Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 143912 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 08HANOI1406, HUE PROVINCIAL LEADERS TALK GREEN DEVELOPMENT, CLEAN

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08HANOI1406 2008-12-29 02:42 2011-08-26 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Hanoi
VZCZCXRO5673
OO RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #1406 3640242
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 290242Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8939
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 5437
UNCLAS HANOI 001406 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS and DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM VM
 
SUBJECT: HUE PROVINCIAL LEADERS TALK GREEN DEVELOPMENT, CLEAN 
GOVERNMENT, AND GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY 
 
Ref A) 07 Hanoi 1817 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: Hue provincial officials are pushing for clean 
industry.  In discussions with the DCM, Provincial People's 
Committee Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Thien argued that green development 
is necessary both to protect Hue's large and growing tourist 
industry and to differentiate Hue from its larger and more 
industrial neighbor Danang.  Thien also claimed to be putting into 
place measures to ensure a rationalized, more transparent 
bureaucracy as a means to fight corruption.  In separate meetings 
December 9-10, Thien and his colleague, Communist Party Vice Chair 
Nguyen Van Cuong, agreed that eliminating district-level people's 
councils would be a useful step in streamlining the bureaucracy, but 
argued for a delay in instituting direct elections of commune-level 
People's Committee chairmen.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Clean, Green... 
--------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) Meeting the DCM December 10, the Chairman of the Hue 
Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Ngoc Thien emphasized the 
importance of clean industry in and around Hue, arguing that 
polluting industries, while profitable in the short term, would put 
Hue's tourist industry in jeopardy.  Noting that green development 
would also serve to distinguish Hue from its more industrially 
developed neighbor Danang, Thien pointed to a recent decision to 
appoint a geologist working in the provincial department of natural 
resource protection to run the province's new Chan May Lang Co 
Economic Zone (reftel).  According to Thien, Hue Province had 
already turned down proposals from major Korean, Taiwanese, and 
Indian steel companies that wanted to invest in the Zone out of 
concern that the industries would be too polluting.  Thien reported 
that the Zone had secured investments for several large "green" 
developments, including proposals by a Singaporean company ($875 
million) and Saigon Invest Group ($400 million) to build resort 
complexes.  Thien acknowledged that plans for a high-tech zone are 
progressing more slowly, but expressed optimism that Hue's stature 
as a center for education would ultimately help in luring high-tech 
companies to the area. 
 
...Bureaucratically Lean and Mean 
--------------------------------- 
 
3.  (SBU) Turning to Hue's efforts to fight corruption, Thien argued 
that the most important factor is transparency.  Thien highlighted 
efforts to create one-stop shopping for local services such as birth 
certificates and land registration.  Previously, each relevant 
agency had its own commune-level office, and this stove-piping led 
to inefficiency and corruption.  But now, as a result of his 
changes, each commune now has one caseworker who serves as an 
ombudsman of sorts, coordinating with government agencies on the 
resident's behalf.  In separate meetings, Thien and his counterpart 
on the Provincial People's Council, CPV Vice Chair Mr. Nguyen Van 
Cuong, expressed general support for abolishing the People's Council 
at the district level, arguing that because district People's 
Councils have no budgetary oversight they essentially are middlemen 
in the process.  Eliminating the district-level Councils would free 
up funding at the commune level and allow greater oversight from the 
provinces, Cuong stated. 
 
4.  (SBU) Moving to the subject of "grassroots democracy," Thien and 
Cuong were less enthusiastic about plans to allow the direct 
election of People's Committee Chairmen at the commune level, and 
voiced support for the National Assembly's decision to delay the 
measure.  The two argued that the National Assembly needs to first 
alter other existing laws that require that the People's Council at 
the commune level appoint the chairmen of the People's Committee to 
avoid potential conflict. 
 
5.  (SBU) Bionote: Chairman Thien is a dynamic speaker and answered 
readily answered questions from the DCM, even those that touched on 
sensitive topics.  Thien has been to the U.S. twice on trade 
missions and speaks some English.  He studied in the former USSR 
(Ukraine) for 10 years.  His father died during the Vietnam War. 
 
MICHALAK