DG FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS COMMENTS ON VIETNAM'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000683 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2019 TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV UNSC VM SUBJECT: DG FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS COMMENTS ON VIETNAM'S PRESIDENCY OF UNSC AND DOMESTIC HR ISSUES REF: A) HANOI 537 B) HANOI 101 C) HANOI 672 HANOI 00000683 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: DCM Virginia E. Palmer for reasons 1.4. (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Over lunch July 21, MFA Director General for International Organizations Le Hoai Trung commented on the evolving role of the Communist Party in overseeing government operations and said Vietnam's leaders understood that the current crackdown, including arrests of American citizens, would damage Vietnam's international image and relations with Western powers, but were willing to pay the price for "regime stability." Trung said Vietnam had no particular plans for its October UNSC Presidency, but that the Foreign Minister would take the chair for at least one session "to demonstrate Vietnam's commitment." End Summary. Understanding the Crackdown - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (C) DCM noted our concern about the spate of arrests of lawyers and activists for the peaceful expression of their views. Trung acknowledged the potential damage to bilateral relations and took pains to highlight that "in all areas of the relationship Vietnam has been constructive." The Politburo also understood that the arrests would affect Vietnam's international image and relations with Western powers, Trung said. Trung said Foreign Minister and DPM Pham Gia Khiem had asked, "is there no other way?" but a consensus had developed among Politburo members that the State was threatened and now was the time to act. ¶3. (C) Pressed on "why now?" Trung said the leadership was clearly disturbed by Le Cong Dinh's writing "2009 and 2010 will be time for change because of the economic crisis." Pressed again that the economy seemed to be fairing better than others in the region, Trung said "some Vietnamese might still be persuaded that the economy is not good." The Vietnamese public remains concerned about bauxite issues (ref A) and corruption, Trung continued. Many of those that have been publicly critical have connections with people overseas (read Viet Tan) that, he said, employed terrorist tactics in the past. Even if they have now disavowed violence, they are "using human rights and democracy to sow disorder." Yes, there are only a few dissidents, but it "always starts with a few," Trung said, noting that the Viet Minh had also had humble roots. "I would be lying if I said that the leadership isn't thinking of what happened in Eastern Europe, and they are preoccupied with the Color Revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine." ¶4. (C) Chillingly, Trung said he had been present in a meeting when PM Dung noted that for the last two years, in order to avoid problems with the U.S., MPS had not been arresting Vietnamese Americans intent on causing problems for the GVN, but had instead simply deported them. "They have been taking advantage of this," Dung said, "and we need to act now." DCM noted the potential damage to bilateral relations from the crackdown was magnified if those punished for the peaceful expression of their views were American. COMPLIANCE WITH HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS -------------- ¶5. (C) Trung spoke excitedly of his plans to develop a handbook for other government agencies' use in complying with Vietnam's international human rights instrument obligations (particularly reporting). Trung was leaving that night for Germany and the UK as the lead official in a delegation including representatives from the Office of Government, the Ministry of Public Security (the office responsible for Vietnam's accession to the Convention Against Torture),Ministry of Justice and two CPV Central Committee staffers from the office responsible for overseeing MOJ and MPS. The delegation would explore how different ministries fulfilled international human rights obligations and explore how legislatures oversee the human rights work of governments. Trung said his office was considering whether to propose a separate agency that would be responsible for human rights issues, but noted that it would have to be powerful enough to ride herd on MPS. (Comment: Not likely. End comment.) UNSC -------------- ¶6. (SBU) DCM thanked Trung for Vietnam's continuing cooperation on Iran and DPRK issues in the Security Council. Trung commented that Vietnam had tried to be helpful to the U.S. and "non-ideological." He acknowledged that Vietnam has no specific agenda for its month as Security Council Presdent (see ref B),but said that DPM Khiem would likely travel to New York to preside over one of the UNSC's October meetings "to demonstrate our commitment." For this reason (and to allow coordination of planned visits to Washington by Khiem after New York and the Minister of Defense in September, another Deputy Prime Minsiter, likely Hoang Trung Hai, would attend the UNGA. ¶7. (C) Comment: DG Trung is extremely well connected and, for a high-ranking official, surprisingly frank. His comments about the leadership's felt sense of vulnerability were bracing, if not HANOI 00000683 002.2 OF 002 surprising, and seem to support the notion that there is an firm consensus in favor of tougher action against the regime's perceived opponents (ref. C). End Comment. MICHALAK