VZCZCXRO7315
PP RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #2360/01 2581005
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151005Z SEP 06 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3386
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 1814
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002360 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KIRF PREL PGOV CASC VM
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR HANFORD MEETS WITH MFA VICE MINISTER BANG: 
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, PRESIDENT'S VISIT, PRISONERS OF CONCERN 
 
REF: A) HANOI 2358; B) HANOI 1880; C) HANOI 2152 and previous 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: During an August 18 meeting with IRF Ambassador 
John Hanford, Vice Foreign Minister Le Van Bang acknowledged that 
implementation of the GVN's framework on religion has been slow in 
the north because of local officials' concerns about preserving 
their power.  However, the USG should have no doubt that the GVN 
will honor its religious freedom commitments even after WTO 
accession.  Bang promised to raise with his superiors Hanford's 
request for a roadmap letter on religious freedom.  The GVN hopes 
that the President's November visit will be a success and is working 
on several summit deliverables besides WTO, including a number of 
commercial deals.  The GVN will unconditionally release prisoners of 
concern Dr. Pham Hong Son and religious dissident Ma Van Bay on 
September 2, and may consider releasing Phan Van Ban on the 
condition that he departs for the United States.  The GVN also will 
allow AmCit De Pham Lifvenborg to travel to Singapore to give birth. 
 End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) United States Ambassador-at-Large for International 
Religious Freedom John Hanford, accompanied by the Ambassador, met 
August 18 with Vice Foreign Minister Le Van Bang.  Bang was upbeat 
and hopeful that an agreement could soon be reached regarding 
Vietnam's Country of Particular Concern (CPC) status.  Ambassador 
Hanford reiterated Ref A points concerning USG desires for further 
progress in the weeks ahead and emphasized the importance of 
receiving a letter from Bang outlining GVN intentions over the next 
year in the area of religious freedom. 
 
¶3. (SBU) VFM Bang asserted that the USG should have no fears that 
Vietnam might backtrack on its religious freedom promises after the 
PNTR issue has been settled because the GVN "always follows through 
with its commitments."  He also asserted that he personally "always 
follows through with commitments made in his letters to foreign 
governments."  However, he could not commit to the idea of a roadmap 
letter until he has vetted the idea with his superiors.  The Vice 
Minister also revealed that he nearly lost his position after the 
May 2005 exchange of letters, as they were quickly referred to as 
"an agreement" in the United States.  GVN hardliners were very upset 
at that characterization, Bang noted. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Implementation of Vietnam's religious framework has been 
slow in the northern provinces, but this is largely because "local 
officials remain jealous of their power," VFM Bang continued.  This 
continues to make it difficult to accelerate implementation.  He 
noted that Ambassador Marine recently experienced these attitudes of 
local officials first-hand in Bac Giang Province (Ref B).  The 
Ambassador agreed that the local officials' handling of the Bac 
Giang Baptist situation seems to be a microcosm of the larger 
northern implementation problem, but thanked VFM Bang and his 
ministry for helping to arrange the visit. 
 
President's Visit 
----------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Bang stated that the GVN would very much like to make the 
President's November visit a "double success."  First, the GVN hopes 
that the President's participation will make the APEC Leaders' 
Meeting "a substantive success."  More important, in the GVN's view, 
is the hope that the bilateral component of the President's visit 
will showcase the expanding relationship between the two nations and 
"cement the United States' role in Southeast Asia."  To set the 
stage for these successes, the GVN has been focusing on several key 
deliverables for the President's visit.  A multilateral WTO 
accession agreement is nearly finished, although the final PNTR vote 
may not happen before the APEC summit.  Furthermore, the GVN has 
finalized its satellite deal with Lockheed-Martin and is considering 
closing other important commercial deals (NFI). 
 
Prisoners of Concern 
-------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Bang confirmed that the GVN will release prisoners of 
concern Dr. Pham Hong Son and Ma Van Bay within days as part of the 
September 2 National Day amnesty.  He also disputed Ministry of 
Public Security Vice Minister Huong's assertion earlier on August 18 
that Son's release is conditional on his going to the United States 
(septel).  The Ambassador asked if prisoner of concern Phan Van Ban 
will also be considered for release.  Bang replied that he cannot be 
considered for amnesty because he has not yet served half of his 
sentence.  However, as Ban's son is an AmCit, the GVN may be willing 
to consider a deal to release him on the condition that he departs 
for the United States.  The Ambassador also reiterated his request 
to visit the fourth prisoner of concern, dissident Nguyen Vu Binh, 
in prison. 
 
HANOI 00002360  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
AMCIT Case 
---------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Ambassador asked if AmCit De Pham Lifvenborg (Ref C) 
will be allowed to travel to Singapore in order to receive medical 
care related to her childbirth.  Bang answered that the GVN had 
decided that morning to allow her to leave for "humanitarian 
reasons."  However, he asked the Ambassador to affirm that she would 
return to Vietnam so that the GVN could continue to investigate her 
involvement in the ABN-AMRO case.  The Ambassador said that Pham has 
committed to returning to Vietnam after giving birth in Singapore, 
but added that the USG cannot force her to return if she does not 
honor this commitment. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Ambassador Hanford cleared this message. 
 
MARINE