HCMC DISSIDENT LEADER TRAN KHUE INDICTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L HO CHI MINH CITY 000365 SIPDIS SIPDIS PHNOM PENH PLEASE PASS EAP DAS JOHN E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/5/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL VM SUBJECT: HCMC DISSIDENT LEADER TRAN KHUE INDICTED REF: A) HANOI 567; B) HCMC 333 AND PREVIOUS; C) HCMC 294 AND PREVIOUS; D) HCMC 248 AND PREVIOUS CLASSIFIED BY: Seth Winnick, Consul General , CONGEN HCMC, State Department. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) CLASSIFIED BY: Seth Winnick, Consul General , CONGEN HCMC, State Department. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) On April 2, we spoke with Tran Khue, Deputy General Secretary of the Democratic Party of Vietnam (DPV) to arrange a SIPDIS meeting for EAP DAS Eric John, implementing Ref A human rights roadmap. Khue welcomed the chance to meet and made no mention of any new harassment (unlike other HCMC-based activists- ref B). On April 3, we informally notified the HCMC External Relations Office of the planned meeting with Khue (as well as another meeting with Thich Quang Do, General Secretary of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam). Our ERO contact objected to the meetings and said that, in any case, we should not meet with private Vietnamese citizens without providing formal diplomatic notification and receiving GVN approval. We replied that, as the meetings were in our recognized consular district, no formal notification was required and none planned. Our informal notification was a friendly gesture in line with our long-standing policy to ensure that our activities are transparent to GVN. ¶2. (C) Later on April 3, Tran Khue's son contacted us to report that police were raiding his father's home. Police seized two computers, a cell phone and some 18 kilos of printed materials. We spoke with Khue early on April 4. He told us that Ministry of Public Security Officials read him an indictment charging him with "propagandizing against the state." This is the same charge on which Hue-based dissident Father Nguyen Van Ly and others were convicted last month (ref C). Police did not indicate when they might return to arrest Khue. ¶3. (C) Tran Khue told us that he suspected that he would be called for a "working session" with police on April 9 to prevent him from meeting with DAS John. Khue said he would comply with theQlice summons. In a wooden statement seemingly intended for big brother's monitors on the line, Khue said that he is a loyal Vietnamese citizen, that he did not write anything that could be construed as anti-state, but rather was focused on combating corruption. He added that, unlike Father Ly, his Party has not called for a boycott of the May National Assembly elections and that he and his family plan to vote in those elections. Comment -------------- ¶4. (C) In his late 60s, Khue does not appear to be prepared to return to prison. Khue and the DPV are relative moderates. Unlike the Father Ly's 8406 Bloc, Khue accepts a leading role for the Communist Party. However, he continues to advocate for a multi-party system. With the authorities apparently adopting a policy of "zero tolerance" on political dissent, that fact alone makes him a prime target for prosecution and persecution. ¶5. (C) With the indictment issued, Khue can be arrested at any time. As in the case of 8406 bloc leader Do Nam Hai, who resigned from the movement after police threatened his arrest (ref D),the authorities may calculate that the threat alone may be enough to force Khue to curtail his political activities. Unless Khue cancels our meeting, he will expect us to show up for our scheduled meeting at his home on April 9 and we plan to be there. WINNICK