U.S.-VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE: MORNING SESSION

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SUBJECT: U.S.-VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE: MORNING SESSION


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Summary
--------------


1. (SBU) Delegations from the United States and Vietnam met
for the two countries' first Human Rights Dialogue in over
three years February 20. The morning session included
opening remarks, Vietnam's presentation of its approaches to
human rights, a discussion of criminal code, prison
conditions and prisoners of concern and an abbreviated
discussion of religious freedom, which was picked up in the
afternoon session (septel). The tone of the HRD was open
and cordial, with both sides expressing their desire to use
the discussions to further accelerate positive developments
in bilateral relations. In response to DRL A/S Lowenkron's
presentation on criminal code, prisons and prisoners of
concern, the GVN highlighted recent progress in legal and
judicial reform and suggested that Decree 31 (administrative
detention) may be amended, but not abolished. A/S Lowenkron
also called for greater access to trials and prisons and
urged the GVN to allow the UN access to prisons. The GVN
representatives left open the possibility that there would
be future amnesties or sentence reductions for prisoners of
concern, including Pham Hong Son, and agreed to discuss
further our prisoner list.


2. (SBU) The GVN sought clarification of the reported
mistreatment of prisoners in U.S. prisons, incidents at Abu
Ghraib and the situation in Guantanamo Bay. In the
discussion on religious freedom, the GVN representatives
highlighted recent advances, including the promulgation of a
new legal framework on religion, efforts to ensure that
local officials and religious believers are aware of the
changes and the registration of new congregations. U.S.
Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
Hanford acknowledged these improvements and pledged to work
with the GVN to address our issues of concern in order to
remove Vietnam from the list of Countries of Particular
Concern. The two sides agreed to continue in the afternoon
the discussion on religious freedom, including remaining
issues of USG concern. End Summary.

Opening Remarks
--------------


3. (SBU) Vietnam delegation head and MFA International
Organizations Department Director General Pham Binh Minh
opened the 11th round (and first in over three years) of the
U.S.-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue (HRD) February 20 (full
participants' lists in Para 33). In his initial remarks,
Minh noted that bilateral relations had greatly improved in
2005, and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai's visit to the United
States and the U.S.-Vietnam Joint Statement were the year's
highlights. With Vietnam's WTO accession efforts and its
hosting of APEC 2006, this year would prove to be an equally
important year for bilateral ties. In this context, the HRD
will help to increase mutual understanding between the
United States and Vietnam by allowing the two sides to
frankly discuss issues of mutual concern in the spirit of
the Joint Statement, DG Minh said.


4. (SBU) Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human
Rights and Labor Barry F. Lowenkron noted that the fact that
the United States and Vietnam were able to schedule the HRD
shows that the two sides had overcome the obstacles that had
led to the HRD's suspension in 2002. Today, the United
States and Vietnam enjoy strong, cooperative and productive
relations and have the responsibility to build on PM Khai's
historic visit to the United States. The Joint Statement
commits the two countries to raise their ties to a higher
plane, and this is the basis for the efforts surrounding the
HRD. United States Ambassador-at-Large for International
Religious Freedom John V. Hanford's participation in the HRD
signals the importance of the HRD and the key place
religious freedom has in this dialogue, A/S Lowenkron said.


5. (SBU) The United States and Vietnam need to do everything
in their power to ensure that the HRD bolsters their
positive relations, the A/S continued, particularly because
of President George W. Bush's plans to visit Hanoi in
November 2006 for the APEC Leaders Meeting. The HRD is also
important because the A/S has an obligation to report to
Congress the HRD and what it has achieved. For the United
States, the principles surrounding the HRD are threefold:
that it leads to concrete results; that it is candid and
transparent; and, that the two countries can bring all of
their concerns to the table. On this occasion, the United
States delegation will present a number of suggestions for
Vietnam's consideration, including possible actions that
Vietnam could take that would be well received by both the

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President and the international community. We note the
positive steps that the GVN has taken in the area of
religious freedom and in releasing a number of prisoners of
concern. Vietnam has much to be proud of in its socio-
economic development efforts on behalf of its citizens.
Improvements in these areas are without question. Continued
improvements in the human rights situation, and political
and legal developments, can bolster Vietnam's efforts in
other areas. They can also help to demonstrate the
importance Vietnam attaches to these matters and establish
Vietnam as a model country that respects fundamental human
rights, A/S Lowenkron stressed.


