AMBASSADOR HANFORD MEETS CHAIRMAN THI OF THE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000582 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND DRL/IRF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM KIRF PREL PGOV VM SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR HANFORD MEETS CHAIRMAN THI OF THE COMMITTEE FOR RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS HANOI 00000582 001.4 OF 003 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom John Hanford met February 21 with the head of Vietnam's Committee for Religious Affairs. They agreed that the GVN has taken important steps to establishing religious freedom in most of the country; however the Northwest Highlands remains problematic for removing the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation. Over the next six months, the CRA will focus its efforts on educating local authorities in this region about Government policy promoting the registration of Protestant groups. Chairman Thi also promised to provide by June a province-by-province breakdown of statistics on freedom of religion, including the number of new churches registered. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom John Hanford, accompanied by Ambassador Marine, met February 21 with Chairman Ngo Yen Thi of the GVN's Committee for Religious Affairs (CRA). Ambassador Hanford commended and thanked the GVN and CRA for their efforts to improve conditions for all groups of religious believers in Vietnam. With the CRA's leadership, the "irritant" to the bilateral relationship of Vietnam's CPC designation could be removed. Of the four issues that generated the CPC designation (discussed below),all but one have been substantially resolved. With high-level GVN efforts, the remaining issue of registration of Protestant groups in the Northwest Highlands area could be resolved before the President visits Vietnam for the November APEC summit. The President takes a personal interest in Vietnam's approach to religious freedom, so our mutual efforts to improve the situation for believers have proven a positive development for the bilateral relationship. . ¶3. (SBU) In terms of recent positive developments, Ambassador Hanford listed: the creation of a new legal framework for religious freedom; the virtual abolition of forced renunciations; the release of all religious prisoners of conscience, except for Ma Van Bay; the registration of many places of worship in Gia Lai Province; the GVN's decision to permit the Evangelical Church of Vietnam North (ECVN) to hold a long overdue national conference; the decision to allow Thich Nhat Hanh's visit to Vietnam; the decision to allow various religious groups to train and appoint new leaders; and, most significantly, the promulgation of new laws allowing previously unregistered congregations and faiths to legally register their activities. ¶4. (SBU) Chairman Thi thanked Ambassador Hanford and noted that all of these achievements were the result of mutual efforts undertaken by both governments in recognition of the importance of improving the bilateral relationship. He promised by June to provide Ambassador Marine with an official GVN summary of the progress in 2005 broken down by province, as requested. This report would specifically record the number of Protestant groups applying to register and the number approved in each province in 2005, as well as other statistics on the numbers of new and renovated places of worship. This report will be followed with an update for 2006 statistics, Thi said. ¶5. (SBU) Regarding Protestants, the Chairman noted that the Southern Evangelical Church of Vietnam (SECV) has become "stabilized" as an organization. One of five new SECV training facilities has already been completed, and 684 places of worship have been registered in the Central Highlands. The SECV's new bible school will allow them to train more than twice the number of pastors than before. Thus the situation for Protestants in the Central Highlands is getting better. Thi agreed, however, that the situation for Protestants in the Northwest Highlands remains problematic, as implementation of the PM's Instruction on Protestantism has been slower in this region than in the Central Highlands. The CRA has sent officers to the region to investigate a number of allegations forwarded by Ambassador Marine in recent months, particularly in Lao Cai and Ha Giang provinces. These officers report that local authorities generally claim either there are no Protestants in their districts or that "the few" under their administration are followers of the "Vang Chu" sect and thus a source of instability that must be suppressed. This problem is compounded by the fact that "there are many branches of Protestantism, and it's difficult to ascertain which dogma each branch follows," especially since most local Protestants don't have resident pastors to guide them, Thi noted. Local officials are also worried about significant disagreements within H'mong communities in the HANOI 00000582 002.4 OF 003 northwest between ECVN converts and the more numerous followers of traditional beliefs, particularly in disputes over the division of family lands. ¶6. (SBU) The Chairman gave several examples of the CRA's efforts to investigate allegations of discrimination against and abuse of Protestants raised by the Embassy in recent months. Among these, a recent ECVN allegation that two followers were beaten in Lao Cai Province had proven groundless when the local officials subjected the individuals in question to an independent medical examination. In a similar case (NFI),district officials asserted that the individuals alleged to have been beaten were fictitious. Despite local explanations, however, Thi