VZCZCXRO9078
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #1877/01 2051043
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241043Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2846
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 1536
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 001877 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM KIRF VM
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR VISITS CATHOLICS IN THAI NGUYEN AND LANG SON 
 
REF: A) HANOI 1113; B) HANOI 715 
 
HANOI 00001877  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  On a July 5-7 provincial outreach trip, the 
Ambassador discussed issues related to the Catholic Church with the 
leaders of Thai Nguyen, Bac Giang and Lang Son provinces (Protestant 
issues, especially in Bac Giang and Lang Son, reported septel).  In 
Thai Nguyen, the Ambassador also visited a Catholic parish that 
successfully ministers to 28,000 parishioners in spite of lingering 
difficulties in their effort to recover some former properties.  In 
Lang Son, the Ambassador visited the province's impressive new 
Cathedral for its 6,000 Catholics, a strong indication of the level 
of cooperation between provincial officials and the church.  Both 
Thai Nguyen and Lang Son Catholic officials noted that the church 
has not yet been allowed to undertake much charitable or educational 
work in their respective parishes.  We can expect that Lang Son will 
continue to facilitate expansion of the church in their 
jurisdiction.  Thai Nguyen Parish is worse off, but the church is 
also growing in this province, and relations with local officials 
remain amicable, if less productive.  Both provinces demonstrate 
that Catholics in most of the north are able to worship freely, or 
at least with minimal constraints.  Lang Son, in particular, is a 
model that we will raise with less enlightened provinces which do 
not permit the Church to more easily minister to Catholics.  End 
Summary. 
 
THAI NGUYEN PARISH CHURCH 
------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On July 5, the Ambassador visited Father Joseph Nguyen Van 
Khiem, priest-in-charge of Thai Nguyen Parish.  A large proportion 
of the parish church's congregation turned out to welcome the 
Ambassador with flowers and songs.  The church itself is relatively 
small compared to the newer three-story administrative facility 
built behind the edifice.  Khiem explained that he is responsible 
for over 28,000 Catholics in his portion of Bac Ninh Diocese, and 
administers a total of fifty sub-parishes.  All of the parish's 
churches, chapels and administrative buildings were built in the 
last twenty years as almost all of the original church properties 
(as well as most of the province's pagodas) were destroyed during 
the anti-French resistance.  Recovery of these properties has been 
especially difficult because most Catholics in Thai Nguyen are 
immigrants from other, mostly lowland, provinces of Vietnam and the 
Church has difficulty asserting title to properties on the basis of 
past congregants. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Many of the original properties are also now "encumbered by 
residents."  With the Provincial People Committee's (PPC) help, 
parish officials have recovered some properties, but there are still 
problems to be resolved.  For example, the Thai Nguyen Parish Church 
(which can only hold half its parishioners at one time) has 
reclaimed only a portion of the original land area of its property. 
The Church was built in between two low-rise residential blocks 
which effectively prevent any increase in the footprint of the 
building.   In 1996, 200 Catholics demonstrated in front of the 
newly built church to reclaim the remaining land under the 
residences, but local officials broke up the protestors and severely 
beat one man in front of the church.  Father Khiem admitted that he 
has submitted repeated applications to recover the additional land 
but the issue remains unresolved. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Khiem said that he was assigned to Thai Nguyen in 1998 as 
the first new priest for the parish in fifty years.  In 2005 the 
parish received two more priests to minister to several district 
sub-parishes.  A third priest is awaiting local official's 
permission to be assigned.  Three parishioners are currently 
studying at the Hanoi seminary, and there are five other priests 
from Thai Nguyen who serve in other parts of Vietnam, Khiem noted. 
The Ambassador asked if the parish has been allowed to conduct 
charitable work under the GVN's new framework on religion.  Khiem 
replied that in the north, few churches are allowed to undertake 
charitable activity, even in the area of health care.  For example, 
the church can only provide spiritual assistance to people living 
with HIV/AIDS.  The parish has some educational programs to provide 
spiritual and professional assistance to adults, and it has a modest 
kindergarten program for 80 children. 
 
THAI NGUYEN LEADERSHIP 
---------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) At lunch following the church visit, the Ambassador 
discussed religious freedom with Thai Nguyen Provincial People's 
Committee (PPC) Chairman Nguyen Van Kim.  The Ambassador commended 
the PPC for its work to facilitate Catholic worship in the province, 
but noted that some property concerns clearly remained.  Kim 
stressed that all religious activities in Thai Nguyen have been 
facilitated according to official policy and the PPC is broadening 
the space for religion.  He acknowledged that the growth of the 
church has led to frictions between Catholics and residents, but 
asserted that the PPC will deal with these problems according to 
 
HANOI 00001877  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
regulations so that both sides will be satisfied.  "We are not only 
trying to return properties, but we are also allocating new land for 
churches as well," Kim said.  The Ambassador noted that the GVN's 
new regulations also allow the church to engage in charitable works, 
especially in the area of health and HIV/AIDS.  "I hope that in 
addition to resolving property disputes, provincial leaders will 
help facilitate such activities soon," he said.  Kim made no direct 
reply. 
 
