USCIRF IN HCMC: MEETING THE CAO DAI

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 001231 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/IRF, DRL/AWH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KIRF VM SUBJECT: USCIRF IN HCMC: MEETING THE CAO DAI Cao Dai Affirm Freedoms under the Law -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Commissioners Cromartie, Bansal, Argue, Gaer and Eid met with Cao Dai Bishop Thuong Minh Thanh, Bishop & Deputy Director Thuong Be Thanh and Archivist Le Quang Tan on October 25, 2007. Bishop Minh presented a positive view of Cao Dai-GVN relations, citing several examples of improving conditions for worship and assembly. Minh said the GVN had readily approved nominations for Cao Dai leaders, noting that he had been appointed head of the HCMC Cao Dai in 2004. In addition, the Committee for Religious Affairs (CRA) has held twelve training sessions on registration and recognition procedures under the new legal framework. While Minh said registration was not a priority for their congregations, they often worked with CRA on getting approval for large public conferences and celebrations. Minh said they had recently received CRA permission to hold a national Cao Dai Conference and expected more than 3000 delegates representing 23 provinces to attend. In August 2008, they are planning to hold a large celebration and expect 650,000 followers to participate. Not Our Cao Dai -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Commissioner Gaer asked whether the HCMC Cao Dai leadership considered the eight practitioners who are currently in prison to be 'prisoners of conscience.' (Note: three of the imprisoned Cao Dai were released as part of the GVN General Amnesty in October 2007. End note) Minh said he didn't know much about their activities and didn't consider them to be representatives of the Cao Dai. When the delegation inquired about a Cao Dai follower who had submitted a letter of complaint to GVN citing official interference in the funeral of a Cao Dai leader, Minh again said the individual who sent the letter does not represent the Cao Dai, and the leader in question was not an official member of the Cao Dai hierarchy. ¶3. The HCMC Cao Dai also did not raise the request for assistance from a Cao Dai temple in Binh Duong province slated for destruction in favor of a GVN-sponsored economic development project. According to the Binh Duong Cao Dai representative, local authorities offered compensation money and land for building a new temple, but the land is too small for building a new temple (the new lot is 62 square meters; the old lot is over 2000 square meters). Though other residents were also offered similar compensation packages, the Cao Dai representative in Binh Duong said the case amounts to "repression from the government against religion." Comment -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The positive Cao Dai responses to USCIRF's questions were not unexpected. When the USCIRF asked HCMC Council Chairwoman Thao about registration issues for Cao Dai, she responded that there are eleven separate Cao Dai sects in HCMC, two of which received local registration over the past year. (Note: There are actually twelve sects across the country, some of which have representative offices in Ho Chi Minh City. The group USCIRF met with is based in HCMC. End note). At the USCIRF reception hosted by CG, the hostility between rival Cao Dai groups was palpable. While Cao Dai leaders got along fine with all other religious leaders present, they were very cool to each other, even complaining to the CG about rival sects. End comment. FAIRFAX