acknowledged that the CRA believes that abuses do occur in the region -- though he was careful to state that the GVN assumes these abuses are the fault of local citizens, not local authorities. Whatever the explanation, the CRA has been meeting with provincial and district officials to explain what Protestantism is and to train them in how to help Protestant groups register. ¶7. (SBU) In conclusion, Thi noted that the CRA had recently recognized two new religious organizations: the Ho Chi Minh City branches of the Baptist Church and the 7th Day Adventists (which will allow them to begin registering individual congregations). In addition, the CRA has recommended that the National Assembly approve a new law that will assist religious groups wishing to conduct charitable programs for the benefit of society. ¶8. (SBU) Ambassador Hanford replied that the positive developments in the Central Highlands demonstrate the good intentions of the CRA and the GVN towards the freedom of religion. Of the four issues underlying CPC designation, forced renunciations still occur, but in very low numbers. Furthermore, all religious prisoners have been released, except Ma Van Bay, although the less severe issue of "pagoda arrests" continues. Thus, the only real remaining problem is the issue of registration of places of worship, and it is from the northwest that we hear the most complaints. (Note: The fourth issue, punishment of officials for religious freedom violations, was not discussed. End Note.) Since May of last year, 300 congregations in northern Vietnam have applied to register, but none has received any kind of answer from local officials. In fact, in some cases, local officials have actually taken advantage of the application process and used application lists of followers to target people for harassment. Some have been beaten, and others have been threatened if they do not cease meeting for worship. In some cases where believers point to the new laws, local officials claim that they have not been instructed by Hanoi. A recent DFA article cited similar problems in the northwest, Ambassador Hanford said. ¶9. (SBU) Turning to the issue of the tendency for Protestant groups to splinter into numerous different denominations, Ambassador Hanford stated that it is important for the GVN to give such groups the freedom to split and to allow smaller groups to apply for recognition and registration. However, it seems that most Protestant groups in the northwest wish to be part of the officially recognized ECVN. As the GVN gave the SECV permission to register a number of groups en masse, a similar approach with the ECVN would clearly demonstrate the Government's positive inclination towards churches in the northwest. This would also help force local authorities to become more transparent in their dealings with the Protestants. The GVN should also increase its efforts to allow the ECVN to train local pastors and lay preachers, and to hold local authorities to account for abuses against followers worshipping legally, Ambassador Hanford urged. ¶10. (SBU) In conclusion, Ambassador Hanford applauded the CRA's efforts to promote the legalization of faith-based charitable works, noting that in the United States over one half of charitable giving goes to religious institutions. These institutions provide a very large portion of social care for the needy. In a related issue, Ambassador Hanford asked for a clarification of GVN law on whether religious groups are allowed to conduct various activities outside normal worship (religious retreats, charitable works, etc.) without first informing the Government, or whether they need to seek prior approval from local authorities. ¶11. (SBU) Chairman Thi answered that religious groups are allowed, under the Ordinance on Religion, to conduct normal religious activities (services, rituals and small festivals) HANOI 00000582 003.2 OF 003 at officially recognized places of worship without prior approval; however, officials must approve any activities conducted outside places of worship. In addition, large festivals also require prior approval. Thi also explained that groups are allowed to select their own leaders according to their own rules and processes provided the Government accepts their choices. ¶12. (SBU) Ambassador Hanford reiterated the importance of movement on religious freedom in Vietnam for the sake of our bilateral relationship. He stated that Secretary Rice had specifically asked him to participate in the Human Rights Dialogue after her conversation with FM Nguyen Dzy Nien in Busan in November 2005. Ambassador Hanford said he would try to return to Vietnam "once or twice" over the next six months to seek to resolve, where possible, remaining issues connected with CPC designation.. ¶13. (SBU) Ambassador Marine thanked the CRA for its efforts to investigate allegations brought forward by the Embassy, noting that this transparency has helped the United States to better understand many of these cases. He pledged to continue to share issues of concern with the CRA as they arise. We look forward to soon reading the CRA's province- by-province statistical report on religious freedom, as this will be helpful in further discussions of CPC designation. In addition, the United States shares the CRA's enthusiasm for allowing religious groups to do charitable work in Vietnam, particularly in the area of HIV/AIDS relief. Finally, the ECVN should be allowed to establish a training center for new pastors in Hanoi, the Ambassador emphasized. Chairman Thi responded that he had heard about the ECVN's desire to establish a new bible school, but he has not looked into their request yet. ¶14. (U) Ambassador Hanford cleared this message. MARINE