VZCZCXRO3516
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0296/01 0730746
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130746Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7403
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 4439
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000296 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM ECON PGOV KCOR KPAO SOCI PREL VM
 
SUBJECT: GVN'S ANTI-CORRUPTION CZAR SAYS HANOI WANTS INCREASED 
COOPERATION WITH USG 
 
Ref: 07 HANOI 702 
 
HANOI 00000296  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On March 6, the Ambassador met the head of 
Vietnam's Government Inspectorate (GI) Tran Van Truyen, a key player 
in the Government of Vietnam's (GVN) fight against corruption and an 
ally of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.  Truyen said he welcomed 
cooperation with the USG, and added that functional GI departments 
would work with the Embassy in devising specific anti-corruption 
programs and that he would report to PM Dung the results of his 
meeting with the Ambassador.  Hanoi also wants to do more with the 
USG on legal reform through USAID's Support for Trade Acceleration 
(STAR) program.  The GVN wants to reform its laws so that 
transparency and accountability are enshrined, and needs help 
reforming its cumbersome administrative apparatus.  He proposed that 
the GVN and USG sign a specific cooperative agreement.  Post will 
follow up with Truyen's subordinates on this initiative.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On March 6, the Ambassador met Tran Van Truyen, the head of 
the Government Inspectorate (GI), to discuss the GVN's 
anti-corruption efforts and how the USG might help Hanoi fight 
malfeasance.  Truyen said the GVN remains resolute in carrying out 
its anti-corruption fight.  As evidence, he cited the 
anti-corruption decrees the GVN has passed and anti-corruption 
bodies the GVN has created over the past two years.  Corruption 
hurts everyone, constrains Vietnam's economic development and places 
strains on the country's legal system, he said.  Decrees on the 
media, asset declaration and rotation of public officials in 
graft-prone sectors show that the GVN views prevention as one of its 
main tasks, he added. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The GVN is focused on the tasks of developing the economy, 
accelerating administrative reform and fighting corruption, Truyen 
continued.  The central government has sought to raise awareness 
within the GVN and among the Vietnamese people about the negative 
impact corruption has on the country's socioeconomic development. 
People are seizing the opportunity to report on alleged corruption, 
although the GI found last year that only about 50 percent of the 
cases reported to it had any merit.  To supplement the central 
government's action plans for fighting corruption, Truyen said it 
has also encouraged local governments to come up with their own 
plans.  The National Assembly (NA) recently voted to allow local 
governments to set up their own anti-corruption bodies, Truyen 
noted. 
 
¶4. (SBU) According to a 2007 Asset Declaration Decree, GVN and Party 
officials above a certain rank had to declare their assets by last 
November (Ref A).  Truyen said that the GI is now in the process of 
analyzing "who has been truthful in their declarations."  If the GI 
discovers hidden assets, it will make this publicly known and will 
forward its findings to the courts, he asserted. 
 
Challenges Remain...But the USG Can Help 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Truyen said that, despite GVN success in preventing and 
fighting corruption, it still faces many hurdles.  Corruption in the 
health and education fields, for example, has become problematic 
over the last few years.  Hanoi needs to upgrade its legal system so 
that transparency and accountability are enshrined, Truyen declared. 
 The GVN also must do more to reform its large and cumbersome 
administrative apparatus.  The government is trying to devolve 
social security responsibilities to "societal organizations."  It is 
also looking at reforming salary structures so that law enforcement 
officers receive higher salaries, because their current monthly 
income is not sufficient for "normal living." 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador agreed that economic development, 
administrative reform and anti-corruption work are inter-related. 
The USG looks forward to working with the GVN as it undertakes its 
ambitious administrative reform effort, he said.  The Ambassador 
pointed out that streamlining decision-making processes and 
eliminating layers of bureaucracy are effective ways of eliminating 
corruption. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Truyen responded that the GVN is determined to integrate 
its economy with those of the rest of the world, but that it will 
chart its own path in this regard to reflect its own unique history. 
 He said that all GVN economic development plans are complemented by 
legal reform strategies.  The National Assembly has a huge task in 
formulating new laws and the GVN highly values the support it has 
received from international partners in the legislative reform 
area. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The GVN is close to ratifying the UN Covenant on 
Anti-Corruption, Truyen said, and anti-corruption has figured 
prominently in Vietnam's international relations.  The subject is 
discussed during APEC and Hanoi has signed Memoranda of 
Understanding (MOU) on anti-corruption with several ASEAN countries. 
 
HANOI 00000296  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 In addition, Hanoi values the technical assistance it receives from 
Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Canada to help the GVN 
strengthen capacity in detecting and prosecuting corruption.  In 
this context, the GVN also appreciates USG support through the 
Support for Trade Acceleration (STAR) Program and wants to advance 
cooperation with the USG on legal reform through the STAR program. 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) Truyen said he would report to PM Dung the results of his 
meeting with the Ambassador and would request that functional GI 
departments work with the Embassy in devising specific 
anti-corruption programs.  He proposed that the GVN and USG sign a 
specific cooperative agreement. 
 
Comment: Holding Truyen to His Word 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Truyen is a member of the 181-member Central Committee and 
sits on the GVN's Anti-Corruption Steering Committee, which meets 
monthly and is headed by Prime Minister Dung.  He is a key player in 
the GVN fight against corruption and is known to be close to PM 
Dung.  All in Vietnam agree that the corruption fight will be years 
long, and even Vietnamese officials concede that tough talk has 
rarely been matched with tough action to date.  Hopes lie in 
incremental, but cumulatively significant, changes in the structure 
and nature of governance.  The GVN's desire to devolve social 
insurance responsibilities to societal organizations presents the 
USG an opportunity to strengthen Vietnam's civil society.  We also 
can do more in the legislative reform area.  Post will follow up 
with Truyen's subordinates to test his offer to collaborate more 
closely with the USG. 
 
MICHALAK