US embassy cable - 04HOCHIMINHCITY147

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000147 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PREL, SOCI, VM, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT: GVN DECREE ON NORMALIZATION OF PROTESTANTISM IN THE 
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 
 
REF:  HCMC 0084 
 
1.  (SBU) A December decree from the GVN National Committee on 
Religious Affairs, provided to ConGen by the Dak Lak province 
Representative Board of the Southern Evangelical Church of Vietnam 
(SECV), promised new steps to "normalize" the operation of 
Protestant churches in the Central Highlands. 
 
2.  (SBU) COMMENT: The decree has caused considerable excitement 
among some Central Highlands Protestant leaders, who have started 
developing their own plans to implement the steps of the decree 
(reftel).  This decree may also account for some of the reports of 
better treatment of the Protestants in the Central Highlands and 
the lack of reported incidents of serious oppression over 
Christmas 2003. 
 
3.  (SBU) Complete translation of the decree follows: 
 
QUOTE 
Government Committee on Religious Affairs 
No.: 782/TGCP-TL 
Re.: Operation of Protestantism in the Central Highlands and Binh 
Phuoc province 
 
Hanoi, 4 December, 2004 
 
To:  The Executive Board of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam 
(South) 
 
With the Government's approval, the Government Committee on 
Religious Affairs hereby announces the continuation of the 
normalization of operation of the SECV in the Central Highlands 
and Binh Phuoc province as follows: 
 
     1.   Those groups which have held a general congress and been 
recognized by the authorities as official local churches should 
proceed to apply for a construction permit for worshiping places 
(churches or house churches) in accordance with the law. 
 
     2.   Those groups which have stable religious practices and 
have no involvement in the Dega reactionary organization, while 
waiting to meet all required conditions to hold a general congress 
to be recognized as an official local church of SECV, should 
proceed to register with the local authorities in terms of 
content, location, practice timetable in order to be allowed to 
practice religion normally and responsible before the law. 
 
     3.   To prepare conditions for the opening of Bible courses 
(in the form of part-time/in-service training) in order to have 
pastors-in-charge for house churches after the authorities 
recognize them. 
 
     4.   Other activities such as reinstatement, ordination, 
appointment of pastors, by-pastors, missionaries, spiritual 
renewals . should be carried out normally in accordance with the 
law. 
 
It is requested that the Executive Board of the SECV report to the 
provincial People's Committees and instruct Representative Boards 
and house churches to implement these directives. 
 
Signed by Chief of the Government Committees on Religious Affairs 
Ngo Yen Thi 
 
CC: - The People's Committees of the Central Highlands provinces 
and Binh Phuoc 
    - Leaders of the Government's Organization Board 
 
END QUOTE 
YAMAUCHI