US embassy cable - 01HOCHIMINHCITY183

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000183 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/JMARTIN 
STATE ALSO FOR PRM 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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STATE ALSO FOR DRL 
HANOI ALSO FOR USAID/RASMUSSEN 
CINCPAC FOR FPA 
SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN 
DEPTTREAS FOR AJEWELL 
NSC FOR GENE CHRISTY 
USDOC FOR 4431/MAC/AP/OKSA/HPPHO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, VM 
SUBJECT: PROVINCIAL ADVENTURES 
 
 
1. (U): POLOFF RECENTLY TRAVELED TO LONG AN PROVINCE JUST 
SOUTH OF HO CHI MINH CITY ON THE LAST LEG OF A TRIP 
THROUGH THE MEKONG DELTA.  HE CHECKED INTO A NEW PRIVATELY 
OWNED HOTEL RATHER THAN THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED GUESTHOUSE. 
AFTER DINNER WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PROVINCIAL 
PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE (WHICH POLOFF PAID FOR), HE RETURNED TO 
THE HOTEL TO RETIRE FOR THE NIGHT.  WITH PROFUSE 
APOLOGIES, THE HOTEL PROPRIETOR INFORMED HIM THAT HE COULD 
NOT STAY AT THE HOTEL.  THE LOCAL POLICE HAD TOLD HER THAT 
AS POLOFF WAS THE GUEST OF THE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE, HE HAD 
TO STAY AT THE GOVERNMENT GUESTHOUSE UNLESS HE HAD 
SPECIFIC PERMISSION FROM THE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE TO STAY 
ELSEWHERE.  THIS, ACCORDING TO THE POLICE, WAS FOR THE 
PROTECTION OF THE DIPLOMAT. 
 
3. (U) POLOFF REFUSED TO CALL THE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE TO 
ASK PERMISSION TO STAY AT A PRIVATE HOTEL AND REMOVED HIS 
LUGGAGE FROM THE ROOM HE HAD ALREADY CHECKED INTO.  BUT HE 
ALSO REFUSED TO CHECK INTO THE GOVERNMENT GUESTHOUSE. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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ALTHOUGH IT WAS ALREADY AFTER 10:00 P.M., HE CONSIDERED 
GOING ON TO HO CHI MINH CITY (ABOUT AN HOUR'S DRIVE AWAY). 
IN THE END, HOWEVER, HE FOUND A SMALL PRIVATELY OWNED 
GUESTHOUSE IN BEN LUC VILLAGE STILL IN LONG AN PROVINCE 
WHERE HE SPENT THE NIGHT.  THE GUESTHOUSE WAS SINGULARLY 
LACKING IN AMENITIES, BUT IT WAS WORTH STAYING THERE JUST 
TO PROVE A POINT. 
 
4. (U) NEXT MORNING, POLOFF WENT TO SEE A SCHOOL BUILDING 
NEARBY THAT HAD BEEN BUILT BY THE U.S. ARMY 46TH 
ENGINEERING BATTALION IN 1968.  WHILE POLOFF WAS TAKING 
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE BUILDING, A LONG AN POLICEMAN ARRIVED 
AND INFORMED HIM THAT TAKING PICTURES OF "SENSITIVE 
INSTALLATIONS" WAS PROHIBITED.  POLOFF RETORTED THAT THIS 
WAS THE FIRST TIME HE HAD HEARD AN OLD SCHOOLHOUSE 
REFERRED TO AS A SENSITIVE INSTALLATION, BUT SINCE HE HAD 
ALREADY TAKEN ALL THE PHOTOS HE NEEDED HE PUT THE CAMERA 
AWAY.  ON THE WAY TO THE MAIN ROAD, HOWEVER, POLOFF 
STOPPED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ANOTHER, NEWER SCHOOL AND 
SNAPPED A FEW MORE PICTURES, AGAIN JUST TO PROVE A POINT. 
BECAUSE OF THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW IN LONG AN IT WILL BE A 
LONG TIME BEFORE THE PROVINCE SEES ANOTHER CONGEN VISITOR. 
 
AND AN UNSCHEDULED MEETING IN VINH LONG PROVINCE 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
5. (U) POLOFF HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT 
OFFICIALS IN VINH LONG PROVINCE DURING HIS VISIT TO THE 
MEKONG DELTA.  WHILE IN THE PROVINCE, POLOFF NOTICED IN A 
TOURIST BOOK THAT THE MAIN PAGODA OF VIETNAM'S MENDICANT 
BUDDHIST SECT (THE MONKS WHO GO AROUND BEGGING FOR ALMS) 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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WAS LOCATED IN VINH LONG TOWN.  WHEN POLOFF MENTIONED TO 
HIS PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE HOSTS THAT HE WOULD LIKE 
TO STOP BY THE PAGODA DURING A BREAK IN THE SCHEDULE, THEY 
SAID THE HEAD MONK WAS BUSY AND WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MEET. 
WHEN POLOFF SUGGESTED HE JUST WANTED TO GO AS A TOURIST, 
HIS HOSTS PROTESTED, "BUT THIS WAS NOT ON YOUR PROPOSED 
ITINERARY."  NEXT DAY, AFTER THE OFFICIAL MEETINGS HAD 
CONCLUDED, POLOFF WENT TO THE PAGODA ANYWAY.  THE HEAD 
MONK THERE WAS ONLY TOO HAPPY TO MEET WITH HIM. 
 
RAY 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED