US embassy cable - 01HANOI598

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000598 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL, PRM, INR 
 
NSC FOR EAST ASIAN DIRECTORATE 
SECDEF FOR ISA/EAP STERN 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 03/14/10 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HANOI  00598  01 OF 02  150056Z 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KIRF, SOCI, VM, ETMIN, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT: DIFFERENT VIEW OF HIGHLAND EVENTS 
 
 
1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY DENNIS G. HARTER, CHARGE 
D'AFFAIRES, REASONS: 1.5 B AND D. 
 
2. (C) SWEDISH DCM TOLD CHARGE SHE BELIEVED THE 
REPORTS OF UNREST IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HAVE BEEN 
HIGHLY EXAGGERATED AND BELIEVES FIRST DEMONSTRATIONS 
OCCURRED IN LATE JANUARY WELL BEFORE PUBLICITY OF 
FEBRUARY EVENTS HIT THE U.S. AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL 
REPORTING.  SHE CLAIMS THE TWO RELIGIOUS WORKERS WHO 
WERE DETAINED IN LATE JANUARY WERE DETAINED BECAUSE OF 
DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE AREA BUT ALSO ASSERTS THE 
DEMONSTRATIONS HAD LITTLE OR NO RELIGIOUS CONNECTIONS. 
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT APPARENTLY RELEASED THESE 
INDIVIDUALS RATHER QUICKLY AFTER DECIDING THEIR 
INITIAL ARREST WAS UNWARRANTED.  DCM DAHLIN SAID THERE 
ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THE PROBLEMS IN THE 
HIGHLANDS AND THE MOST SERIOUS IS THE ISSUE OF LAND 
USAGE. 
 
3. (C) ACCORDING TO DCM DAHLIN, HANOI AUTHORITIES 
DECIDED IN JANUARY TO OPT FOR THE LARGE-SCALE 
DAM/ELECTRICITY PROJECT IN SON LA RATHER THAN THE 
SMALLER VERSION WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED LESS 
DISLOCATION OF THE LOCAL POPULATION.  THIS DECISION 
MEANT THAT 150,000 PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO BE RELOCATED 
OUT OF THE SON LA REGION AND THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WAS 
DESIGNATED TO RECEIVE THESE INDIVIDUALS/FAMILIES.  IN 
ADDITION TO LOCAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  00598  01 OF 02  150056Z 
PLANTATION AGRICULTURE, RELOCATION OF POOR VIETNAMESE 
INTO THE HIGHLANDS AND THEIR CONSEQUENT OCCUPATION OF 
TRADITIONAL TRIBAL LANDS, THIS NEW INFLUX OF PEOPLE 
APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A MAJOR CAUSE OF LOCAL CONCERN. 
 
4. (C) DAHLIN EXPLAINED THAT THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND 
THE LOCAL MILITIA/POLICE FORCES REPRESENT THE LOWEST 
LEVEL OF QUALITY IN THE VIETNAMESE BUREAUCRATIC AND 
SECURITY HIERARCHY.  ANYBODY WHO HAS ANY SKILLS OR ANY 
CONNECTIONS GETS OUT OF THIS AREA, IF THEY ARE EVER 
EVEN ASSIGNED THERE.  THIS HAS MEANT A STEADY RUN OF 
UNRESPONSIVE LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO CONTINUE TO LINE 
THEIR OWN POCKETS THROUGH EXPLOITATION OF THE DEMAND 
FOR ACCESS TO LOCAL LANDS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES. 
 
5. (C) PUBLIC RESENTMENT ON RELIGIOUS GROUNDS HAS ALSO 
OCCURRED FROM TIME TO TIME BECAUSE LOCAL OFFICIALS 
HAVE ACTED TO DISRUPT HOUSE CHURCH ACTIVITIES AND TO 
TEAR DOWN "ILLEGAL" STRUCTURES.  BUT, DAHLIN SAID, 
THERE APPEARS TO BE NO REAL EVIDENCE THIS WAS INVOLVED 
IN THE RECENT EVENTS OF FEBRUARY.  SHE NOTES THERE WAS 
NO RPT NO INDICATION OF DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE HIGHLAND 
PROVINCE OF LAM DONG, THE ONE PROVINCE IN THE REGION 
WHERE THE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES HAVE ALREADY DECIDED 
THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF PERMITTING ADDITIONAL 
RESETTLEMENT BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME POVERTY OF THE 
AREA.  SHE BELIEVES, AS DO HER SOURCES, THAT THE LAND 
ISSUE HAS BEEN AND REMAINS THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM IN 
THE REGION. 
 
