USCIRF Visits Vietnam Again

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000595

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/IRF and DRL/AWH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KIRF VM

SUBJECT: USCIRF Visits Vietnam Again

Ref Hanoi 500

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1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In their fourth visit to Vietnam since 2002, the
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) repeated
familiar criticisms of Vietnam's protections of religious freedom.
In official meetings with high-ranking GVN officials, including
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, GVN officials
called on USCIRF to be more "objective" in its reporting on Vietnam
and to report on the totality of religious freedom in Vietnam and
not just alleged incidents of abuse. GVN officials also asked
USCIRF to reconsider its recommendation of Country of Particular
Concern (CPC) designation for Vietnam. The delegation met with
numerous religious leaders and political dissidents during their two
weeks in country. With near unanimity, the religious leaders noted
an improved climate for religious freedom since Vietnam's removal as
a CPC although problems remain. The GVN facilitated a trip to Nam
Ha prison to meet with prisoners of concern Nguyen Van Dai and
Father Nguyen Van Ly and also assisted in planning a four-day
excursion in the Northwest Highlands for USCIRF staff (septel). End
summary.


2. (SBU) Following up on their last visit to Vietnam 18 months
earlier, a delegation from the U.S. Commission on International
Religious Freedom (USCIRF),led by Vice Chairman Cromartie and
joined by Commissioner Talal Eid and three Commission staff, spent
two weeks visiting Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the Northwest
Highlands from May 11-22 assessing the current situation of
religious freedom in Vietnam.

Meetings with the Central Government
--------------


3. (SBU) In Hanoi, USCIRF held official meetings with Deputy Prime
Minister/Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Government Committee for
Religious Affairs Vice Chairman Nguyen Thanh Xuan, Vice Minister of
Justice Hoang The Lien, Deputy Chairman of the Communist Party's
Mass Mobilization Committee Nguyen Manh Hung and Chairman of the
National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee Nguyen Van Son. In Ho
Chi Minh City, the delegation also met with Communist Party General
Secretary Le Thanh Hai and Chairman of the People's Committee Le
Hoang Quan.


4. (SBU) Most of the GVN officials above stressed the need for
objectivity when reviewing Vietnam's religious freedom situation and
complained that the Commission had unveiled a sharply critical
annual report on Vietnam, recommending re-designation as a Country
of Particular Concern (CPC),only ten days prior to their visit.
DPM Khiem remarked that it was important to look at the picture of
religious freedom in its totality and not merely focus on outlying
problems. He noted that if one were to only focus on human rights
abuses in the U.S., mentioning problems with Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo
Bay and the FLDS Church in Texas, one would think that there are
significant problems in the United States.


5. (SBU) All officials stressed the religious diversity of Vietnam,
stating that it would be difficult to find another country in the
region with the breadth and depth of different religious faiths
including large indigenous religions like the Cao Dai and Hoa Hao.
Xuan noted that Vietnam has recognized 31 separate religious
organizations, including nine different Protestant denominations.
Additionally, in the past three years local leaders have registered
1,165 separate meeting points for religious denominations in the
Central Highlands, representing 85 percent of religious groups
functioning in the area. He promised that the remaining 15 percent
would be registered soon.


6. (SBU) Most officials were speaking from the same notes regarding
Protestantism in the Northwest Highlands, commenting that it
represented a "clash of cultures" due to its rapid expansion among
ethnic H'mong and its differences with traditional beliefs of
ancestor worship. Vice Chairman Xuan and CPV Mass Mobilization
Committee's Deputy Hung both stressed the methodical nature of
registration of congregations in this area of the country as well
and noted that Protestantism in Vietnam has grown from only 300,000
followers in 1975 to close to two million followers today.


7. (SBU) Several officials highlighted the fact that three USCIRF
Commissioners, including the Chair, chose not to travel to Vietnam
at the last minute. Both DPM Khiem, CRA Vice Chairman Xuan and MOJ
Vice Minister Lien stated that Vietnam was open to cooperation and
dialogue relating to improving the ordinance on religion and belief
and also regarding confirmation of specific cases of abuse.

Meetings with Religious Leaders
--------------


8. (SBU) In Hanoi, the delegation met with recently elected ECVN
President Rev. Nguyen Huu Mac; Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, Vice

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President of Executive Committee of the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha;
Archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet; and Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton, leader of
the Full Gospel Church in Thanh Hoa Province. The delegation also
went to the Thai Ha Parish to meet with parish priests and the eight
Catholic parishioners convicted last year for destruction of
property and disturbing the peace relating to large-scale
prayer-vigils held last year in Hanoi.


