US embassy cable - 00HANOI1318

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001318 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR E, EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  06/15/10 
TAGS: PREL, VM, US 
SUBJECT:  MFA OFFICIAL ON STRAINS IN U.S.-SRV RELATIONS 
 
 
1.  (U) CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES DENNIS HARTER. 
 REASONS:  1.5 (B) (D). 
 
2.  (C) BEGIN SUMMARY:  MFA AMERICAS DEPT HEAD NGUYEN 
MANH HUNG RECENTLY LAMENTED TO THE AMBASSADOR STRAINS 
THAT HAVE ENTERED U.S.-VIETNAM RELATIONS. SPECIFICALLY, 
THE GVN HAS TAKEN EXCEPTION TO SEVERAL NON-BINDING 
CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTIONS WHICH ARE CRITICAL OF THE 
SRV.  HE URGED THE AMBASSADOR TO "USE HIS INFLUENCE" TO 
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STEM SUCH ACTIONS.  AMB. PETERSON REPLIED HE COULD TALK 
TO LEGISLATORS BUT NEITHER HE NOR THE PRESIDENT COULD 
TELL WHAT THE CONGRESS SHOULD DO OR NOT DO.  BOTH 
AGREED THAT THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF THE WAR 
HAS RAISED EMOTIONS ON BOTH SIDES.  HUNG CONVEYED AGAIN 
MFA COMPLAINTS OVER THE ACTIVITIES OF THE U.S. MISSION 
AND SOME PERSONNEL.  THE AMBASSADOR REBUFFED SUCH 
COMPLAINTS AS NEITHER JUSTIFIED NOR WARRANTED AND 
STRESSED THE NEED FOR TRUST.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3.  (C) IN A MAY 25 MEETING ON OTHER ISSUES, MFA 
AMERICAS DEPT DIRECTOR NGUYEN MANH HUNG LAMENTED TO 
AMBASSADOR PETERSON TENSIONS THAT HAD RECENTLY CREPT 
INTO THE U.S.-VIETNAM RELATIONSHIP.  HUNG COMPLAINED 
ABOUT SEVERAL NON-BINDING RESOLUTIONS UNDER 
CONSIDERATION IN CONGRESS WHICH ARE CRITICAL OF THE 
SRV.  HE SAID HOUSE RESOLUTION 295 PARTICULARLY IS 
"VERY HOSTILE" TOWARD HANOI (NOTE:  295 IS A SENSE OF 
THE CONGRESS RESOLUTION THAT ATTACKS THE MONOPOLY ON 
POWER OF THE CPV.  END NOTE.)  HOUSE RESOLUTION 322 
(WHICH PRAISES THE SACRIFICES OF SOUTH VIETNAM'S ARMED 
FORCES) IS ANOTHER ONE WHICH THE GVN FINDS OFFENSIVE, 
HUNG SAID.  HE URGED AMBASSADOR PETERSON TO "USE HIS 
INFLUENCE" TO PREVENT SUCH CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS. 
 
4.  (C) WHILE NOTING THAT NEITHER HE NOR THE PRESIDENT 
HAS POWERS OVER THE U.S. CONGRESS, AMBASSADOR PETERSON 
SAID HE WOULD HAVE OPPORTUNTIES TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER 
WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN CONNECTION WITH HIS JUNE 15 
TESTIMONY ON JACKSON-VANIK. 
 
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5.  (C) HUNG SAID THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF 
THE WAR HAS RAISED EMOTIONS ON BOTH SIDES.  WHILE 
ADMINISTRATION FIGURES SUCH AS THE AMBASSADOR ASSURE 
HANOI THAT THE USG HAS NO INTENTIONS TO DESTABILIZE THE 
GVN, AT THE SAME TIME CONGRESS TAKES ACTIONS WHICH 
INDICATE OTHERWISE.  SOME IN THE GVN, E.G., THE 
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, TAKE THESE ACTIONS AS EFFORTS TO 
UNDERMINE VIETNAM'S POLITICAL SYSTEM.  AMB. PETERSON 
ASSURED HUNG THAT THIS WAS DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE.  WE 
WANT A VIETNAM THAT IS STABLE AND PROSPEROUS AND A 
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP THAT GROWS, HE SAID.  HE 
STRESSED THE NEED FOR THE MFA TO EDUCATE VIETNAMESE 
OFFICIALS ON THE U.S. SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, 
SPECIFICALLY, THE ROLE OF CONGRESS.  THE 25TH 
ANNIVERSARY INDEED HAS RAISED EMOTIONS, HE SAID.  THERE 
HAVE BEEN STATEMENTS ABOUT THE U.S. FROM VIETNAMESE 
OFFICIALS THAT HAVE ALSO BEEN INFLAMMATORY.  IT IS 
IMPORTANT FOR LEADERS ON BOTH SIDES NOT TO GET TOO 
UPSET OVER SOME OF THE RHETORIC BEING CHURNED OUT BY 
SOME PLAYERS.  AMB. PETERSON SAID RECENT STRAINS HAVE 
CAUSED HIM TO WORRY ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF U.S.-VIETNAM 
RELATIONS.  HUNG AGREED, ADDING THAT STRAINS COULD 
CONTRIBUTE TO A "VICIOUS CYCLE DOWNWARD."  AMB. 
PETERSON RECOMMENDED THAT, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, BOTH 
SIDES AIR THEIR GRIEVANCES PRIVATELY. 
 
6.  (C) HUNG AGAIN BROUGHT UP GVN COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 
ACTIVITIES OF SOME U.S. MISSION STAFF.  THIS TIME, IT 
WAS OVER THE CONTACTS CG HCMC'S POLOFF HAS HAD CONTACT 
RECENTLY WITH HOA HAO DISSIDENTS.  THE MFA'S BRANCH 
OFFICE IN HCMC (SNV - FOREIGN OFFICE) HAD SENT A NOTE 
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TO THE MFA ON THIS.  AMB. PETERSON SAID THAT THE MFA 
COULD RESPOND TO ITS COUNTERPART OFFICE AS THEY 
PLEASED.  HE WANTED TO REITERATE TO THE MFA THAT U.S. 
MISSION ACTIVITIES ARE TRANSPARENT AND FOR A GOOD 
PURPOSE.  IN THE CASE IN QUESTION, THE POLOFF WAS 
COLLECTING INFORMATION THAT WOULD ASSIST US IN OUR 
HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE WITH THE GVN AND FOR RESPONDING 
TO CONGRESSIONAL QUERIES.  WITHOUT FIRST-HAND 
INFORMATION, THE USG IS SUBJECT TO OFTEN ERRONEOUS OR 
INCOMPLETE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THIRD PARTIES.  TOO 
OFTEN SUCH INFORMATION IS EXAGGERATED OR PLAIN WRONG. 
WE SHOULD NOT BE RESTRICTED TO WHOM WE MAY SPEAK.  "YOU 
CANNOT EXPECT US NOT TO TALK TO PEOPLE," THE AMBASSADOR 
ADDED. 
 
7.  (C) HUNG NEXT TOOK ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE 
EMBASSY'S PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION.  HE URGED OUR EMBASSY 
TO "ADHERE TO THE RULES LAID DOWN BY THE MIN. OF 
CULTURE AND INFORMATION (WHEREBY EMBASSIES ARE REQUIRED 
TO OBTAIN PRIOR CLEARANCE BEFORE SENDING MAIL TO ANY 
VIETNAMESE).  AMBASSADOR PETERSON REPLIED THAT SUCH A 
MEASURE IS TOO ONEROUS AND IS UNNECESSARY.  "YOU CANNOT 
EXPECT US NOT TO SEND MATERIALS TO THOSE WHO REQUEST 
IT," HE SAID.  ANY MINISTRY OR ORGANIZATION WHICH DOES 
NOT WANT TO RECEIVE MAILINGS FROM THE U.S. EMBASSY 
SHOULD SO INFORM US (NOTE:  AS HAS THE MFA.  END NOTE.) 
BUT SUCH DEMANDS REFLECT A LACK OF TRUST IN THE 
EMBASSY.  SUCH A SENTIMENT IS "VERY DANGEROUS," THE 
AMBASSADOR SAID.  THE U.S. EMBASSY HAS WORKED 
ASSIDUOUSLY TO BUILD TRUST.  IT IS THE CORE OF A SOUND 
RELATIONSHIP. 
 
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8.  (C) COMMENT:  UNLIKE HIS ANTEDILUVIAN COLLEAGUES IN 
THE MFA'S PROTOCOL DEPT, HUNG DELIVERED A HARD MESSAGE 
WITH A SOFT TOUCH.  NONETHELESS, THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR: 
HANOI SEES A USG (ALBIET ONLY FROM RECENT CONGRESSIONAL 
ACTIONS) THAT HAS RECENTLY SHOWN ITSELF HOSTILE TOWARD 
THE SRV.  AS A RESULT, THE MORE PARANOID WITHIN THE SRV 
APPARATUS VIEW THE U.S. EMBASSY AS THE CATSPAW OF SUCH 
HOSTILITY.  DESPITE OUR REPEATED EFFORTS TO EDUCATE THE 
VIETNAMESE ON THE DIVISION OF POWERS WITHIN THE USG, 
THEY EITHER DO NOT GET IT OR CHOOSE NOT TO BELIEVE US. 
THIS FUNDAMENTAL LACK OF APPRECIATION BY THE VIETNAMESE 
OF THE AUTONOMOUS ROLE OF THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF 
GOVERNMENT IN DEMOCRACIES IS ALSO A COMPLAINT SHARED BY 
OTHER WESTERN EMBASSIES HERE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THEIR 
OWN COMPLAINTS FROM THE MFA OVER ACTIONS BY THEIR 
RESPECTIVE LEGISLATURES ON A RANGE OF ISSUES BEARING ON 
VIETNAM. 
HARTER 
 
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