SOY SAUCE WAR: HCMC PROVINCIAL AIDS COMMITTEE VICE CHAIRMAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000088 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE/OGAC, EAP/MLS HHS/OSSI/DSI PASS TO HHS/OGHA (WSTIEGER, LVALDEZ, CHICKEY, MWYNNE) AND NIH/FIC (RGLASS) USAID FOR ANE (CJENNINGS, MWARD) AND GH (KYAMASHITA, KHILL) BANGKOK FOR USAID/RDM/A (OCARDUNER, CBOWES) CDC FOR COGH (BLOUT),CCID (COHEN),and GAP (BIRX, SIMONDS) SECDEF FOR ISA\SHUBERT PACOM FOR J5\LACY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB PGOV PROP SOCI TBIO EAID SNAR KHIV VM SUBJECT: SOY SAUCE WAR: HCMC PROVINCIAL AIDS COMMITTEE VICE CHAIRMAN DODGES PUBLIC ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Newspaper reports highlighting corruption investigations of HCMC Provincial AIDS Committee (PAC) Vice Chairman Le Tran Giang have focused attention on his conduct but seem unlikely to lead to his dismissal. Dr. Giang has the political backing of HCMC People's Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen Thanh Thai, who is also the HCMC PAC chairman. Post believes these recent news reports have been instigated by health officials sacked in November 2007, along with their political allies, who may be seeking to fill management positions within the soon to be established HCMC Center for AIDS Control. The political attacks focus on Dr. Giang's role in a soy sauce scandal that broke in May 2007 involving a cover-up of locally produced soy sauce containing high levels of 3-MCPD carcinogen and, more recently, uncorroborated news reports that inspectors are continuing their investigation of Giang in pursuit of corruption charges. Regardless of what happens to Dr. Giang, USG is confident in its ability to continue its relationship with HCMC in the fight against HIV/AIDS. End Summary. HCMC HEALTH OFFICIALS SACKED WHILE DEPUTY ESCAPES UNHARMED -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On October 22 2007, the HCMC People's Committee, acting on the recommendations of an inter-agency inspection team, dismissed HCMC Department of Health (DOH) Director Nguyen The Dung for knowingly permitting the continued manufacture at 20 facilities of soy sauce containing high levels of 3-MCPD carcinogen. News of the affair, which broke in May 2007, created public uproar given that the DOH had known of the high levels of the carcinogen since 2005 and failed to inform consumers. (NOTE: Dung was dismissed from MOH on October 22, 2007 and administratively transferred to the Department of Propaganda and Education within the HCMC Communist Party.) ¶3. (SBU) Subsequently, on November 10 2007, HCMC DOH Chief Inspector Nguyen Duc An was also sacked. In the same ruling, Giang received an administrative warning, but no disciplinary action, despite evidence that he had received an oral briefing in 2005 from Inspector An on the inspections, had signed two documents allowing the continued manufacture of the contaminated soy sauce, and delayed public announcement of 3-MCPD levels until February 2006. Subsequently, the deposed Dung allegedly wrote to concerned agencies requesting a full investigation of Giang's "intentional acts" to suppress information documenting his prior knowledge of the saucy affair. POLITICS OF REORGANIZING AIDS ADMINISTRATION: WHO'S ON TOP -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Decision 1112-TT, signed by the Prime Minister in 1997, effectively created national and provincial AIDS committees (NAC and PAC) to coordinate HIV/AIDS activities. Decision 61 of 2000 phased out the NAC/PAC system and created a Committee for Drugs, Prostitution and Social Evils. Nonetheless, the HCMC PAC has remained intact, while, pursuant to Decision 25 of 2005, a Department of AIDS has been set up within the Preventative Medical Center of the HCMC DOH. In HCMC, the PAC reports directly to the People's Committee and is led by two political heavyweights: HCMC People's Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen Thanh Tai as PAC Chairman and Le Tran Giang as Vice Chairman and Director of the PAC Standing Office. ¶5. (SBU) According to PEPFAR staff, HCMC People's Committee Vice Chairman Tai, a rising star in the city government, is currently the fourth highest ranking official within the Communist Party in HCMC. Dr. Giang reputedly is a close ally of Vice Chairman Tai, while Director Dung and Inspector An are associated with a rival faction within the Communist Party. As HCMC moves to implement Decision 25, it remains to be seen who and from what political faction will fill leadership roles within DOH's new Center for AIDS Control, which may usurp much of the implementing authority currently held by the PAC Standing Office that remains under the leadership of Dr. Giang. ¶6. (SBU) More recent newspaper articles highlighting HCMC inspectors' continuing investigation of Dr. Giang are perceived by locals as another attack in the soy sauce war aimed at publicly HANOI 00000088 002 OF 002 rebuking Dr. Giang and, by association, Vice Chairman Tai. The articles, likely written by editors sympathetic to Mr. Dung, lay out three accusations: 1) HCMC PAC is an illegal entity operating outside the guidelines of Decision 61 and Decision 25 (2005); 2) HCMC PAC operates non-transparently and corruptly; and 3) HCMC PAC achieves poor results after spending millions of dollars on HIV/AIDS activities. Despite these generalized accusations, the press has not provided any insight into the formal investigation of Dr. Giang that began on October 29 and was scheduled to conclude after 30 days. USG CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) HCMC has the highest HIV prevalence rate, highest concentration of intravenous drug users and commercial sex workers, and highest number of people living with AIDS among all provinces and cities in Vietnam. Therefore, a significant amount of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) activities focus on target groups in HCMC and is delivered through local service providers. PEPFAR provides a substantial portion of the HCMC PAC's annual operating budget of USD 6.2 million. Through a CDC cooperative agreement, HCMC PAC has received a combined USD 5.8 million during FY2006 and FY2007, and an additional USD 6.6 million has been programmed for FY2008. Further, USAID provides over USD 2 million in grants to NGO implementing partners who collaborate closely with HCMC PAC, including Family Health International, Population Services International and Medecins du Monde. Regular audits of the CDC cooperative agreement and all USAID grantees have uncovered no abnormal financial procedures or mismanagement. ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: Post believes these latest press reports rehash earlier charges against Dr. Giang and have not shaken the HCMC People's Committee's faith in his leadership ability. In meetings with the CDC Country Director in early January, Giang himself raised the issue and stated, "I'm still in control and everything will be fine." HCMC PAC has shown leadership and ability to combat HIV/AIDS and remains an important PEPFAR partner. The USG continues its relationship with this institution as the recipient of funds through an existing cooperative agreement with CDC. Regardless of what happens to Dr. Giang, we are confident that, with current safeguards in place, we can continue our collaborative relationship with HCMC in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Post will continue to monitor media coverage of the soy sauce war and seek to ensure that allegations against Giang do not adversely affect the GVN's prevention, care and treatment programs in HCMC. MICHALAK