6. (SBU) In the May 5 exchange of letters, the United States
committed to engage in dialogues, Ambassador Hanford
observed, and the United States is pleased in connection
with HRD to uphold this commitment. Over the past few
years, the United States and Vietnam have worked on the
religious freedom issue in ways that have improved official
and unofficial bilateral ties. Progress in the area of
religious freedom and other areas on the HRD's agenda will
allow the U.S.-Vietnam relationship to improve further,
Ambassador Hanford said.

Approaches to Human Rights
--------------


7. (SBU) Turning to the next item on the agenda, "Approaches
to Human Rights," DG Minh noted that to understand Vietnam's
perspective on human rights, one had to understand Vietnam's
historical circumstances, particularly its over thousand-
year struggle for freedom and independence. These are the
basic human rights that Vietnam cherishes, along with
sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in
its internal affairs. Furthermore, Vietnam believes that
the protection of political and civil rights are linked with
social and economic development. As such, Vietnam's efforts
to develop its economy, such as through its "doi moi"
(renovation) policy, are designed to encourage social
progress. Vietnam also believes that, in a diverse world,
international human rights standards should be harmonized
with the unique historical, cultural and other traditions of
individual countries, DG Minh said.


8. (SBU) The principal responsibility of each nation is the
protection of its citizens' human rights, the Director
General continued. In Vietnam, individual rights can only
be secured once the common interests of the community, and
the nation, are respected. Finally, given historical,
political and cultural differences, each nation's values are
also different, but there needs to be a common international
understanding about human rights. No nation should consider
itself perfect in the area of human rights, and there should
be no double-standards. In closing, Vietnam agrees that the
HRD should be used to raise any and all issues of mutual
concern, and, in that spirit, Vietnam stands ready to use
the dialogue to learn from the United States, DG Minh said.


9. (SBU) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has spoken
often on the subjects of human rights and democracy
promotion; in a recent speech, she noted that democracy by
definition cannot be imposed, and that there is no single
road to building democracy, A/S Lowenkron responded.
However, the Secretary, the President and the American
people believe that there are some universal human rights
principles: the right for the full political participation
of the citizens of each country; the right for the
development of a robust civil society; and, the right to
have a government that is transparent and accountable to the
people. Vietnam's doi moi policy can be strengthened by the
advancement of the human rights and democracy agenda and, in
so doing, Vietnam can increase its international stature and
have a positive role beyond its borders. Indeed, no country
is perfect in human rights; in fact, no country is perfect,
A/S Lowenkron noted.

Criminal Code, Prisons, Prisoners of Concern
--------------


10. (SBU) A/S Lowenkron opened the next agenda item by
expressing hope that, by frankly raising our concerns in
these areas, we will be able to see progress before the
President's visit in November. Vietnam's National Assembly
amended its criminal code in 2003 to allow for increased
rights for defendants. The purpose was to change courtroom
proceedings to a more "adversarial" system in which the
judge presides over proceedings while the State and the
defense make their arguments (rather than the previous
system in which the judge helped to guide the State's case).

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The United States would be interested in learning how these
changes are being implemented. Furthermore, the United
States continues to have concerns about Decree 31/CP, which
deals with administrative detention. We are concerned that
the definition is broad, ill-defined and open to abuse. It
also appears that Decree 31 violates the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). We urge
Vietnam to repeal the decree and release those imprisoned
under it. At the most recent U.S.-Vietnam HRD in 2002, this
issue was discussed, and we would be interested in hearing
whether Vietnam thinks that it would be possible to move
beyond this decree, A/S Lowenkron asked.


