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

170913Z Dec 01

2001HANOI03269 - UNCLASSIFIED
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ9351

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FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5025
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 
USEU BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 
AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 003269 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS USAID ANE/LFORMAN AND AFERRARA 
EMBASSY PHNOM PENH FOR USAID DIRECTOR LISA CHILES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM ELAB ECON EAID VM RELFREE HUMANR ETMIN
SUBJECT: VIETNAM:  "RIGHTS OF PERSONS" EMPHASIZED AT THE CONSULTATIVE GROUP OF DONORS MEETING 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY: AT THE CONSULTATIVE GROUP OF DONORS MEETING IN 
HANOI ON DECEMBER 7-8, THERE WAS A WELCOME MESSAGE FROM 
DONORS ON THE ISSUE OF "RIGHTS" WRIT LARGE.  THE CONSISTENCY 
AND THE CLARITY OF THE STATEMENTS BY BOTH INDIVIDUAL 
DELEGATIONS AND NGOS ARE WORTH NOTING.  WHILE IT IS CLEAR 
THAT FOR THE TIME BEING, DONORS ARE NOT PREPARED TO STRICTLY 
CONDITION THEIR ASSISTANCE SOLELY UPON IMPROVEMENT OF HUMAN 
RIGHTS, THE ISSUE IS FIRMLY ON THE TABLE IN MANY DONORS' 
MINDS AS A MEASURE OF VIETNAM'S REFORM AND DEVELOPMENT 
EFFORTS.  ALTHOUGH THE VIETNAMESE DID NOT RESPOND DIRECTLY 
TO THE COMMENTS, THEY CLEARLY WERE TAKING IT ALL IN.  THE 
QUESTION REMAINS, HOWEVER, WHETHER ANY OF THIS WILL HAVE AN 
EFFECT IN THE NEAR TO MEDIUM TERM. THE RESULTS OF THE 
CONSULTATIVE GROUP MEETINGS ARE REPORTED SEPTEL.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.   ALL IN AGREEMENT:  DONORS AGREED THAT THE FIGHT AGAINST 
CORRUPTION, BUILDING THE RULE OF LAW, AN INDEPENDENT AND 
PREDICTABLE JUDICIARY, TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, THE 
PROMOTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY, A FREE MASS MEDIA, PARTICIPATION 
BY THE PEOPLE IN DECISION MAKING, AND HUMAN RIGHTS WERE ALL 
"PILLARS OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE."  SEVERAL DONORS MADE THE 
EXPLICIT LINKAGE BETWEEN THE PROTECTION OF LEGAL RIGHTS AND 
THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN A "DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY."  A 
NUMBER OF DONORS WELCOMED THE IMPROVEMENT IN "PERSONAL 
FREEDOMS" AND THE MORE OPEN DIALOGUE ON HUMAN RIGHTS, AND 
EXPRESSED HOPE THAT THIS WOULD CONTINUE AND GROW.  SEVERAL 
DONORS OPINED THAT ALL CITIZENS MUST BE ABLE TO FULLY 
PARTICIPATE IN ECONOMIC AND CIVIC LIFE IF VIETNAM IS TO 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS ITS ON-GOING POVERTY ALLEVIATION 
AND ECONOMIC REFORM PROGRAM.   THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE 
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK TOUCHED ON THE ISSUES THROUGH THE 
CONTEXT OF "TRANSPARENCY" AND "GOOD GOVERNANCE", STRESSING 
THAT GOOD GOVERNANCE UNDERPINS THE ENTIRE REFORM EFFORT AND 
THAT THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO FOCUS MORE ON TRANSPARENCY AND 
GOVERNANCE ISSUES IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT ALL SECTORS OF 
SOCIETY BENEFIT FROM ECONOMIC GROWTH AND POVERTY REDUCTION 
EFFORTS.  THE ENTIRE DISCUSSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AS RELATED 
TO GOVERNANCE AND CHANGE WAS EXPLICITLY ADDRESSED IN THE 
WORLD BANK'S CLOSING STATEMENT. 
 
¶3.  EUROPEAN UNION:  THE EU WELCOMED THE GENERAL IMPROVEMENT 
IN PERSONAL FREEDOM FOR THE INDIVIDUAL IN VIETNAM AND THE 
MORE OPEN DIALOGUE ON HUMAN RIGHTS BETWEEN THE EU AND 
VIETNAM.   THEY ALSO COMMENTED ON THE NEED FOR INCREASED 
EFFORTS TO ENSURE GREATER LEGITIMACY FOR THE GOVERNMENT, 
ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO ENHANCING POPULAR PARTICIPATION. 
THEY NOTED THAT INCREASING ATTENTION IS BEING PAID IN THE EU 
TO THESE DEVELOPMENTS.  THEY ALSO RAISED THEIR CONTINUED 
CONCERN REGARDING LACK OF FREEDOM OF OPINION AND OF 
RELIGION, AS WELL AS THE SITUATION OF ETHNIC MINORITIES, 
RESTRICTIONS IN FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND THE APPLICATION OF 
THE DEATH PENALTY.  THE EU OFFERED TO CONTINUE ITS DIALOGUE 
ON THESE ISSUES AND TO ENHANCE ITS COOPERATION WITH VIETNAM 
IN THESE FIELDS. 
 
