Harassment of Protestants in Vietnam's Thanh Hoa Province

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000944 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/IRF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KIRF PHUM PREL VM SUBJECT: Harassment of Protestants in Vietnam's Thanh Hoa Province Ref: Hanoi 0558 HANOI 00000944 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: In recent months, post has received reports of three separate incidents of harassment by local authorities of two Full Gospel Church congregations in Thanh Hoa Province to the south of Hanoi. While post has yet to independently confirm the reports, the sources are reliable and post has a high degree of confidence in the information. While provincial officials' have indicated that they would investigate these incidents, post continues to try to engage provincial and national level officials on these cases. ¶2. (U) The Full Gospel Church is a Pentacostal denomination not affiliated with the Protestant Evangelical Church of Vietnam - North (ECVN). While the Full Gospel Church central office is located in Ho Chi Minh City, the individual congregations are part of a National Association of 19 regional groups. Church leaders report that some congregations have been registered and built churches. Full Gospel Church Pastor Reports Harassment -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton, leader of a house church belonging to the Protestant Full Gospel Church, told poloffthat on April 20, 2008, police in Quang Yen commune of Quang Xuong district issued administrative punishment to prayer session participants at his house church in Yen Co village. One week later on April 27, local police cut the lock on the door of Pastor Ton's house church and entered, detained members of church, gave out 100,000 VND fines orally, and confiscated the pension book of one congregation member. The next day, the commune police returned and threw stones at his house, and then pushed into house trying to find him. Pastor Ton reports that the police officers were aggressive and threatening with both his wife and mother. On Sunday, May 4, local police reportedly waited at traffic points to try to stop people from arriving for a prayer session. Only three were able to make it to Pastor Ton's house. Civil security officials then intervened, threatened the three attendees and tried to confiscate their bicycles. ¶4. (SBU) Pastor Ton reports that while things were quiet for the rest of May and June, on July 6, 2008, local police and officials surrounded his house church and locked prayer session participants inside from 9 am to 2 pm. Three members left the house church at 2 pm and were assaulted 200 meters away from the church. The assailants allegedly included the local youth association chief and a local policeman. ¶5. (SBU) Pastor Ton states that although the church tried to apply for registration, the commune People's Committee refused to receive the registration application, stating that the church is not following the correct procedures. But when he requested the instructions, the commune People's Committee stated that district and provincial officials have not supplied them. ¶6. (SBU) Pastor Ton added that on several occasions during the incidents in April, he called the provincial police, who promised to help but then did nothing. He recounted that in December 2007, the provincial police recommended that he report the congregation's intention to hold Christmas services to commune authorities in advance so as to be transparent about their activities. But when he did so, the commune People's Committee then stated that the congregation did not have permission to gather for Christmas. Pastor Ton stated that they now ignore the provincial police's advice to inform the commune authorities in advance because it makes no difference. ¶7. (SBU) A second Full Gospel Church congregation also reported incidents of harassment in July. Pastor Nguyen Duc Dung of Quang Linh commune, Quang Xuong district, told us that on July 11, commune police and officials disrupted a baptism and directed insults at him. He was then hit in the face by the deputy chief of commune police. Following this incident, on July 12, commune police threatened members of the church in an attempt to prevent them from participating in church activities. Pastor Dung added that he applied to register his congregation in 2007, but is still awaiting approval. ¶8. (SBU) In response to the above reports, post sent a letter to Thanh Hoa provincial authorities on July 16 requesting a full investigation of these incidents and punishment of any official found in violation of the legal framework on religion. On July 21, Pastor Ton reported that the Thanh Hoa provincial police called him, promising him that they would travel to Quang Xuong district to investigate the case. However, Pastor Ton has now provided information on two subsequent incidents: -- On the morning of July 20, 2008, the chief officer from the local police and security guards from Yen Phu village, Quang Yen commune, HANOI 00000944 002.2 OF 002 came to the house of a church member, Mr. Nguyen Van Thinh, and verbally harassed him and three other members of the church while they prepared to go to services. Shortly thereafter, Pastor Ton and his 14-year-old son arrived at Mr. Thinh's house and were assaulted by local security guards, who were encouraged by the chief of the local police. Thirty minutes later, a disabled member of the church, Mr. Do Quang Hoa, arrived at Mr. Thinh' house and was also assaulted. -- On the morning on July 29, 2008, two friends of Pastor Ton came to his home. Thirty minutes later, local policemen and security guards arrived and surrounded his house until late in the evening. ¶9. (SBU) As post attempts to get more information from provincial officials were unsuccessful, we have now sent a letter to the national Government Committee on Religious Affairs (CRA),formally requesting their investigation of the situation in Quang Xuong district of Thanh Hoa Province. ¶10. (SBU) Comment: The reported incidents are a disappointing step backward, particularly as Thanh Hoa provincial authorities seemed to be in line with national government policy on implementing the legal framework on religion (reftel). The reports of incidents at the local level, shortly after provincial officials confirmed the full implementation of the legal framework on religion in Thanh Hoa province, highlights yet again the disconnect between the various levels of government bureaucracy in Vietnam. District and commune officials in this location in Thanh Hoa province are either ignorant of national level policy and laws, or are willfully disregarding them, knowing that they will not be punished. Post continues to press CRA and senior GVN officials to increase their attention and efforts to fully implement the legal framework on religion. MICHALAK