VZCZCXRO7584
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHNH
DE RUEHHM #0153/01 0620852
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 030852Z MAR 09
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5454
INFO RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 3614
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY PRIORITY 5690

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000153 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/AWH AND DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KIRF PGOV PREL VM
SUBJECT: VETERAN DEMOCRACY DISSIDENTS SPEAK OUT ON U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS 
POLICY 
 
REF: A) 08 HCMC 625 AND PREVIOUS   B) 08 HANOI 617 AND PREVIOUS 
 
HO CHI MIN 00000153  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) This cable contains an action request.  Please see 
paragraph 10. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary:  Veteran democracy activists Dr. Nguyen Dan 
Que, Democratic Party of Vietnam (DPV) leader Tran Khue and monk 
Thich Quang Do of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam 
(UBCV) offered divergent views on U.S. human rights policy, 
including the Secretary's recent trip to Asia, and described the 
issues facing their organizations in separate discussions with 
Poloff on February 26.  While steadfast in their opposition and 
criticism of Communist Party rule, the three were more 
contemplative and mild in their rhetoric than in previous 
meetings, expressing more interest in U.S. developments than in 
the situation in Vietnam.  All three are in good health, and 
despite the continual surveillance and interference they 
experience while under "virtual house arrest," were remarkably 
well-informed about current events and U.S. policy initiatives. 
Their analyses, however, tended to highlight their relative 
isolation, as well as a well-founded paranoia regarding GVN and 
Communist Party efforts to thwart activists' efforts to advance 
human rights and democracy in Vietnam.  End summary. 
 
Que and Khue Laud New U.S. Administration 
----------------------------------------- 
¶3. (SBU) Dr. Nguyen Dan Que and Dr. Tran Khue were 
overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the Secretary's recent visit 
to Asia and the direction of the new administration.  In 
separate meetings at their homes, the two activists praised the 
President and the Secretary for their efforts to restore USG 
credibility and rebuild ties overseas, ushering in a "new era of 
change."  Asked about the Secretary's visit to Beijing, Dr. Que 
did not focus on her human rights comments but instead 
registered his concern over growing U.S. - China cooperation, 
arguing that closer ties between the two would make it more 
difficult for Hanoi to balance its own relationships and grow 
economically.  Dr. Que urged the USG to offer the GVN "economic 
carrots with advice on human rights and democracy" and to 
participate more actively in ASEAN, especially the newly-created 
human rights body.  Que was also very complimentary regarding 
Ambassador Michalak's efforts to send more Vietnamese students 
to the United States, echoing Thich Quang Do's comments 
regarding the next generation being the agents of political 
change in Vietnam. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Dr. Tran Khue, the leader of the Democratic Party of 
Vietnam (DPV), proudly displayed copies of books authored by the 
Secretary and the President translated into Vietnamese, and at 
several points directly quoted passages from "The Audacity of 
Hope."  He also gave Poloff several volumes of his own poetry 
and political essays to send to the President and the Secretary 
in Washington D.C., along with the message "A 74-year old 
Vietnamese man truly holds them in high esteem."  Like Dr. Que, 
he urged the USG to carefully balance its relationships with 
China and Vietnam and said that he felt Vietnamese people in 
Vietnam were much more supportive of growing ties between the 
United States and Vietnam than were the "extreme" anti-Communist 
Vietnamese community in the United States. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Dr. Khue spent some time discussing various social 
issues with Poloff, including his concern over new regulations 
on press and blogs, the negative environmental and cultural 
impact that bauxite mining in the Central Highlands will have 
for ethnic minorities and the GVN's interference with rice 
pricing and exports in the Delta last year.  Khue said that 
communication among DPV members has been difficult, but 
mentioned that he was visited by several groups of land rights 
protesters from nearby provinces shortly after Tet.  Khue noted 
that when the protesters were asked by security police what Khue 
gave them during the meetings, they answered "hope and faith." 
(Comment: In our view, Khue's points reflect an excellent 
understanding of recent developments in Vietnam, including their 
causes and impacts.  These are not simple issues -- as 
highlighted in our past reporting -- and have not been reported 
clearly in the official media, yet Khue was clearly very well 
informed.  End Comment.) 
 
Fiery UBCV Leader "Disappointed" by the Secretary's Speech 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
¶6. (SBU) In stark contrast to Que and Khue, Venerable Thich 
Quang Do, the 83 year old leader of the banned Unified Buddhist 
Church of Vietnam (UBCV), was eager to register his 
disappointment over the Secretary's comments in Beijing, noting 
that GVN authorities may conclude that human rights issues are 
no longer a top priority for the Obama administration and thus 
become more "heavy-handed" in their treatment of political 
activists.  Do said the CPV "needed to see obstacles" like the 
CPC designation in order to take human rights and religious 
 
HO CHI MIN 00000153  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
freedom seriously.  Poloff assured Do that human rights remains 
high on the USG agenda, noting that the Secretary raised human 
rights issues at all of her meetings with Asian leaders, 
including in China, and welcomed the creation of an ASEAN human 
rights body. 
 
¶7. (SBU) When asked about the global economic downturn's effect 
on the economy and social stability in Vietnam, Thich Quang Do 
said that in authoritarian regimes like Vietnam, Burma and the 
DPRK, "leaders do not care whether the people starve," so if the 
Vietnamese economy collapses, it won't necessarily lead to 
regime change or mass demonstrations.  He also noted that while 
the Vietnamese people needed to lead the fight for democratic 
change in Vietnam, Vietnamese citizens look to the United States 
and EU as "a source of spiritual assistance and hope" in order 
to "keep the fire of democracy burning." 
 
UBCV's Four Great Misfortunes 
----------------------------- 
¶8. (SBU) Thich Quang Do said the trials and tribulations the 
UBCV faced in organizing the former Patriarch's funeral in July 
2008 represented the "fourth great misfortune" in UBCV's 
tumultuous post-1975 history (ref A).  Do said then noted three 
other periods of "great misfortune": the imprisonment, 
persecution and assassination of UBCV monks from 1979-1999, the 
visits of Zen Master Thich Nhat Thanh of the Lang Mai Monastery 
in France and the 2008 Vesak Day celebrations (ref B) .  Do said 
that the GVN had used the 2005 and 2006 visits by Thanh, a 
world-renowned pacifist who has promoted reconciliation with the 
GVN, to urge the UBCV to register under the legal framework on 
religion.  Thich Quang Do reiterated his view that by 
registering, the UBCV would acknowledge that they are currently 
an "illegitimate" organization in the eyes of the GVN even 
though the UBCV's legitimacy pre-dates that of the GVN.  During 
the "third misfortune" of the Vesak Day celebrations, Do said 
the GVN approached UBCV leaders in Vietnam and abroad to try to 
persuade them to participate in the GVN-sponsored events and cut 
their ties with UBCV in Vietnam.  Do believes Thich Nhat Thanh 
and two other senior UBCV monks, Thich Tue Si and Thich Le Minh 
That (a former political prisoner who co-sponsored VBS 
participation in Vesak) are collaborating with GVN in an attempt 
to divide UBCV "from the inside," and fears the GVN is also 
placing "agent monks" in UBCV monasteries overseas. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Thich Quang Do said that his communications and 
movements continue to be monitored closely and that organizing 
meetings with other UBCV leaders remains difficult.  He urged 
Poloff to "harbor no illusions" regarding the GVN's progress on 
religious freedom, noting that as long as the CPV remains in 
power, UBCV will not be able to operate freely.  Thich Quang Do 
did offer one bright bit of optimism--his belief that future 
generations will take up the UBCV's fight for justice and human 
rights.  Remarking on Buddhists' belief in impermanence and 
change, Do said change within the Communist Party was inevitable 
and perhaps someday soon, the CPV will "change themselves out of 
existence." 
 
ACTION REQUEST 
-------------- 
¶10. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: As per his request, Post would like to 
forward Dr. Tran Khue's books and messages to POTUS and 
SecState.  We propose accomplishing this by pouching them for 
EAP/MLS for appropriate action. 
 
¶11. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Hanoi. 
FAIRFAX