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

240226Z Jan 02

 2002HANOI00156 - UNCLASSIFIED
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ4912

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FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5296
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 
ASEAN COLLECTIVE
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000156 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL SOCI VM DPOL HUMANR
SUBJECT:  TEACHING THE PARTY ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY. A HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER AT THE MAIN PARTY SCHOOL 
HAS FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS BEEN UNDERTAKING A UNIQUE 
EFFORT TO EDUCATE OFFICIALS ABOUT INTERNATIONAL LEGAL 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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CONCEPTS RELATED TO HUMAN RIGHTS.  THIS LONG-TERM PROCESS 
MERITS OUR ATTENTION AND POSSIBLY SUPPORT, DESPITE ONGOING 
DIFFERENCES OF VALUES AND APPROACHES TO THIS DELICATE TOPIC. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  THE HO CHI MINH POLITICAL ACADEMY -- THE CENTRAL PARTY 
SCHOOL OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM (CPV) -- HAS SINCE 
1994 INCLUDED A RESEARCH CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.  ITS 
DIRECTOR, DR. CAO DUC THAI, TOLD POL/C ON JANUARY 23 THAT 
ITS MAJOR FUNCTIONS ARE TO: 
--  CONDUCT RESEARCH ON THE HISTORY AND THEORY OF HUMAN 
RIGHTS, BASED PRIMARILY ON INTERNATIONAL LAW; 
-- UNDERTAKE RESEARCH PROJECTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATIONS 
"AROUND THE WORLD," INCLUDING IN THE U.S.; 
--  TEACH STUDENTS AT THE ACADEMY -- THE ALREADY ELITE AND 
THE UP-AND-COMING OF THE CVP, AT NATIONAL AS WELL AS 
PROVINCIAL LEVELS -- ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS PRINCIPLES AND THEIR 
INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORKS; 
--  DISSEMINATE HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTS TO TARGETED GROUPS 
WITHIN VIETNAM; 
-- ADVISE THE GVN AND CPV ON LEGISLATION WITH HUMAN RIGHTS 
IMPLICATIONS; AND, 
--  STRENGTHEN COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS, NGOS, 
AND UNIVERSITIES. 
 
¶3.  THE CENTER CURRENTLY HAS AN IN-HOUSE STAFF OF 16, 
INCLUDING FOUR WITH DOCTORATES AND SIX WITH MASTER'S DEGREE, 
MOSTLY IN INTERNATIONAL LAW.  (ONE RESEARCHER/LECTURER WHO 
SAT IN ON THE MEETING HAD AN LL M -- MASTER'S IN 
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW -- FROM A UNIVERSITY IN 
SWEDEN.)  ANOTHER TWO DOZEN OR SO RESEARCHERS ARE ON 
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TEMPORARY LOAN FROM OTHER GVN AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE 
MINISTRIES OF JUSTICE, FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AND PUBLIC SECURITY, 
AS WELL AS THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, DR. THAI SAID. 
 
¶4.  ALL STUDENTS AT THE ACADEMY (USUALLY 2-3,000 IN ANY 
GIVEN YEAR) IN PRINCIPLE TAKE ONE COURSE ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
THEORY IN INTERNATIONAL LAW, ACCORDING TO DR. THAI (WHO 
TEACHES THE COURSE), BUT THE CENTER DOES NOT NOW OFFER A 
BROADER CURRICULUM.  IT PUBLISHES A REGULAR BULLETIN WITH 
ARTICLES BY ITS RESEARCHERS;  DR. THAI PROMISED HE WOULD ASK 
FOR PERMISSION TO INCLUDE EMBASSY ON ITS DISTRIBUTION.  HE 
EXPRESSED A HOPE EVENTUALLY TO TRANSFORM THE BULLETIN INTO A 
MAINLINE JOURNAL, WHILE ADMITTING THE DIFFICULTY IN 
SUSTAINING SUCH AN EFFORT ON A COMMERCIAL BASIS.  UNESCO 
UNDERWRITES ANOTHER OF THE CENTER'S PROGRAMS, PUBLISHING 
HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTS AIMED AT CHILDREN, HE NOTED. 
 
¶5.  AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE CENTER HAD ADVISED THE GVN AND 
CPV ON LEGISLATION, DR. THAI CITED EVOLVING NATIONAL POLICY 
ON PEOPLE WITH AIDS.  HE NOTED THE REAL PROBLEM OF SOCIETAL 
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THIS POPULATION AND THE NEED FOR 
LEGISLATION TO PROTECT THEIR LEGITIMATE AND EQUAL RIGHTS 
BASED ON THE CONSTITUTION. 
 
¶6.  DR. THAI CLAIMED THAT THE "SENIOR PARTY LEADERSHIP" WAS 
VERY INTERESTED IN THE ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, HENCE THE 
ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS CENTER.  HE NOTED SPECIFICALLY THAT 
MANY OTHER GVN OFFICIALS AND CPV CADRES DID NOT YET 
UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE OR THE LEGAL BASIS -- IN BOTH 
INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL TERMS -- FOR THESE RIGHTS.  THE 
CHALLENGE FOR THE CENTER, HE SAID, WAS TO HELP IMPROVE THE 
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LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS GENERALLY AND 
SPECIFICALLY IN VIETNAM.  HE DESCRIBED THE CENTER AS THE 
"UNIQUE AGENCY" IN VIETNAM TO UNDERTAKE THIS TASK.  HE 
CLAIMED THAT INTEREST AND UNDERSTANDING IN HUMAN RIGHTS 
WITHIN VIETNAM WAS "INCREASING" AND ATTITUDES OF OFFICIALS 
WERE GRADUALLY MORE "POSITIVE" AND "OPEN." HE ADMITTED, 
HOWEVER, DIFFERING LEVELS OF INTEREST AMONG OFFICIALS. 
 
