EUROPEAN DIPLOMATS VISIT PHAM HONG SON

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 002916

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS AND DRL/AWH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2016
TAGS: PHUM VM
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN DIPLOMATS VISIT PHAM HONG SON

REF: HANOI 2704

Classified By: Ambassador Michael W. Marine per 1.4 (b/d)


1. (C) Summary and Comment: European diplomatic
representatives in Hanoi were able to visit Pham Hong Son in
his home on November 23. However, the meeting -- in which
Son described his democratic beliefs, explained his
unwillingness to join forces with newly formed activist
groups in Vietnam and observed that these new groups suffer
from suspicions about being compromised by undercover agents
-- ended early due to police interference. Son described
himself as healthy, and his wife reported no repercussions
following the meeting. The ease with which our European
colleagues met Son is likely thanks to the completion of
APEC; security officials permitted no visitors while world
leaders were visiting Hanoi during Leaders' Week (November
12-19). We will again attempt to see Son while continuing to
press the GVN on our remaining prisoners of concern. End
Summary and Comment.


2. (C) French Embassy Political First Secretary Alexis Andres
reported to us that he and colleagues from the British,
German and Italian Embassies, together with a representative
from the EC Delegation Office, visited former prisoner of
concern Pham Hong Son in his home on November 23. Although
there was a visible plainclothes police presence near Son's
home, the diplomats were freely able to approach and enter
the house. (Note: This contrasts with our own attempt to
visit Son November 18, when police prevented POLOFF from
entering Son's home. End Note.) The diplomats met with Son
and his wife Vu Thuy Ha for approximately 25 minutes before a
policeman incessantly rang the doorbell and informed the
group that the meeting had "gone on long enough." Although
Son was unfazed and "seemed like he could talk all day," the
diplomats took their cue from Son's visibly uncomfortable
wife and left soon thereafter.


3. (C) Based on our French colleague's readout, the contents
of the meeting seemed to track broadly with the Ambassador's
and DRL A/S Barry Lowenkron's meeting with Son in October
(reftel). Son told his European visitors that "now is not
the time" to try to form new political parties or change
Vietnam's political system. "It would be a waste of time and
energy, and that's why I'm going to keep my distance from the
new activist groups," he explained. Furthermore, the new
dissident groups that have come on the scene in recent months
-- the Vietnam Progressive Party, the 8406 Bloc and others --
need to do more to coordinate their efforts, but suspicions
about "undercover police agents" within each other's ranks
are preventing this, Son said.


4. (C) Son reported that his health is fine, and that he no
longer suffers from a hernia nor coughs up blood, our French
colleague relayed to us. Following the meeting with Son, his
wife told the French Embassy that the police did not contact
them nor harass them in any way.


5. (C) Comment: The ease with which our European colleagues
were able to visit Son is hopefully a sign that, now that
APEC is over, Vietnam's security services are no longer at
Defcon One. We will assess this on our own in the near
future by once again attempting to visit Son in his home. In
the meantime, we will continue to press the GVN on our
remaining prisoners of concern: Nguyen Vu Binh and Phan Van
Ban. End Comment.
MARINE