US embassy cable - 04HANOI916

UNCLAS HANOI 000916 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, SOCI, PREL, PGOV, KIRF, VM, RELFREE, HUMANR 
SUBJECT: HUE POLICE RUN INTERFERENCE IN MEETINGS WITH 
RELIGIOUS LEADERS 
 
Ref: HCMC 76 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: A political reporting trip to Hue by 
Embassy poloff and congenoff was marred by police 
obstruction of attempted meetings with non-recognized 
religious figures.  These unfortunately successful attempts 
at blocking access are more damaging to GVN credibility on 
religious freedom issues than anything the activists likely 
would have said. End Summary 
 
2.  (U) During a joint Embassy-ConGen trip to Hue March 29- 
31 to assess the political environment and situation for 
religious believers in Hue (septels), poloff and congenoff 
attempted impromptu encounters with the Venerable Thich Tien 
Hanh of the technically illegal Unified Buddhist Church of 
Vietnam (whom a congenoff had visited in January - reftel) 
and Father Nguyen Huu Giai, a Catholic priest who has 
criticized the GVN and previously been affiliated with 
imprisoned cleric Father Nguyen Van Ly.  Neither Thich Tien 
Hanh nor Father Giai is under any type of official 
detention. 
 
3.  (U) On March 29, when asked to drive to Thich Tien 
Hanh's pagoda, the rental car driver became visibly nervous, 
drove a long route out of town, feigned an engine breakdown, 
and then got out to make some phone calls.  After much 
delay, he restarted the car and drove to an intersection 
near the pagoda in central Hue.  There the road was blocked 
by what seemed clearly to be a carefully staged "traffic 
accident" -- an otherwise undamaged motorcycle lying on the 
road next to an otherwise undamaged car, with no sign of 
injured drivers or passengers.  Several police on the scene 
insisted that the missionoffs leave the area immediately, 
and would not allow them to proceed around the "accident" on 
foot.  A number of what appeared to be plainclothes police 
were also on the scene, including one who photographed the 
encounter.  Missionoffs then called Thich Tien Hanh, who 
reported that police had also blocked the entrance to his 
pagoda. 
 
4.  (U) On March 30, missionoffs told the hired driver to go 
to a location close to the church of Father Giai, about 14km 
from Hue.  The driver drove slowly through Hue, turning his 
hazard lights on at several occasions.  After the vehicle 
was a short distance away from the town, traffic police 
drove up, pulled the car over, and - after a long, slow 
check - declared that the driver lacked "foreigner 
insurance."  (Note: according to our GSO Motorpool staff, 
there is no such thing.  End note)  Only after an hour's 
delay did police allow the car and missionoffs to return to 
Hue, while insisting that the driver would have to return to 
the station immediately after dropping missionoffs at their 
hotel. 
 
5. (SBU)  Hue police also called a friend of the Embassy 
political assistant/trip translator in for questioning, 
after he met the Embassy FSN for dinner on March 29.  He was 
not, however, detained or fined. 
 
6.  (SBU)  Comment: The police actions in Hue, while almost 
comic in their efforts to be creative and not overtly heavy- 
handed, underscore the suspicion with which diplomats 
(especially U.S. political officers) are often seen, as well 
as the continuing sensitivity to non-orthodox religious 
figures who have been known to be critical of GVN policies. 
Our experience is that this tends to be notably more true 
outside Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.  Thich Tien Hanh's and 
Father Giai's criticisms are well known, and the visits 
would not likely have elicited any surprise new material. 
These successful attempts to restrict our access are instead 
more damaging to GVN credibility on religious freedom issues 
than any information the two probably would have provided. 
Next time, however, we will take an Embassy car and driver. 
PORTER