AMBASSADOR TACKLES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ISSUES IN THE FOOTHILLS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000689 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KIRF PREF PINR VM SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR TACKLES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ISSUES IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HO CHI MIN 00000689 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On a June 6-8 trip to Dak Nong, Binh Phuoc and Tay Ninh provinces, leaders from the GVN-recognized and house church communities told the Ambassador that church members were free to worship and practice their faith. However, the GVN-recognized Southern Evangelical Church of Vietnam (SECV) has encountered difficulties in organizing religious training courses in Binh Phuoc and Dak Nong for its predominantly ethnic minority membership. The legalization process in both provinces also continues to drag; long-pending registrations and church-building permits for both the SECV and a house church organization were issued only shortly before the Ambassador's visit. The Cao Dai Archbishop in Tay Ninh said he was satisfied with government treatment of his church. Although Binh Phuoc and Dak Nong have lagged behind other provinces, behind even others in the Central Highlands, progress has been made. With continued monitoring and interaction with local government officials, religious freedom issues should remain on track. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) In meetings in Cambodian-border provinces of Dak Nong, Binh Phuoc and Tay Ninh June 6 to 8, provincial Party Secretaries and People's Committee Chairmen told the Ambassador SIPDIS that they continued to make progress to ensure the religious freedoms of their citizens. Binh Phuoc Party Secretary Nguyen Huu Luat claimed that his province has allowed religious trainers to conduct classes and that has facilitated the construction of worship places, although he did not give any specific details. Dak Nong People's Committee Chairman Dang Duc Yen said that while the province would protect religious rights, it would not register a congregation that represented less than 15 households. The Ambassador stressed that there must be greater trust between religious groups and the provincial governments and urged that governments be as flexible as possible in the registration process. ¶3. (SBU) Provincial leaders acknowledged that the registration process could be slow, but said that it was caused by "normal administrative delays." They stressed that house church organizations would not be allowed to hold training courses in the province or build new churches until they were registered at ;the provincial level, as stipulated in the legal framework on religion. The Ambassador emphasized the importance of helping religious groups ensure that they have well-trained spiritual leaders. The View From the Trenches -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Representatives of the GVN-recognized Southern Evangelical Church of Vietnam (SECV) and other house church organizations told the Ambassador that the groups were able to hold religious services for their members, but legalization of churches and other aspects of managing church operations continued to be problematic. Assembly of God (AOG) Chief Pastor Dieu Srong told the Ambassador that his 30 house churches in Dak Nong Province serving 1,654 ethnic minority followers have been operating normally. However, government approvals for registration have been very slow. After applying for registration in July 2006, the Pastor's own house church had only been officially registered one week before the Ambassador's visit. Srong has not been able to gain permission to conduct religious training in Dak Nong. Local authorities have told him that his church members would have to go to Ho Chi Minh City for courses. He complained that AOG trainers who have come to the province in the past have faced harassment and questioning from the local police. ¶5. (SBU) Conditions were similar for the SECV in Dak Nong province. According to its chief provincial representative, Pastor Rmah Loan, the SECV has been able to hold regular Sunday services, as well as Christmas and Easter celebrations, without difficulty in its 142 meetings points serving 33,210 members. However, Dak Nong authorities were not particularly helpful in supporting his efforts to organize religious training courses. For example, only recently did local authorities relent and allow him to hold a five-month training course in his home in Dak Mil district for 35 ethnic minority students. This decision came after many months of negotiations with local authorities who insisted that the pastor hold his course at a location of their choosing in the provincial capital of Gia Nghia even though the SECV did not have a significant presence there. Additionally, the SECV has had problems obtaining permits for construction of new churches. In one district with over 800 followers, district authorities have not given permission for the upgrade of an SECV chapel, stating that the congregation must be recognized first. The congregation in question may be legalized in July. A second building permit -- for the SECV's largest congregation in the province -- was pending since October, but finally approved in late May. HO CHI MIN 00000689 002.2 OF 002 ¶6. (SBU) During a visit to an ethnic minority SECV congregation in Binh Phuoc, Pastor Mo Long told the Ambassador that the provincial government was allowing the SECV to operate 177 "meeting points" pending registration. Three congregations have been recognized thus far. (The SECV has 41,800 members in Binh Phuoc.) In the presence of local officials and the media, the pastor told the Ambassador that the province could only register a congregation after it has a trained pastor or evangelist in charge. This situation will improve soon, since the SECV in Binh Phuoc is running a pastoral training course for 62 students that will conclude in July. The pastor noted that he has faced "difficulties" in traveling to many of the 177 unrecognized meeting points. These congregations also have been unable to obtain permits for renovation and construction of church buildings. ¶7. (SBU) In Tay Ninh, Cao Dai Archbishop Thuong Tam Thanh told the Ambassador that the Cao Dai have no problems practicing their faith. Cao Dai church leaders work closely with national and local governments, who are responsive to their concerns. The Archbishop declined the Ambassador's offer to raise church issues in his meetings with the provincial officials. Thanh explained that he has been able to manage the church's affairs adequately through the church's normal channels. (NOTE: The Cao Dai faith was founded in 1926 and claims over five million followers nationwide. In Tay Ninh, the Cao Dai claim 600,000 followers, roughly 80 per cent of the province's population. End Note) ¶8. (SBU) Comment: Binh Phuoc and Dak Nong are the two toughest provinces remaining in the HCMC Consular District on religious freedom issues. Progress in both has been slower than elsewhere in the Central Highlands and the officials less predisposed to implement the legal framework on religion. Nonetheless, even in these two provinces, the overall trend has been positive. Churches have been able to operate without severe harassment and the registration and recognition process has begun. We are confident that, with our continued monitoring and, when needed, intercession with local governments, religious freedom progress will continue on track. End Comment. WINNICK