¶7.  WHEN ASKED ABOUT FREQUENT COMPLAINTS FROM VIETNAMESE 
ABOUT "INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS" WHEN OUTSIDE 
OBSERVERS COMMENTED ON ALLEGED HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN 
VIETNAM, DR. THAI CITED A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN RESEARCH 
AND REPORTING ON HUMAN RIGHTS, AND ACTUAL INTERVENTION IN A 
LOCAL SITUATION.  HE CLAIMED TO BE A FAITHFUL READER OF THE 
STATE DEPARTMENT'S HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT ON VIETNAM, AND 
PROMISED TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK FROM THIS YEAR'S REPORT.  HE 
SAID THAT THE CENTER HAD NO/NO CONTACTS WITH INTERNATIONAL 
GROUPS SUCH AS AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL OR HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, 
WHILE UNDERTAKING EXCHANGES WITH GROUPS IN AUSTRALIA, 
SWEDEN, AND DENMARK. 
 
¶8.  WHILE ADMITTING THAT US AND VIETNAMESE PERCEPTIONS ON 
HUMAN RIGHTS WERE OFTEN AT ODDS, HE NONETHELESS CLAIMED THAT 
OUR DIFFERENCES ON THIS ISSUE WERE NOT REALLY SO GREAT.  THE 
PRIMARY DIFFERENCE RELATED TO LIMITATIONS ON INDIVIDUAL 
FREEDOMS, WHICH WERE STILL IMPORTANT TO BOTH PEOPLES.  FOR 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ4913 
 
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      SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    ED-01    FBIE-00  UTED-00  VC-00 
      HHS-01   H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    LAB-01   L-00 
      VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01 
      PA-00    PC-01    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00 
      SS-00    STR-00   TEST-00  TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  R-00 
      EPAE-00  IIP-00   PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00 
      NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /012W 
                  ------------------5C44C9  240242Z /38 
R 240226Z JAN 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5297 
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 
ASEAN COLLECTIVE 
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 000156 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
EXAMPLE, HE SAID THAT IN THE U.S., EVEN IN THE WAKE OF 
SEPTEMBER 11, PEOPLE COULD BUY AND WEAR T-SHIRTS WITH OSAMA 
BIN LADEN'S IMAGE ON IT, WHILE THIS WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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VIETNAM.  (ACCORDING TO A JANUARY 22 REUTERS REPORT, POLICE 
IN THE SOUTHERN COAST CITY OF NHA TRANG SEIZED A BATCH OF 
SUCH T-SHIRTS, WITH ONE POLICE INSPECTOR QUOTED AS SAYING 
"WE HAVE TO STEP IN TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THIS IMAGE OF 
TERROR.")  DR. THAI NONETHELESS POINTED WITH PRIDE TO THE 
MAJOR STRIDES IN PERSONAL LIBERTIES OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS 
IN VIETNAM. 
 
¶9.  POL/C ENCOURAGED DR. THAI TO INTENSIFY INTERACTION 
BETWEEN THE EMBASSY AND THE CENTER AND NOTED AMBASSADOR 
BURGHARDT'S INTEREST IN VISITING THE CENTER AT A LATER DATE. 
DR. THAI ACCEPTED WITH ALACRITY AND SAID THAT HE WOULD VALUE 
SUCH ENHANCED CONTACTS. 
 
¶10.  COMMENT:  THE VIETNAMESE VIEWPOINT ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
REMAINS WIDELY DIVERGENT FROM OUR OWN, AND RESPECT FOR CORE 
VALUES SADLY INADEQUATE IN BOTH POLICY AND IMPLEMENTATION. 
IT IS NONETHELESS STRIKING THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WITHIN THE 
VERY BOWELS OF THE CPV WHO ARE STEADILY IMPLANTING THE 
CONCEPT THAT HUMAN RIGHTS DO NOT STEM FROM AN ALIEN-IMPOSED 
VALUE SYSTEM, AND THAT RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IS DEEPLY 
IMBEDDED IN INTERNATIONAL LAW AND IN VIETNAM'S OWN EXPLICIT 
COMMITMENTS TO VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND ITS OWN 
CONSTITUTION.  THAT THE CPV ITSELF IS FOSTERING THIS 
INTERNAL REVOLUTION OF THINKING PERHAPS REVEALS AN INHERENT 
RECOGNITION THAT BLUSTER AND DENIAL OVER HUMAN RIGHTS 
ALLEGATIONS ARE NOT IN VIETNAM'S LONG-TERM INTEREST, AND 
THAT ONLY A CAREFUL LONG-TERM EDUCATION CAMPAIGN CAN 
ADEQUATELY CHANGE THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF BOTH OFFICIALS AND 
CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THE NATION.  WHILE THIS SMACKS OF 
"INTERNAL PEACEFUL EVOLUTION," IT IS A PROCESS WE SHOULD 
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MONITOR CAREFULLY AND, WHENEVER POSSIBLE, OFFER OUR 
ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT. 
BURGHARDT 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED