US embassy cable - 04HANOI710

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000710 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV and DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KIRF, PREL, PGOV, VM, ETMIN, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT: GVN UPDATES ON SITUATION FOR RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS 
 
Ref: A: 03 Hanoi 2546   B: 03 Hanoi 2897 
-    C: Hanoi 155       D: HCMC 147 
-    E. Hanoi 608 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: During recent meetings in Hanoi with 
DRL/IRF's Dr. Will Inboden, Government of Vietnam (GVN) 
officials reiterated firmly that religious freedom already 
exists in Vietnam, but also noted progress on a new 
ordinance for religion, as well as new training classes on 
religion for local officials in the Central Highlands. 
Officials confirmed that there were no releases during the 
Tet prisoner amnesties from among the cases the USG has 
highlighted.  A Catholic church leader pointed to some 
progress on the number of seminarians. Septel will report on 
discussions with Protestant representatives. End Summary. 
 
2. (U) In separate February 27 meetings with visiting 
DRL/IRF senior adviser William Inboden and poloff, Pham Binh 
Minh (Director of the International Organizations Department 
of Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Tran Dinh Phung (Member of 
the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front - 
VFF), and Ngo Yen Thi (Chairman of the Government Committee 
on Religious Affairs - CRA) all reiterated that Vietnam 
respects freedom of religion, as guaranteed in the 
Constitution.  The total number of religious believers is 
high and growing, said Minh and Phung.  The huge crowds 
celebrating Christmas show how Christianity is not oppressed 
here, assured Phung.  The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) 
also reaffirmed freedom of worship in a document from its 
8th plenum in January 2003, and religious discrimination is 
strictly prohibited, Thi noted.  However, "bad elements" 
have manipulated the issue of religion in the Central 
Highlands to advance the cause of a Dega state, warned Phung 
and Thi. 
 
3. (U) VFF's Phung reported that the VFF continued to draw 
comments from a number of religious groups on a proposed new 
ordinance on religion (ref a), as well as studying similar 
ordinances in different countries.  He assured that the 
final ordinance "will be in conformance with international 
law," and welcomed USG comments, while declining to provide 
the current version of the ordinance. 
 
4. (U) The CRA's Thi promised that the draft ordinance on 
religion would allow more freedom of action for religious 
groups, although they will still have to "consult" with the 
GVN.  He discounted charges of religious oppression leveled 
at Vietnam, saying that many of the minority Protestants 
supposedly arrested for their faith were simply "common 
criminals."  He insisted that allegations of "hundreds" of 
church closing were "exaggerated," and that most of the 
places were small chapels in flimsy buildings 
"inappropriate" for worship services.  He noted, however, 
that the CRA is conducting training classes for local 
officials in the Central Highlands focused on teaching how 
to "help believers with the normal practice of faith," and 
educating that "Protestantism is not a misleading belief." 
 
5. (U) Nguyen Hung Linh, Assistant to Deputy Minister of 
Public Security Nguyen Van Huong, noted Huong's positive 
meetings in October 2003 with Ambassador for International 
Religious Freedom Hanford (ref b) and in January 2004 with 
Senator Brownback (ref c).  Linh commented that the 
"productive results" of these meetings must not have been 
reported back to Washington, as criticisms continue. 
Concerning the list of 85 religious prisoners presented by 
Hanford (a similar version of which Senator Brownback had 
also presented), Linh said that the MPS had reviewed the 
list and concluded that individuals in 13 cases appeared not 
to exist, that 29 individuals had been already freed, and 43 
others remained incarcerated.  He confirmed that none on the 
lists had benefited from prisoner amnesties at Tet (January 
2004) but promised more specific information on the cases 
"very soon."  On the request for the GVN to issue a decree 
banning forced renunciations of faith, Linh claimed that 
such a decree was "not necessary," as the GVN had never 
ordered local authorities to force Protestants to renounce 
their faith, and as the Constitution guarantees religious 
freedom.  Regarding Vang Seo Giao, a Protestant allegedly 
beaten to death in the Northwest Highlands province of Ha 
Giang, Linh repeated GVN assertions that Giao had actually 
died after falling into a stream he was trying to cross 
while drunk.  In the case of Vang Thi My, a Northwest 
Highlands Protestant allegedly raped by officials, Linh said 
that when the MPS investigated the reports, My confirmed 
that the claims were not true.  Regarding the re-opening and 
registration of churches in the Central Highlands, Linh 
noted that the CRA's recent decree (ref d) served as the 
GVN's response.  Ling repeated Deputy Minister Huong's 
earlier promise that Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do of 
the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam would not be "put in 
detention," but asserted that they had nonetheless committed 
"crimes."  While they remained under investigation, they 
would not be permitted to move freely or receive visitors, 
he admitted. 
 
6. (SBU) In a separate meeting, Bishop Ngo Quang Kiet 
(concurrently Apostolic Administrator of Hanoi) expressed 
frustration about the continuing shortage of trained priests 
to minister to the large number of Catholic faithful in 
Vietnam.  Bishop Kiet noted that the GVN was now allowing 
larger classes of 50 to 70 students in seminaries, but 
asserted that the Church wanted 90 students per class, as 
well as the right to open new seminaries in Hanoi and Ho Chi 
Minh City.  He acknowledged that the number of priests in 
the Hanoi diocese was increasing, with 12 new priests 
ordained in 2003, up from 9 in previous years.  He admitted 
that the GVN had become less restrictive in approving 
students proposed as seminarians, and was allowing "older" 
seminarians to be ordained after a special two year course 
in Nha Trang.  (Note: These are mostly Catholics who have 
been serving as de facto priests for several years, but have 
never been recognized by the government. See ref e.  End 
Note) 
 
7. (SBU) Bishop Kiet noted that the Church had received 
letters from imprisoned priest Nguyen Van Ly, reflecting 
"positive changes" in his political positions.  He said that 
in the past Father Ly had focused on political issues, not 
just his religious calling, and this had been the root of 
his "problems."  Bishop Kiet also commented that the Church 
now had more latitude to conduct charitable activities, 
running kindergartens and some healthcare clinics.  He 
admitted that church leaders found it easier to carry out 
such activities in southern provinces than in the North. 
Looking ahead to the pending ordinance on religion, Bishop 
Kiet said that Church leaders had not "officially" provided 
comments but had unofficially discussed it several times 
with members of the National Assembly and the VFF. 
 
8. (SBU) Comment: With the exception of the CRA's directive 
on church registrations, the GVN offered a generally 
negative response to all of the deliverables that Ambassador 
Hanford had presented in October.  These meetings did not 
break any new ground on religious issues, but as they were 
the fourth set of official visits on religion in just over 
five months, expectations should be kept in perspective.  It 
is positive to hear of such a deliberate GVN effort to bring 
in a wide range of views in drafting the ordinance on 
religion, but these opinions may not make it into the final 
version. 
BURGHARDT