This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

161206Z Feb 01

2001HANOI00396 - CONFIDENTIAL
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTO4974

PAGE 01        HANOI  00396  01 OF 02  161217Z 
ACTION EAP-00   

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DOTE-00  DS-00    EB-00    
      FAAE-00  FBIE-00  VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    VCE-00   
      NSAE-00  OIC-02   SS-00    DSCC-00  PRM-01   DRL-02   NFAT-00  
      SAS-00     /005W
                  ------------------C69D38  161217Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2015
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
APEC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
SECDEF WASHDC
JOINT STAFF WASHDC
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J5/FPA//
DIA WASHDC
USMISSION GENEVA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000396 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL, PRM, INR 
NSC FOR EAST ASIAN DIRECTORATE 
SECDEF FOR ISA/EAP STERN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/16/2011 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SOCI PINR VM RELFREE HUMANR ETMIN
SUBJECT: CENTRAL HIGHLANDS APPEAR CALM; VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES MONITORING CLOSELY 
 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HANOI  00396  01 OF 02  161217Z 
REF: A) HANOI 313 
B) HANOI 247 AND PREVIOUS 
C) 00 HO CHI MINH CITY 1110 
C) 00 HO CHI MINH CITY 563 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY ACTING DCM ROBERT DRY; 
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶2. (C) SUMMARY: THE CAPITALS OF THE TWO KEY CENTRAL 
HIGHLANDS PROVINCES OF GIA LAI AND DAKLAK HAVE STABILIZED, 
WITH NO MORE DEMONSTRATIONS SINCE THE WEEKEND OF FEB. 10- 
¶11.  POLICE AND MILITARY PRESENCE REMAINS HEAVY IN THE 
CAPITAL AND OUTLYING AREAS OF GIA LAI, WHICH WAS THE SITE 
OF THE BIGGEST DEMONSTRATIONS.  BUON ME THUOT, CAPITAL OF 
DAKLAK, IS CALM, AND THERE IS NO VISIBLE POLICE PRESENCE 
THERE.  COFFEE TRADERS SAY THEIR WORK HAS RETURNED TO 
NORMAL IN THE PROVINCES.  THE GVN REPORTEDLY SENT IN DEPUTY 
PRIME MINISTERS DUNG AND TAC IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FIRST 
REPORTS OF DEMONSTRATIONS TWO WEEKS AGO TO MANAGE THE 
SITUATION.  THE GVN CONTINUES TO SAY ONLY 20 VIETNAMESE 
CITIZENS WERE ARRESTED FOLLOWING THE DEMONSTRATIONS, THOUGH 
THEY DECLINE TO RELEASE ALL THE NAMES.  NGO SOURCES CLAIM 
SIGNIFICANTLY MORE WERE ARRESTED, THOUGH THIS CANNOT BE 
VERIFIED.  AMBASSADOR IS RAISING OUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE 
SITUATION AND REQUESTING ACCESS TO THE AREA WITH SENIOR GVN 
OFFICIALS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
POLICE PRESENCE HEAVY IN GIA LAI; CALM IN DAKLAK 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶3. (C) AS DOCUMENTED IN REF A AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  00396  01 OF 02  161217Z 
WITH EAP/BCLTV, CALM HAS RETURNED TO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 
PROVINCES OF GIA LAI AND DAKLAK FOLLOWING THE LARGE 
DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE PREVIOUS WEEK.  (THE PROTESTS WERE 
TRIGGERED BY THE ARREST JANUARY 29 OF TWO ETHNIC MINORITY 
MEN WHO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN LEADERS IN PROTESTANT HOUSE 
CHURCHES IN THE REGION.  THE TWO MEN WERE PROMPTLY RELEASED 
AFTER SIGNING A STATEMENT BEFORE GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES.) 
WE HAVE RECEIVED REPORTS OF INJURIES SUFFERED BY 
DEMONSTRATORS AND POLICE, BUT NO DEATHS HAVE BEEN 
CONFIRMED.  THE MFA SPOKESPERSON FEB. 15 SAID THERE WERE 20 
PERSONS ARRESTED -- AND NO MORE -- IN GIA LAI PROVINCE, THE 
SITE OF THE BIGGEST DEMONSTRATIONS.  SHE DECLINED TO GIVE 
THEIR NAMES, HOWEVER.  NGO GROUPS, SUCH AS THE MONTAGNARD 
FOUNDATION IN SOUTH CAROLINA, HAVE ALLEGED 200 OR MORE 
PERSONS ARRESTED.  THE MFA CONTINUES TO DESCRIBE THOSE 
ARRESTED AS "PROVOCATIVE PEOPLE" WHO DESTROYED PROPERTY AND 
CAUSED INSTABILITY, BUT THE ROOTS OF THE PROTESTS ARE 
VARIED. 
 
