P 200943Z APR 00
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9620
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
DEPTTRES WASHDC PRIORITY
USDOC WASHDC PRIORITYRUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
JOINT STAF WASHDC PRIORITY
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI/J5/FPA// PRIORITY
DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
ASEAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
AMEMBASSYBEIJING PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL HONG KONG PIORITY 
AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 HANOI 000839 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO FOR EAP/BCLTV, E, EB, DRL, INR 
STATEPASS USTR AMB FISHER/DAUSTR DAMOND 
STATE PASS USD FOR FAA/AO/SHUETE 
WHITE HOUSE FOR DEP/ASST TO PTUS LBRAINARD 
NSC FOR RAVIC HUSO 
SECDEF FOR IS/EAP LEW STERN 
USDOC FOR 4431/MAC/AP/OKSA/HPPHO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/20/2010 
TAGS: PGOV ECON PREL VM TRD DPOL
SUBJECT: PLANNING MINISTER AND HANO MAYOR REPRIMANDED BY VIETNAM'S CENTRAL COMMITTE 
 
REF: A) HANOI 686   B) HANOI 637 
 
¶1. (U) CLASIFIED BY DCM DENNIS HARTER; 
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND(D). 
 
¶2. (C) SUMMARY: THREE CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEBERS -- 
MINISTER OF PLANNING AND INVESTMENT GIA, ANOI 
PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN NGHIEN, AND BIN THUAN 
PROVINCIAL PARTY CHIEF TRUNG -- WERE CENSRED FOR 
MISMANAGEMENT AT THE 10-DAY PLENUM THAT NDED APRIL 
¶19.  ALL RETAIN THEIR POSITIONS FOR TE TIME BEING. 
MOST OF THE PLENUM FOCUSED ON PREPAING THE OFFICIAL 
DOCUMENTS FOR THE NINTH COMMUNIT PARTY CONGRESS AT 
THE END OF MARCH 2001.  PART BRIEFERS SIGNALED THE 
POLITICAL REPORT AND SOCIECONOMIC STRATEGY FOR THE 
CONGRESS WOULD EMPHASIE THEMES RAISED BY GENERAL 
SECRETARY PHIEU IN HIS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPEECH, 
INCLUDING THE PRIMACY OF THE STATE SECTOR IN VIETNAM'S 
"MULTI-SECTOR, MARKET-ORIENTED SOCIALIST ECONOMY." 
OVERALL THE PLENUM CONTINUED THE PARTY'S EMPHASIS ON 
STABILITY AND INCREMENTAL ECONOMIC POLICY CHANGE, WITH 
NO INDICATION OF ANY MAJOR REFORM STEPS PRIOR TO THE 
PARTY CONGRESS.  ONE BRIEFER, WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE 
BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT, SAID VIETNAM "NEEDED TO 
TAKE SOME TIME TO CLARIFY SOME ISSUES."  HIS COMMENTS 
GAVE NO SUGGESTION THE CPV IS PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD 
ANYTIME SOON.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
THREE CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS CENSURED 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) THE NINTH CENTRAL COMMITTEE PLENUM CONCLUDED 
ITS TEN-DAY SESSION APRIL 19.  MOST OF THE SESSION 
FOCUSED ON PREPARATIONS FOR THE NINTH COMMUNIST PARTY 
(CPV) CONGRESS, AND BRIEFINGS AT THE PLENUM'S 
CONCLUSION EMPHASIZED THE DRAFTING OF KEY REPORTS FOR 
THE CONGRESS (DETAILED BELOW).  HOWEVER, THE BIG NEWS 
OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE BY DAO DUY QUAT, DEPUTY 
DIRECTOR OF THE CPV'S COMMISSION FOR IDEOLOGY AND 
CULTURE, WAS THAT THREE CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS 
WOULD BE CENSURED FOR MISMANAGEMENT AND CORRUPTION, AS 
PART OF THE PARTY'S ONGOING CAMPAIGN OF CRITICISM AND 
SELF-CRITICISM. 
 
