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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HO CHI MINH CITY 000248 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM ECON EINV PREF SOCI PREL PGOV KIRF VM RELFREE HUMANR ETMIN
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR FOCUSES ON ETHNIC MINORITY AND RELIGIOUS 
ISSUES IN CENTRAL HIGHLANDS VISIT 
 
REF:  A)  HCMC 210; B) 04 HCMC 1491; C) 04 HCMC 1590 and previous 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: Officials in the Central Highlands provinces of 
Lam Dong and Dak Lak told the Ambassador that they are 
implementing Hanoi's policies to expand religious freedom and to 
improve the lives of ethnic minorities, but said they would not 
tolerate "Dega Protestants" using religion for purposes that "go 
against the country."  The Ambassador commended the Government's 
push to improve conditions for ethnic minorities in the region, 
but emphasized that authorities would need to be more open and 
transparent about these issues.  Provincial officials voiced 
suspicions about UNHCR's bona fides, although they said they would 
implement the tripartite agreement with UNHCR and Cambodia on 
Montagnard refugees.  While officials in Dak Lak remain the most 
hardest-line in the Central Highlands, they are talking more 
positively on religion -- a marked improvement from our November 
2004 visit (reftel).  Whether their rhetoric will be matched by 
action remains to be seen.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On February 28 and March 1, the Ambassador made official 
calls on the provincial leadership of the Central Highlands 
provinces of Lam Dong and Dak Lak.  He met with the People's 
Committees of both provinces, the Deputy Director of the GVN's 
Central Highlands Steering Committee, the heads of the Committees 
for Minority and Religious Affairs and the Bishop of the Dak Lak 
Diocese.  Economic development, ethnic minority issues and 
religious freedom were core focus areas of the visit. 
 
Economic and Social Development 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Provincial officials in Lam Dong and Dak Lak detailed 
educational, cultural and economic initiatives to resolve 
longstanding issues in the Central Highlands, including the bans 
on in-migration by ethnic Kinh Vietnamese and land sales between 
Montagnards and ethnic Kinh Vietnamese.  They claimed that these 
efforts have improved living conditions for ethnic minorities and 
reduced tensions in the region. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The provincial officials claimed that, with the exception 
of "remote areas," all ethnic minority villages are electrified 
and that residents have access to schools and health care.  They 
acknowledged that efforts to provide ethnic minorities with 
expanded land grants and housing benefits have lagged.  They said 
that by the end of 2006 all Montagnards in the two provinces would 
have adequate housing and land.  To prevent deforestation, the Lam 
Dong government is considering giving cash subsidies to ethnic 
minorities residing there to care for the forest in lieu of 
acreage.  According to Lam Dong People's Committee Chairman Huynh 
Duc Hoa, the province devotes 100 billion dong (USD six million) 
of a 700 billion dong (USD 44 million) budget for ethnic minority 
assistance programs. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Brief stops at two ethnic minority villages in Lam Dong 
Province suggested that at least some progress is being made; the 
Montagnards the Ambassador visited are at least as prosperous as 
their neighboring ethnic Vietnamese.  However, it is still unclear 
how representative these two villages are of the overall situation 
in Lam Dong, let alone the more economically backward and 
politically hard-line Dak Lak Province.  The two villages were on 
the main road between Dalat and Buon Ma Thuot, while many 
Montagnards still live in more remote areas of the Central 
Highlands. 
 
Religious Freedom 
----------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Lam Dong People's Committee Chairman Hoa claimed the 
Catholics and Protestants are "satisfied" with conditions in the 
province.  He acknowledged that some ethnic minority Protestant 
communities still face some difficulties "due to historical 
conditions."  Lam Dong Committee for Religious Affairs (CRA) 
Chairman Tran Dinh Nhung told the Ambassador that Lam Dong has 
recognized 11 Protestant churches and that four more 
"recognitions" are in process.  He acknowledged that Lam Dong has 
180 house churches yet to be recognized, but claimed that some of 
these are already registered at the communal level and thus are 
allowed to operate.  He said that church difficulties in 
developing formal governing structures are part of the reason why 
the recognition process is lagging. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Dak Lak People's Committee Vice Chairman Duong Thanh 
Tuong said the number of Protestants in Dak Lak has risen from 
20,000 to 108,340 in the past 30 years.  He noted that the 
Protestant community has 40 pastors, four lay pastors and four 
recognized churches.  He cited the rapid increase in the number of 
Protestants as an example of religious freedom, adding that Dak 
Lak has been implementing the Prime Minister's Order on 
Protestantism since last Christmas and that every believer is 
allowed to celebrate at home.  Tuong did not address reports (ref 
B) that provincial officials suppressed Protestant religious 
practice outside the province's four recognized churches during 
and after Christmas. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Dak Lak Diocese Bishop Nguyen Tich Duc complained in 
front of provincial officials accompanying the Ambassador that his 
80 priests are insufficient to minister to the over 300,000 
parishioners in the diocese.  The Bishop said that he has 12 
deacons ready to be ordained but is awaiting issuance of 
implementing guidelines for the Ordinance on Religion before 
moving ahead.  While avoiding direct criticism of Dak Lak 
officials, Bishop Duc indicated that without implementation 
guidelines he has not been able to implement any of the more 
liberal provisions in the Ordinance on Religion, such as the 
easing of restrictions on the transfer of priests. The Church is 
also actively engaged in social work in Dak Lak.  Bishop Duc said 
that, although funding and staffing are issues, the diocese has 
programs for leprosy and disadvantaged people, including orphans. 
It runs a school for 100 disabled children, a smaller facility for 
street children, and 3 boarding schools, one of which is for 
ethnic minorities.  The Bishop said that the quality of education 
at these schools is higher and more comprehensive than what is 
available in villages. 
 
