HOA HAO STANDOFF ENDS PEACEFULLY

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000630 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM SOCI PREL PREF KIRF PGOV VM SUBJECT: HOA HAO STANDOFF ENDS PEACEFULLY REF: HCMC 609 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (SBU) In an interview with Radio Free Asia on June 10, Hoa Hao dissident Le Quang Liem stated that he ordered his 16 followers to end their 11-day hunger strike in the Mekong Delta's Dong Thap province (reftel). According to Liem, on June 8, three senior police officials met with him in HCMC for several hours and promised that the GVN will consider the demands of the group, including their request that an investigation be conducted into earlier allegations of physical assault against some of the followers. The followers reportedly will not be punished for organizing the hunger strike. Liem said he subsequently instructed the protestors to dissolve their protest, but if the government "does not meet its promises," the Hoa Hao will resume protests. ¶2. (SBU) On June 12, we spoke with Hai Ong, Chairman of the Dong Thap provincial Committee for Religious Affairs. He confirmed the peaceful end of the protest on June 8 but said he was not aware of negotiation with Liem in HCMC. The day before the protest dissolved, he had a "heart-to-heart" talk with the son of the Hoa Hao leader at whose house the hunger strike was taking place. Ong said he explained "the rights and wrongs" of their protest and urged him to convince his father and followers to stop the hunger strike. He said the authorities made no promises to the protestors but would not punish them for the protest. ¶3. (SBU) Also on June 12, a Hoa Hao contact close to Liem to us that the Hoa Hao dissident has "changed his strategy" and that "there will be no further self-immolations by the Hoa Hao in the future." He said that the Hoa Hao would now conduct a peaceful and non-violent struggle, but would need "USG support." That said, Liem's supporters are unpredictable and he could not guarantee that they would always follow his orders, the contact told us. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: It appears that officials have defused a potentially volatile and deadly conflict by reaching out to the Hoa Hao in the Delta and to their leader in HCMC. The statement by Liem's confidant that he has abandoned self-immolation as a protest tactic is neither categorical nor public at this time. The Hoa Hao will mark "Founders Day" June 13, a key date for the sect and a sensitive one for the GVN due to the presumed Communist role in the founder's disappearance. This will provide an early opportunity to examine both side's intentions. End Comment. Winnick