GVN AGREES TO LET DIPLOMATS WATCH FATHER LY TRIAL ON

UNCLAS HANOI 000585 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND DRL/AWH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV VM SUBJECT: GVN AGREES TO LET DIPLOMATS WATCH FATHER LY TRIAL ON CLOSED-CIRCUIT TV ¶1. (SBU) On March 28, Poloffs met with America's Desk Deputy Director Nguyen Hoang Nam at his invitation to discuss developments in the upcoming trial of Father Nguyen Van Ly. In addition to reiterating standard GVN points that Ly is being prosecuted for violations of Vietnamese law, Nam confirmed that Ly will be tried on March 30 in Hue city. ¶2. (SBU) Nam also stated that Western diplomats, including an officer from ConGen Ho Chi Minh City, will be allowed to observe the trial by closed-circuit television. This is the first time that anyone has been allowed to observe a Vietnamese trial, he said. This opportunity should not be assumed as a precedent for future trials, he added. ¶3. (SBU) Nam refused to comment on other human rights cases including Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan. ALOISI