VZCZCXRO8482
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHNH
DE RUEHHM #0189/01 0720853
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130853Z MAR 09
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5501
INFO RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 3642
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY PRIORITY 5737

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000189 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND DRL/AWH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL VM
SUBJECT: FAMILY MEMBERS OF IMPRISONED DISSIDENTS SHARE THEIR STORIES 
 
REF: A) HCMC 130   B) 08 HCMC 105 
 
HO CHI MIN 00000189  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  On February 27, family members of several 
imprisoned democracy activists from Bloc 8406, the People's 
Democratic Party, United Workers and Farmers Organization and 
Bach Dang Giang shared news with PolOff about their relatives' 
recent hunger strike as well as general conditions for political 
prisoners, which they find to be more restrictive than for the 
general prison population.  While some family members fared 
better than others in getting prison guards to relax the rules, 
all family members said their relatives live "in a prison within 
a prison" with limited access to reading materials and media and 
stricter adherence to regulations for incoming food and personal 
items.  Father Ly's sister and nephew also spoke about his 
internment at Ba Sao (aka Nam Ha) Prison in the northern 
province of Ha Nam.  Family members said the prisoners were 
heartened to hear about the USG's ongoing interest in their 
cases and urged continued support for democracy and human rights 
in Vietnam.  End summary. 
 
STRICTER REGIME FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS 
--------------------------------------- 
¶2. (SBU) Family members of some of Vietnam's most well-known 
political prisoners met with PolOff on February 27 to share news 
they received during recent visits, including the three day 
hunger strike staged by Bloc 8406 activists at the Z30A prison 
in Dong Nai province on February 19 to protest their lack of 
access to reading materials, media reports and outdoor exercise. 
 Family members said the prisoners were only allowed to read one 
newspaper a week, Nhan Dan (People), the official newspaper of 
the Communist Party.  Unlike their fellow non-political 
prisoners, they were not allowed to use the prison library, eat 
in the canteen or watch news reports on TV. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Several family members also said that prison guards 
made them strictly adhere to the 5 kg limit on fresh food and 
household goods they brought to the prisoners during each visit, 
though some said they were able to bring in more by paying small 
bribes or building relationships with particular prison guards. 
The mother of People's Democratic Party (PDP) activist Nguyen 
Bac Truyen said she was able to bring in 19 kilos of food to her 
son on her last visit, but the amount "depended on the mood of 
the guards and the behavior of the prisoners."  After the shy 
wife of a Bach Dang Giang (BDG) activist said she was also able 
to bring her husband over 5 kg of food on her last visit, the 
outspoken mother of Paltalk activist Truong Quoc Huy (Paltalk is 
the popular online chat room he used disseminate pro-democracy 
messages) jokingly quipped she would accompany the young woman 
next time so she could "charm the guards with her beauty." 
 
¶4. (SBU) With regard to prison labor, family members said the 
situation had improved after ConGenOffs visited Dong Nai to 
assess the prison's labor programs in September 2008 (ref A) and 
that the guards were "nicer" to the prisoners after learning 
about the Consulate's meetings with family members.  While the 
physical health of the prisoners was generally good, family 
members worried about their relatives' mental and emotional 
states.  Family members said guards would try every few months 
to persuade the prisoners to sign a written "confession" of 
their crimes, promising an early amnesty, but all prisoners 
refused to sign.  They reported that one political prisoner 
named "Giang" was put into solitary confinement after refusing 
to sign (Note: Family members could not give PolOff the 
prisoner's full name or political affiliation to check against 
post's Persons of Concern list. End note.) 
 
FATHER LY FASTS FOR THAI HA 
--------------------------- 
¶5. (SBU) Father Ly's sister and nephew, who reside in 
neighboring Dong Nai province, said their last visit to Father 
Ly at Ba Sao prison in Nam Ha on January 12 found Father Ly in 
good health and spirits.  (Note: Because of the long distance, 
they are only able to visit Father Ly every two to three months, 
while the relatives of the Dong Nai prisoners, who all reside in 
the Ho Chi Minh city area, visit monthly.  End note) They noted 
that Father Ly fasts at lunchtime every day in order to pray for 
the Thai Ha parishioners in Hanoi.  Father Ly also prays daily 
for the GVN to allow free speech, end "systematic abortion" and 
return private properties to citizens and religious 
organizations.  While they have no issues bringing in food or 
supplies, Father Ly's sister said he is only allowed to read 
Phap Luat (The Law), the official paper of the Ministry of 
Justice and that the Bible given to him by the Archbishop of Hue 
in December 2008 had been confiscated by guards.  The guards did 
allow him to keep the crucifix given by the Archbishop, however. 
 
 
UPDATE ON HUYEN NGUYEN DAO 
-------------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) The brother of PDP member Le Nguyen Sang said he'd met 
 
HO CHI MIN 00000189  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
with dissident Huyen Nguyen Dao on February 27, but the security 
presence around Dao's residence was still "tight" following his 
February 15 release from prison and he would not be able to meet 
with PolOff for some time (ref A). 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶7. (SBU) While most relatives were reluctant to discuss their 
own difficulties, preferring to focus on those of the political 
prisoners, some reported continued pressure from authorities at 
home.  Several mentioned that they or their family members had 
been surveilled or approached by security police and were 
routinely summoned to their ward police station for "working 
sessions."  All expected to be called in again after their 
meeting with PolOff.  The mutual support and camaraderie 
exhibited by the family members during the meeting was 
heartening to see--all routinely communicated with each other in 
advance of prison visits and carried news, food and other 
necessities to the relatives of other prisoners when they could. 
 In spite of the additional scrutiny they expected to receive 
from authorities after their meeting at the Consulate, all were 
grateful for the USG's attention to their family members' cases 
and urged the USG to continue to raise their cases with US and 
GVN officials whenever possible.  End comment. 
 
¶8. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Hanoi. 
BENNETT