¶4. (C) EMBASSY AND CONSULATE STAFF CONTINUE TO MEET WITH 
AND SPEAK BY PHONE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF DIPLOMATIC, NGO, 
BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT SOURCES ABOUT THE EVENTS IN THE 
HIGHLANDS.  AN ETHNIC MINORITY STUDENT FROM DAKLAK TOLD 
CONGENOFF THAT ONE OF THE MAIN SOURCES OF THE TENSIONS IS 
THE CAMPAIGN BY SOME ETHNIC MINORITY PERSONS IN THE 
PROVINCES FOR AUTONOMY FROM HANOI.  HE SAID RELIGION WAS 
ONLY INCIDENTALLY A CAUSE OF THE UNREST; IT IS WHEN 
"RELIGION CROSSES OVER INTO POLITICS" (AND PERSONS DEMAND 
AUTONOMY) THAT IT BECOMES A POINT OF TENSION WITH THE GVN. 
A VIETNAMESE BUSINESSMAN FROM PLEIKU, CAPITAL OF GIA LAI, 
SAID THE GVN WAS TOTALLY TAKEN BY SURPRISE BY THE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HANOI  00396  01 OF 02  161217Z 
DEMONSTRATIONS FOLLOWING THE ARREST OF THE TWO ETHNIC 
MINORITY PERSONS. 
 
¶5. (C) THE DANISH EMBASSY (PROTECT) HAS TWO RESIDENT 
AID/DIPLOMATIC PERSONNEL IN BUON ME THUOT, AND THEY REPORT 
THE CITY IS QUIET.  IN A MEETING THIS WEEK WITH THE CHAIR 
OF THE DAKLAK PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE, THE PROVINCIAL 
"GOVERNOR", THE DANES WERE TOLD THE PROTESTERS THERE WERE 
DEMANDING AUTONOMY AND WERE PROTESTING LACK OF EDUCATIONAL 
OPPORTUNITIES.  (HE DID NOT MENTION LAND RIGHTS OR 
RELIGIOUS ISSUES, THOUGH THESE WERE UNDOUBTEDLY PART OF THE 
EQUATION, AS DISCUSSED IN PREVIOUS REPORTING.) THE DANISH 
EMBASSY TOLD US THEY WERE ABLE TO BOOK A FLIGHT INTO AND A 
HOTEL IN BUON ME THUOT, SO IT APPEARS THE CITY HAS LARGELY 
STABILIZED.  (GIA LAI IS MUCH MORE ISOLATED THAN DAKLAK, 
WHICH IS THE MAJOR COFFEE-EXPORTING PROVINCE IN THE AREA. 
GIA LAI IS MORE INSULAR, POORER AND HAS A SMALLER FOREIGN 
NGO AND BUSINESS PRESENCE.) 
 
¶6. (C) A GVN SOURCE TOLD A JAPANESE EMBOFF THAT DEPUTY 
PRIME MINISTER NGUYEN TAN DUNG AND DEPUTY PM NGUYEN CONG 
TAC WERE DISPATCHED TO THE REGION IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE 
DEMONSTRATIONS BEGAN TO REPORT ON DEVELOPMENTS AND MANAGE 
THE GVN'S RESPONSE.  (COMMENT: IF TRUE, SUCH HIGH-LEVEL 
ATTENTION SIGNALS THE GVN'S PERCEPTION OF THE SERIOUSNESS 
OF THE DEMONSTRATIONS AND THE DISCONTENT THEY REFLECT.  END 
COMMENT.) 
 
¶7. (SBU) COFFEE TRADERS INFORM FAS THAT NORMAL TRADING AND 
MARKETING ACTIVITIES HAVE RESUMED IN THE TWO PROVINCES. 
THEY SAY THE TWO CAPITAL CITIES ARE BOTH CALM.  DAKLAK IS 
THE CENTER FOR ROUGHLY 60 PERCENT OF VIETNAM'S EXPORT 
COFFEE CULTIVATION.  GIA LAI (NORTH OF DAKLAK) AND LAM DONG 
(SOUTH OF DAKLAK) ARE THE NEXT TWO BIGGEST CULTIVATORS. 
 