11. (SBU) In the view of the United States, detentions,
trials and sentencings without due process damage Vietnam's
international image. Opening court trials to observers,
journalists and Vietnamese citizens could increase
confidence in Vietnam's legal system, A/S Lowenkron
continued. There have been some arrests, including of Pham
Hong Son, that appear to contravene the ICCPR because the
trials were not carried out in a transparent manner. The
Unites States would also like to see further reforms to
allow for unrestricted pre-trial access to an attorney from
the time an individual is arrested, A/S Lowenkron stressed.


12. (SBU) On the subject of prisoners of conscience, Vietnam
ratified the ICCPR in 1982, the A/S noted. However, Vietnam
has detained, arrested, brought to trial and imprisoned
individuals for seeking to exercise their right to free
speech. This is a serious violation of the ICCPR. We have
a list of prisoners of concern and those facing travel and
other restrictions that we will share with the GVN, and, as
always, we would welcome any further information on these
prisoners and other individuals. On the list are a number
of prisoners of particular concern, such as Pham Hong Son,
who distributed an essay calling for democracy and
translated an article from the State Department's website
entitled "What is Demcracy?" The American people and
Congress will not understand why a country the United States
wants good relations with would arrest someone for
translating an article from the State Department website.
Vietnam would send an important message by releasing Son and
others, such as Nguyen Vu Binh, Do Van My and Pham Van Ban.
We are also concerned about religious prisoner Ma Van Bay,
A/S Lowenkron said.


13. (SBU) Finally, the United States is concerned about
prison conditions, the A/S noted. While we note progress
since the criminal code came into effect in July 2004, we
would also note that the last prison visit by the UN Working
Group on Arbitrary Detentions was in 1994. The United
States urges Vietnam to consider full access to prisons and
prisoners of concern by members of the international
community. These are not easy issues, but we seek to
discuss them with Vietnam in the spirit of mutual
understanding. They are at the core of President Bush's
beliefs and U.S. Congressional interest in Vietnam, A/S
Lowenkron stressed.

Vietnam Responds: Criminal Procedures Code
--------------


14. (SBU) Asked by DG Minh to respond to a number of the
issues raise, Ministry of Justice representative Dang Hang
Oanh described Vietnam's efforts at legal reform as being
aimed towards building a just system that is clear, sound,
transparent and democratic. One aspect of this is
decreasing sentences, expanding the number of set
punishments and using non-detention sentences, such as re-
education. Vietnam is also seeking to decrease its use of
the death penalty, which now applies to a limited number of
serious crimes. Thanks to the revision of the criminal
procedures code in 2003, there are now strict procedures for
arrests, interrogations and sending cases to trial. For
example, the 2003 code clearly defines who has the right to
make an arrest: the chief and deputy chief of the Supreme
People's Procuracy and military procuracies at all levels; a
presiding judge or deputy and military judges at all levels;
appellate judges of the Supreme People's Court or Trial
Council and the heads and deputies of investigative
agencies, Oanh described.


15. (SBU) Section 2, Article 18 of the revised criminal code
also spells out rights and obligations regarding searches.
If an arrest is carried out in someone's residence, a
communal official or neighbor must be present as a witness.
Similarly, if an arrest takes place in a workplace, a
workplace representative and local official must be present.
The criminal procedures code was also amended in 2003 to lay

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out rules for arrests in emergency situations. Following an
emergency arrest, Article 81 of the criminal procedures code
requires the local people's procuracy to approve the arrest
warrant. If the warrant is denied, the person must be
released immediately. The rules guiding administrative
detentions have also been changed. In the past, a person
could be held indefinitely for a national security crime,
but now the time limit is four months. The 2003 code
revisions also established regulations regarding
interrogations and questions and answers in court. This was
to increase the responsibility of prosecutors to make their
case. The prosecutor asks questions, and the accused has
the right to defend himself or herself. Defense lawyers
also have increased rights to express their opinions in
court to ensure that the trial is run in a fair, democratic
and transparent manner, Oanh concluded.

