US embassy cable - 04HANOI1081

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001081 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, PREF, VM, ETMIN, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT:  LATEST FROM COMMITTEE ON RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS 
 
REF:  A.  STATE 82712  B.  HO CHI MINH CITY 401 
-     C.  HANOI 1007   D.  HANOI 1006 
-     E.  HANOI 770 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary.  The Committee on Religious Affairs 
(CRA) has sent its own officials to investigate recent 
unrest in the Central Highlands, which it believes stemmed 
mostly from land issues.  UNHCR was also blamed for 
encouraging Montagnards to flee into Cambodia.  "Most" 
Protestant congregations at least in Gia Lai should be 
recognized by year's end.  The ECVN should hold its long- 
awaited congress in May as planned.  The new ordinance on 
religion is being revised to include greater protection for 
traditional belief activities outside the main religions, 
but also apparently is watering down a prohibition on forced 
renunciations to a more bland proscription of 
"discrimination."   Ambassador urged greater access to all 
types of religious leaders, including within the UBCV, and 
the CRA promised to try to help to ensure the Ambassador 
could meet with Thich Huyen Quang later this month.  End 
Summary. 
 
Central Highlands 
----------------- 
 
2.  (SBU)  Ambassador, accompanied by Pol/C, met with CRA 
Chairman Ngo Yen Thi on April 14 to discuss the situation in 
the Central Highlands and other issues.  Chairman Thi noted 
that he had been to Dak Lak and Gia Lai in early April, 
working with provincial officials on Protestant church 
recognitions and a training course for Protestant preachers. 
He disagreed with Ambassador's characterization of the GVN 
response to the April 10-11 demonstrations as a "backwards 
step" but admitted that these events could either cause new 
delay in these positive steps -- or conversely could 
stimulate faster action.  He admitted that he did not yet 
have full information on what had actually occurred over 
Easter weekend, but said that he had sent CRA officials to 
investigate and report back.  He specifically said he did 
not know about any deaths, but said he believed that there 
had been some injuries, including of public security forces. 
He said that it was "certain" that there had been arrests 
for clear violations of GVN laws. 
 
3.  (SBU)  According to available information so far, 
Chairman Thi said that protests in Dak Lak and Gia Lai were 
limited to the "village" -- not town -- level, mostly 
incited by "young extremists" who joined peaceful 
demonstrators.  He noted that security forces had responded 
to "acts of violence" against public works and other 
buildings.  He stressed that grievances seemed to stem 
primarily from land issues.  He cited the GVN policy of 
trying to provide productive land for all citizens, as well 
as support for building adequate housing, an expensive and 
long-term effort made more difficult by past sales of land 
by Montagnards and attempts to move to new locations. 
Ambassador noted the influx of people from other areas to 
engage in coffee plantations had exacerbated this situation, 
but Thi insisted that the local minorities had sold their 
lands, not had them seized. 
 
4.  (U)  Thi admitted that religious life may have been a 
secondary issue for the demonstrations, but blamed what he 
called UNHCR's attempts to "organize illegal crossings" of 
Montagnards to Cambodia as a factor as well.  Ambassador 
noted in contradiction that Cambodian police, often working 
with Vietnamese authorities along the border, had been 
increasingly effective over the past year in capturing would- 
be asylum keepers and returning them to Vietnam. 
 
5.  (U)  Ambassador expressed concern about three reported 
house church closures so far in 2004 in Kontum, as well as 
destruction without compensation of two church properties in 
Gia Lai.  Thi promised to look into these and other issues. 
He predicted three new recognized Protestant congregations 
in Gia Lai soon, in addition to four existing congregations, 
as well as recognition of nine pastors and four preachers. 
He pledged that "most" congregations would be recognized by 
the end of the year.  (Note:  An April 14 "Nhan Dan" article 
reported on a newly recognized congregation in Gia Lai as of 
4/13, in addition to "eleven" existing recognized 
congregations.  The MFA spokesman on April 14 also used 
these numbers of registered congregations in Gia Lai.  End 
note) 
 
ECVN 
---- 
 
6.  (U)  Thi predicted that the long-awaited 32nd General 
meeting of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam-North would 
likely take place as hoped in May.  The CRA was still 
waiting for a response from Haiphong about the remaining 
issue of the congregation there, which was only a 
"procedural" matter that the GVN had "urged" the locals to 
settle. 
 
Ordinance 
--------- 
 
7.  (U)  Thi acknowledged the importance of moving forward 
on passage of the ordinance on religion by the National 
Assembly Standing Committee, which had examined it at its 
last session.  He did not specifically characterize the 
NASC's comments (in lieu of passage) but noted needs to 
"amplify" the Ordinance's coverage of "belief" activities 
(i.e., local saints and spirits, village celebrations, etc.) 
as well as activities by the recognized religions.   He said 
the goal was to ensure adequate coverage for all practices 
and places of worship, as long as they do not disturb public 
order or property and were properly registered.  He said 
that the Ordinance would definitely ban all sorts of 
"discrimination" but that earlier language on forced 
renunciations would be "broadened."  He said that he had 
raised this issue with officials in the Central Highlands, 
who had a "low awareness" and who now more fully understood 
GVN policy of respect for religion and non-discrimination. 
 
Access to religious figures 
--------------------------- 
 
8.  (U)  Ambassador cited at least six episodes in which 
missionoffs had been barred from meeting religious figures 
who were not under any formal detention, most recently in 
Hue when trying to meet the UBCV's Thich Tien Hanh.  Thi 
said that some the Thich's "activities" had made local 
authorities not want missionoffs to meet him, specifically 
his links to Thich Quang Do. 
 
9.  (U)  Ambassador noted that he hoped to meet with Thich 
Huyen Quang during an April 27-28 visit to Quy Nhon, and 
asked for Chairman Thi's assistance in ensuring there were 
no problems.  Thi noted that he had met again with Thich 
Huyen Quang in early April, and had had a "cordial, 
comfortable" talk.  He predicted Ambassador would find Thich 
Huyen Quang "interesting" and promised to try to use his 
"influence."   Ambassador also expressed a wish to meet with 
Thich Quang Do in HCMC in the near future. 
BURGHARDT