US embassy cable - 04HOCHIMINHCITY505

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HO CHI MINH CITY 000505 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR PRM AND EAP/BCLTV 
 
BANGKOK FOR REFCOORD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, PHUM, VM 
SUBJECT: PRM DAS KELLY RYAN VISIT TO VIETNAM: HUMANITARIAN 
RESETTLEMENT 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please handle accordingly. 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary.  PRM Deputy Assistant Secretary Kelly Ryan 
held technical talks in Hanoi with a delegation of GVN officials 
to discuss the Humanitarian Resettlement (HR) program, a USG 
proposal to accept applications for persons meeting certain 
category eligibility under the orderly departure program.  The 
talks resulted in a signed Minutes of Meeting in which both sides 
agreed to the general principles which will guide the 
implementation of this program, including both public outreach and 
the identification and processing of qualified applicants.  The 
USG delegation agreed to prepare three documents:  a proposed 
draft of the initial program announcement; a detailed description 
of the overall public outreach strategy to publicize the program; 
and a paper on areas of cooperation between the two governments 
for the actual processing of applicants.  DAS Ryan also visited Ho 
Chi Minh City.  She met with RRS staff and the Office of External 
Relations (ERO).  She also met with Sister Pascale Le Thi Triu, a 
long-time advocate on behalf of Vietnamese in the Philippines, to 
inform her of the impending USG announcement of a resettlement 
program for this group.  End summary. 
 
2.  (SBU)  A delegation led by PRM DAS Kelly Ryan, along with 
DHS/CIS Chief of the Refugee and Asylum Law Division Molly Groom 
and Charge d'Affaires Robert Porter, met March 29-30 with a GVN 
delegation headed by MFA Director General of the Consular Division 
Mr. Bui Dinh Dinh.  The purpose of the talks was to reach 
agreement on the technical aspects of implementing the proposed re- 
opening of certain Orderly Departure Program (ODP) categories for 
a limited period for those persons who through no fault of their 
own had failed to apply prior to previous application deadlines. 
DAS Ryan's visit was a follow-up to the visit of PRM Assistant 
Secretary Gene Dewey in August 2003, during which the GVN agreed 
 
SIPDIS 
in principle to the re-opening 
 
HUMANITARIAN RESETTLEMENT TALKS 
 
3.  (SBU)  In advance of this visit, GVN officials had stressed 
they wanted any such re-opening to be cast as a humanitarian 
rather than a "refugee" resettlement program.  They also expressed 
concern that any such program would be disruptive to Vietnamese 
society, would raise false hopes and expectations, and generally 
went against perceptions that any persons still eligible for the 
former ODP programs were now well integrated into Vietnamese 
society.  These remained key themes throughout the talks, which 
were generally cordial in tone.  After questioning whether the 
program was really necessary, Dinh indicated the GVN could accept 
the general outline of the proposed program, including an initial 
public outreach campaign, followed by the application and 
processing of all persons found to be eligible applicants.   The 
GVN stressed that the nature of the program should be humanitarian 
in nature and advertised as such.  They stated there were many 
specific questions and concerns to be addressed.  While the GVN 
was willing to permit a broad public outreach campaign, they 
emphasized this could be very disruptive to Vietnamese society and 
would falsely raise hopes and expectations of gaining admission to 
the program among a large number of ineligible people. 
 
4.  (SBU)  PRM DAS Ryan thanked Mr. Dinh for the GVN's willingness 
to cooperate in this effort.  She acknowledged GVN concerns about 
how the program would be implemented and indicated a desire to 
minimize any potentially negative effect the program may have on 
Vietnamese society.  She explained the details of the Humanitarian 
Resettlement program proposal.  She emphasized that the USG goal 
is to provide a finite, time-limited opportunity for those people 
who would qualify for certain of the original ODP categories, but 
had not had an opportunity to apply previously.  She stated that 
this would not be a new program and remains focused on persons 
with pre-1975 ties to the U.S. 
 