LANG SON CATHEDRAL 
------------------ 
 
¶6. On July 7, the Ambassador met with Hanoi Archbishop Ngo Quang 
Kiet at the city cathedral in Lang Son.  Kiet is also Apostolic 
Administrator and Bishop of Lang Son Diocese, and made a special 
trip at his own initiative to brief the Ambassador.  The Cathedral 
was inaugurated in 2004 and was built with USD 600,000 donated by 
the Vatican and by U.S. citizens.  The structure resembles a Pagoda 
and incorporates a variety of Vietnamese ethnic minority traditional 
design elements including, among other things, a stilt house for 
Jesus Christ at the altar and extensive stained glass depictions of 
the saints dressed in traditional ethnic garb.  (Note: Lang Son's 
population is only 15 percent ethnic Vietnamese.  End note).  Kiet 
explained that since 1990, Lang Son Diocese has made significant 
strides.  He was appointed Bishop in 1999 at which time there were 
no priests for Lang Son's 6,000 Catholics (most of whom come from 
lowland provinces - initially without their families).  Today there 
is a cathedral and Bishop's residence and six new priests have taken 
up their benefices in the parish.  Five parishioners are studying at 
the seminary in Hanoi and ten nuns are working as church 
administrators.  Some old church properties remain occupied by other 
Vietnamese citizens, and there are still some areas in the province 
without churches to serve Catholic residents.  However, Kiet is 
confident that the Lang Son PPC is open to resolving these remaining 
issues.  "In general, religious life in Lang Son has been easy." 
Kiet noted that the diocese only recently requested the return of 
the derelict Na Sam Parish church, but "I think our application will 
be resolved in a quick and easy manner." 
 
¶7. (SBU) Kiet stated that he will continue as Apostolic 
Administrator in Lang Son until the Vatican appoints a new bishop. 
The main reason for the delay is the Vatican's difficulty in 
identifying a new candidate.  The Ambassador noted that with six 
priests - one for each 1,000 Catholics - Lang Son is better off than 
Thai Nguyen province which has three priests covering 30,000 
parishioners - one for 10,000.  He asked if the Church plans to 
transfer priests between provinces to ease the burdens of clergy in 
poorly covered parishes.  Kiet said that as Thai Nguyen belongs to 
another diocese there are no plans to transfer priests from Lang 
Son.  The Ambassador noted that neighboring Ha Giang Province 
currently has no priests assigned (Ref A) and promised to raise the 
issue with the PPC when he visits Ha Giang in August.  Kiet 
explained that although Ha Giang is technically part of Lang Son 
Diocese, the Church has not been allowed to assign a priest to 
minister to Ha Giang's Catholics. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Turning to charitable works, Kiet explained that programs 
in social work, healthcare and education remain goals for Lang Son 
Catholics, but the diocese has not had enough clergy to engage in 
such activities in the past.  However, the Church recently joined 
with local authorities to sponsor an International Committee of the 
Red Cross program that brought two groups of French dentists working 
with Dentistes Sans Frontieres to Lang Son to provide free dental 
exams for residents.  In addition, one French doctor was able to 
provide healthcare for one month in several remote villages.  As far 
as education is concerned, local authorities only permit the Church 
to provide students with free notebooks, though during summer 
vacation the church conducted several classes for students (NFI). 
Nevertheless, Kiet is confident that the Lang Son PPC will allow the 
church to establish nursery schools in the near future. 
 
LANG SON LEADERSHIP 
------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) At lunch with Lang Son PPC Chairman Doan Ba Nhien, the 
Ambassador noted that the Lang Son Cathedral is an impressive 
testament to the spirit of cooperation between local officials and 
the church clergy.  Nhien said that the Lang Son leadership had 
worked closely with Bishop Kiet, helping him to build the new 
structure and to increase the number of Catholics in the province. 
The Ambassador urged Chairman Nhien to find a way to resolve quickly 
the church's application to recover the Na Sam property.  There was 
no further discussion of Catholic issues. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Lang Son Diocese is easily the most advanced Bishopric in 
the north outside Hanoi.  The beautiful, new cathedral is a strong 
 
HANOI 00001877  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
testament to Kiet's success in convincing provincial authorities to 
attend to the spiritual needs of the province's Catholics.  It also 
goes far to explain why the Vatican chose this unassuming, soft 
spoken cleric as Hanoi Archbishop.  We can expect that the Lang Son 
PPC will continue to facilitate expansion of the Church in its 
jurisdiction.  Thai Nguyen Parish is worse off, mainly due to their 
property concerns and a shortage of priests.  Nevertheless, the 
Church is also growing in that province, and relations with its PPC 
remain amicable, if less productive.  Both provinces demonstrate 
that Catholics in most of the north are able to worship freely, or 
at least with minimal constraints.  Lang Son, in particular, is a 
model that we will raise with less enlightened provinces like Ha 
Giang and Son La (Ref B), which do not permit the Church to easily 
minister to Catholics. 
 
MARINE