Prisoners of Concern
--------------


16. (SBU) Tran Van Thanh of the Ministry of Public Security
(MPS) addressed the issue of prisoners of concern. He noted
that Ambassador Hanford presented a list of 86 persons of
concern, both prisoners and those facing restrictions, to
MPS Vice Minister Huong in October 2003. MPS discovered one
duplicate name, decreasing the number to 85 persons of
concern. Among these, 13 could not be identified, four had
not been arrested and two were not present at their
residences. Since then, 47 of the 85 have been released or
received amnesties. The remaining 19 are serving their
sentences. In June 2005, Ambassador Marine presented Vice
Minister Huong with a list of 13 persons of concern and, in
January 2006, provided Prime Minister Khai with a list of 17
persons of concern, including a number on the previous list
and a number of individuals facing restrictions. With
regard to the June 2005 list, seven individuals have been
amnestied, one person committed suicide, four are serving
their sentences and one is under consideration for an
amnesty. Based on progress during his detention period,
Nguyen Khac Toan was recently released on the occasion of
Tet, Thanh observed.


17. (SBU) For other cases of concern, based on the necessary
conditions for receiving an amnesty and in accordance with
Vietnamese law, MPS will work closely with other concerned
agencies, Thanh said. In the time to come, there may be
additional individuals of concern who receive amnesties, are
released or receive sentence reductions. Among those
individuals raised by Ambassador Marine who are facing
restrictions, MPS has found that only one is subject to
probation based on Vietnamese law. The others are leading
normal lives in their areas of residence. MPS stands ready
to discuss with the United States, through different
channels, the U.S. list of names. That said, all the
individuals of concern who are in prison were tried in a
democratic and transparent manner and in accordance with
Vietnamese law, Thanh averred.


18. (SBU) On the subject of Decree 31 (administrative
detention),Thanh said that Vietnam is currently attempting
to transform into a nation based on rule of law. Vietnam
needs legal documents to manage society, protect national
security and promote human rights. Decree 31 must be
understood in that context. However, no legal document is
permanent, and Vietnam will consider amendments to Decree 31
through a survey and review of the decree to ensure that it
reflects appropriate international standards, Thanh said.

Prisons, and a List of Concerns About the U.S.
-------------- -


19. (SBU) Nguyen Van Ninh of the Department of Prison
Management (MPS) said that Vietnam's prison policies are in
accordance with Vietnam's regulations and legal code.
Vietnamese law prohibits mistreatment of prisoners and
encourages prisoners to reflect on their crimes to become
better citizens in the future. Vietnam's humanitarian
policies and traditions are reflected both in its prison
laws and in the practice of offering amnesties. For
example, in 2004 and 2005 there were four grand amnesties in
which 35,299 persons were released, including over 100
foreigners and 25 individuals of concern to the United
States. Anyone is eligible regardless of religion,
ethnicity or citizenship, provided their fellow prisoners
vote that he or she should be amnestied and Vietnam's
Amnesty Council agrees, Ninh said.


20. (SBU) Turning to a number of issues of concern to
Vietnam about the United States, Ninh noted that U.S. prison

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conditions and the treatment of prisoners are not ideal and
sought further information on the alleged mistreatment and
sexual abuse of prisoners. A November 12, 2004, New York
Times article reported that over 13 percent of U.S.
prisoners have been sexually abused. The news surrounding
Abu Ghraib was also disturbing. Furthermore, since 2003,
there have been over 300 cases of cruel and inhumane
treatment of prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo
Bay. According to a number of documents made public by the
White House in June 2004, the U.S. Department of Defense
authorized the harsh treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo
Bay. Vietnam also has concerns about the detention without
trial of a number of individuals. Since September 11, 2001,
70 persons, including 69 Muslims, have been detained because
of their refusal to provide information to U.S. courts.
Finally, the GVN would like further information on the
secret prisons the CIA has reportedly established in eight

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countries. Over the past four years, some 100 suspects have
been detained in these locales, with 30 of them turned over
to third country intelligence services. The German press
has also reported many rendition flights over its territory.
The conditions in these prisons are reportedly worse than
hell. The GVN seeks U.S. clarification of and elaboration
on these matters, Ninh requested.


