VZCZCXRO5924
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHHI #1751/01 1921010
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111010Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2707
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 1477
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 001751 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KIRF PGOV SOCI PHUM VM
SUBJECT: Vietnam: Contrasting Support for Religious Freedom in Two 
Northern Provinces 
 
 
HANOI 00001751  001.4 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND COMMENT:  The issue of religious freedom 
featured prominently during the Ambassador's visit to the two 
northern provinces of Yen Bai and Phu Tho on June 25 and 26.  The 
visit was a study in the contrasting treatment by provincial 
authorities of religious communities in these two poor, primarily 
rural northern provinces.  Officials in the remote Yen Bai had their 
lines down pat, saying that believers worship freely and may 
register themselves in line with central government policies, though 
the unwillingness of Protestant groups to meet with the Ambassador 
and the fact that no Protestant groups have attempted to register 
themselves there belie such assurances.  Furthermore, local 
officials in Yen Bai appear to have done little to encourage 
Protestant groups to register.  The relatively more sophisticated 
and marginally wealthier province of Phu Tho appeared to have closer 
and more cooperative relations with religious groups, notably its 
large Catholic community.  Phu Tho officials outlined a clear set of 
activities in support of the government's policies and said 
registration of Protestant groups will happen if groups come 
forward.  Catholic Church officials there report good relations with 
local authorities.  Any registrations of Protestants in Yen Bai and 
Phu Tho in the near future will be worth noting as bellwethers of 
improvements in Vietnam's implementation of its new framework on 
religion.  End Summary and Comment. 
 
Amb to Yen Bai: When Will You Register Protestants? 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Yen Bai, one of Vietnam's poorest provinces, stands as a 
gateway to the Northwest Highlands of Vietnam about 180 km northwest 
of Hanoi.  While many roads through its mountainous and hilly 
terrain are paved, and much of the province has access to 
electricity, some of its more remote districts remain cut off from 
the electricity grid and are accessible only by horseback.  The 
province has over 30 ethnic groups, with slightly more than 50 
percent of its population Kinh Vietnamese.  It has some 43,000 
Catholics and 429 Protestants.  All of the latter are members of the 
H'Mong ethnic group and are adherents of the Evangelical Church of 
Vietnam North.  The Ambassador met with Provincial People's 
Committee Chairman Hoang Xuan Loc, and later with Christian NGO 
World Vision International, on the issue of religious freedom. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In his meeting with Loc, the Ambassador pointed out that 
the growth of Christianity is greatest among Vietnam's ethnic 
minorities, significant since Yen Bai has a very large ethnic 
population.  The Ambassador said he was sorry to hear that no 
Protestant groups in Yen Bai have registered in accordance with the 
new religious framework and the Prime Minister's Instruction on 
Protestantism.  Not a single Protestant group in northern Vietnam 
has been allowed to register in the last two years, he noted.  The 
United States would like to be able to lift Vietnam's status as a 
Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom violations 
before President Bush visits in November, but we need to see 
movement on this issue before this will be possible. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Noting that he appreciates U.S. support for the "principles 
of mutual respect, sovereignty, non-interference and mutual 
respect," Loc said the GVN "sees this issue of religious freedom 
with a slight difference."  The Communist Party and the Government 
"consider religion a highly spiritual need of people," and allow 
religious people to practice their beliefs in line with the laws of 
the country.  "The State respects rights, and Yen Bai allows people 
to carry out religion normally," Loc explained. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Yen Bai's Catholics worship in eight parishes and 69 
worship facilities, Loc said.  Land issues with the Catholic Church 
have been resolved, and the province does not interfere with issues 
of ordination and practice.  Protestant groups, which practice 
mostly at home, were originally started by migrants who came to the 
province.  (Note:  It was not clear whether Loc was referring to 
people who are immigrants from other parts of Vietnam or returnees 
from refugee camps in Hong Kong where they converted to Protestant 
Christianity.  End Note)  When asked by the Ambassador why these 
groups had not yet been registered, Loc said " they have not found 
conditions good enough.  When they find good enough conditions, we 
will help them."  He added that he did not think that Protestants 
were discriminated against in Yen Bai. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador later met with international Christian NGO 
World Vision International.  Director Greg Kearns stated that it has 
good relations with local authorities, and World Vision expects that 
the authorities will soon allow group to operate in the more remote 
and mountainous districts in the province.  Kearns added that "an 
opening" to do some work on technical issues with the Catholic 
Church had recently become available.  (Comment:  To the credit of 
provincial officials, the increased freedom for World Vision is a 
positive sign.  End Comment.) 
 
Phu Tho: "A Model for Vietnam" 
 
HANOI 00001751  002.3 OF 003 
 
 
------------------------------ 
 
¶7. (SBU) Located on plains and foothills, Phu Tho Province lies just 
80 kilometers northwest of Hanoi.  Its capital, Viet Tri City, is 
the economic, political and social center of the northwestern 
sub-highlands region, a fact reflected by the relatively large size 
of the city and its public buildings.  The province claims over 
93,000 Catholic believers and, officially at least, no Protestants. 
As in Yen Bai, the Buddhist population is also large.  Religious 
freedom featured prominently in the Ambassador's lunch meeting with 
Phu Tho People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Doan Khanh and later in 
his visit to the No Luc parish church. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Over lunch with Khanh, the Ambassador turned to the subject 
of religious freedom after the discussion on economic development 
and requests for American investment - always the first topic 
provincial officials raise during the Ambassador's trips - had run 
its course.  The Ambassador noted that while progress had been made 
in Vietnam overall, "things have been slow - and more difficult - in 
the north and northwest of the country." 
 
¶9. (SBU) Khanh responded that "the Party and the provincial 
government have considered ethnic and religious freedom as a top 
priority in Phu Tho's development.  Religious people have received 
special attention."  He asserted that while poverty rates in the 
province have been decreasing by three percent on average per year, 
the poverty rate for "ethnic and religious people" is falling by 
five to seven percent per year.  Some communes that are 100 percent 
Catholic, such as Thuy Van on the outskirts of Viet Tri City, have 
become good examples of economic development and are some of the 
richest communes in the province.  In assisting religious groups, 
the authorities have first helped them build new facilities to 
replace those that were destroyed during the war.  The province has 
upgraded or built nearly 80 "facilities."  Second, it has accepted 
the applications for 35 parishioners to attend Catholic seminaries. 
Some have even been sent abroad, Khanh said.  The province 
facilitates the practice of religious ceremonies such as high mass, 
he added.  Khanh invited the Ambassador to attend Christmas in Phu 
Tho, where the holiday is "a big festival."  Third, he said the 
province also provides its support for the nomination of Church 
officials to higher positions. 
 
¶10. (SBU) On Protestantism, Khanh said Vietnam does not have a 
tradition of Protestant practice, but "we still disseminate our 
policy to individual Protestants, which means that we provide the 
most favorable conditions.  Where they have facilities, we allow 
them to register."  At present, Phu Tho has no Protestants.  But 
Protestant proposals to register in Pho Tho, he said, "would be 
considered and evaluated positively by this government."  The 
Ambassador responded that the policies the Chairman had outlined 
could be considered a model for all of Vietnam, adding that the 
Chairman recognizes that religious believers can be good citizens 
and their activities should be supported.  Given the growth of 
Protestantism in Vietnam, it would not be surprising if Protestant 
groups come forward soon in Phu Tho, and the Ambassador expressed 
confidence that Chairman Khanh and his staff would support them in 
establishing themselves.  (Note: According to ECVN sources, there 
are no Protestants in Phu Tho.  End Note.) 
 
¶11. (SBU) Later in the day the Ambassador also visited Father Nguyen 
Van Dinh at the Catholic Church of the No Luc parish, founded in the 
19th century and claiming about 6,000 parishioners.  By way of 
introduction, Dinh noted that Phu Tho has 100,000 of the 200,000 
Catholics in the entire diocese of 10 northern provinces.  One half 
of the 14 churches in his parish had been destroyed in the war, he 
said, but there is a plan to rebuild them, even though he is 
currently the only priest that could serve them.  Dinh travels from 
church to church on the weekends conducting mass.  The provincial 
government has been helpful in providing new land to the Church and 
it had approved new allowances for placements in seminaries so that 
the parish could train more priests.  Ten nuns currently live in a 
nunnery, he said, engaged in service work and living in seclusion. 
In regard to the Church's services, the Ambassador noted that the 
United States has funding for groups that want to engage in the 
prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and to contact the Embassy if 
Dinh or groups he knows are interested. 
 
¶12. (SBU) The Ambassador inquired whether religious groups in Phu 
Tho tend to cooperate or share ideas.  Groups are united, Dinh said, 
noting that Phu Tho also has many Buddhists, some Protestants and a 
very small number of Muslims.  "I know a Protestant pastor who is 
preaching quietly (NFI), but I am not working with him publicly," 
Dinh said.  He concluded the discussion by stating that in Phu Tho, 
his biggest problem is not the free practice of religion, but 
protecting the young from "social evils." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
HANOI 00001751  003.4 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶13. (SBU) While officials in the relatively more sophisticated 
province of Phu Tho appeared proactive about the issue of religious 
freedom, it is significant that no Protestant groups in either Phu 
Tho or Yen Bai were willing to meet with the Ambassador to discuss 
their issues, and, more importantly, take advantage of the attention 
his visit could bring them.  Moreover, Protestant groups in both 
provinces still do not dare worship publicly, meet openly with 
church officials from other religions, or attempt to register 
themselves in these two northern provinces.  Any registrations of 
Protestants in Yen Bai and Phu Tho will thus be worth noting over 
the next year as bellwethers of improvements in Vietnam's efforts to 
implements its new policies on religious belief.  Nonetheless, and 
perhaps indicative of the near-term prospects in Yen Bai, local 
officials' less-than-enthusiastic response to the Ambassador's 
urging on matters of religious freedom is disappointing.  At this 
point, they seem uninterested in the matter of religious freedom 
because there are so few Protestants in the province.  End Comment. 
 
 
MARINE