¶4. (U) IN RESPONSE TO A REPORTER'S QUESTION, QUAT SAID 
THAT TRAN XUAN GIA, MINISTER OF PLANNING AND 
INVESTMENT, AND HOANG VAN NGHIEN, HANOI PEOPLE'S 
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, HAD BEEN REPRIMANDED BY THEIR 
PEERS FOR THEIR ROLES IN THE SCANDAL-RIDDEN THANH LONG 
WATER PARK, AN ENTERTAINMENT CENTER BEING CONSTRUCTED 
IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF HANOI.  THE TWO WERE GIVEN 
"REPRIMANDS" -- THE LOWEST OF THE PARTY'S FOUR FORMS 
OF PUNISHMENT.  A PLENUM COMMUNIQUE SAID HANOI 
PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN NGHIEN ALSO WOULD BE GIVEN 
AN OFFICIAL REPRIMAND BY THE PRIME MINISTER. 
 
¶5. (U) QUAT ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT DINH TRUNG, CHIEF OF 
THE BINH THUAN PROVINCIAL PARTY COMMITTEE, HAD 
RECEIVED A "WARNING" FROM THE PARTY -- WHICH IS ONE 
NOTCH MORE SEVERE THAN A REPRIMAND.  TRUNG WAS WARNED 
FOR HIS RESPONSIBILITY IN DESTROYING UPSTREAM FORESTS 
AT TANH LANH AND FOR HIS FAILURE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS OF 
INTERNAL "PARTY SOLIDARITY" IN THE PROVINCE.  ALL 
THREE OFFICIALS RETAIN THEIR GOVERNMENT AND PARTY 
POSTS. 
 
¶6. (C) THERE WAS NO INDICATION, EITHER IN THE 
COMMUNIQUE OR IN BRIEFINGS BY PARTY OFFICIALS, WHETHER 
THE GOVERNMENT OR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MAY CONSIDER 
FURTHER SANCTIONS AGAINST ANY OF THE THREE.  IT IS 
POSSIBLE THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SESSION OPENING IN MAY 
MIGHT CONSIDER FURTHER SANCTIONS AGAINST GIA OR 
NGHIEN, THOUGH THE PARTY DID NOT RECOMMEND FURTHER 
ACTION IN THEIR CASES.  (NOTE: THE REPRIMAND GIVEN TO 
GIA AND NGHIEN WAS LESS THAN THE WARNING GIVEN TO 
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER NGO XUAN LOC AT LAST NOVEMBER'S 
PLENUM FOR HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THANH LONG.  AT THAT 
TIME, THE PLENUM ALSO RECOMMENDED THE ASSEMBLY REMOVE 
LOC FROM HIS POST AS DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, WHICH THE 
ASSEMBLY DID IN DECEMBER.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶7. (SBU) THE COMMUNIQUE SAID THE CENSURE STEPS WERE 
TAKEN BY THE PLENUM AS PART OF THE SECOND PHASE OF THE 
PARTY'S CRITICISM AND SELF-CRITICISM CAMPAIGN, WHICH 
FOCUSED ON PARTY MEMBERS HOLDING HIGH-RANKING 
GOVERNMENT POSITIONS.  THE TWO-YEAR-LONG CAMPAIGN, 
WHICH WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MAY 2001, WILL NOW MOVE INTO 
ITS THIRD AND FINAL PHASE -- COVERING ORDINARY PARTY 
MEMBERS AT LOCAL LEVELS.  (COMMENT: BECAUSE THE PLENUM 
HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE SECOND PHASE OF THE CAMPAIGN 
HAS CONCLUDED, THIS SUGGESTS THERE WILL NOT BE OTHER 
HIGH-LEVEL PARTY MEMBERS CENSURED BY THE PARTY.  END 
COMMENT.) 
 
