Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06HANOI2321
2006-09-11 09:26:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:
POLOFF VISITS THANH HOA FULL GOSPEL PROTESTANTS, PROVINCE
how-toVZCZCXRO6516 PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHHI #2321/01 2540926 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 110926Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3346 INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH PRIORITY 1783 RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002321
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/IRF
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KIRF PHUM PGOV HUMANR VM
SUBJECT: POLOFF VISITS THANH HOA FULL GOSPEL PROTESTANTS, PROVINCE
CONFIRMS TWO ECVN CONGREGATIONS TO REGISTER
REF: A) HANOI 2170; B) HANOI 1520; C) HANOI 1666; D) HANOI 2245
HANOI 00002321 001.2 OF 002
Summary
-------
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002321
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/IRF
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KIRF PHUM PGOV HUMANR VM
SUBJECT: POLOFF VISITS THANH HOA FULL GOSPEL PROTESTANTS, PROVINCE
CONFIRMS TWO ECVN CONGREGATIONS TO REGISTER
REF: A) HANOI 2170; B) HANOI 1520; C) HANOI 1666; D) HANOI 2245
HANOI 00002321 001.2 OF 002
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) On September 8, Poloff visited the Thanh Hoa community in
which members of the Full Gospel Protestant Church have recently
suffered police harassment and beatings. Poloff met at the church
with one church member and his neighbors. During a separate meeting
with Poloff, provincial officials confirmed that two local officers
received administrative punishments for their participation in the
June 18 beating of Protestants; acknowledged other recent reported
beatings of church members; and, asserted that the province is
investigating these incidents. These local officials also noted
that two of five ethnic minority congregations identified by the
Evangelical Church of Vietnam North (ECVN) have been approved for
registration as soon as the requisite paperwork is complete. End
Summary.
Thieu Vien Officials
--------------
2. (SBU) On September 8, Poloff met with Thieu Vien Commune People's
Committee Chairman Nguyen Xuan Lai, along with provincial level
Religious Affairs officials, to discuss the recent harassment of
several members of the United Gospel Church of Vietnam, a.k.a. "The
Full Gospel Church," (refs A-C). Lai explained house church owner
Le Thi Minh had broken the law by holding meetings of outsiders in
her home and that local citizens were upset at the "disruptions"
caused by these meetings. Poloff encouraged the chairman and
commune staff to increase the space for religion within their
community in line with the GVN's framework on religion and to allow
the gatherings at the Minh home.
House Church Conditions
--------------
3. (SBU) In his meeting with Poloff, house church member Le Ngoc Hop
stated that the house church members only want to worship in peace
in their community. This statement aroused several onlookers, and
one explained that the local community harasses members of the house
church because they "do not dignify the dead" and because they
convene meetings of outsiders, singing loudly, without a permit.
Provincial Officials
--------------
4. (SBU) Bui Hai Vinh, Director of Thanh Hoa's Provincial Department
of Religion and Ethnicities, confirmed to Poloff that the commune
had punished two security officials for the beating incident on June
18 (Ref B). Both were given administrative punishment under Party
Directive 150 (CP/150). One official was fined 400,000 VND (USD 25,
or around one quarter of a year's salary in Thanh Hoa Province) for
beating house church leader Nguyen Trung Ton. A second official
received a letter of reprimand for failing to intervene to prevent
the beating. The victim Ton also received a letter of reprimand.
Vinh could not explain what significance such a letter may have for
a regular citizen. He also confirmed that the recent report of
other beatings of Full Gospel members in another Thanh Hoa community
(Ref A) is true, and that the People's Committee has instructed
district officials to investigate these incidents.
5. (SBU) Vinh noted that the province recently received, from the
GVN's Committee on Religious Affairs (CRA),a list of five ethnic
H'mong congregations identified by the ECVN in Muong Lat District as
"mature congregations" that should be easy for provincial officials
to register quickly. (Note: We passed this list to the CRA on
August 30. Ref D. End Note.) Vinh stated that the province has
already approved two of these five house churches in Tam Trung
Village for registration by the end of September as pilot
registrations for the other three. The registrations will be
official as soon as the requisite paperwork has been completed.
Vinh promised to inform Post when the congregations have received
their final certificates of registration.
Comment
--------------
6. (SBU) The relative ease, after several false starts, with which
we visited the actual Full Gospel house church may suggest that
local officials have finally grasped the importance of addressing
this matter and responding to international concerns. We hope that
this will translate into fewer problems for the Protestants in the
coming months. The news about the registration of the two ECVN
congregations in Thanh Hoa is especially encouraging as it seems
that the GVN has instructed localities to begin registering at least
some congregations quickly. End Comment.
HANOI 00002321 002.2 OF 002
MARINE
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/IRF
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KIRF PHUM PGOV HUMANR VM
SUBJECT: POLOFF VISITS THANH HOA FULL GOSPEL PROTESTANTS, PROVINCE
CONFIRMS TWO ECVN CONGREGATIONS TO REGISTER
REF: A) HANOI 2170; B) HANOI 1520; C) HANOI 1666; D) HANOI 2245
HANOI 00002321 001.2 OF 002
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) On September 8, Poloff visited the Thanh Hoa community in
which members of the Full Gospel Protestant Church have recently
suffered police harassment and beatings. Poloff met at the church
with one church member and his neighbors. During a separate meeting
with Poloff, provincial officials confirmed that two local officers
received administrative punishments for their participation in the
June 18 beating of Protestants; acknowledged other recent reported
beatings of church members; and, asserted that the province is
investigating these incidents. These local officials also noted
that two of five ethnic minority congregations identified by the
Evangelical Church of Vietnam North (ECVN) have been approved for
registration as soon as the requisite paperwork is complete. End
Summary.
Thieu Vien Officials
--------------
2. (SBU) On September 8, Poloff met with Thieu Vien Commune People's
Committee Chairman Nguyen Xuan Lai, along with provincial level
Religious Affairs officials, to discuss the recent harassment of
several members of the United Gospel Church of Vietnam, a.k.a. "The
Full Gospel Church," (refs A-C). Lai explained house church owner
Le Thi Minh had broken the law by holding meetings of outsiders in
her home and that local citizens were upset at the "disruptions"
caused by these meetings. Poloff encouraged the chairman and
commune staff to increase the space for religion within their
community in line with the GVN's framework on religion and to allow
the gatherings at the Minh home.
House Church Conditions
--------------
3. (SBU) In his meeting with Poloff, house church member Le Ngoc Hop
stated that the house church members only want to worship in peace
in their community. This statement aroused several onlookers, and
one explained that the local community harasses members of the house
church because they "do not dignify the dead" and because they
convene meetings of outsiders, singing loudly, without a permit.
Provincial Officials
--------------
4. (SBU) Bui Hai Vinh, Director of Thanh Hoa's Provincial Department
of Religion and Ethnicities, confirmed to Poloff that the commune
had punished two security officials for the beating incident on June
18 (Ref B). Both were given administrative punishment under Party
Directive 150 (CP/150). One official was fined 400,000 VND (USD 25,
or around one quarter of a year's salary in Thanh Hoa Province) for
beating house church leader Nguyen Trung Ton. A second official
received a letter of reprimand for failing to intervene to prevent
the beating. The victim Ton also received a letter of reprimand.
Vinh could not explain what significance such a letter may have for
a regular citizen. He also confirmed that the recent report of
other beatings of Full Gospel members in another Thanh Hoa community
(Ref A) is true, and that the People's Committee has instructed
district officials to investigate these incidents.
5. (SBU) Vinh noted that the province recently received, from the
GVN's Committee on Religious Affairs (CRA),a list of five ethnic
H'mong congregations identified by the ECVN in Muong Lat District as
"mature congregations" that should be easy for provincial officials
to register quickly. (Note: We passed this list to the CRA on
August 30. Ref D. End Note.) Vinh stated that the province has
already approved two of these five house churches in Tam Trung
Village for registration by the end of September as pilot
registrations for the other three. The registrations will be
official as soon as the requisite paperwork has been completed.
Vinh promised to inform Post when the congregations have received
their final certificates of registration.
Comment
--------------
6. (SBU) The relative ease, after several false starts, with which
we visited the actual Full Gospel house church may suggest that
local officials have finally grasped the importance of addressing
this matter and responding to international concerns. We hope that
this will translate into fewer problems for the Protestants in the
coming months. The news about the registration of the two ECVN
congregations in Thanh Hoa is especially encouraging as it seems
that the GVN has instructed localities to begin registering at least
some congregations quickly. End Comment.
HANOI 00002321 002.2 OF 002
MARINE