DISSIDENT DO NAM HAI BARRED FROM MEETING BY SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L HO CHI MINH CITY 000170 STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND DRL/AWH E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/9/2019 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL VM SUBJECT: DISSIDENT DO NAM HAI BARRED FROM MEETING BY SECURITY PERSONNEL REF: 07 HO CHI MINH CITY 1229 CLASSIFIED BY: Kenneth J. Fairfax, Consul General, EXEC, State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) On February 26, plainclothes public security officers physically prevented democracy activist Do Nam Hai from meeting Poloff for the third time in the past year. Hai, who last met with ConOffs during the 2007 USCIRF visit, is a member of Bloc 8406 and has lived under conditions of house arrest since the GVN crackdown on dissidents in late 2006 (reftel). End summary. ¶2. (C) Ten minutes after the scheduled start time of PolOff's February 26 meeting with Do Nam Hai at a cafe across from his residence, the land rights activist who set up the meeting called to say four to five public security (MPS) officers had entered Hai's home and prevented him from leaving. (Note: Hai, who lives with his parents, prefers not to meet at his residence due his family's disapproval of his political activities. In addition, the routine blocking of his cell phone and Internet connection means meetings must be set up via third party. End note) ¶3. (C) When PolOff exited the cafe, Hai was standing just down the street outside his home flanked by two MPS agents. He argued with them for a few seconds, then dashed across the street towards PolOff. He was stopped by another pre-positioned agent on the opposite side, and escorted back to his house by all three officers. Hai shrugged them off once they reached his door, entered the house and slammed the gates shut in their faces. The officers remained stationed outside and PolOff then returned to the Consulate. ¶4. (C) Hai was also prevented from meeting PolOff in April and September of 2008 by MPS agents stationed outside his home. In his mid-thirties, Hai is one of the youngest members of the original group of Bloc 8406 democracy dissidents that included Father Ly, Nguyen Dan Que, and members of the People's Democratic Party and Democratic Party of Vietnam. While those close to Hai say he was exempted from arrest and prosecution because of his family's strong Party ties, Hai nevertheless faces intense surveillance and limitations in movement and communications because of his political beliefs. ¶5. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Hanoi. FAIRFAX