VZCZCXRO7177
RR RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #1636/01 1840257
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 030257Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2595
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 1444
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 4942
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6730
RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 3566
RUEHVN/AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 3825

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 001636 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS TO EAP/MLS; DRL; DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KIRF PREF SOCI VM
SUBJECT:  Ambassador's Meeting with Chairman of Ethnic Minority 
Affairs Committee 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) During a June 30 lunch meeting with the Ambassador, GVN 
Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs Chairman K'sor Phuoc previewed 
his upcoming visit to the United States as an opportunity to learn 
about U.S. policy towards Native Americans and describe Vietnam's 
own ethnic minority policies.  Phuoc noted the GVN's recognition 
that its efforts to improve the conditions facing ethnic minorities 
must continue another 50 years; stressed that incidents involving 
Protestant adherents are often a result of religious differences 
within families or villages; noted that his committee is working 
with the Committee on Religious Affairs to facilitate religious life 
for members of ethnic minority groups; and, outlined the GVN's 
efforts to improve the lot of ethnic minority groups, including an 
attempt to move to higher-value crops.  End Summary. 
 
United States, Vietnam Both Multi-Ethnic Societies 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Ambassador hosted a lunch June 30 for K'sor Phuoc, the 
Chairman of the GVN's Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee, and the 
delegation he will lead to the United States July 9-19.  (Note: 
Phuoc, himself an ethnic Jarai from Gia Lai Province, is the 
equivalent of a government minister and is a member of the cabinet. 
The delegation will have meetings in Washington and will travel to 
Arizona to visit the Navajo Nation.  End Note.)  Phuoc's mission is 
to learn about USG policy towards Native Americans and to explain 
Vietnam's own ethnic minority policies.  The Ambassador welcomed the 
upcoming visit, noting that we have much to learn from each other. 
In the United States, we give our Native American tribes 
considerable autonomy, and they are able to take advantage of this 
to create economic opportunities, such as through casinos. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In respect to our indigenous populations, the United States 
and Vietnam share some of the same challenges, the Ambassador 
continued.  These include how to create economic and social 
well-being without destroying native culture and how to increase 
educational opportunities without causing young people to drift away 
from traditional ways and languages.  The United States has been 
dealing with these issues since before our founding, and we have not 
always done a good job:  there have been sad and tragic pages in our 
history.  Today, the story is better and future prospects are 
bright, but there is still work to be done, the Ambassador said. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Noting that this will be his first trip to the United 
States, Chairman Phuoc said that he and his delegation hope to learn 
how a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society like the United States 
has been able to manage itself and maintain stability and 
development.  Also, as there are many USG officials and Members of 
Congress who are interested in Vietnam's ethnic minority issues, he 
will use the chance to pursue a dialogue on this issue.  The 
Ambassador agreed that it will be a useful opportunity to ensure 
that our policymakers and legislators have a chance to hear 
first-hand about Vietnam's experiences in this area.  Many Viet Kieu 
in the United States are ethnic minorities, and their strongly held 
views have often shaped the opinions of their elected 
representatives.  That said, the Viet Kieu community is not 
monolithic, and younger Vietnamese-Americans are increasingly 
returning to Vietnam for job and other opportunities, the Ambassador 
noted. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Vietnam's own ethnic groups are widely diverse, the 
Ambassador observed.  Ethnic Muong in Phu Tho Province are virtually 
indistinguishable from ethnic Kinh, but, in the Northwest Highlands, 
there is still a large economic and social gap between ethnic 
minorities and Kinh.  It is good to see that in localities largely 
populated by ethnic minorities, they also occupy a significant share 
of local official positions.  One useful tool for promoting the 
social and economic development of ethnic minority groups is through 
boarding schools that prepare them to succeed in life.  However, 
these schools are expensive, and there are still not enough to 
respond to Vietnam's current needs, the Ambassador said. 
 
¶6. (SBU) In response to the Ambassador's question about Phase Two of 
the GVN's Program 135, which is aimed at rural development and 
increasing opportunities for ethnic minority groups, Chairman Phuoc 
said that the next phase's four goals are:  continuing 
infrastructure investment in disadvantaged localities; increasing 
the production capacity of farmers; providing training to local 
officials so that they can better manage Government programs; and, 
improving the social status of farmers.  To help members of ethnic 
minority groups better integrate into society, the GVN believes that 
it must continue its efforts for the next 50 years, with a focus on: 
 infrastructure investment; improving market mechanisms in ethnic 
 
HANOI 00001636  002 OF 003 
 
 
minority areas; providing education; protection and development of 
indigenous cultures; environmental protection and forestation; 
training of local officials to ensure that they can make the 
transition from traditional methods of ruling to methods based on 
rule of law; and, stamping out social evils, such as drug abuse. 
 
Religious Freedom 
----------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Ambassador expressed his agreement with the targets of 
the GVN's efforts and its long-term commitment, and offered one 
additional focus:  finding a way to help ethnic minorities deal with 
their changing environment and new elements that are coming into 
their lives.  This is a complicated matter.  New roads are 
beneficial, but can also introduce alcohol and new types of 
narcotics.  Education can expand young people's horizons, but it can 
also strain traditional ways of life and family structure.  A market 
economy and a material lifestyle can also create strains on 
traditional culture, the Ambassador said. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Another significant change involves religions that are new 
and not particularly well understood, the Ambassador continued.  The 
Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs can play a vital role in the 
GVN's efforts to positively manage the impact of all these matters. 
The United States and other donors are interested in the well-being 
of all Vietnamese, but have a particular interest in that of ethnic 
minorities.  We are ready to be helpful in any way we can, and seek 
to learn as much as possible about the situation that ethnic 
minorities face.  For example, we understand that reports of 
problems encountered by Protestants are often the result of cultural 
clashes at the family or village level and not because of local 
policy.  Vietnam's national policy on religious freedom is clear, 
but what is needed is to ensure that this policy is uniformly 
implemented at all levels, the Ambassador stressed. 
 
¶9. (SBU) The GVN recognizes that the issues of land and religion are 
of great interest to foreign observers and delegations, Phuoc said. 
Vietnam is making efforts to provide land to ethnic minorities for 
cultivation and settlement.  At the same time, it is trying to 
ensure that its policy on religion, as enshrined in the Constitution 
and the Ordinance on Religion and Belief, is followed.  Each citizen 
has the right to believe or not to believe.  As the Ambassador 
observed, problems often emerge because different family members 
adhere to different religions, or different generations within 
families have different beliefs.  It is also true that local 
officials often do not have a correct understanding about religion. 
In response to the Ambassador's question, Chairman Phuoc said he 
works closely with Chairman Thi of the Committee on Religious 
Affairs on these issues. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that lifting Vietnam's designation as 
a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for religious freedom 
violations will require greater progress in the Northwest Highlands 
and northern Vietnam.  Anything Chairman Phuoc and his committee can 
do to facilitate the GVN's efforts to ensure that Vietnam's laws are 
fully implemented and that new groups are allowed to register would 
be helpful.  The delegation will meet with U.S. Ambassador-at-Large 
for International Religious Freedom John Hanford on July 12. 
Ambassador Hanford is the key U.S. official dealing with matters 
related to religious freedom and CPC, and he will be interested in 
hearing Chairman Phuoc's views, the Ambassador said. 
 
¶11. (SBU) The Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee is doing what it can 
to encourage Protestant followers to register themselves and their 
activities so that they can practice their religion in their own 
residences and communities and eventually build their own churches, 
Chairman Phuoc said.  The committee is also working to send 
Protestant trainers from Hanoi, HCMC and Nha Trang to ethnic 
minority regions to ensure that they are learning correct beliefs. 
The committee's aim is for Protestants to practice their faith as a 
normal religion.  The Ambassador praised the committee for its 
efforts in this regard, adding that religion can help ethnic 
minorities to have structure in their lives as their traditions are 
disrupted by modern life. 
 
Economic Development 
-------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) The USG also recognizes that improving the economic 
conditions of ethnic minorities is a key goal, and to that end the 
U.S. Congress put forward funds to create projects in the Central 
Highlands, the Ambassador said.  Cocoa production has seen some 
success in the Mekong Delta, and may be a good crop the Central 
Highlands.  To date, we have worked with the MFA, Ministry of 
Agriculture and Rural Development and PACCOM, and will also keep the 
 
HANOI 00001636  003 OF 003 
 
 
committee informed about our efforts in this area. 
 
¶13. (SBU) In response to the Ambassador's question about other 
economic development areas that should be further explored, Chairman 
Phuoc said that one area needing further effort is finding 
higher-value crops for sale in the world market.  Furthermore, the 
GVN is trying to encourage entrepreneurs to set up processing plants 
in ethnic minority areas.  Vocational training is also important as 
a means to better integrate ethnic minority youth.  Finally, the GVN 
is looking at the possibility of labor exports.  The Ambassador 
noted that, although labor export is a high-value area, there are 
dangers that some unsophisticated ethnic minority workers would be 
exploited.  The GVN would need to ensure that their rights are 
guaranteed and protected.  The Ambassador welcomed the Chairman's 
comments on high-value crops, noting that there is a need for 
farmers to look beyond subsistence crops.  For example, while rice 
farming in upland areas is possible, it may be better to farm cash 
crops and bring rice in from elsewhere. 
 
Visas-93 
-------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) The Ambassador thanked the Chairman for his and his 
committee's efforts to facilitate the USG's family reunification 
goals.  Close to 60 percent of the total number of our Visas-93 
applicants had departed for the United States, and our goal is reach 
100 percent by year's end.  In closing, Chairman Phuoc pledged to 
provide the Ambassador with a readout of his trip to the United 
States. 
 
MARINE