¶8. (SBU) THERE ARE NO AMERICAN CITIZENS REGISTERED WITH THE 
EMBASSY OR CONSULATE WHO RESIDE IN EITHER DAKLAK OR GIA 
LAI.  ACCORDING TO THE EXTERNAL RELATIONS OFFICE OF DAKLAK, 
HOTELS IN THE PROVINCE ARE STILL CLOSED TO FOREIGNERS AS OF 
FEB. 14, AND THEIR OFFICE ADVISES FOREIGNERS TO REFRAIN 
FROM TRAVEL TO THE PROVINCE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.  (THIS 
CONTRADICTS WHAT THE DANES HEARD, BUT IS THE MESSAGE 
DELIVERED TO OUR MISSION.) 
 
ROOTS OF THE DEMONSTRATIONS 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) AS DISCUSSED MORE FULLY REF A, WE CONTINUE TO 
BELIEVE THE ROOTS OF THE DEMONSTRATIONS ORIGINATE IN 
DISPUTES OVER LAND, HEAVY-HANDED TREATMENT OF PROTESTANT 
RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS, AND ONGOING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST 
ETHNIC MINORITIES.  THE SPARK APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  00396  02 OF 02  161217Z 
HARASSMENT OF PROTESTANT HOUSE CHURCH LEADERS IN THE AREA, 
THOUGH SMOLDERING RESENTMENT BY MINORITIES OVER THE LOSS OF 
THEIR TRADITIONAL LANDS TO ETHNIC VIETNAMESE AND OTHER 
MIGRANTS LIKELY WAS FUEL FOR THE FLAMES.  EXTREME 
IMPOVERISHMENT OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, EXACERBATED BY THE 
STEEP DROP IN COFFEE PRICES, ALSO WAS A CONTRIBUTING 
FACTOR. 
 
¶10. (SBU) WE HAVE RECEIVED REPORTS OF HARASSMENT OF 
PROTESTANTS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL 
MONTHS.  IN PARTICULAR, THE HOUSE CHURCHES (OR "VILLAGE 
CHURCHES" IN OUTLYING RURAL AREAS) THAT ARE PREDOMINANT IN 
ETHNIC MINORITY AREAS COME IN FOR PARTICULAR HARASSMENT. 
THIS IS LARGELY BECAUSE THESE CHURCHES FACE A CATCH-22: 
THEY ARE NOT OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED AS LEGAL BODIES, AND 
THUS MEMBERS COMING TOGETHER FOR PEACEFUL RELIGIOUS 
ACTIVITIES ARE CONSIDERED OUTSIDE THE LAW AND SUBJECT TO 
HARASSMENT OR ARREST DEPENDING ON THE WHIMS OF LOCAL 
OFFICIALS.  ALSO, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PETITION TO 
BECOME LEGAL (AS WERE SOME 250 MORE-ESTABLISHED 
"EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF VIETNAM" PROTESTANT CHURCHES THAT 
WERE RECOGNIZED AS PART OF THE PROTESTANT CHURCH CONFERENCE 
THAT CONCLUDED LAST WEEK IN HCMC).  RELIGIOUS HARASSMENT IS 
ONE OF SEVERAL FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE TENSIONS IN THE 
HIGHLANDS, BUT IT IS ONLY ONE OF SEVERAL.  LAND RIGHTS, 
SOCIETAL DISCRIMINATION, EXTREME POVERTY AND DESPERATION, 
AND THE CAMPAIGN BY SOME HIGHLANDS PEOPLES FOR AUTONOMY ARE 
INEXTRICABLY LINKED; ALL OF THESE ARE ROOTS OF THE 
TENSIONS. 
 
COMMENT 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HANOI  00396  02 OF 02  161217Z 
------- 
 
¶11. (C) WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE AFTERMATH OF THE 
DEMONSTRATIONS CLOSELY AND THE GVN'S RESPONSE TO WHAT WERE 
UNDOUBTEDLY THE BIGGEST DEMONSTRATIONS AND EXPRESSION OF 
POPULAR DISCONTENT SINCE THE THAI BINH UPRISING THREE YEARS 
AGO.  THE AMBASSADOR HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE CONCERNS 
REGARDING HUMAN RIGHTS WITH TRADE MINISTER VU KHOAN EARLIER 
IN THE WEEK.  HE HAS AN APPOINTMENT TO DISCUSS THE 
SITUATION IN DAKLAK AND GIA LAI AND OTHER ISSUES WITH VICE 
FOREIGN MINISTER BIN EARLY NEXT WEEK.  WE RECOGNIZE THE 
NEED TO GET A FIRSTHAND ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION IN THE 
HIGHLANDS AND WILL CONTINUE WORKING TO DO SO.  END COMMENT. 
PETERSON 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL