VZCZCXRO9652
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0595/01 1770950
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 260950Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9812
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 5967
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000595 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/IRF and DRL/AWH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KIRF VM
 
SUBJECT: USCIRF Visits Vietnam Again 
 
Ref Hanoi 500 
 
HANOI 00000595  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In their fourth visit to Vietnam since 2002, the 
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) repeated 
familiar criticisms of Vietnam's protections of religious freedom. 
In official meetings with high-ranking GVN officials, including 
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, GVN officials 
called on USCIRF to be more "objective" in its reporting on Vietnam 
and to report on the totality of religious freedom in Vietnam and 
not just alleged incidents of abuse.  GVN officials also asked 
USCIRF to reconsider its recommendation of Country of Particular 
Concern (CPC) designation for Vietnam.  The delegation met with 
numerous religious leaders and political dissidents during their two 
weeks in country.  With near unanimity, the religious leaders noted 
an improved climate for religious freedom since Vietnam's removal as 
a CPC although problems remain.  The GVN facilitated a trip to Nam 
Ha prison to meet with prisoners of concern Nguyen Van Dai and 
Father Nguyen Van Ly and also assisted in planning a four-day 
excursion in the Northwest Highlands for USCIRF staff (septel).  End 
summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Following up on their last visit to Vietnam 18 months 
earlier, a delegation from the U.S. Commission on International 
Religious Freedom (USCIRF), led by Vice Chairman Cromartie and 
joined by Commissioner Talal Eid and three Commission staff, spent 
two weeks visiting Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the Northwest 
Highlands from May 11-22 assessing the current situation of 
religious freedom in Vietnam. 
 
Meetings with the Central Government 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In Hanoi, USCIRF held official meetings with Deputy Prime 
Minister/Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Government Committee for 
Religious Affairs Vice Chairman Nguyen Thanh Xuan, Vice Minister of 
Justice Hoang The Lien, Deputy Chairman of the Communist Party's 
Mass Mobilization Committee Nguyen Manh Hung and Chairman of the 
National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee Nguyen Van Son.  In Ho 
Chi Minh City, the delegation also met with Communist Party General 
Secretary Le Thanh Hai and Chairman of the People's Committee Le 
Hoang Quan. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Most of the GVN officials above stressed the need for 
objectivity when reviewing Vietnam's religious freedom situation and 
complained that the Commission had unveiled a sharply critical 
annual report on Vietnam, recommending re-designation as a Country 
of Particular Concern (CPC), only ten days prior to their visit. 
DPM Khiem remarked that it was important to look at the picture of 
religious freedom in its totality and not merely focus on outlying 
problems.  He noted that if one were to only focus on human rights 
abuses in the U.S., mentioning problems with Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo 
Bay and the FLDS Church in Texas, one would think that there are 
significant problems in the United States. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) All officials stressed the religious diversity of Vietnam, 
stating that it would be difficult to find another country in the 
region with the breadth and depth of different religious faiths 
including large indigenous religions like the Cao Dai and Hoa Hao. 
Xuan noted that Vietnam has recognized 31 separate religious 
organizations, including nine different Protestant denominations. 
Additionally, in the past three years local leaders have registered 
1,165 separate meeting points for religious denominations in the 
Central Highlands, representing 85 percent of religious groups 
functioning in the area.  He promised that the remaining 15 percent 
would be registered soon. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Most officials were speaking from the same notes regarding 
Protestantism in the Northwest Highlands, commenting that it 
represented a "clash of cultures" due to its rapid expansion among 
ethnic H'mong and its differences with traditional beliefs of 
ancestor worship.  Vice Chairman Xuan and CPV Mass Mobilization 
Committee's Deputy Hung both stressed the methodical nature of 
registration of congregations in this area of the country as well 
and noted that Protestantism in Vietnam has grown from only 300,000 
followers in 1975 to close to two million followers today. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Several officials highlighted the fact that three USCIRF 
Commissioners, including the Chair, chose not to travel to Vietnam 
at the last minute.  Both DPM Khiem, CRA Vice Chairman Xuan and MOJ 
Vice Minister Lien stated that Vietnam was open to cooperation and 
dialogue relating to improving the ordinance on religion and belief 
and also regarding confirmation of specific cases of abuse. 
 
Meetings with Religious Leaders 
------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) In Hanoi, the delegation met with recently elected ECVN 
President Rev. Nguyen Huu Mac; Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, Vice 
 
HANOI 00000595  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
President of Executive Committee of the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha; 
Archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet; and Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton, leader of 
the Full Gospel Church in Thanh Hoa Province.  The delegation also 
went to the Thai Ha Parish to meet with parish priests and the eight 
Catholic parishioners convicted last year for destruction of 
property and disturbing the peace relating to large-scale 
prayer-vigils held last year in Hanoi. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Each of the religious leaders noted the continued upward 
trend of freedom of religion in Vietnam over the past several years. 
 Archbishop Kiet stressed the Catholic Church's desire to expand its 
charitable activities - such as running schools or hospitals.  ECVN 
President Rev. Mac said that the ECVN hopes to see speedy 
registration of its congregations in the Northwest Highlands.  He 
said that CRA had promised him that 200 new ECVN congregations would 
be recognized this year followed by 200 more the following year, 
with a goal of registering all outstanding congregations by 2011. 
Pastor Ton thanked the Embassy for intervening on behalf of the Full 
Gospel Church in Thanh Hoa province and noted that while he had 
experienced difficulties earlier his current situation is greatly 
improved. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) In HCMC, the delegation held two roundtables - one with 
nationally recognized Protestant denominations and another with 
house churches without national recognition.  The following 
Protestant denominations were represented at the roundtable of 
nationally recognized Protestant denominations: Southern Baptist, 
Mennonite, Seventh-day Adventist, Presbyterian and Vietnam Baptist 
(Southern Grace).  The following Protestant denominations were 
represented at the roundtable of unrecognized house churches: 
Assembly of God, United Baptist, United Gospel Outreach and United 
Presbyterian. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Religious leaders at both roundtables noted that the 
government is paying more attention to religious freedom issues. 
Those churches that have sought and received national recognition 
commented that the situations of their individual congregations have 
improved following their national registration.  However, pastors at 
both roundtables said that the law on belief and religion has not 
been implemented consistently throughout the country and that church 
registrations still take a long time. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Additionally, the delegation met separately with the 
following religious leaders while in HCMC: Cardinal Pham Minh Man; 
unsanctioned Hoa Hao Buddhist leaders; SECV Church leadership in 
HCMC (President, Vice President and Treasurer); Pastor Siu Y Kim, 
SECV representative for the Central Highlands; Pastor Tran Th? 
Trung, Vietnam Good News Mission; Pastor A Dung, representative of 
the unsanctioned Mennonite Church; Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, a 
leader of the unsanctioned Mennonite Church; and Unified Buddhist 
Church of Vietnam Supreme Patriarch Ven. Thich Quang Do. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Cardinal Man relayed that Catholic leadership in HCMC 
have begun to dialogue with the government on disputed church 
properties in HCMC.  He also said that the Church is very close to 
getting a license to operate a HIV/AIDS treatment center.  The 
Cardinal commented that international pressure on the GVN can be 
helpful but it must be done in the right way.  Directly criticizing 
the GVN is not useful, he said.  SECV leadership said that the 
church continues to grow in the Central Highlands, but that they 
still have 200 properties that were seized after 1975 that they 
would like returned.  The unsanctioned Hoa Hao complained about 
continued difficulties and their inability to celebrate 
"disappearance day" of the church's founder.  MPS officers attempted 
to stop the unsanctioned Hoa Hao leaders and Pastor Quang from 
meeting with USCIRF.  Pastor Quang noted that churches that are 
viewed as "anti-government" experience the most difficulties.  He 
said that persecution of Protestants has declined over the past 
several years due to international pressure.  Thich Quang Do talked 
primarily about political issues relating to bauxite mining in the 
Central Highlands and Vietnam's acquiescence to China over 
territorial claims. 
 
Meetings with Political Dissidents 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶13.  (SBU) In Hanoi, the delegation met with political dissidents 
Pham Hong Son, Nguyen Khac Toan, Le Quoc Quan, and the wife of 
imprisoned dissident Nguyen Van Dai.  In HCMC, the delegation met 
with Dr. Nguyen Dan Que and the mother of imprisoned dissident Le 
Thi Cong Nhan.  The delegation also wanted to meet with Do Nam Hai 
and attorney Le Tran Luat in HCMC but were unable to do so since 
both had been called in for questioning by the police.  The above 
dissidents uniformly noted the decline in political freedoms over 
the past two or three years and called on the government to respect 
the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the right to freedom 
of speech.  The delegation also traveled to Nam Ha prison in Ha Nam 
province in order to meet with well-known prisoners of concern human 
 
HANOI 00000595  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai and Bloc 8406 founder Father Nguyen Van 
Ly (reftel). 
 
¶14.  (U) Following the departure of both commissioners, the 
remaining USCIRF staff and PolOff traveled for four days in the 
Northwest Highland provinces of Son La and Dien Bien.  The travel of 
USCIRF staff in the Northwest Highlands will be reported septel. 
 
¶15.  (U) The USCIRF delegation did not have an opportunity to clear 
this cable.