(C) HOW VATICAN CHARITIES WORK WITH UNFRIENDLY REGIMES IN

S E C R E T VATICAN 000128 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/7/2034 TAGS: EAID PREL PHUM PGOV CH KN BM VT SUBJECT: (C) HOW VATICAN CHARITIES WORK WITH UNFRIENDLY REGIMES IN CHINA, NORTH KOREA, AND BURMA REF: VATICAN 127 CLASSIFIED BY: Julieta Valls Noyes, DCM, EXEC, State. REASON: 1.4 (b) ¶1. (S) Summary: At a recent meeting, the Asia Desk officer at Caritas, the network of Catholic relief associations with chapters in over 200 countries, described the organization's work with both the official and the underground Church in China, support for hospitals in the DPRK, and relief assistance in Burma. Caritas' acceptance by undemocratic regimes depends on two factors: A) keeping a low profile to slowly gain acceptance, and B) efficient delivery of aid to needy populations. For these reasons, Embassy believes Caritas will steer clear from partnerships that could risk ad-hoc accommodations made with these regimes in order to directly serve those in need. End summary. ¶2. (S) P/EOff met with Father Casario Sixto Y. Sanedrin (protect),the desk officer for South East and Central Asia at Caritas Internationalis, the Rome-based headquarters for the federation of Caritas national organizations worldwide. (Note: Caritas Internationalis coordinates the domestic and international work of Caritas national organizations -- which are accountable to local bishops -- and also liaises with Cor Unum, the Vatican's international aid department. End note.) Sanedrin opened up on Caritas priorities, and described how Caritas organizations find working accommodations to allow their personnel to deliver aid -- even in countries with very closed and/or repressive governments. ¶3. (S) In China, for example, Sanedrin said Caritas involvement is growing. Caritas works with both "Patriotic" Church that Beijing officially recognizes, and with the underground Church that is more faithful to the Vatican. The Chinese government, Sanedrin affirmed, knows that this is the case, but Chinese authorities "look the other way" when Caritas cooperates with the underground Church. At the same time, in a concession to Chinese sensitivities, Caritas does not include statistics on its work in China in its publications. This helps avoid GOC condemnation or Caritas' related expulsion from China. (Note: Cor Unum's mid-level officials are reportedly the only Vatican representatives allowed to travel inside China. End note.) Sanedrin said HIV/AIDS is a growing problem in central and coastal China, with many people unable to get antiretroviral medication. Caritas is growing its HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts throughout China. ¶4. (S) In North Korea, Sanedrin said Caritas also is doing good work quietly. He recalled a meeting in 2008 (date unspecified) in Shanghai between DPRK officials, Caritas Internationalis, and Vatican officials, regarding a second Vatican-funded construction hospital in the DPRK to supplement an existing facility also run by the Church. Both hospitals are indirectly staffed by Caritas and Catholic Relief Services (i.e., Caritas-U.S.) personnel and DPRK party members. Sanedrin expected that the Vatican will continue to take advantage of Caritas' good relations with Pyongyang to facilitate future meetings as needed. ¶5. (S) Caritas operates in Burma under the name Corona because a group called "Karitas" is run by a general in the junta. The junta does not recognize Corona officially, so it runs its relief operations out of Thailand. Although the junta previously harassed Corona workers, after seeing the assistance they provided after Cyclone Nargis, the persecution dropped. Sanedrin confided that international Caritas workers operate in Burma largely under the guise of vacationers -- flying in every two weeks from Thailand. ¶6. (C) Comment: Caritas and its affiliated organizations have over 40,000 employees worldwide, supplemented by 125,000 volunteers, present in over 200 countries. It runs assistance programs in 162 countries (doing fundraising in the others). Caritas clearly believes that its mission of assisting the needy in repressive countries must/must come ahead of condemnation of the governments doing the repressing. In this sense, it reflects the priorities at the Vatican itself. Embassy therefore expects that Caritas will continue to seek quiet accommodation even with the most repressive regimes, as long as such accommodations allow its life-saving work to continue. (For further insights on Caritas work in Vietnam, see ref A.) End comment. DIAZ