforts of central and local authorities in implementing policies by
way of organizing seminars to promulgate the Ordinance on Belief and
Religion and the Prime Minister's Instruction on Protestantism.

I hope that during your next visit to Vietnam, you will continue to
see positive and clear results of the implementation of Vietnam's
religious policies.

I wish that my aforementioned views would present you with a clearer
picture of the religious situation in Vietnam and hope that you will
show your goodwill by recommending the U.S. State Department to
remove Vietnam from the CPC list. This will contribute to the
betterment of Vietnam - U.S. relations, for the interest of our two
countries' peoples and to the success of President Bush's visit to
Vietnam at the end of this year.

I look forward to receiving good news from you.

I wish you health, happiness and success.

Sincerely yours,

Ngo Yen Thi
Chairman, Committee for Religious Affairs

END VERBATIM TEXT OF LETTER


4. (SBU) BEGIN VERBATIM TEXT OF ATTACHMENT (GVN TRANSLATION):

(Title) DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS

Central Highlands

- As of 30-6-2006, there have been 60 chapter churches recognized
(Dak Lak 8, Gia Lai 29, Lam Dong 17, Dak Nong 3),of which 12 were
recognized during the first 6 months of 2006 and 700 worship places
registered with 185.709 religious followers actively practicing.
There were another more than 600 worship places registered for
practice during the Noel Holidays.

- The Church has ordained 12 pastors and restored pastorships to 7
pastors, 21 missionaries and accepted 22 students to attend the 1st
and 2nd Seminar of the Biblical and Theology Institute (Gia Lai 7,
Lam Dong 8, Dak Lak 7)

- Local authorities have given lands and processed legal documents
for the construction of churches and worshiping places for 10
chapter churches, of which 5 are newly built. The Bible has been
printed in three languages: E-de, Ba-na and Gia-rai for ethnic
minority worshipers.

Northwest

-Conferences were held to promulgate Decree 01 and Plan 05 in Lai
Chau, Lao Cai for local officials from the village levels and up.

-6 new worshiping places have been registered:

- Lai Chau: 2 places: 1) Than Chi Ho Village, Hong Thu Commune, Sin
Ho District with 37 families, 218 individuals (100 percent H'Mong
Ethnics, Protestants),2) Cung Mo Phin Village, Lan Nhi Thang
Commune, Tam Duong District: 44 families with 281 individuals (100%
H'Mong Ethnics, Protestants)

- Lao Cai: 4 places: 1) Khe Den 1 Village, Thai Nien Commune, Bao
Thang District with 25 families, 98 individuals; 2) Khe Den 2
Village, Thai Nien Commune, Bao Thang District with 33 families, 107
individuals, 3) Xin Chai and Vi Ma Tren Villages, Phong Hai Commune,
Bao Thang District, with 64 families; 4) Ai Nam Village, Phong Hai
Commune, Bao Thang District with 90 families, 484 individuals.

- Local authorities plan to step up the pace of registration during
the last 6 months of the year.

- Other provinces are also in the implementation process.

Ho Chi Minh City

- A meeting was organized for religious organizations that have not
been registered

- City authorities have registered the Mennonite Church of Viet Nam,
Baptist Benevolence Church and Christian Gospel Church.

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Other developments

- The central and local authorities continue to step up the pace of
the registration process of chapter churches and solve the problem
of attaining worshiping places for religious followers.

- Activities during the religious holidays are more diversified and
numerous.

- Due to more simplified procedures, there has been an increased
ease in a number of areas, including the reconstruction of
worshiping places, recruitment of students for training of religious
leaders, ordination and reorganization of religious organization.

-Religious Publishing House published more than 130 books during the
first 6 months.

-Applications being reviewed for 3 others religious organizations.

END TEXT OF ATTACHMENT

MARINE