CHSC: Oversight of Reform 
------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) The Central Highlands Steering Committee (CHSC), also 
known as the Central Highlands Development Authority, was created 
by the GVN in 2000 to coordinate development in the area. 
However, it only formally inaugurated its operations in late 2004. 
According to CHSC Deputy Director Nguyen Vy Ha -- who previously 
served as the People's Committee Chairman of Gia Lai Province -- 
the CHSC has a GVN mandate to work with provincial governments to 
implement GVN directives, including on ethnic minority issues.  Ha 
reports to Executive Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who 
heads the CHSC.  Ha explained that the Committee is composed of 
leaders from the Central Highlands provinces and ministries 
"related" to the Central Highlands.  It does not have its own 
budget. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Deputy Director Ha claimed progress has been made in the 
lives of the ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands. He 
explained that differences in education levels between ethnic 
minorities and ethnic Kinh Vietnamese pose a significant 
challenge; the education and economic gap between the ethnic 
minority and majority has grown as the region's economic 
development has accelerated.  Ha said that Dak Nong and Kon Tum 
provinces face the greatest difficulties in dealing with 
development and ethnic minority issues. 
 
¶11. (SBU) According to Ha, the Prime Minister's Decree on 
Protestantism and the Ordinance on Religion will be implemented 
fully in the Central Highlands.  He would like to see more 
churches recognized in the region as soon as possible.  He added 
that when churches fail to meet the conditions for GVN 
recognition, they have the right to register with the local 
authorities to regularize their status.  He emphasized that it is 
the responsibility of local authorities to help Protestants to 
have a place to worship and to assist clergy to receive proper 
instruction. 
 
UNHCR, the Tripartite Agreement and Visas 93 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) The Ambassador emphasized to his hosts that that the USG 
does not support the flight of Montagnards to Cambodia and that 
the way forward requires both sides to work together to find 
durable economic and social solutions to the area's problems.  Dak 
Lak People's Committee Vice Chairman Tuong asserted that 
authorities are committed to following the Tripartite Agreement to 
accept those Montagnard refugees who wish to return to Vietnam. 
He cautioned that Vietnamese authorities still have to verify 
exactly who left and why before implementing the agreement.  The 
Ambassador gave Tuong a list of 15 Montagnard families from Dak 
Lak seeking family reunification under the Visas 93 program who 
thus far have not been able to get their passports issued.  Tuong 
said he would try to assist.  The Ambassador also inquired about 
the welfare of 13 Montagnards who self-repatriated back to Vietnam 
in the fall of 2004 and said he would like to meet them on a 
future visit. 
 
¶13. (SBU) CHSC Deputy Director Ha repeated Vietnamese claims that 
UNHCR is not to be trusted because it allegedly has incited 
Montagnards to flee to Cambodia.  He claimed he experienced this 
phenomenon first-hand when he was in Gia Lai.  Nonetheless, he 
said the GVN will honor the Tripartite Agreement, but asked that 
the United States use its influence with the UNHCR to "prevent 
future incidents."  The Ambassador said that he believes the GVN's 
information about UNHCR activities is incorrect.  He stressed that 
there are good opportunities now to renew faith and trust, and 
pledged that he would work to see the agreement carried out by all 
parties. 
MIAs, Investment Dispute 
------------------------ 
 
¶14. (SBU) The Ambassador told Ha that in the last several years 
the United States has not been able to conduct MIA recoveries in 
the Central Highlands.  He said that whenever this issue is raised 
with local authorities, we are referred back to the Central 
Government, and vice versa.  The Ambassador asked the CHSC to 
press local authorities to restart recovery operations.  Ha 
responded that the problem with recovery operations is that 
information regarding possible recovery sites is often incorrect 
due to the aging population.  The Ambassador noted that this is 
all the more reason to move with greater speed.  In Dak Lak, the 
Ambassador also pressed local authorities to finally resolve an 
ongoing investment dispute involving a local coffee company and a 
U.S. firm.  Krong Ana, owned by the Dak Lak People's Committee, 
has agreed to buy out its U.S. joint venture partner, McCullagh 
International Inc., but has yet to pay the agreed-upon price. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶15.  (SBU) Of the two provinces, officials in Dak Lak were clearly 
more "security conscious."  The local "minders" shadowed the 
Ambassador throughout his stay there, and officials were present 
at every meeting, including his discussion with Bishop Duc.  A 
meeting at Central Highlands University was carefully controlled 
and the Ambassador was not given access to students.  Just prior 
to the Ambassador's visit, the university, on the orders of 
provincial leaders, turned down an offer to host a visiting U.S. 
speaker, the second time this had occurred in less than three 
months. 
 
¶16.  (SBU) Nonetheless, the tone and content of the Ambassador's 
discussions with Dak Lak provincial officials and CHSC Deputy 
Chairman Ha were more positive than in our previous visits 
(reftels), particularly on religious issues.  For example, in 
November, officials in Dak Lak told us that they recognized only 
3,000 Protestants in the province and refused to acknowledge the 
existence of any house churches whatsoever.  Their acknowledgement 
that they need to implement new Hanoi directives on religion and 
ethnic minority economic development at least give us the opening 
to press for concrete change.  It will be an uphill task in Dak 
Lak:  our contacts in the Protestant community continue to report 
no real let-up in the pressure on unregistered house churches. 
End Comment. 
 
WINNICK