AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN HOA BINH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000715

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KIRF ETRD EINV ECON VM
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN HOA BINH
AND SON LA PROVINCES: STARK CONTRASTS IN THE NORTHWEST, PART
II

REF: HANOI 697

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1. (SBU) Summary: On a March 13-15 visit, the Ambassador
discussed religious freedom issues with the leaders of Hoa
Binh and Son La Provinces (reftel). The difference between
the Hoa Binh approach to religious freedom and Son La's
attitudes was stark. Hoa Binh is a model for the kind of
leadership we would like to see across Vietnam: policy
savvy, professional and moderate. Son La represents a more
traditional approach to religious freedom, down to denials
of the existence of religion, and has been unable to come to
terms with even its Catholic residents. End Summary.

HOA BINH PARISH CHURCH
--------------


2. (SBU) On March 13, the Ambassador visited Father Joseph
Nguyen Trung Thoai, parish priest of Hoa Binh town. (Note:
a number of local officials including the provincial
Religious Affairs director were in attendance at the church,
but they politely granted the Ambassador's request for a
private discussion with Father Thoai. End Note.) He
explained that in addition to his responsibility to the
4,000 Catholics in his portion of Hung Hoa Diocese, Bishop
Vu Huy Chuong recently assigned him to minister to the
"several thousand" Catholics in Son La Province as well.
Father Thoai presented a letter to the Provincial People's
Committee (PPC) of Son La informing them of his assignment
on March 8, but the local leadership has not allowed him to
take up his duties in the province. Thoai said that nearly
all of his parishioners in Hoa Binh are ethnic Kinh
(Vietnamese). At least 1,000 majority ethnic Kinh Catholics
live in Son La province as well, but there is also an
unknown number of other ethnic minority followers in that
province. Father Thoai has only been assigned to minister
to Kinh believers.


3. (SBU) Thoai said that the region as a whole has had a
difficult history since the 1954 exodus of Catholics
following the French retreat after the battle of Dien Bien
Phu. In both provinces, almost all church property was
destroyed or appropriated in the 1950's and `60's. When the
Catholic Church returned to Hoa Binh in 2002, the parish
acquired new land to build a church. This building has
housed the parish since 2004 although it is now too small to
serve all parishioners. Father Thoai has asked the province
for permission to lease a small amount of land on a hill
near the current property to build another church.
Catholics in Son La reportedly worship in three house
chapels. Thoai noted that given the amount of land he has
to cover to minister to his cross-border parish, it would be
better if the Bishop were allowed to assign more priests to
the job. Things are getting better, however. For example,
twenty-seven young men from the region are currently
studying in seminary and once ordained should be assigned to
the diocese. The parish has grown with the return of pre-
1954 Catholics and the addition of new converts through
marriage and through births. Father Thoai performed 100
baptisms of adults in 2005 and performs six infant baptisms
each month.


4. (SBU) The Ambassador offered to raise the property issue
with the Hoa Binh PPC and the issue of accreditation to Son
La with the Son La PPC. Father Thoai assented, and noted
that Hoa Binh authorities have been very accommodating since
the Church returned to the province. He also said when
asked that he is not aware of any Protestants in Hoa Binh.
(Note: The Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North) (ECVN)
confirms that there are no Protestant groups active in the
province. End Note.) Father Thoai did not know how many
Protestants there are in Son La, but the ECVN estimates
1,900.

HOA BINH PPC
--------------


5. (SBU) Following the church visit, the Ambassador met with
Hoa Binh PPC Chairman Bui Van Tinh. Following a discussion
of economic issues (reftel),Tinh noted without prompting
that all religious activities in Hoa Binh have been
facilitated according to official policy. For example, the
current parish church was built on land given by a Catholic
family, and the PPC will give permission to the parish to
buy an additional piece of land that they have identified
very soon. Tinh also noted that Hoa Binh Catholics have
contributed positively to "the unity of society and
grassroots democracy." The Ambassador applauded the

HANOI 00000715 002.2 OF 003


province's efforts to facilitate religious freedom,
particularly the decision to allow the parish to expand.
He cautioned, however, that in the future it is likely that
Protestant followers will appear in the province because of
its proximity to other Protestant areas. It is important
that Hoa Binh's leadership understand their obligations
under the Prime Minister's Directive on Protestantism and
the spirit of the legal framework on religion when they deal
with these groups. The Ambassador noted that not all local
officials have been as accommodating to Protestants as the
Hoa Binh PPC has been to Catholics. Tinh affirmed that the
PPC is committed to the religious framework, especially
since "religion never goes against the will of the people."