¶4.  FINLAND:  FINLAND ARGUED FOR THAT ONE OF THE KEY 
PREREQUISITES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS A PARTICIPATORY 
GOVERNMENT.  IT NOTED THE GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY DECREE BUT 
STRESSED THAT THE SPIRIT OF DECREE MUST BE IMPLEMENTED SO 
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THAT ALL CITIZENS, INCLUDING WOMEN, ETHNIC MINORITIES AND 
THE DISABLED, WITH THEIR DIFFERENT VIEWS, HAVE A REAL SAY IN 
HOW THEIR SOCIETY IS ADMINISTERED. 
 
¶5. SWEDEN: SWEDEN FOCUSED ON THE PROMOTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY, 
FREE AND INDEPENDENT MASS MEDIA, PARTICIPATION IN DECISION 
MAKING, POLITICAL PLURALISM AND RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AS 
THE CORNERSTONES OF A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY. THEY LINKED THOSE 
ISSUES TO CREATING A CLIMATE OF CONFIDENCE FOR ECONOMIC 
ACTORS, TRADERS AND INVESTORS.  SWEDEN OFFERED ASSISTANCE TO 
VIETNAM TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON THE SUCCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION 
OF THE GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY DECREE AT THE COMMUNE LEVEL AS 
WELL AS FOR A STUDY ON ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORTS.  IT 
APPLAUDED THE GVN'S EFFORTS AT CREATING A MASTER PLAN FOR 
ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM, BUT URGED THE GVN TO USE THE SAME 
ENERGY IN DRAFTING A MASTER PLAN ON DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE 
REFORM.  SWEDEN PUSHED FOR GREATER LEGAL REFORM, STRESSING 
THAT LEGAL REFORM WILL HAVE TO DIRECTLY EMPHASIZE THE 
STATE'S OBLIGATIONS TO PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS, PARALLEL WITH 
THE PROTECTION OF DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS. 
 
¶6.  NGOS: THE NGOS NOTED THE NEED TO PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS, 
LABOR RIGHTS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT.  THEY HIGHLIGHTED THE 
NEED TO INCREASE LOCAL ASSOCIATION RIGHTS, FOSTER A MORE 
PARTICIPATORY GOVERNMENT, AND IMPLEMENT GRASS ROOTS 
DEMOCRACY. 
 
 
¶7.  OTHERS:  DENMARK RAISED THE NEED FOR IMPROVED HUMAN 
RIGHTS AND NOTED THAT ALL STAKE HOLDERS NEED TO BE INVOLVED 
IN DISCUSSION OF FUTURE REFORMS, SUCH AS INCREASING 
PARTICIPATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY.  NEW ZEALAND LINKED THE NEED 
FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE TO ACHIEVE REFORM GOALS, INCLUDING LEGAL 
REFORMS, AND STRESSED THAT HUMAN RIGHTS DEPEND ON GOOD 
GOVERNANCE.  NORWAY APPLAUDED THE HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE 
ALTHOUGH IT STILL HAS CONCERNS OVER THE STATE OF HUMAN 
RIGHTS IN VIETNAM.  IT ALSO ECHOED THE EU STATEMENT ON 
PROGRESS.  SWITZERLAND STRESSED THE NEED FOR THE PROMOTION 
OF A CIVIL SOCIETY, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GRASSROOTS 
DEMOCRACY ACT, AND ACTIONS TO RECTIFY GENDER INEQUALITY. 
 
¶8.  THE VIETNAMESE RESPONSE:  THE GVN REPRESENTATIVES AT THE 
CG DID NOT RESPOND TO DONOR INTERVENTIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS, 
BUT NEITHER DID THEY DID PROTEST THEM, ASSERT THAT THEY DID 
NOT BELONG IN A DISCUSSION OF DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, OR 
REQUEST THAT MENTION OF IT BE DELETED FROM THE DRAFT OF THE 
PROCEEDINGS.  IN HIS RESPONSE TO THE SESSION ON PUBLIC 
ADMINISTRATION REFORM AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN WHICH MOST OF 
THE POINTS ABOVE WERE RAISED, MINISTER FOR PLANNING AND 
INVESTMENT TRAN XUAN GIA, THE SENIOR GVN OFFICIAL PRESENT 
FOR THE WORKING SESSIONS, AGREED THAT IMPROVING GOVERNANCE 
AND TRANSPARENCY WERE IMPORTANT ISSUES. 
 
¶9. COMMENT:  ALTHOUGH THE VIETNAMESE DID NOT RESPOND 
DIRECTLY TO THE COMMENTS BY DONORS, THEY CLEARLY WERE TAKING 
IT ALL IN.  THE QUESTION REMAINS, HOWEVER, WHETHER ANY OF 
THIS WILL HAVE AN EFFECT IN THE NEAR TO MEDIUM TERM. END 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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COMMENT. 
BURGHARDT 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED