NEW DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE FORMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 002663 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/AWH E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2016 TAGS: PHUM VM SUBJECT: NEW DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE FORMS HANOI 00002663 001.2 OF 004 Classified By: DCM Jon Aloisi per 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (SBU) This message was coordinated with ConGen Ho Chi Minh City. ¶2. (C) Summary and Comment: Using strong language, local activists announced on October 18 the establishment of an umbrella alliance of democratic organizations with the aim of pushing for a multi-party system in Vietnam. The Alliance's proclaimed operating method is non-violent, and it will not include any organization that has a violent agenda or intends to participate in Vietnam's political system as it currently exists. With about a month to go before the APEC Leaders' Meeting and the President's visit, there is little doubt that the leaders of this Alliance were deliberate in their choice of timing. We plan to tell our GVN interlocutors that a move to crack down on this and other activist groups after the world's attention shifts from Vietnam post-APEC would generate intense concern in the international community and could impede further bilateral progress in 2007. End Summary and Comment. ¶3. (SBU) On October 18, Hanoi-based political activist Dai Nguyen forwarded an e-mail declaration dated October 16 entitled "Announcement of the Formation of the Alliance of Our Nation's Forces Struggling for Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights for Vietnam" (Alliance) to Western diplomats and other human rights observers. According to the announcement, the Alliance aims to "expunge completely" the "axis of evil and deceit" of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) (full text of announcement in paragraph 8). ¶4. (C) Bloc 8406 and Alliance founder Do Nam Hai told HCMC Poloff on October 16 that the Alliance is an umbrella group that "unites all democratic organizations in the country" to push for a multi-party system. Its operating method is non-violent, and it will not include any organization that has a violent agenda or intends to participate in the existing political system. (Note: This explicitly excludes the Democratic Party of Vietnam and dissident leaders Hoang Minh Chinh and Tran Khue. Hai and Khue had a falling out earlier in the year over Khue's openness to political cooperation with the Communist Party. End Note.) Some of the Alliance's advisers include a number of Catholic priests based in Hue (Fathers Ly, Giai, Chan Tin and Loi),the Hoa Hao's Le Quang Liem, Mennonite Pastor Quang and Interfaith Evangelical Movement Pastor No. The Alliance's Executive Board includes Hai, Nguyen Chinh Ket and Thai Binh Province-based dissident Tran Anh Kim. It appears that all the members of the Alliance also are members of the 8406 Bloc. ¶5. (C) Hai, who drafted the declaration, and 8406 members Nguyen Chinh Ket and Phuong Thi were recently detained and held for ten hours by HCMC police, Hai continued. All three were questioned about the Alliance's establishment. Hai guessed that his prominent role in the Alliance led police to enter his home on October 11 and seize a computer hard drive while he was out. As a result, he had to hand write the Alliance's declaration, subsequently sending it to friends who published it on the Internet. The police also searched Ket's house and took two computers, Hai said. ¶6. (C) Bloc 8406 member Phuong Thi separately told us that, on the day Hai was detained, Hai had planned to meet with Dr. Nguyen Dan Que to ask why he did not join the Alliance. Also separately, Dr. Que told HCMC Poloff that he supports the Alliance in principle, but that it might be better for Vietnam's democracy movement if he remains outside of the Alliance and "adopts the standpoint that best serves democracy" here. He reported that his Internet connection was cut for a few days around October 7, but is now working fine. Comment -------------- ¶7. (C) With about a month to go before the APEC Leaders' Meeting and the President's visit, there is little doubt that the leaders of this Alliance, along with the 8406 Bloc and other newly formed pro-democracy groups, were deliberate in their choice of timing. So far, the GVN has been relatively circumspect in how it has dealt with these groups and their members )- while a few have been harassed, detained and eventually released, there have been no large-scale police roundups. Certainly, the possibility remains that once the world's attention shifts from Vietnam after APEC and the President's visit, the GVN will take action, particularly as the Alliance's declaration is strongly worded and crosses several GVN red-lines. We plan to tell our GVN interlocutors HANOI 00002663 002.2 OF 004 that such action would generate intense concerns in Washington and in the broader international community, and could impede further bilateral progress in 2007. End Comment. ¶8. (SBU) Begin verbatim text of announcement. Announcement of the Formation of the Alliance of Our Nation's Forces Struggling For Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights for Viet Nam (Abbreviated as The Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights for Viet Nam) Viet Nam, October 16th, 2006. Dear fellow-countrymen inside and outside Viet Nam, -- 1. The real situation in Viet Nam: Our beloved fatherland is in imminent danger due to destruction caused by internal invaders! Consequently, today, Viet Nam is categorized as one of the few countries that are most corrupt, poor, backward, ... in the world. These internal invaders are the deteriorating government machinery, born of the anti-democratic and anti-patriotic single-party totalitarian political system, established by the Communist Party, and which they still obstinately perpetuate. This single party dictatorial political system appeared and has damaged our Country for more than half a century, ever since the original lofty and just goal of the struggle for National Independence and Democracy was deviously and illegitimately redefined as the unrealistic goal of Socialism. History has proved that this unrealistic goal of Socialism is a complete failure on the global scale. In the North after July 20th, 1954 and in the whole country after April 30th, 1975, the Vietnamese People have become a whole Race of Slaves of these internal invaders -- a type of invader that is extremely deceitful, very difficult to recognize, and yet, just as vicious as the most cruel external invaders. An "axis of evil and deceit" hidden behind the face of the party and the machinery of the government, behind a thick web of police force, and behind a heavy weave of fronts formed and developed and continuously abused its power, from the central government to the provinces, cities, counties, districts, villages, hamlets,...to shackle a yoke around the necks of our People. -- 2. The Need for the Formation of an Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights: Thus, to expunge completely this "axis of evil and deceit," we must identify the true root cause, which is the current single party dictatorial political system. Only then can we form a civil, multi-party, pluralistic political system, which will provide equal opportunity to all citizens to elect the most altruistic, most suitable, and most deserving individuals to lead and manage our Country. Inherited from and building upon the successes of countless numbers of exemplary children of our People throughout many generations, Bloc 8406, which is a collective group of Vietnamese people supporting the "Manifesto on Freedom and Democracy for Viet Nam in 2006" which was released on April 8th, 2006, also issued a document on September 10th, 2006, to call for a formation of an Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights for Viet Nam. An excerpt from this document reads: "...To create a combined strength both inside and outside Viet Nam, we hope that every individual, organization, political party, ...will put aside their differences, and come together in forming an alliance of our nation's forces struggling for Democracy and Human Rights in Viet Nam. We strongly believe that this alliance for democracy and human rights, once formed and developed, will definitely advance the transformation of our country's government from an anti-democratic, anti-patriotic single-party dictatorial political system into a pluralistic, multi-party one, for the People and for the People's future! ..." We are fortunate that, for the last month, this appeal has received warm and enthusiastic support from countless numbers of Vietnamese inside and outside Viet Nam, and from many friends from the International community: - On September 20th 2006, Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, chairman of the High Tide Humanist Movement, wrote: "...We agree with the idea of Bloc 8406 to form an alliance of our nation's forces struggling for the Democracy and Human Rights in Viet Nam (() we support this and will do our part so that such an HANOI 00002663 003.2 OF 004 alliance will be founded soon..." - On September 22nd, 2006, The Most Venerable Thich Quang Do, Deputy Leader of the Unified Buddhist Church of Viet Nam, in his reply to this appeal, wrote: "...We hope the Vietnamese People as a whole will soon realize their yearning for freedom, democracy and human rights..." - On September 26th, 2006, Mr. Le Quang Liem, Central Chairman of the Authentic Hoa Hao Buddhist Church of Viet Nam (AHHBCVN),also wrote: "...AHHBCVN absolutely agrees with and supports the appeal to form an alliance of our nation's forces struggling for Democracy and Human Rights in Viet Nam, made by Bloc 8406 on September 10th, 2006." -- 3. The Announcement of the Formation of the Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights: For the above-stated concerns and reasons, and in accordance with the aspirations of the majority of the People, today, October 16th, 2006, in Viet Nam, we formally announce to our Vietnamese fellow-countrymen, both inside and outside Viet Nam and to the international community, the following: Alliance of Our Nation's Forces Struggling for Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights for Viet Nam (Abbreviated as the Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights for Viet Nam) officially formed and operated based upon the following 7 basic principles: -- 1. The Goal of the Alliance For Democracy and Human Rights for Viet Nam is to fight and to apply the strength of the Vietnamese People as a whole to completely solve the problem of monopolization of power by the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, leading to a thorough replacement of the current decrepit and backward one-party dictatorial political system by a civil multi-party system; in short, replacing the current political mode of operation, which is unfair and lacks competition, with an impartial one incorporating wholesome, pure competition. As long as such a political system having healthy opposing parties and incorporating competition, impartiality and democracy has not been established, any individuals who have a self-serving political agenda will not be invited to join this Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights. -- 2. The fighting method of this Alliance For Democracy and Human Rights is peaceful and non-violent. Anyone who has a different method of fighting will not be invited to join this Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights. -- 3. The strength of this Alliance For Democracy and Human Rights is that of all Vietnamese People as a whole, regardless of race, religion, political affiliation, personal situation, educational level, locality (inside or outside of Viet Nam)...Any Vietnamese who agree to the goal and fighting method stated above, can join the Alliance For Democracy and Human Rights For Viet Nam. At the same time, they have the right to retain the characteristics of their organizations or individual selves, as long as they do not go against the above stated goal and method of fighting. The force comprising the Alliance is also strengthened by all organizations and individuals in the international community which love and promote Freedom, Democracy, Human Rights, Justice, and Peace for Viet Nam and for all of humanity at large. -- 4. The meaning of the formation of Alliance For Democracy and Human Rights For Viet Nam is to actualize the principle that good triumphs over evil, the just wins over the unjust, advancing democracy wins over backward totalitarianism. -- 5. The infrastructure of the Alliance For Democracy and Human Rights For Viet Nam in the beginning phase is composed of an Executive Body, a Consultative Body, and Committees: Organizing, Human Rights, Religion, Law, Politics, Culture and Education, Information, International Relations, Economics, Finance, ... -- 6. This document is only the Announcement of Formation. To follow up, the Alliance For Democracy and Human Rights For Viet Nam will operate according to the Platform, Rules, Guides,...which will all be composed and detailed in a step-by-step fashion. In the first six months, the Alliance will strive to unify many organizations and individuals, domestic and abroad, under the goal and fighting method stated in item III, 1 & 2, to gather an increasing number of members from the 84 million Vietnamese all over the world; also, to appoint and perfect a structure and organization for HANOI 00002663 004.2 OF 004 the Alliance such that it can make its presence known publicly throughout Viet Nam, in order to realistically achieve its goals, and to overcome any challenges which may stand in the way of the Alliance's progress. -- 7. The Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights For Viet Nam will have completed its historic function as soon as a Multi-party National Assembly has been elected, a Multi-party Constitution has been ratified, and a Democratic Government has been established. At that point, the Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights for Viet Nam will announce its dissolution in order to give way for other political parties to operate. We cordially and earnestly invite all Organizations and Individuals to sign up to join. Alliance's membership: --I. Consultative Body: (listed alphabetically) --1. Former Military Officer Pham Que Duong, Hanoi --2. Catholic Priest Nguyen Huu Giai, Thua Thien-Hue --3. Professor Nguyen Thanh Giang, Hanoi --4. Former Chairman of the General Labor Union Nguyen Ho, Saigon --5. Chairman Le Quang Liem, AHHBCVN, Saigon --6. Catholic Priest Phan Van Loi, Hue --7. Catholic Priest Nguyen Van Ly, Hue --8. Reverend Ngo Hoai No, Saigon --9. Reverend Nguyen Hong Quang, Saigon --10. Former Military Officer Vu Cao Quan, Hai Phong --11. Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, Chairman, High Tide Humanist Movement, Saigon --12. Hoa Hao Buddhist Le Van Soc, Vinh Long --13. Catholic Priest Chan Tin, Saigon --14. Writer Hoang Tien, Hanoi --II. Executive Body: (listed alphabetically) Contact emails: LMDCNQVN2006@gmail.com; VPLMDCNQVN2006@gmail.com --1. Engineer Do Nam Hai, Sai Gon --2. Professor Nguyen Chinh Ket, Sai Gon --3. Former Military Officer Tran Anh Kim, Thai Binh --4. Specialist Nguyen Phong, Hue --5. (to be announced) --III. Committees: In the first stage, there will be 10 committees, and members within committees will not be announced. Additional committees will be added if necessary. --IV. Representatives from participating Organizations: We cordially and earnestly invite Representatives of all Organizations, and Individuals, to sign up to join the following: --1. Chairman Le Quang Liem, AHHBCVN. --2. Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, Representative of The High Tide Humanist Movement, Sai Gon --3. Bloc 8406, comprised of tens of thousands of Peaceful Democratic Fighters, domestic and abroad. Interim Representatives: - Engineer Do Nam Hai, Sai Gon - Former Military Officer Tran Anh Kim, Thai Binh - Catholic Priest Nguyen Van Ly, Hue --4. Specialist Nguyen Phong , Founding Chairman, Viet Nam Progression Party, Hue --5. Tran Tinh Le, Chairman of the Founding Council, Viet Nam Freedom and Democracy Party --6. Nguyen Thanh Nam, Ph.D., U.S.A. --7. Ly Trung Tin, Editor, Dan Van Magazine, Germany --8. Dr. Nguyen Thuy Trang and the editorial board of VietLand.net, San Jose, California, U.S.A. --9. Le Dien Duc, Poland, DanChimVietOnline --10. Nguyen Van Hung, Telephone: 0917881614 --11. Phan Khai, U.S.A. --12. Tran My Tien, Bangkok, Thailand End text. MARINE