21. (SBU) Prior to asking A/S Lowenkron to respond, DG Minh
noted that the Vietnamese side listened carefully to the
U.S. delegation's legal and judicial reform recommendations.
He suggested that some of these views may be reflected in
future legislation and legal revisions.

A/S Lowenkron Responds
--------------


22. (SBU) The list the U.S. delegation will hand over today
will have more than 13 names but fewer than 86. The list's
content reflects discussions at both the State Department
and White House and was updated to note Nguyen Khac Toan's
amnesty, which was welcomed in Washington. We will continue
to work with the GVN in the months ahead to share
information about the individuals on the list to hopefully
resolve the 21 cases. The release of Pham Hong Son would
send a strong signal to the international community. On
Decree 31, it is good to hear that the GVN is discussing
ways to amend the law, even if there are no discussions
underway to abolish it. It is not for the United States to
discuss Vietnam's history, but Vietnam is resilient,
independent and strong, and Decree 31 does not reflect a
Vietnam that is now more open and confident, particularly
after so many difficult years. We are grateful for the
comprehensive overview of Vietnam's criminal procedures
code, but areas of concern remain. The United States is
willing to work with Vietnam in a partnership to strengthen
its legal system and reform efforts. In response to A/S
Lowenkron's question about whether there will be further
amnesties this year, Ninh said that the State President
makes the decision, and an amnesty or sentence reduction is
granted based on the subject's progress in prison. A/S
Lowenkron stressed that the international community is very
interested in access to prisons and for observers to attend
trials.


23. (SBU) On the issues of concern to Vietnam, A/S Lowenkron
said that the incidents at Abu Ghraib are inexcusable and
indefensible. While there have been more than 300 cases of
prisoner abuse around the world, there have been over 400
prosecutions in the United States for these abuses and over
100 persons were found guilty. The question of how the
United States organizes prisons in the context of the global
campaign against terror has been debated openly and freely
in the United States. This kind of incident was not unique
in American history, but when it has happened in the past,
we have counted on a free press, a fully independent court
system, including the Supreme Court, and a fiercely
independent and active U.S. Congress. The American people
expect nothing less. The debate on interrogations and
prisons is conducted on the basis of a free press, rule of
law and the Congress, A/S Lowenkron stressed.


24. (SBU) On Guantanamo Bay, over one-third of the prisoners
have been released or sent back to other governments. The
International Committee of the Red Cross has full and
unimpeded access to the remaining prisoners. In fact, the
days of Guantanamo Bay are numbered, and Guantanamo Bay is
not Abu Ghraib. These prisons are not prison camps but
camps for prisoners of war. The war on terror is a long and
difficult struggle and involves many nations. Progress will
be fitful. Working with others, the United States will do
everything it can to ensure that its principles are honored

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while these same principles, and its homeland, are protected
to the full extent of our law and international law. On the
issue of renditions, Ramsey Youssef, one of the 1993 World
Trade Center bombers, is probably the most famous rendition
case, and this is a procedure that nations need to defend
themselves against attack. In short, no country is perfect,
but the fundamental freedom of debate, rule of law and
listening to the people through the electoral process can
help to discover and address problems, the A/S said.


25. (SBU) DG Minh wrapped up this agenda item by noting that
EU Ambassadors and the Swiss Ambassador have been able to
visit prisons, and said that, while the GVN had arranged for
A/S Lowenkron to visit a prison in Ho Chi Minh City, the
delegation decided against it. A/S Lowenkron stressed that
it is important for Vietnam to allow the UN access to
prisons.

Religious Freedom: Vietnam Describes Achievements
-------------- --------------


26. (SBU) Nguyen Thi Bach Tuyet of the GVN's Committee for
Religious Affairs (CRA) opened this agenda item by
expressing her government's hope that Vietnam's achivements
in this area would allow Vietnam to be removed from the list
of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC). Over the past
year, Vietnam has promulgated the Ordinance on Religion and
its Implementing Decree and the Prime Minister's Instruction
on Protestantism. To ensure that local officials understand
the new legal framework, the GVN has organized training
courses and workshops for over 2,000 civil servants in
charge of religious affairs. Some 12,878 religious leaders
and followers have also taken part in these courses. A
total of 281 courses in 32 out of 64 provinces and cities
have reached 1,154,735 civil servants at all levels. The
central-level CRA is working closely with local authorities
to promote communication and information sharing and ensure
that there is broad awareness of the new laws and
regulations, particularly in the Central Highlands and
northwest and southwest, Tuyet explained.


27. (SBU) In the Central Highlands and Binh Phuoc Province,
there are currently 300,760 Protestant believers, 32
pastors, 37 honorary pastors, 105 missionaries and 50
Protestant congregations. Out of these 50, 12 are new or
recently established. Local authorities in Dak Lak and Gia
Lai have allocated land for the construction of churches,
and a new church was recently opened in Gia Lai on February

1. Also, there are increasing numbers of ordained pastors
and honorary pastors. Some 25 students from Gia Lai were
sent to attend a training course at an institute for bible
and theological studies, and there have been three courses
for 113 deacons and an additional 115 deacons in Binh Phuoc.
The GVN is also considering recognizing additional
Protestant branches, such as the Baptists. It has published
60,000 copies of the Ordinance and the implementing decree,
with half of them written in ethnic minority languages. The
GVN has also produced three films regarding the Central and
Northwest Highlands and the southwest to help the
international community understand better the situation
there, Tuyet said.


28. (SBU) There have been a number of important visits to
Vietnam by religious leaders over the past year, she
continued. In 2005, Buddhist leader Thich Nhat Hanh led a
large delegation to Vietnam for discussions. Cardinal Sepe
of the Vatican also traveled to Vietnam to ordain 57 priests
in Hanoi; he also visited a number of diocese. EU
Ambassadors have visited both the Northwest and Central
Highlands and conducted meetings with religious leaders and
followers. Ambassador Hanford himself has visited the
Central Highlands. Vietnamese religious organizations have
sent delegations abroad, including to the ASEM Dialogue on
Beliefs in Bali. The CRA and other agencies have also sent
delegations abroad, and the positive outcomes to date have
been thanks to the efforts and goodwill of religious
organizations and followers. Tuyet closed by seeking
information the ten Protestant churches that were recently
burned down in the United States.

Ambassador Hanford Responds
--------------


29. (SBU) Religious freedom is an issue of high interest and
concern to the international community, Ambassador Hanford
said. No country, including the United States, is perfect,
but respect for religious freedom is a fundamental right.
It is important to recognize that the large portion of the
Vietnamese population is able to enjoy a significant degree

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of religious freedom. The focus of U.S. concern is on
particular groups that are not able to freely practice their
faith. We recognize and welcome the efforts the GVN has
made to promote religious freedom and address issues of
concern. For example, the GVN has released a number of
religious prisoners of concern. These were individuals for
whom we had made personal appeals, and we appreciate the
GVN's responsiveness, Ambassador Hanford said.


30. (SBU) The most important initiative to date has been the
introduction of new laws, including the Ordinance on
Religion and Belief, its implementing decree and the Prime
Minister's Instruction on Protestantism, the Ambassador
continued. These represent a real commitment to change and
established a nationwide structure to protect new freedoms
or preserve freedoms established in the past. It is
commendable that the Prime Minister demonstrated his
personal commitment to this issue as reflected in his
special instruction on Protestantism. The GVN's efforts to
reach the May 5 exchange of letters were also significant,
and we appreciate the GVN's hard work to conclude this
exchange. As President Bush said in his meeting with PM
Khai, this is a landmark agreement, the implementation of
which will help bilateral relations to reach a higher plane.
President Bush has a personal interest in this matter and,
as A/S Lowenkron said, the Secretary has the same interest,
Ambassador Hanford noted.


31. (SBU) We have heard from various religious groups in
Vietnam that there is increasing openness for religious
practice, he continued. In particular, the USG welcomes the
explicit ban on forced renunciations. This kind of progress
goes far in eliminating a divisive issue between the United
States and Vietnam. Religious believers in the United
States can be expected to find it very difficult to
understand such an extreme practice. The GVN claimed this
was not the law of Vietnam, and now that a ban on forced
renunciations has been codified, this issue has been
clarified for all concerned parties both at home and abroad.
The USG also welcomed: the Evangelical Church of Vietnam-
North's (ECVN) December 2004 Congress, the first in twenty
years; Thich Nhat Hanh's visit to Vietnam after 38 years;
the new latitude granted to religious groups to select their
leadership; the recognition granted to Grace Baptist Church
and the Seventh Day Adventists, which opens up a new chapter
in the recognition of religious groups; the formal
recognition of over 200 meeting points in Gia Lai Province,
facilitating over 200 meeting points for Protestants for
Christmas service in Dak Lak Province; and, providing
religious training and building permits, which in the past
have been difficult to secure. The United States and others
in the international community recognize these and other
positive steps. We hope to work together in the coming
months to resolve the CPC issues, Ambassador Hanford
concluded.


32. (SBU) At this point, the two delegations agreed to break
for lunch and continue in the afternoon the religious
freedom discussion, including our remaining areas of concern
(afternoon session reported septel).


33. (SBU) List of HRD participants:

United States
--------------

Assistant Secretary Barry F. Lowenkron
Ambassador John V. Hanford
Ambassador Michael W. Marine
Susan O'Sullivan, Senior Advisor DRL/PHD
Patricia Davis, National Security Council
Michael Orona, DRL
Clarissa Adamson, DRL/IRF
John Adams, Desk Officer MLS/VN
Marc Knapper, Political Counselor
Ben Moeling, Political Officer, Hanoi
Robert Silberstein, Political Officer, HCMC
Nate Jensen, Political Officer, Hanoi (control officer)


Vietnam
--------------

Mr. Pham Binh Minh, Director General, Department of
International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MFA)

Mr. Nguyen Quang Thang, Director General, Department of
Internal Affairs, Office of the Government

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Mr. Tran Van Thanh, Deputy Director General, Department of
Security Advisory, General Security Department, Ministry of
Public Security

Mr. Hoang Van Phan, Deputy Director General, Department for
External Relations, Committee for Ethnic Affairs

Mr. Nghiem Quang Xuyen, Deputy Director General, Department
of Prosecution and Investigation of Security Violations,
Supreme People's Procuracy

Mr. Ngo Cuong, Deputy Director General, Judicial Science
Institute, Supreme People's Court

Mr. Nguyen Tri Dzung, Deputy Director General, Press
Department, Ministry of Culture and Information

Mr. Nguyen Van Ninh, Deputy Director General, Prison
Management Department, Ministry of Public Security

Mr. Nguyen Ba Hung, Deputy Director General, Americas
Department, MFA

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bach Tuyet, Deputy Director General, External
Relations Department, Committee for Religious Affairs

Ms. Dang Hoang Oanh, Desk Officer, External Relations
Department, Ministry of Justice

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Quynh, Desk Officer, Department of
International Organizations, MFA

Ms. Hoang Thi Thanh Nga, Desk Officer, Americas Department,
MFA

Mr. Le Chi Dzung, Desk Officer, Americas Deprtment, MFA


34. (U) A/S Lowenkron and Ambassado Hanford cleared this
message.

MARINE