VZCZCXRO6340
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHHI #1216/01 3160950
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120949Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0434
INFO ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0184

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 001216 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KTIP KCRM PHUM PREL ELAB VM
SUBJECT: GVN Officials, NGOs Assess TIP issues in Workshop on VN's 
National Plan of Action 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: On October 22, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh 
Trong chaired a workshop to evaluate the GVN's implementation of 
its "National Plan of Action (NPA) against Trafficking in Women and 
Children 2004-2010" and to discuss prospects for the future.  The 
workshop's reports will affect planning and influence the next 
five-year NPA, as well as the law on TIP currently being drafted by 
the Ministry of Justice.  During the course of the workshop, 
participants cited a number of accomplishments, including: 
successful public awareness campaigns, increased border 
surveillance, and numerous training and capacity building 
activities.  As most workshop participants noted, the greatest 
challenge to combating trafficking in Vietnam continues to be a 
serious lack of funding and human resources.  To that end, post is 
extremely pleased that Vietnam was named a priority country for 
G/TIP funding, and we have begun outreach efforts to publicize the 
grant application process. END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On October 22, the GVN hosted a one-day workshop to 
review the five-year implementation of the "National Plan of Action 
(NPA) against Trafficking in Women and Children 2004-2010." 
Approved by the Prime Minister on July 14, 2004, the NPA was an 
attempt to provide a coherent framework for anti-TIP efforts in 
Vietnam.  This event, presided over by Deputy Prime Minister (and 
Politburo member) Truong Vinh Trong, was simultaneously broadcast 
in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and included representatives from all 
levels of Vietnamese government, including all fourteen members of 
the National Committee 130 (NC130) Steering Committee and members 
of the National Assembly.  International organizations such as 
UNODC, IOM, UNDP, UNICEF, World Vision, and the Asia Foundation and 
representatives from several embassies attended.  Workshop 
presenters included the Chairman of NC130, the President of the 
Vietnamese Women's Union (VWU), the director of the Asia 
Foundation, people's committee representatives from provinces 
sponsoring pilot projects, and officials from the Ministries of 
Public Security (MPS), Foreign Affairs (MFA), and Justice (MOJ). 
 
 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The workshop reported that during the five years of the 
NPA's implementation, the government investigated 1,586 cases of 
trafficking in persons involving 2,888 criminals and identified 
4,008 trafficking victims.  According to the GVN, over 60 percent 
of victims had been trafficked to China, around ten percent had 
been trafficked Cambodia, and a smaller percentage to Laos.  Data 
on trafficking cases to other countries was not presented.  While 
all 63 provinces reported trafficking cases, the following 
provinces reported the most cases: Ha Giang (134 cases), Lao Cai 
(105 cases), Lang Son (95 cases), Quang Ninh (73 cases), Ha Noi (66 
cases), Nghe An (66 cases), Lai Chau (56 cases), and Bac Gian (44 
cases). 
 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Le Hong Anh, NC130 Chairman, opened the conference, 
stating that trafficking in Vietnam had become larger in scale, 
more complicated, and diversified, with traffickers becoming more 
sophisticated, organized, and transnational.  He noted that many 
trafficking victims hailed from remote, economically disadvantaged 
areas, which made them more vulnerable to trafficking. 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Representatives from An Giang, Lang Son, and Quang Ninh 
-- designated as pilot provinces under the NPA -- reported that 
they had established steering subcommittees to work on TIP, 
increased border surveillance, instituted anti-TIP training 
programs, and established services to assist TIP returnees.  The 
provincial representatives commented that the success of their 
efforts had increased significantly when anti-trafficking messages 
were integrated with the other economic and social activities of 
their organizations.  All three stated that in the past five years 
there had been a drop in the number of TIP cases in their 
provinces, which they attributed to their coordinated efforts.  The 
Lang Song representative, for example, noted that in the last five 
years, there had 98 been cases of trafficking with 128 traffickers 
identified and 102 victims rescued, a 30 percent reduction in 
trafficking cases compared with the preceding five years. 
 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The lack of funding and human resources was a common 
challenge mentioned by most workshop participants.  Limited 
resources affected all aspects of anti-trafficking programs: 
outreach, victim support, training, law enforcement, and even 
 
HANOI 00001216  002 OF 003 
 
 
international cooperation.  Many of the participants expressed 
concern that Program NC130 was set to expire at the end of 2010, 
and urged Program NC130 to become a "National Level Target." 
(Note: Program NC130 is a separate anti-TIP program from the NPA. 
Program NC130 is the legal mandate under which NC130 operates.  It 
expires in 2010; renewing the mandate will be the Prime Minister's 
decision.  End note.)  Many attendees expressed hope that this 
would raise the importance of the program and more resources would 
be dedicated to combat trafficking from the central government to 
increase the capacity of the program nationwide. 
 
 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Several presenters criticized Vietnam's continued 
inability to reintegrate victims of trafficking.  Some efforts have 
been made to help strengthen the capacity of victim identification 
and referral, and a few "self-help clubs" have been established at 
local levels to assist former victims of TIP access services and to 
support reintegration into the community; however, these services 
still fall far short of the need and are available in only a few 
localities.  MPS representatives noted that victims are afraid of 
being stigmatized, and this affects their willingness to cooperate 
with police in TIP investigations, a view seconded by MOJ officials 
who stated that victims were often reluctant to assist 
prosecutions.  Some presenters also noted the challenges of working 
with their international counterparts.  The representative from 
Quang Ninh province also explained that investigation cases 
overseas could be complicated, lengthy, costly and hampered by 
limited funding.  Participants also recommended the need to improve 
language capabilities of staff, especially in the languages of 
border countries. 
 
 
 
INGO Input 
 
---------- 
 
 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Speaking on behalf of INGOs who support anti-human 
trafficking activities in Vietnam, the Country Director of the Asia 
Foundation highlighted many of the past five years' 
accomplishments, and discussed new trends involving internal 
trafficking, overseas labor recruitment, and men.  The main 
accomplishments cited, include: raising awareness about human 
trafficking issues, implementing pilot programs to provide victim 
protection services, and numerous training and capacity building 
programs with many government partners regarding TIP. Based on 
these trends, she offered recommendations about activities 
international NGOs would be interested in supporting, including 
projects to promote safe migration and improve TIP victim support. 
She also suggested that INGOs support efforts to bring the GVN's 
definition of TIP into accord with the United Nations Convention 
against Transnational Organized Crime.  (Note: Currently, the GVN's 
law on trafficking does not include men or certain cases of labor 
exploitation. End note.)  Speaking for NC130, Anh welcomed 
strengthened relations with INGOs.  In his concluding remarks, DPM 
Trong instructed conference attendees to pay attention to the 
report prepared by the INGOs. (Note: Post provided significant 
input into the report and included references to labor and internal 
trafficking.  End Note.) 
 
 
 
DPM Tasks anti-TIP Action 
 
---------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶9.  (SBU) In what was billed as the "instructional conclusion" of 
the event, DPM Trong acknowledged a lack of resources, but called 
on government at all levels, mass organizations, local leaders and 
"important people with titles" to redouble their efforts to combat 
TIP.  He assigned tasks to the various departments and 
organizations in attendance, singling out specific GVN officials 
responsible for police and border guard training.  Trong also 
called for further efforts to raise public awareness of trafficking 
and to improve support for trafficking victims. 
 
 
 
Comment: Next steps for USG Support of anti-TIP Action 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
HANOI 00001216  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶10. (SBU) At the conclusion of his speech, DPM Truong Vinh Trong 
asked "what was the next step forward for Vietnam?"  The answer is 
a great deal.  With only fifteen months remaining on the current 
action plan, the GVN has a full agenda:  First, the draft bill on 
the prevention of trafficking must be concluded and presented to 
the National Assembly in 2010.  Second, cooperation between Vietnam 
and its neighbors must be improved.  And, finally, the GVN must 
develop its next NPA.  We are encouraged that DPM Trong 
specifically mentioned the contributions that INGOs can bring, as 
well as the marching orders he gave specific ministries/agencies. 
We are also encouraged that the discussion on TIP now includes 
trafficking in men, internal trafficking, and labor trafficking, 
although the GVN's concerns about labor trafficking appear 
primarily focused on cross-border trafficking with Vietnam's 
immediate neighbors.  The DPM was forthright in acknowledging the 
severe resource constraints that Vietnam faces in combating 
trafficking, a consistent problem affecting all of Vietnam's social 
programs.  Despite the commitments expressed during this workshop, 
we still have questions about the GVN's "political will" to tackle 
TIP issues beyond the government's traditional focus on trafficking 
for sexual exploitation, and intend to follow up with our GVN and 
NGO contacts to see if Trong's "marching orders" result in concrete 
movement towards addressing the remaining challenges. 
 
 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Trong's assessment of what is needed in Vietnam opens 
the door for future bilateral and multilateral cooperation in key 
areas regarding human trafficking, including: raising public 
awareness, police/border guard training, and support for victims. 
With this in mind, Post is pleased that Vietnam was designated a 
priority country for TIP-related programming.  We already have 
publicized widely the grant information, and look forward to 
working with the Department to devise approaches and projects to 
partner with local and international NGOs and the GVN to strengthen 
its capability in combating TIP in areas such as safe migration and 
victim support. End Comment. 
Palmer