VZCZCXRO1916
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHHM #0361/01 1321009
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 121009Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5723
INFO RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 3761
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY PRIORITY 5959
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000361 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KIRF VM
SUBJECT: HCMC POLITICAL DISSIDENT LAWYER FACES POLICE HARASSMENT 
 
HO CHI MIN 00000361  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  In the last two weeks, the police have 
stepped up their questioning and harassment of Mr. Le Tran Luat, 
a HCMC-based human rights lawyer who has drawn attention for his 
efforts on behalf of various political dissidents and 
land-rights activists, including the Thai Hai parishioners in 
Hanoi.  Actions against Mr. Luat include confiscating computer 
equipment, documents, and files on various political dissident 
and land dispute cases.  Police have pressured Luat to drop his 
activism, to "correct" the record by stating publically that he 
misunderstood GVN policies, and to not meet with the U.S. 
Commission on International Religious Freedom delegation during 
their upcoming visit.  This continues a pattern of harassment 
over the last several months, during which the police summoned 
clients from Luat's law firm for questioning, pressed them to 
discontinue working with Luat, and urged associates to accuse 
him of cheating in business deals.  Finally, on March 25, 
authorities closed Luat's law firm.  Luat is now unemployed and 
under constant police surveillance.  Ambassador Michalak has 
raised concerns about Luat's situation with the GVN and we 
continue to follow his situation closely.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On 29 April, 2009, Luat was summoned to a police 
"working session."  During the interrogation, police asked Luat 
to drop his activism and to "correct" his previous public 
statements by admitting publically that he misunderstood GVN 
policies.  Police told Luat that they wanted to take his 
computers.  When he protested, the police continued the 
interrogation and later produced a search warrant, stating that 
they suspected Luat of keeping "documents against the state." 
The police then took Luat back to his home/office and invited 
local authorities to witness the search.  The police confiscated 
three personal computers, a laptop, a printer, and a cell phone 
with internet access, along with boxes of documents and files on 
the various political dissident and land-dispute cases in which 
Luat had represented clients.  These cases include those of 
internet writer Truong Minh Duc, political activist Pham Ba Hai, 
political activist Pham Thanh Nghien, and land-use activists 
from Hanoi's Thai Ha Catholic Parish.  Luat had come under 
particular pressure recently for his activities on behalf of the 
Thai Ha parishioners and was prevented from traveling to the 
capital to represent them in their unsuccessful March 30 appeal. 
 Police also scrutinized the firm's tax records for errors as 
far back as 2002.  Luat received further summons from the police 
for questioning on May 4 and 5. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Also on April 29, police questioned an associate from 
Luat's law firm, Ms. Ta Phong Tan, about her blog entries.  Tan 
is a fellow member of the Freelance Journalism Club and shares 
an office with Luat.  Police confiscated Tan's office computer 
and personal laptop after printing out a number of documents, 
identified by the police as "documents against the state." 
Police told her they intended to arrest Luat for "propagandizing 
against the state." 
 
¶4.  (SBU) These "working sessions" were repeated daily the week 
of May 4.  Along with their usual line of questioning, the 
police also sought information on the purpose and content of a 
May 6 meeting between Luat, his Freelance Journalism Club 
associates, and representatives from the Swedish Embassy.  His 
wife was also twice required to appear before the police, who 
criticized her for not being able to "rein in" her husband. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) During questioning on May 11, the police pressured 
Luat not to meet with the U.S. Commission on International 
Religious Freedom (USCIRF) delegation during their upcoming 
visit to Ho Chi Minh City, May 14-17, and issued summons for him 
to appear yet again on May 15 and 16.  Luat lamented that he has 
to go once summoned, but confirmed that he still intends to meet 
with the delegation, although he may have to do so in the 
evening. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Over the last several months, the police summoned 167 
of the law firm's clients and examined agreements between the 
law firm and its clients, looking for faults.  Luat reports that 
his clients have come to him reporting that the police 
encouraged them to accuse Luat of cheating in business deals. 
Further, clients report that the police attempted to pressure 
them not to pay pending fees to the law office.  Only two 
clients complied with the police request.  The HCMC Justice 
department closed Luat's law firm on March 25 for "violations" 
in conducting its activities.  Although Luat's Bar membership is 
still valid, owing to the cancellation of his disciplinary 
hearing, he is now unemployed and under constant police 
surveillance. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Ambassador Michalak raised concerns regarding Luat's 
treatment in a March 25 letter to Vice Minister of Public 
Security Nguyen Van Huong.  Noting that Luat was being prevented 
from travelling to Hanoi to represent eight Thai Ha parishioners 
 
HO CHI MIN 00000361  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
at their appeals trial, the Ambassador emphasized that "the 
United States believes that improving the protection of human 
rights, including the right to a fair trial, is in Vietnam's 
interests and will ultimately make the country stronger.  I hope 
you would agree that the fairness of this trial, which has 
attracted widespread international attention, would be 
strengthened if the lawyer recognized by the court to represent 
the defendants is allowed to attend."  Luat was not allowed to 
attend the trial. 
 
¶8.  (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Hanoi. 
FAIRFAX