6. (C) BASED ON DISCUSSIONS WITH FOREIGNERS AND 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HANOI  00598  01 OF 02  150056Z 
VIETNAMESE FRIENDS WHO WERE IN THE AREA DURING THE 
DEMONSTRATIONS, DAHLIN ALSO SAID THE NUMBERS OF 
DEMONSTRATORS REPORTED IN PRESS STORIES ARE WIDELY 
EXAGGERATED.  SHE SAID THE LARGEST DEMONSTRATION WAS 
PROBABLY NO MORE THAN A THOUSAND PEOPLE, STILL A 
CONSIDERABLE NUMBER FOR SUCH AN EVENT, GATHERED FROM A 
NUMBER OF DIFFERENT VILLAGES IN BOTH GIA LAI AND DAK 
LAK.  BUT THIS NUMBER IS WELL UNDER THE 10 TO 20,000 
WHICH SOME SOURCES HAVE CLAIMED WERE ASSEMBLED. 
THERE WAS ROCK-THROWING, CLASHES WITH THE POLICE, AND 
CERTAINLY FLAGS AND BANNERS ADVOCATING THE FOUNDATION 
OF THE "DEGA KINGDOM" AS OUTSIDERS CLAIMED AND THE 
VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT HAS ACKNOWLEDGED. 
 
7. (C) DAHLIN RECOUNTED ATTENDING AN EARLY-FEBRUARY 
FUNCTION AT WHICH A NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE MILITARY WERE 
PRESENT AND SHE HEARD THEM LAUGHING AND SAW THEM 
STANDING UP TO TOAST THE "NEW STATE OF DEGA."  ASKED 
WHAT WAS GOING ON THEY RECOUNTED THE HIGHLAND 
DEMONSTRATIONS AND BANNERS WITH MUCH LAUGHTER AND 
CLEARLY HAD NO CONCERNS THAT THIS REPRESENTED ANY KIND 
OF "THREAT" TO THE AUTHORITIES OR TO STABILITY IN THE 
REGION. DAHLIN SAID THE DISPATCH OF MILITARY PERSONNEL 
IN FEBRUARY TO THE AREA REPRESENTED CLEAR INDICATION 
THE JANUARY EVENTS HAD NOT BEEN REPORTED IN TIME TO 
THE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES.  IF IT HAD BEEN REPORTED BY 
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, DAHLIN BELIEVED THE 
VIETNAMESE WOULD HAVE FIRST SENT SENIOR PARTY AND 
GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL TO THE AREA TO TRY TO DEFUSE THE 
SITUATION.  THAT THEY DID SEND THE MILITARY WAS 
PROBABLY STILL AN EFFORT BY THE HANOI LEADERS TO 
DEFUSE THIS ISSUE, SINCE THEY TOO RECOGNIZED THE USE 
OF LOCAL POLICE OR MILITIA FORCES WOULD ONLY HAVE 
INFLAMED CONFRONTATIONS WITH THE LOCAL POPULATION. 
 
8. (C) DAHLIN ACKNOWLEDGED THERE WAS VIOLENCE IN THE 
EARLY FEBRUARY DEMONSTRATIONS AND ATTRIBUTES PART OF 
THIS TO THE FACT THERE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN NO 
RESPONSE TO POPULAR PROTEST TOWARD THE END OF JANUARY. 
ACCORDING TO DAHLIN, WHEN THE FIRST PROTESTS OCCURRED 
VINACAFE AND OTHER PLANTATION OWNERS SENT SOME OF 
THEIR "SECURITY GUARDS" TO BREAK UP THE 
DEMONSTRATIONS.  SHE IMPLIED THEY HAD BEEN RESPONSIBLE 
FOR MUCH OF THE EARLY VIOLENCE AND IT WAS IN PART IN 
PROTEST TO THIS ACTIVITY THAT THE SECOND GATHERINGS 
OCCURRED.  HIGHLANDER ATTACKS AGAINST THE POLICE ALSO 
INDICATED LONG-TERM UNHAPPINESS WITH THE WAY IN WHICH 
THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAVE ADMINISTERED 
GOVERNMENT/SECURITY ISSUES IN THE AREA. AND, SHE SAID, 
THE GATHERING OF THE POPULACE AND THEIR FEELING OF 
"POWER" IN THEIR NUMBERS PROBABLY ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO 
THE CONFRONTATIONS. 
 
9. (C) ASKED ABOUT THE LIKELIHOOD OF EXTERNAL 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  00598  02 OF 02  140930Z 
AGITATION OR INVOLVEMENT IN THE EVENTS, DAHLIN 
RESPONDED SHE HEARD OF NO SUCH CONNECTIONS.  SHE 
BELIEVES THE INFORMATION ON THE LOCAL COMPLAINTS AND 
PLANS FOR COORDINATED DEMONSTRATIONS WAS SPREAD BY 
WORD OF MOUTH AND THROUGH THE OMNIPRESENT CELL PHONES 
WHICH ARE WIDELY SEEN AROUND THE MAJOR CITIES EVEN IN 
THE HIGHLANDS. FOREIGN OBSERVERS IN THE REGION -- 
FINLAND AND DENMARK HAD AID WORKERS THERE -- WERE 
ENCOURAGED BY THEIR COUNTERPARTS TO TAKE HOLIDAYS IN 
THE COASTAL AREAS BECAUSE THERE WAS A GENUINE DESIRE 
TO ENSURE THEY WERE NOT HURT IN THE MIDST OF ANY 
CONFRONTATIONS BETWEEN THE LOCAL POPULATION AND THE 
MILITARY.  DEMONSTRATING THE INEPTITUDE OF LOCAL 
AUTHORITIES, DAHLIN SAID AN INDONESIAN COFFEE 
DELEGATION TRAVELING BY VAN IN DAK LAK WAS APPREHENDED 
BY MILITIA FORCES AND WAS EXCLUDED FROM FURTHER TRAVEL 
IN THE AREA BECAUSE "THEIR TRIBE DID NOT HAVE 
SETTLEMENTS IN THAT PART OF DAK LAK." 
 
10. (C) CHARGE ASKED DAHLIN WHO IF ANYONE HAD GONE 
BACK IN AND WHETHER SHE -- BECAUSE OF SWEDEN'S SPECIAL 
RELATIONSHIP WITH VIETNAM -- MIGHT TRY TO BE AMONG THE 
FIRST TO RETURN TO THE AREA TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON. 
DAHLIN, WHO HAD JUST RETURNED FROM SWEDEN ON MONDAY, 
SAID SHE INDEED PLANNED TO TALK WITH HER AMBASSADOR 
ABOUT DOING THAT, PERHAPS AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK.  HER 
INITIAL THOUGHT IS TO PURSUE ACCESS AS PART OF A 
POSSIBLE VISIT TO A SWEDISH BUSINESS OPERATION IN THE 
AREA BUT SAID SHE MIGHT ALSO TRY TO GO THERE DIRECTLY 
FOR A "TOURIST" VISIT.  SHE SAID SHE DID NOT BELIEVE 
THE VIETNAMESE WILL STONEWALL THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS FOR 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HANOI  00598  02 OF 02  140930Z 
MUCH LONGER NOW THAT THE PRESS TRIP IS UNDERWAY.  BUT, 
SHE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HARD FOR THE VIETNAMESE TO 
PERMIT A VERY WIDE ACCESS FOR DIPLOMATS TO ANY OF THE 
REALLY TROUBLED AREAS. 
 
11. (C) COMMENT: DAHLIN'S LONG-TERM WORK IN VIETNAM 
AND HER EXCELLENT SOURCES IN THE COUNTRY MAKES HER 
VIEWS A HIGHLY VALUABLE CONTRAST TO THE SELF- 
INTERESTED AND INFLAMMATORY COMMENTARIES WHICH HAVE 
DOMINATED THE PUBLIC MEDIA.  THERE IS STILL MUCH TO BE 
LEARNED ABOUT THE UNDERLYING CAUSES AND THE NATURE OF 
THE EVENTS WHICH OCCURRED IN JANUARY-FEBRUARY BUT THIS 
PERSPECTIVE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY BEFORE THE 
USG COMMITS ITSELF TOO BROADLY TO ACCEPTING THE 
ASSERTIONS OF OVERSEAS-BASED, INTEREST GROUPS. 
HARTER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL