Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06HOCHIMINHCITY609
2006-06-06 10:21:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Cable title:
NEW HOA HAO TENSIONS IN THE MEKONG DELTA
how-toVZCZCXRO9101 PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHNH DE RUEHHM #0609 1571021 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 061021Z JUN 06 FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0967 INFO RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 0713 RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 1012
UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000609
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SOCI PREL PREF KIRF PGOV VM
SUBJECT: NEW HOA HAO TENSIONS IN THE MEKONG DELTA
REF: HCMC 308 AND PREVIOUS
UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000609
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SOCI PREL PREF KIRF PGOV VM
SUBJECT: NEW HOA HAO TENSIONS IN THE MEKONG DELTA
REF: HCMC 308 AND PREVIOUS
1. (SBU) On June 4, a Hoa Hao contact sent us via email an open
letter signed by Hoa Hao dissident Le Quang Liem, asking for
"emergency intervention from international agencies" to end a
hunger strike by 16 members of Liem's group in Dong Thap
province in the Mekong Delta. According to the letter, the group
started the hunger strike on May 30 to protest a government ban
on their celebration of Hoa Hao "founder's day," scheduled this
year for June 13. Another reason for the hunger strike was to
protest an alleged attack against Hoa Hao followers on May 24.
Plainclothes police reportedly attacked some Hoa Hao as they
sought to visit the family of Tran Van Ut who self-immolated and
died last August in a police raid (ref A).
2. (SBU) Liem's letter notes that the protestors have surrounded
themselves with over 100 liters of gasoline and are prepared to
self-immolate should the police seek to break up the hunger
strike. The letter states that police have blocked the area,
cut phone lines and used loudspeakers to threaten the group to
drop their protest. Liem said that by blocking the group from
contact with the outside, the GVN is pushing them towards death.
He demanded that the GVN yield to the nine demands of the
"self-immolating people." An article on the standoff posted on
a dissident website (www.doithoai.com) carried a photograph
showing a group of people with banners including: "A mass
hunger strike to protest the communist government's repression
of religious freedom and its beating of Hoa Hao followers," "We
need freedom, democracy and human rights", "Return the Hoa Hao's
headquarters at 114 Bui Thi Xuan," and "Free Nguyen Van Dien
priest." (Note: the former Hoa Hao headquarters is located in
HCMC. Nguyen Van Dien is one of the seven persons tried and
imprisoned in September 2005, following the June 2005 protests
against the GVN in the Mekong.)
3. (SBU) On June 5, we contacted Hai Ong, Chairman of the Dong
Thap Committee for Religious Affairs. Ong said that a group of
Hoa Hao had hung anti-GVN banners in the province. He said the
incident was not serious and that the "trouble-makers" were
actually taking food supplied by their relatives. Ong confirmed
that the group had set up gasoline barrels around themselves,
but authorities recognize that this is "a set-up" and are not
going to precipitate a crisis. Ong denied that police beat up
the Hoa Hao, and said that the original incident was an
"altercation with some drivers." He refused to discuss the
issue further.
4. (SBU) We subsequently spoke with the People's Committee
Chairman of the commune in which the standoff is taking place.
He repeated that there was no real hunger strike and that the
authorities have been able to "softly pacify" the group and
convince some to go home.
5. (SBU) On June 6, we received another report from our Hoa Hao
contact, who indicated that tensions continued to build in Dong
Thap. He was concerned that because local authorities have
refused to hold a dialogue with the protestors, they will
continue their hunger strike and will self-immolate when
exhausted. He indicated that Le Quang Liem called on the
followers to drop their protest and return home. However, our
reading of Liem's "open letter of June 4, posted on the
Internet, calls on the followers to "be patient and not
self-immolate" and to wait for his and international
intervention with the GVN.
6. (SBU) Comment: It is not clear to us what message Liem is
actually sending to his followers. In the past, he has called
on followers to self-immolate to protest the GVN, including one
attempted self-immolation in front of the Consulate General last
year. His message now may be read as discouraging
self-immolation in the current case, or it can be read as
discouraging self immolation for the moment, pending Liem's or
international intervention. We have emphasized again strongly
to Vietnamese officials in Dong Thap that they have nothing to
gain by taking any actions that would lead to loss of life.
End Comment.
Winnick
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SOCI PREL PREF KIRF PGOV VM
SUBJECT: NEW HOA HAO TENSIONS IN THE MEKONG DELTA
REF: HCMC 308 AND PREVIOUS
1. (SBU) On June 4, a Hoa Hao contact sent us via email an open
letter signed by Hoa Hao dissident Le Quang Liem, asking for
"emergency intervention from international agencies" to end a
hunger strike by 16 members of Liem's group in Dong Thap
province in the Mekong Delta. According to the letter, the group
started the hunger strike on May 30 to protest a government ban
on their celebration of Hoa Hao "founder's day," scheduled this
year for June 13. Another reason for the hunger strike was to
protest an alleged attack against Hoa Hao followers on May 24.
Plainclothes police reportedly attacked some Hoa Hao as they
sought to visit the family of Tran Van Ut who self-immolated and
died last August in a police raid (ref A).
2. (SBU) Liem's letter notes that the protestors have surrounded
themselves with over 100 liters of gasoline and are prepared to
self-immolate should the police seek to break up the hunger
strike. The letter states that police have blocked the area,
cut phone lines and used loudspeakers to threaten the group to
drop their protest. Liem said that by blocking the group from
contact with the outside, the GVN is pushing them towards death.
He demanded that the GVN yield to the nine demands of the
"self-immolating people." An article on the standoff posted on
a dissident website (www.doithoai.com) carried a photograph
showing a group of people with banners including: "A mass
hunger strike to protest the communist government's repression
of religious freedom and its beating of Hoa Hao followers," "We
need freedom, democracy and human rights", "Return the Hoa Hao's
headquarters at 114 Bui Thi Xuan," and "Free Nguyen Van Dien
priest." (Note: the former Hoa Hao headquarters is located in
HCMC. Nguyen Van Dien is one of the seven persons tried and
imprisoned in September 2005, following the June 2005 protests
against the GVN in the Mekong.)
3. (SBU) On June 5, we contacted Hai Ong, Chairman of the Dong
Thap Committee for Religious Affairs. Ong said that a group of
Hoa Hao had hung anti-GVN banners in the province. He said the
incident was not serious and that the "trouble-makers" were
actually taking food supplied by their relatives. Ong confirmed
that the group had set up gasoline barrels around themselves,
but authorities recognize that this is "a set-up" and are not
going to precipitate a crisis. Ong denied that police beat up
the Hoa Hao, and said that the original incident was an
"altercation with some drivers." He refused to discuss the
issue further.
4. (SBU) We subsequently spoke with the People's Committee
Chairman of the commune in which the standoff is taking place.
He repeated that there was no real hunger strike and that the
authorities have been able to "softly pacify" the group and
convince some to go home.
5. (SBU) On June 6, we received another report from our Hoa Hao
contact, who indicated that tensions continued to build in Dong
Thap. He was concerned that because local authorities have
refused to hold a dialogue with the protestors, they will
continue their hunger strike and will self-immolate when
exhausted. He indicated that Le Quang Liem called on the
followers to drop their protest and return home. However, our
reading of Liem's "open letter of June 4, posted on the
Internet, calls on the followers to "be patient and not
self-immolate" and to wait for his and international
intervention with the GVN.
6. (SBU) Comment: It is not clear to us what message Liem is
actually sending to his followers. In the past, he has called
on followers to self-immolate to protest the GVN, including one
attempted self-immolation in front of the Consulate General last
year. His message now may be read as discouraging
self-immolation in the current case, or it can be read as
discouraging self immolation for the moment, pending Liem's or
international intervention. We have emphasized again strongly
to Vietnamese officials in Dong Thap that they have nothing to
gain by taking any actions that would lead to loss of life.
End Comment.
Winnick