SON LA PPC
--------------


6. (SBU) As noted reftel, Son La PPC Chairman Hoang Chi
Thuc's approach to issues, including religious freedom, was
a stark contrast with the Hoa Binh Chairman's attitudes.
During his stilted welcome presentation he made no reference
to religious freedom issues accept to say that the people of
Son La have experienced spiritual and material improvements
because of their education and training. As reported
reftel, the Ambassador noted at the end of this first
session with the Chairman that one of his five main focuses
as Ambassador is on human rights and religious freedom. As
leader of a province with a large number of ethnic minority
Protestants, you have a larger responsibility in this area
than other PPC chairmen, he told Thuc.

Dinner with Son La Chairman
--------------


7. (SBU) At dinner the following night, the Ambassador noted
that the GVN's new religious framework has improved
religious freedom in most of the country, but there are
several instances where Son La Province could be doing
better. The Catholic Church was allowed to establish a new
diocese in 2002 that includes parts of both Hoa Binh and Son
La provinces. There are at least 3,000 Catholics in Son La
alone, but no priest is allowed to minister to their needs.
Bishop Chuong has written to the PPC asking for permission
for Father Thoai in Hoa Binh to travel to the province for
this purpose. The diocese will also want to build a church
in Son La eventually. The Ambassador urged Chairman Thuc to
approve these requests.


8. (SBU) The Ambassador also noted that there are at least
2,000 Protestants within the H'Mong ethnic minority
community affiliated with the ECVN. At least six groups
have applied to register their activities with local
authorities, but so far they have been unsuccessful. The PM
issued his instruction on Protestantism in early 2005, but
clearly, more work needs to be done in the Northwest to
register these groups. Local officials who do not
understand or do not like religion block believers' efforts
to register. In the past year, the Ambassador acknowledged,
the situation for Protestants has improved in Vietnam,
especially in the Central Highlands, but attention is now
turning to the Northwest. "I hope your director for
religious affairs will take the lead in helping these people
register their faiths," he said. The Ambassador also noted
that the question of removing Vietnam's designation as a
country of particular concern for religious freedom (CPC) is
likely come up in the run-up to President Bush's visit in
November. Every possible step in facilitating Catholics'
and Protestants' faiths in Son La improves the chances that
CPC designation will be lifted.


9. (SBU) Thuc said that the PPC pays close attention to GVN
policies on religion including the PM's Instruction on
Protestantism. (Note: It was clear at this point that the
Chairman did not know the difference between Catholicism and
Protestantism and seemed to think that the PM's instruction
applied to the Parish's request and not the Protestants.
End Note). The twelve different ethnic groups in Son La
live together in solidarity, he asserted. "There is no
religion here through we respect the right of people to
maintain their traditional identities. We do not have any
Protestants and no religious groupings. Protestantism was
introduced by lowlanders so we have no chapels or churches.
Nevertheless, we respect peoples' rights to establish social
organizations with their own administrative rules."
Suggestions for such groups must come from a grassroots
level, he added.


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10. (SBU) The Ambassador challenged these assertions, noting
that there are believers in Son La who want to be able to
worship. They are being blocked and this is wrong and
against Vietnam's constitution, he said. We understand that
some officials block nontraditional religious practices out
of a misguided sense of protecting ethnic minorities, the
Ambassador continued, "but this is still wrong. There is
room for tradition and religion in Vietnam." The Ambassador
also noted that more than a year before, Thuc's counterparts
in Lao Cai and Lai Chau also said that they had no believers
under their responsibility, but they now admit that they do
and the PPC chairmen in those provinces support these
believers' efforts to register their activities. In Son La,
there are at least 3,000 Catholics and 2,000 Protestants.
"These are not large numbers but they still shouldn't be
blocked from practicing their faith". The Ambassador
promised to provide the People's Committee with details on
these people, including which areas of the province they
live in.


11. (SBU) Thuc said that it is the PPC's approach not to
interfere in an individual's right to practice his own
beliefs. The provincial leaders have instructed local
authorities to build a "cultural house" in order to "build a
civilized life and to maintain cultural identities."
Communities might even build churches if local officials
approve, he said. The Ambassador acknowledged that
religious freedom is sometimes not an easy issue, but
reminded Thuc that Vietnam's national law is just that, the
law of all Vietnam.

Comment
--------------

12. (SBU) The difference between the Hoa Binh approach to
religious freedom and Son La's attitudes was stark. Hoa
Binh PPC Chairman Tinh is a model for the kind of leaders we
would like to see across Vietnam: policy savvy, professional
and moderate. We hope that Chairman Thuc's approach to
this important social issue is becoming obsolete, though we
have heard denials of the existence of religion from
provincial leaders in the recent past. While it is true
that Hoa Binh has not faced the generally more difficult
problem of assimilating Protestants into their society and
is thus an unfair comparison with Son La, Son La's inability
to come to terms with even its Catholic residents is
troubling. Consistently, provinces such as Son La with high
concentrations of ethnic minorities have proven the most
recalcitrant on religious issues, particularly Protestant
issues. Lai Chau and Lao Cai demonstrate that attitudes can
change, though, and Son La will be our next project for a
turnaround. End Comment.

MARINE