¶8. (C) ONE SURPRISE IN THESE DECISIONS WAS THAT LONG- 
TIME CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBER AND DEPUTY PRIME MINSTER 
FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT NGUYEN CONG TAN 
WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE GROUP OF THOSE CENSURED.  TAN 
HAS BEEN WIDELY CRITICIZED IN THE PRESS FOR HIS ROLE 
IN THE THANH LONG WATER PARK; HE AGREED TO THE 
ACQUISITION OF THE LAND FOR THE PARK.  THE CONSENSUS 
AROUND HANOI IS THAT TAN WILL BE ALLOWED TO "RETIRE" 
BEFORE OR AT THE PARTY CONGRESS.  MINISTER OF 
AGRICULTURE LE HUY NGO, WHO SUCCEEDED TAN AS MINISTER 
18 MONTHS AGO, REPORTEDLY IS BURNISHING HIS PARTY 
CREDENTIALS IN AN EFFORT TO SUCCEED TAN AS DEPUTY PM. 
NGO IS WIDELY SEEN AS A PARTY INSIDER WITH NARROW 
PARTY POLITICAL INTERESTS.  DURING HIS TENURE THE 
MINISTRY HAS BECOME LESS ABLE TO ATTRACT DIRECT 
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN AGRICULTURE. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
DRAFT PARTY DOCUMENTS EMPHASIZE HACKNEYED IDEOLOGY 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶9. (U) THE PLENUM'S PRIMARY FOCUS WAS DISCUSSING THE 
DOCUMENTS BEING PREPARED FOR THE PARTY CONGRESS, WHICH 
QUAT SAID WOULD BE HELD AT THE END OF MARCH 2001. 
DURING THE PLENUM SESSION, THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE 
MEMBERS DISCUSSED AND MADE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 
THEMES OF THE POLITICAL REPORT, THE SOCIOECONOMIC 
STRATEGY FOR 2001-2010, THE FIVE-YEAR ECONOMIC PLAN 
FOR 2001-2005, THE REPORT ON REVISING THE PARTY 
STATUTES, AND A REPORT ON PERSONNEL IN THE COMMUNIST 
PARTY.  THE PLENUM APPOINTED DRAFTING COMMITTEES AND 
TASKED THEM WITH COLLECTING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM 
CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBERS AT 
ALL LEVELS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WITH THE GOAL OF 
HAVING MORE POLISHED DRAFT DOCUMENTS TO PRESENT TO THE 
NEXT PLENUM MEETING IN JUNE. 
 
¶10. (SBU) THE PLENUM COMMUNIQUE SAID VIETNAM'S 
DEVELOPMENT WILL CONTINUE TO BE BASED ON THE TWIN 
PILLARS OF "NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE AND SOCIALISM."  THE 
DRAFT DOCUMENTS BEING PREPARED NOTE VIETNAM WILL 
CONTINUE TO PURSUE A "MULTI-SECTOR, MARKET-ORIENTED 
SOCIALIST ECONOMY."  (COMMENT: AN OXYMORON IF EVER 
THERE WAS ONE.  END COMMENT.)  THE DOCUMENTS ALSO WILL 
SPELL OUT THE NEXT STAGES OF THE COUNTRY'S 
MODERNIZATION AND INDUSTRIALIZATION, THE IMPACT OF 
GLOBALIZATION AND INTEGRATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY, THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN NATIONAL SECURITY, 
AND THE NEED TO STREAMLINE PARTY AND STATE STRUCTURES. 
THESE TOPICS HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT THEMES ON WHICH PM 
KHAI, PRESIDENT LUONG AND PARTY GENERAL SECRETARY 
PHIEU HAVE EXPRESSED HANOI'S MORE IDEOLOGICAL VIEWS IN 
RECENT MONTHS (REFTELS). 
 
 
¶11. (U) IN SEPARATE BRIEFINGS TO THE PRESS BY QUAT AND 
TO DIPLOMATS BY DEPUTY HEAD OF CPV EXTERNAL AFFAIRS 
PHAM VAN CHUONG, THE PARTY SPOKESPERSONS OUTLINED THE 
MAIN THEMES AND IDEAS DISCUSSED.  BOTH QUAT AND CHUONG 
NOTED THAT GENERAL SECRETARY LE KHA PHIEU'S 70TH 
ANNIVERSARY SPEECH WAS EMPHASIZED IN PREPARING THE 
DRAFTS FOR THE KEY PARTY DOCUMENTS (DETAILED REFTELS). 
LIKE PHIEU'S SPEECH, THE SOCIOECONOMIC DOCUMENTS 
STRESS THAT ALL ECONOMIC SECTORS -- PUBLIC SECTOR, 
COOPERATIVES, PRIVATE SECTOR, INDIVIDUAL MARKET 
SECTOR, AND STATE MARKET SECTOR (PRESUMABLY SOE'S) -- 
ARE EQUAL, THOUGH THE PUBLIC AND COOPERATIVE SECTORS 
HAVE SPECIAL ROLES IN ENSURING STABILITY AND PROMOTING 
SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND THESE VALUES MUST ALWAYS BE 
PROMOTED. 
 
¶12. (C) THE PLENUM COMMUNIQUE AND BRIEFINGS BY QUAT 
AND CHUONG PROVIDED FURTHER INDICATION THAT ANY 
ECONOMIC POLICY CHANGES WILL BE VERY GRADUAL AND 
MEASURED; THERE WAS NOTHING TO SUGGEST ANY DRAMATIC 
STEPS FORWARD ARE ON THE NEAR-TERM HORIZON.  CHUONG 
REFERRED TO PHIEU'S COMMENTS EARLIER IN THE DAY TO A 
VISITING SINGAPORE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AS 
ILLUSTRATIVE; PHIEU SAID VIETNAM RECOGNIZES IT MUST 
"REARRANGE STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES" (SOE'S) BUT THIS 
NEEDS TO BE DONE WHILE "TAKING INTO ACCOUNT" 
UNEMPLOYMENT, SINCE IF REFORM IS NOT PROPERLY DONE, 
SOCIAL PROBLEMS WILL RESULT.  (COMMENT: FOR THE TIME 
BEING AT LEAST, VIETNAM'S CENTRALLY LED "MARKET- 
ORIENTED SOCIALIST ECONOMY" IS NOT PURSUING MEANINGFUL 
SOE AND OTHER MACROECONOMIC REFORM BECAUSE THE 
CONCERNS ABOUT SOCIAL FALLOUT TRUMP THE BENEFITS TO BE 
GAINED BY THE REFORMS.  STABILITY CONTINUES TO BE THE 
WATCHWORD OF THE DAY.  END COMMENT.) 
 
¶13. (C) PLAYING KEY ROLES AT THE PLENUM WERE GENERAL 
SECRETARY PHIEU, WHO AS ALWAYS DELIVERED THE KEYNOTE 
ADDRESS OPENING THE PLENUM AND PRESIDED OVER THE 
SESSION, AND HANOI PARTY CHIEF NGUYEN PHU TRONG. 
TRONG, WHO UNTIL FEBRUARY WAS IN CHARGE OF IDEOLOGICAL 
MATTERS FOR THE PARTY, BRIEFED THE PLENUM ON ITS FIRST 
DAY ON THE DOCUMENTS TO BE PREPARED FOR THE PARTY 
CONGRESS.  TRONG, WHO IS ONE OF THE MORE STRONGLY 
IDEOLOGICAL POLITBURO MEMBERS, LIKELY WILL PLAY A 
LEADING ROLE IN OVERSEEING THE DRAFTING OF THESE 
DOCUMENTS, PARTICULARLY THE POLITICAL REPORT.  TRONG 
APPEARS TO HAVE THE CONFIDENCE OF PHIEU, AND HE LIKELY 
WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE PARTY CONGRESS. 
 
---------------------- 
NOTHING NEW ON THE BTA 
---------------------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) DURING THE QUESTION PERIOD, CHUONG WAS ASKED 
BY THE BRITISH EMBASSY POLOFF WHETHER VIETNAM WAS 
PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE BILATERAL TRADE 
AGREEMENT (BTA) WITH THE U.S. AND OTHER ECONOMIC 
REFORM STEPS SUCH AS THOSE PRESCRIBED BY THE IMF AND 
REQUIRED FOR WTO ACCESSION.  ACCORDING TO HIS 
INTERPRETED RESPONSE, CHUONG SAID, "WE WOULD LIKE TO 
TAKE SOME TIME TO CLARIFY SOME ISSUES BEFORE SIGNING 
THE AGREEMENT."  HE SAID IT WOULD BE EASY FOR VIETNAM 
TO SIGN IT AND THEN NOT BE ABLE TO REALIZE IT.  "BUT 
WE WANT TO SIGN IT AND IMPLEMENT IT, AND THUS WE MUST 
UNDERSTAND IT AND HOW TO IMPLEMENT IT."  HE SAID 
VIETNAM IS "BRAND NEW" TO NEGOTIATING SUCH AGREEMENTS, 
AND "WE HOPE THE U.S. SIDE, AS ONE WHO HAS MUCH MORE 
EXPERIENCE (THAN WE), WILL BE KIND ENOUGH TO 
UNDERSTAND IT (OUR LACK OF EXPERIENCE) AND SOLVE THIS 
PROBLEM." 
 
¶15. (C) COMMENT: CHUONG IS NOT A MAJOR PLAYER IN BTA 
NEGOTIATIONS, AND HIS STATEMENTS WERE STANDARD 
BOILERPLATE.  HIS COMMENTS DID NOT SUGGEST THERE IS 
ANY MOVEMENT WITHIN THE PARTY ON THE BTA; RATHER, HE 
SEEMED TO SUGGEST THAT "TAKING SOME TIME TO CLARIFY 
SOME ISSUES" MAY GO ON FOR A LONG TIME.  HIS COMMENTS 
CLOSELY TRACK SIMILAR POINTS MADE BY SENIOR GVN 
OFFICIALS OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS.  END COMMENT. 
 
---------------------------------- 
DISCUSSIONS ON PARTY RESTRUCTURING 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶16. (U) DURING THE PLENUM THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT 
RESTRUCTURING ROLES WITHIN THE POLITBURO.  IN RESPONSE 
TO A REPORTER'S QUESTION, QUAT BRIEFED THAT THE PLENUM 
DISCUSSED THREE PROPOSALS FOR RESTRUCTURING THE 
POLITBURO'S FIVE-MEMBER STANDING COMMITTEE AND PERHAPS 
REPLACING IT WITH AN EIGHT-MEMBER SECRETARIAT.  (NOTE: 
PRIOR TO THE EIGHTH PARTY CONGRESS, THE POLITBURO HAD 
A SECRETARIAT TO HELP SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE PARTY. 
END NOTE.)  QUAT SAID ONE PROPOSAL WAS TO MAINTAIN THE 
STANDING COMMITTEE, BUT HAVE THE GROUP APPOINTED BY 
THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE AND REPORTING DIRECTLY TO THE 
GENERAL SECRETARY, RATHER THAN APPOINTED BY THE 
POLITBURO.  THE SECOND PROPOSAL WAS TO REPLACE THE 
STANDING COMMITTEE WITH A SECRETARIAT.  THE THIRD 
PROPOSAL WAS TO MAINTAIN THE STANDING COMMITTEE BUT TO 
ADD A SECRETARIAT.  QUAT SAID THESE ISSUES WILL BE 
FURTHER DISCUSSED AT THE TENTH PLENUM IN JUNE. 
(COMMENT: THESE VARYING PROPOSALS SUGGEST THE 
POLITBURO IS NOT ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH ITS WORKLOAD AND 
IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE ITS EFFICIENCY.  END 
COMMENT) 
 
¶17. (SBU) CHUONG WAS ASKED WHETHER THE PLENUM 
DISCUSSED A PROPOSAL TO COMBINE THE ROLES OF COMMUNIST 
PARTY GENERAL SECRETARY AND STATE PRESIDENT. 
(NUMEROUS SOURCES SUGGEST LE KHA PHIEU HAS BEEN 
EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF ASSUMING THE MANTLE OF 
PRESIDENT AS WELL, SO HE CAN BENEFIT FROM THE PROTOCOL 
RANK OF HEAD OF STATE, IN ACCORD WITH HIS PREEMINENT 
POLITICAL POWER.  THIS HAS PROVEN AWKWARD FOR PHIEU IN 
SEVERAL OF HIS FOREIGN TRAVELS, WHEN HE FEELS HE HAS 
NOT BEEN RECEIVED AT AN APPROPRIATELY HIGH LEVEL.) 
CHUONG CLAIMED THIS ISSUE WAS NOT DISCUSSED AT THE 
PLENUM.  (NOTE: HOWEVER, HE ALSO FLATLY TOLD ONE 
DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONER THERE WERE NO DISCIPLINARY STEPS 
TAKEN AT THE PLENUM.  END NOTE.)  CHUONG WENT ON TO 
SUGGEST THIS MAY BE CONSIDERED AT THE CONGRESS, THOUGH 
HE POINTED OUT THAT ONLY HO CHI MINH HAS HELD BOTH OF 
THESE POSITIONS CONCURRENTLY. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
SMALL PROTESTS OUTSIDE PARTY HEADQUARTERS 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶18. (SBU) FOR TWO DAYS WHILE THE PLENUM WAS MEETING, 
APRIL 18 AND 19, A GROUP OF ABOUT 30 VIETNAMESE 
BRIEFLY HELD WHAT HAVE BEEN TERMED BY THE FOREIGN 
PRESS AS "STREET DEMONSTRATIONS" OUTSIDE PARTY 
HEADQUARTERS.  ON APRIL 18, THE GROUP, FROM THE 
SOUTHERN PROVINCE OF DONG THAP, HELD UP A BANNER THAT 
READ, "PEOPLE FROM SA DEC TOWN, DONG THAP PROVINCE ARE 
DEPRESSED.  NO DEMOCRACY."  AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR, THE 
GROUP DISPERSED; WITNESSES DID NOT REPORT ANY ARRESTS 
OR HARASSMENT BY PLAINCLOTHES POLICE.  THE NEXT DAY, 
ABOUT 30 DEMONSTRATORS FROM DONG THAP AGAIN GATHERED. 
THIS TIME THEIR BANNERS READ: "DOWN WITH CORRUPTED 
PEOPLE" AND "LONG LIVE THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF 
VIETNAM." 
 
¶19. (C) COMMENT: IN THIS CONTROLLED SOCIETY, IT IS 
DIFFICULT TO KNOW THE MOTIVE OF THESE DEMONSTRATORS 
AND WHETHER IN FACT THEIR PROTEST WAS GENUINE. 
DEMONSTRATIONS IN FRONT OF CPV HEADQUARTERS ARE RARE, 
ESPECIALLY AROUND A KEY PARTY MEETING.  BUT THESE 
ACTIVITIES ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE TAKEN BY GROUPS WHICH 
OCCASIONALLY GATHER NEAR THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND THE 
OFFICE AND RESIDENCE OF THE PRIME MINISTER TO PROTEST 
PERSONAL OR LOCAL CONCERNS, OFTEN INVOLVING LAND USE 
RIGHTS OR CORRUPTION.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶20. (U) WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE PROTESTS, CHUONG 
MENTIONED THAT PETITIONS AND COMPLAINTS REGARDING LAND 
USE, CORRUPTION AND RED TAPE ARE OFTEN RAISED AT 
GRASSROOTS LEVELS.  HE OPINED THESE CONCERNS SHOULD BE 
ADDRESSED AT THE GRASSROOTS.  AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL, 
THERE IS AN APPROPRIATE OFFICE TO ADDRESS SUCH 
CONCERNS.  BUT HE SAID THE PLENUM ITSELF SHOULD NOT 
INVOLVE ITSELF IN SUCH LOCAL COMPLAINTS. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
COMMENT: MUDDLING THROUGH ON IDEOLOGICAL MANTRAS 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶21. (C) THE CENSURE OF GIA, NGHIEN AND TRUNG SHOWS THE 
PARTY'S CRITICISM/SELF-CRITICISM CAMPAIGN CONTINUES TO 
HAVE SOME TEETH IN IT.  GIA AND NGHIEN, IN PARTICULAR, 
HAD BEEN RUMORED TO BE IN LINE FOR REBUKE FOR SOME 
TIME, THOUGH DEPUTY PM TAN IS A CURIOUS OMISSION FROM 
THIS ROGUES GALLERY.  NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, 
THE TIRED MARXIST MANTRAS TELEGRAPHED FOR THE KEY 
DOCUMENTS OF NEXT YEAR'S COMMUNIST PARTY CONGRESS ARE 
DISCOURAGING.  THE GENERAL SECRETARY'S INCREASING 
RELIANCE ON OLD-LINE DOGMA IS THE ORDER OF THE DAY. 
IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF THERE IS ROOM IN THIS MIX FOR 
PROGRESS ON THE REFORM AGENDA OR A COMMITMENT TO SIGN 
THE BTA.  FOR THE MOMENT THE SIGNS ARE NOT POSITIVE. 
END COMMENT. 
PETERSON 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL