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FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
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INFO ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000023 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/10 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV AMGT APER ECON KNNP MNUC CH VM AF BM
SUBJECT: EAP DAS Marciel and MFA DG for the Americas Exchange Views 
on Moving Relations Forward in 2010 
 
REF: HANOI 0001; HCMC 0672 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Virginia Palmer, Deputy Chief of Mission, State, 
Hanoi; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 
 
1.(C) Summary: MFA DG for the Americas Nguyen Ba Hung told visiting 
DAS Marciel February 5 Vietnam was "ready to take cooperation to a 
new level."  Ba Hung noted the GVN's willingness to assist 
Afghanistan, support a central U.S. role in the East Asia Summit, 
support the President's non-proliferation agenda, and encourage 
Burmese leaders to support national reconciliation.  DAS Marciel 
reaffirmed the USG's commitment to relations with Vietnam, but 
cautioned that recent convictions of political dissidents, poor 
handling of Dong Chiem and Bat Nha, and proposed price controls 
could lead to questions about Vietnam's commitment to reform and 
the rule of law.  Ba Hung did not take issue with the points, but 
encouraged the U.S. and Vietnam to discuss issues frankly.  Ba Hung 
said former President Clinton had told PM Dung in Davos during the 
WEF that he was willing to travel to Vietnam in June, and perhaps 
his visit could be part of the commemoration of the 15th 
Anniversary.  Ba Hung hinted the GVN was considering releasing 
Father Ly on humanitarian grounds to allow him to travel abroad for 
medical attention, but ruled out releasing Le Cong Dinh any time 
soon.  End summary. 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) The DCM hosted MFA DG for Americas Nguyen Ba Hung and EAP 
DAS and ASEAN Ambassador Marciel for a 90-minute working breakfast 
February 5.  MFA Americas Deputy Director Vu Viet Dung and Americas 
Desk Officer Tran Thanh Tam accompanied Ba Hung.  Political 
Counselor and Poloff completed the American side. 
 
 
 
¶3. (C) Ba Hung opened the discussion by briefing DAS Marciel on 
several GVN "multilateral initiatives consistent with U.S. policy." 
Following up on Senator Bond's inquiry, pursuant to an agreement 
last year between the Afghan and Vietnamese governments, Vietnam is 
willing to provide assistance to Afghanistan, but progress has been 
slow due to "difficulties in Kabul."  The Afghan government has 
sent the GVN a "long list of areas" where they need assistance, 
mostly in the agricultural sector, and the MFA hopes to devise a 
concrete program to assist.  Specific ideas under consideration 
include bringing Afghans to rural Vietnam to observe poverty 
alleviation programs.  Ba Hung did not say when he thought the GVN 
would respond to the Afghan laundry list, but noted the Foreign 
Ministry was trying to encourage other ministries, including 
Agriculture, to contribute.  On the East Asia Summit, Ba Hung said 
that PM Dung (while in Davos for the WEF) reportedly endorsed the 
Indonesian FM's proposal for a strong role for the U.S. and Russia. 
"The U.S. can count on Vietnam's support," and Vietnam (as ASEAN 
chair) will encourage other ASEAN members to support the 
initiative, Ba Hung said. 
 
 
 
¶4. (C) Turning to Burma, Ba Hung praised the new U.S. policy and 
offered that Vietnam is urging Burmese leaders to open Burmese 
society and support national reconciliation.  Burma "trusts" 
Vietnam and the Vietnamese ambassador ("a real China hand") in 
Rangoon has good relations with the Burmese leadership.  Ba Hung 
noted GVN concern about growing Chinese influence in Burma and said 
it was important to strive for a "good, long-term solution between 
Burma and ASEAN," cautioning against pressing too hard for 
short-term results.  DAS Marciel pushed back, noting it was 
important for Burmese leaders at a minimum to take concrete steps 
domestically and begin to play a positive role internationally. 
DAS Marciel encouraged the GVN to use its position as ASEAN chair 
and Burma's respect for Vietnam to encourage the Burmese leaders to 
do the right thing. 
 
 
 
¶5. (C) On non-proliferation, Ba Hung said PM Dung wants to attend 
the President's Nuclear Summit "even though April is an important 
month domestically" (in the run-up to the January 2011 Communist 
Party Congress) in order to highlight to the Vietnamese people the 
importance of working with the U.S. and the larger international 
community on non-proliferation issues.  Ba Hung confirmed the GVN's 
intention to sign the civilian nuclear MOU in Washington and issue 
a joint statement expressing its interest in initiating 1-2-3 
 
HANOI 00000023  002 OF 003 
 
 
negotiations.  Ba Hung reiterated PM Dung's desire for "a very 
brief official" Oval Office meeting (important to highlight to the 
Vietnamese the significance of non-proliferation issues) on the 
margins of a meeting with other ASEAN leaders.  PM Dung also would 
like to see the National Security Advisor.  DAS Marciel welcomed PM 
Dung's participation in the Summit and support for 
non-proliferation.  He offered to relay the GVN's interest in an 
Oval Office meeting, but noted the difficulty of arranging 
bilateral meetings between more than 40 heads of state and the 
President on the margins of the Summit. 
 
 
 
¶6. (C) Moving to the bilateral relationship, Ba Hung said the GVN 
was prepared "to take our cooperation to a new level."  He deferred 
discussion of specifics to an unspecified future date, but said the 
GVN wished to use 2010 - the 15th anniversary of normalization of 
relations between the U.S. and Vietnam - to jump-start the process. 
Ba Hung said former President Clinton had told PM Dung recently 
that he was willing to travel to Vietnam in June, and perhaps his 
visit could be part of the commemoration of the 15th Anniversary. 
Ba Hung said the GVN wanted to highlight the anniversary because 
relations had progressed very far in a short time.  Ba Hung 
expressed support for convening a symposium in Hanoi and said PM 
Dung would be interested in an exchange of letters with POTUS to 
commemorate the anniversary and to signal the importance of the 
relationship. 
 
 
 
¶7. (C) DAS Marciel replied the President and the Secretary were 
committed to ASEAN and the region, and the USG is interested in 
deepening relations with Vietnam, given its positioning in the 
region and potential to bring about positive change here.  However, 
the mood in Washington toward Vietnam was souring, with even 
Vietnam's traditional friends inside and outside of government 
expressing concerns about Vietnam's commitment to reform in light 
of a string of recent convictions of political activists, poor 
handling of Dong Chiem and Bat Nha incidents (refs. A-B), and 
proposed price controls.  DAS Marciel raised the mounting pressure 
in Washington to re-designate Vietnam as a Country of Particular 
Concern (CPC) on religious freedom.  Senior USG officials will 
continue to raise human rights, given their importance in the 
overall relationship and because lack hinders progress in other 
areas. 
 
 
 
¶8. (C) Ba Hung expressed appreciation for DAS Marciel's frank 
assessment.  He did not take issue with the points, but argued both 
sides have their "domestic constituencies" and encouraged the U.S. 
and VN to discuss our differences frankly.  Ba Hung said these were 
"difficult" issues for GVN leaders.  As "anti-Communist groups" in 
the U.S. criticize Vietnam on human rights and religious freedom, 
GVN leaders view this criticism through the "anti-communist" prism 
and harden their positions further.  When the Executive Director of 
Boat People SOS travels to Malaysia and "incites" Vietnamese 
workers to protest against the Malaysian and Vietnamese governments 
for alleged cruel treatment, "it makes it difficult for us," Ba 
Hung claimed.  DAS Marciel replied that the images conveyed by 
Vietnamese officials forcibly evicting nuns from Bat Nha and 
blowing up crucifixes at Dong Chiem tarnish Vietnam's image as a 
reformer and undermine Vietnam's otherwise improving record on 
religious freedom.  Ba Hung said the GVN wanted to do a better job 
of engaging the Vietnamese Diaspora abroad, especially in the U.S. 
He noted that a delegation led Chairman of the State Committee for 
Overseas Vietnamese Nguyen Thanh Son would travel to the U.S. later 
this year to meet with Vietnamese-Americans, especially 
"anti-Communist" groups. 
 
 
 
¶9. (C) Ba Hung then raised the Father Ly case.  He recalled 
Canada's offer last December to receive Father Ly and asked if 
Father Ly would leave Vietnam if released.  The DCM noted that 
Father Ly consistently has said he does not want to leave Vietnam; 
Ba Hung countered that perhaps arrangements could be made to allow 
him to leave Vietnam temporarily to seek medical treatment and then 
return to jail in Vietnam.  DAS Marciel reminded Ba Hung of the 
considerable high-level attention to Father Ly's case in the U.S., 
 
HANOI 00000023  003 OF 003 
 
 
and cautioned it would not be wise for him to die in prison in 
Vietnam.  Ba Hung agreed. 
 
 
 
¶10. (C) The DCM then asked "informally" about the possibility of 
allowing Le Cong Dinh to resettle in the U.S. on humanitarian 
grounds.  Ba Hung replied "it is too early to talk about that one," 
given the political sensitivity surrounding this "high-profile" 
individual.  Ba Hung reiterated the official GVN position - Dinh 
violated national security laws - and explained that the Ministry 
of Public Security had considerable evidence that he worked with 
others abroad, including Viet Tan, to overthrow the government.  Ba 
Hung closed by stating that this case "must be handled very 
carefully to avoid rising tensions" in Vietnam, but concluded 
saying "we will work with you on this one." 
 
 
 
¶11. (SBU) DAS Marciel and the DCM then urged the GVN to approve all 
pending position requests, arguing that inadequate Mission staffing 
made it difficult to move forward on other issues in the 
relationship.  Ba Hung referred to a staffing cap "agreed to but 
not written down" (and unknown to Post) just after the turn of the 
century, but said the GVN inter-agency was "close" to submitting a 
recommendation on removing the cap to the PM.  Ba Hung declined to 
give a timeframe for that move and demurred that some GVN officials 
and agencies still questioned the need for staff growth. 
 
 
 
¶12. (U) DAS Marciel cleared this message. 
Michalak