9. (SBU) Each of the religious leaders noted the continued upward
trend of freedom of religion in Vietnam over the past several years.
Archbishop Kiet stressed the Catholic Church's desire to expand its
charitable activities - such as running schools or hospitals. ECVN
President Rev. Mac said that the ECVN hopes to see speedy
registration of its congregations in the Northwest Highlands. He
said that CRA had promised him that 200 new ECVN congregations would
be recognized this year followed by 200 more the following year,
with a goal of registering all outstanding congregations by 2011.
Pastor Ton thanked the Embassy for intervening on behalf of the Full
Gospel Church in Thanh Hoa province and noted that while he had
experienced difficulties earlier his current situation is greatly
improved.


9. (SBU) In HCMC, the delegation held two roundtables - one with
nationally recognized Protestant denominations and another with
house churches without national recognition. The following
Protestant denominations were represented at the roundtable of
nationally recognized Protestant denominations: Southern Baptist,
Mennonite, Seventh-day Adventist, Presbyterian and Vietnam Baptist
(Southern Grace). The following Protestant denominations were
represented at the roundtable of unrecognized house churches:
Assembly of God, United Baptist, United Gospel Outreach and United
Presbyterian.


10. (SBU) Religious leaders at both roundtables noted that the
government is paying more attention to religious freedom issues.
Those churches that have sought and received national recognition
commented that the situations of their individual congregations have
improved following their national registration. However, pastors at
both roundtables said that the law on belief and religion has not
been implemented consistently throughout the country and that church
registrations still take a long time.


11. (SBU) Additionally, the delegation met separately with the
following religious leaders while in HCMC: Cardinal Pham Minh Man;
unsanctioned Hoa Hao Buddhist leaders; SECV Church leadership in
HCMC (President, Vice President and Treasurer); Pastor Siu Y Kim,
SECV representative for the Central Highlands; Pastor Tran Th?
Trung, Vietnam Good News Mission; Pastor A Dung, representative of
the unsanctioned Mennonite Church; Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, a
leader of the unsanctioned Mennonite Church; and Unified Buddhist
Church of Vietnam Supreme Patriarch Ven. Thich Quang Do.


12. (SBU) Cardinal Man relayed that Catholic leadership in HCMC
have begun to dialogue with the government on disputed church
properties in HCMC. He also said that the Church is very close to
getting a license to operate a HIV/AIDS treatment center. The
Cardinal commented that international pressure on the GVN can be
helpful but it must be done in the right way. Directly criticizing
the GVN is not useful, he said. SECV leadership said that the
church continues to grow in the Central Highlands, but that they
still have 200 properties that were seized after 1975 that they
would like returned. The unsanctioned Hoa Hao complained about
continued difficulties and their inability to celebrate
"disappearance day" of the church's founder. MPS officers attempted
to stop the unsanctioned Hoa Hao leaders and Pastor Quang from
meeting with USCIRF. Pastor Quang noted that churches that are
viewed as "anti-government" experience the most difficulties. He
said that persecution of Protestants has declined over the past
several years due to international pressure. Thich Quang Do talked
primarily about political issues relating to bauxite mining in the
Central Highlands and Vietnam's acquiescence to China over
territorial claims.

Meetings with Political Dissidents
--------------


13. (SBU) In Hanoi, the delegation met with political dissidents
Pham Hong Son, Nguyen Khac Toan, Le Quoc Quan, and the wife of
imprisoned dissident Nguyen Van Dai. In HCMC, the delegation met
with Dr. Nguyen Dan Que and the mother of imprisoned dissident Le
Thi Cong Nhan. The delegation also wanted to meet with Do Nam Hai
and attorney Le Tran Luat in HCMC but were unable to do so since
both had been called in for questioning by the police. The above
dissidents uniformly noted the decline in political freedoms over
the past two or three years and called on the government to respect
the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the right to freedom
of speech. The delegation also traveled to Nam Ha prison in Ha Nam
province in order to meet with well-known prisoners of concern human

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rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai and Bloc 8406 founder Father Nguyen Van
Ly (reftel).


14. (U) Following the departure of both commissioners, the
remaining USCIRF staff and PolOff traveled for four days in the
Northwest Highland provinces of Son La and Dien Bien. The travel of
USCIRF staff in the Northwest Highlands will be reported septel.


15. (U) The USCIRF delegation did not have an opportunity to clear
this cable.