VZCZCXRO3727
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #1916/01 2090932
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 280932Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2897
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 1564
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001916 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM HUMANR TIP HIV AIDS ETRD EINV ECON VM
 
SUBJECT:  AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES HIV/AIDS, TIP, LABOR EXPORT LAW AND 
ADOPTIONS WITH THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY'S SOCIAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE 
 
REF: A) HANOI 1802; B) HANOI 1803; C) HANOI 835 
 
HANOI 00001916  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Summary 
-------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) On July 20, the Ambassador met with the Chairwoman of the 
National Assembly (NA) Social Affairs Committee to encourage 
legislation supporting HIV/AIDS programs, assisting 
counter-trafficking in persons efforts, establishing labor export 
oversight and establishing better foreign adoption controls.  The 
GVN is planning to increase its budget to combat HIV/AIDS and is 
looking into methadone treatment programs, though it has some 
reservations.  The NA also wants to encourage local officials in 
problematic provinces to educate young people about the dangers of 
trafficking in persons, and is also addressing gender discrimination 
alongside plans to outlaw sex-selection abortion.  The GVN would 
also like to develop a program for labor export to the United 
States.  NA debate on social issues is playing an increasingly 
important role in defining Vietnam's approach to these problems.  We 
will continue to work with NA delegates to address these issues as 
they develop their capability to do so.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On July 20, the Ambassador met with NA Social Affairs 
Committee Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu to discuss the recent 
passage of a new law on HIV/AIDS during the NA's most recent session 
(Ref A and B), as well as to suggest areas where the NA should 
develop better oversight legislation concerning trafficking in 
persons, foreign adoptions and the export of Vietnamese labor. 
Committee Vice Chair Le Van Dzieu and PolOff were also present. 
 
HIV/AIDS Law 
------------ 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Ambassador thanked Thu for her leadership in passing 
the new Law on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control on June 21, 2006. 
Although the law provides basic legal protection for people living 
with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), much more needs to be done to ensure that 
communities and workplaces respect the rights of PLWHA, and that 
provincial and local authorities enforce these rights, he stressed. 
Stigma and discrimination remain heavy burdens for PLWHAs and their 
families.  "Sympathy Clubs" and similar (U.S.-funded) Vietnam 
Women's Union-organized PLWHA support networks are a positive 
development.  He encouraged the NA to develop a workplan to reduce 
social stigma against PLWHA and to establish an umbrella group for 
associations of PLWHA to give them a national voice, perhaps under 
the planned new Law on Associations (Ref C). 
 
¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that with 100 new HIV-positive people 
per day, Vietnam is failing to "turn the tide against HIV/AIDS." 
The United States remains strongly committed, with USD 34 million in 
funding this year and likely at least USD 50 million for next year 
under the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to 
support the Ministry of Health (MOH) in its effort to control the 
epidemic.  Especially significant are efforts to halt spread of the 
disease by effectively helping the many HIV-positive residents 
leaving treatment at "06" drug-rehabilitation centers.  These 
efforts should include methadone and other medicen-assisted 
therapies.  The Ambassador also noted his concern that the GVN 
develop better programs to educate young people about the threat of 
HIV/AIDS and offered to meet with the committee to discuss 
approaches to education in greater depth. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Chairwoman Thu stated that the NA is trying to increase the 
GVN's State budget allocation to fight the epidemic because the 
number of PLWHA is rising and the cost of anti-retroviral drugs is 
high, and she asked that PEPFAR fund disbursements be timelier. 
Regarding PLWHA support associations, Thu stated that the NA 
discussed the issue during debate on the HIV/AIDS law and, though 
the new Law on Associations has not yet been passed, the NA is 
actively encouraging the development of more "partnership clubs" to 
support these people.  Thu also requested U.S. advice concerning 
methodone treatment for drug addicts, as the GVN remains concerned 
about the safety and price of such therapy, as well as effective 
implementation, and noted that many methodone treatment patients in 
other developing nations relapse soon after their release since they 
cannot get the drug.  The Ambassador offered to have his staff put 
together a brief paper addressing all of these concerns. 
 
Trafficking in Persons 
---------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that the United States and Vietnam 
share concern over trafficking of women and children within and 
outside of Vietnam.  The United States funds a number of programs to 
help victims and to educate women and children about the dangers of 
trafficking.  This is a complex issue that requires work in 
education, economic assistance and efforts to address issues like 
 
HANOI 00001916  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
the perceived worth of girl children and the imbalance of sex ratios 
in rural areas.  We will continue to work with the NA to develop 
counter-trafficking programs, the Ambassador added.  Thu agreed with 
the Ambassador's assessment of the root causes of trafficking.  The 
NA wants to do more to encourage local officials, particularly in 
border provinces, to educate young people about the dangers of 
trafficking.  Thu also noted that the NA is working on a law 
outlawing abortions for the purpose of sex selection, but 
acknowledged that sex discrimination remains a major problem.  In 
the latest NA session, the Vietnam Women's Union presented a draft 
law on gender equality, but "the problem is deeply rooted" and no 
action was taken on the draft, Thu added. 
 
Adoptions 
--------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that the United States resumed 
facilitating Vietnamese adoptions in January 2006.  We were hopeful 
that the new system would be more transparent than the previous 
system (which was suspended in 2002), but there are already some 
indications of old problems resurfacing.  Brokers who seek only to 
make money on adoptions are reappearing.  For example, one orphanage 
in Danang recently claimed that five separate children were left on 
their doorstep in a one-week period.  We will bring these concerns 
to the attention of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), but there is also 
a clear need for the NA to develop legislation that will help ensure 
that Vietnamese children are not treated as commodities, the 
Ambassador said.  Thu noted that the GVN has adoption agreements 
with 54 different nations, so the social committee is well aware of 
the importance of legal oversight of such programs.  She promised to 
raise our concerns with the MOJ. 
 
Labor Export Law 
---------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Without prompting, Chairwoman Thu herself raised the issue 
of Vietnam's labor exports, noting that she traveled to the United 
States last year to meet with the U.S.-based Vietnam Association of 
the Handicapped.  While there, she "saw how much need there is for 
foreign labor" in our economy and asked if it is possible to develop 
a program for Vietnamese workers to find employment in the United 
States.  The Ambassador noted that this is a very controversial 
issue in the United States, and that while opportunities for work 
visas do exist, these visas are of short duration and it does not 
make economic sense for most workers to seek one given the high 
charges of labor brokers.  We recognize that labor exports are a 
lucrative source of income for Vietnam and many other countries; 
however, the lack of oversight and accountability of the firms that 
hire laborers to work outside of Vietnam is a serious problem that 
the NA should consider while drafting new labor export laws.  This 
issue is also related to trafficking in persons, the Ambassador 
added.  Thu confirmed that the NA is paying attention to the role of 
labor export companies as they draft the new labor law. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) NA debate on social issues like HIV/AIDS and trafficking in 
persons is playing an increasingly important role in defining 
Vietnam's approach to these problems.  We will continue to work with 
NA delegates to address these issues as they develop their 
capability to do so. 
 
MARINE