5. (SBU)  During a free exchange of ideas, both sides agreed in 
principle to design a simple, streamlined process based on 
fairness and transparency.    The GVN emphasized they now have a 
policy of permitting open, lawful migration and that all citizens 
are now generally entitled to a passport if they have not 
disobeyed the law.  The USG explained its basic proposal of a six- 
month public outreach campaign followed by a two-year application 
period.  Both sides agreed on the importance of conducting this 
information campaign in a manner that stresses its humanitarian 
nature and seeks to minimize false expectations, potential 
exploitation and fraud.  The USG also emphasized the need for the 
US to be able to control the screening and eligibility and stated 
that we would seek assistance from the GVN on particular cases. 
(Note: we would do so in cases in which the GVN would have the 
sole or most accurate information.) 
6.  (SBU)  The second day focused on wording in the draft Minutes 
and revealed the intensity of GVN concerns that the introduction 
of this program and the public outreach campaign will have a 
disruptive effect on Vietnamese society, as well as lead to 
criticism (unwarranted in their view) of current GVN policies. 
They cited negative scenarios based on past experience with USG 
refugee programs in Vietnam, claiming that many potential 
applicants will resign their jobs, leave school, sell property, 
etc. on the expectation of resettlement, and that at the end of 
all this disruption, the USG will approve a relatively small 
percentage of applicants.  They also indicated a high level of 
sensitivity, voicing concern the program will be used as 
propaganda against the GVN by those outside the country who still 
oppose them. 
 
7.  (SBU)  To deal with some of these sensitivities, the GVN did 
not accept the term "Humanitarian Resettlement Program (HRP)" 
because the word "program" implied too large a scope.  It was 
agreed to call it "Humanitarian Resettlement (HR)."  The GVN also 
expressed concern that six months was too long for the public 
outreach program, but finally agreed on "up to six months."  The 
most contentious language dealt with how to address GVN concerns 
the program would be used by unfriendly groups outside of Vietnam 
to criticize current policies.  In the end, they accepted:  "Both 
sides agree that HR processing is not related in any way to 
current conditions in Vietnam, and does not suggest that persons 
applying for HR are experiencing any difficulties with their 
government."  The GVN then asked the U.S. side to prepare three 
documents:  a draft of the initial HR announcement; a description 
of the ways and means to implement the public information 
outreach; and a paper outlining mechanisms for implementing the 
program, including areas of cooperation between the two 
governments. 
 
RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE FROM THE PHILIPPINES 
 
8.  (SBU)  During the negotiations for opening the Humanitarian 
Resettlement process, DAS Ryan also informed the GVN of plans for 
opening a resettlement program in the Philippines for Vietnamese 
"long-stayers" there.  She pointed to this program as a further 
example of the USG efforts to settle some of the long-standing 
refugee issues that still exist in Southeast Asia.  Mr. Dinh said 
this effort was welcomed by the GVN, adding that any program that 
helped to resolve the plight of such individuals was useful to our 
mutual interest in settling the past issues that lay between our 
two countries. 
 
9.  (SBU)  While in Ho Chi Minh City on April 1, DAS Ryan also met 
with Sister Pascale Le Thi Triu, a Vietnamese nun who has been 
very active in assisting the Philippines "long-stayers", and who 
has advocated permanent residency for many of them in the 
Philippines.  There was some concern that because of this past 
advocacy, Sister Pascale might not welcome the resettlement 
program.  But in the course of their conversation, she indicated 
to DAS Ryan a belief that any such effort to help provide the 
Vietnamese "long-stayers" with a durable solution, whether in the 
Philippines or in the U.S., was to be welcomed, and she thanked 
DAS Ryan for her efforts in helping to resolve this very long- 
standing and difficult issue. 
 
COMMENT 
 
10.  (SBU)  The Mission believes that DAS Ryan's visit to Vietnam 
was productive.  The GVN has consistently indicated it is willing 
to work with the USG on permitting the re-opening of a limited 
program based on former ODP refugee categories.  At the same time, 
they have stressed that circumstances in Vietnam are now very 
different than they were even a decade ago, and that the concept 
of resettling "refugees" from Vietnam is outdated.  They are also 
very concerned about how the program will be perceived.  As a 
result of these sensitivities, we would expect a tough negotiation 
over the details of implementation.  However, we believe we should 
take advantage of the agreement DAS Ryan reached with the GVN in 
principle and move forward quickly to provide the requested 
information and press for another round of technical talks.  We 
hope that GVN concerns can be overcome and that the next round 
will result in a final agreement on the structure of HR and, if 
possible, permission to proceed with the initial phases of the 
public outreach information campaign.  End comment. 
 
11.  (U)  PRM DAS Kelly Ryan has cleared this cable. 
 
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