US embassy cable - 04HANOI1676

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 001676 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, VM, UN, ECOSOC, ETMIN, CTERR 
SUBJECT:  GVN REQUESTS USG SUPPORT FOR ACTION 
AGAINST TWO NGOS AT UPCOMING UN ECOSOC 
 
1.  (U)  SUMMARY.  The GVN is seeking USG support to deny 
consultative status to two NGOs at the upcoming ECOSOC 
session in New York.  The GVN considers the Free Vietnam 
Alliance and the Transnational Radical Party to be terrorist 
organizations with the aim of either forcibly overthrowing 
the GVN or establishing a separatist state in the Central 
Highlands.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U)  On June 10, Assistant Foreign Minister Nguyen Duc 
Hung presented a diplomatic note (text in para 5) to Charge 
requesting USG support for the recommendation of the 
Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations to the UN 
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) not to endorse the 
application for consultative status of the Free Vietnam 
Alliance (FVA) and to suspend for three years the 
consultative status of the Transnational Radical Party 
(TRP).  The ECOSOC session will begin June 28. 
 
3.  (U)  In addition to the note, AFM Hung provided an aide 
memoire (text in para 6) and 16 4x6 glossy photos to support 
claims that the FVA and the TRP are actively working to 
destabilize the GVN.  The photos and the printed material 
will be forwarded to EAP/BCLTV by pouch. 
 
4.  (U)  Charge emphasized that the USG does not support any 
organization that would seek to overthrow the GVN by force, 
engage in, or advocate the use of violence against a 
government with which the USG had diplomatic relations.  He 
also reminded Hung of the Ambassador's recent statement that 
the USG would not support a "State of Degar." 
 
5. (U)  Begin text (MFA's "unofficial translation"): 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of 
Viet Nam presents its compliments to the Embassy of the 
Untied States of America in Hanoi and has the honor to 
inform the latter as follows: 
 
(1) On May 17 and 21, 2004 the Committee on Non-governmental 
Organizations of the United Nations Economic and Social 
Council (ECOSOC) decided to recommend to the ECOSOC not to 
endorse the application of the Free Vietnam Alliance (FVA) 
for a consultative (sic) with the ECOSOC and to suspend for 
three years the consultative status of the Transnational 
Radical Party (TRP) for its abuse of the status to provide 
wrongful accreditation to some organizations to act against 
some member States of the United Nations, including Viet 
Nam.  The committee's decision will be taken into 
consideration by the ECOSOC at its substantive session from 
June 28 to July 23 2004 in New York. 
 
(2) The TRP has provided accreditation to Kok Ksor, 
President of the Montagnard Foundation Inc. (MFI), a 
terrorist organization, to make slanderous statements 
against Vietnam in the United Nations forums including the 
Human Rights Commission.  Kok Ksor, a self-proclaimed "major 
general" of the FULRO (Le Front Unifie pour la Liberation 
des Races Opprimees), an armed terrorist organization, and 
the MFI incited and organized terrorist activities in an 
attempt to separate the Central Highlands from the 
Vietnamese territory to establish a so-called "Independent 
State of Degar."  Detailed facts of such terrorist and 
separatist activities by Kok Ksor and the MFI could be found 
in the enclosed Aide-memoire and other documents. 
 
The TRP's abuse of its consultative status by providing 
wrongful accreditation to Kok Ksor and the MFI, a terrorist 
organization, is contrary to the spirit, goals and 
principles of the UN Charter, and constitutes a violation of 
the international laws and the ECOSOC resolution 1996/31. 
Viet Nam is of the viewpoint that the ECOSOC should approve 
the recommendation by the NGOs Committee to suspend the 
consultative status of the TRP for the maximum time period 
of three years provided for under the Committee's 
procedures. 
 
(3) The "Free Vietnam Alliance", an affiliation of the so- 
called "National Unified Front for Vietnam Liberation," was 
set up by a handful of Vietnamese exiles in 1990.  Some 
groups of armed terrorists sent by this organization 
infiltrated into the Vietnamese territory to create a 
network, build up local forces and incite riots to overthrow 
the legitimate government of the Vietnamese people.  In late 
1992, they gathered a force of around 100 men in Cambodia 
and claimed that they could mobilize up to 20,000 members to 
launch operations against Viet Nam from the Cambodian 
territory.  However, their plots were doomed to failure. 
 
To conceal its political aims and acts of terrorism, the FVA 
is working under the cloak of democracy and human rights for 
Vietnam.  For its political motives and to incite riots, the 
organization represents none of the overseas Vietnamese 
community, but some elements hostile to the Government of 
the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.  Vietnam requests that 
ECOSOC will not endorse the application of this organization 
for the consultative status with ECOSOC. 
 
(4) For the above mentioned reasons and on the basis of the 
existing good relations between Viet Nam and the United 
States of America, Viet Nam kindly requests that the United 
States of America, as a member of the ECOSOC as its June 
28th - July 23rd 2004 session in New York, will be in favor 
of the NGO Committee's decisions at its annual session in 
May, 2004, to suspend the consultative status of the 
Transnational Radical Party for three years and not to 
endorse the application of the Free Vietnam Alliance for a 
consultative status with the ECOSOC.  In the spirit of the 
international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, 
Viet Nam hopes that the Government of the United States of 
America will not compromise such terrorist activities by Kok 
Ksor and the "Montagnard Foundation Inc." 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam avails itself of 
this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United 
States of America the assurances of it highest 
consideration. 
 
Hanoi, June 8, 2004 
End text 
 
6.  (U)  Text of the MFA "Aide-Memoir" 
 
On the Position of the Government of Socialist Republic of 
Viet Nam concerning the Transnational Radical Party (TPR)'s 
accreditation to the Montagnard Foundation Inc. (MFI) and 
Kok Ksor and the Free Viet Nam Alliance (FVA)'s application 
for ECOSOC's Consultative Status 
 
(I) On the Transnational Radical Party (TRP)'s accreditation 
to MFI and Kok Ksor: 
 
(1) Facts about MFI and Kok Ksor: 
 
- The Montagnard Foundation Inc. (MFI) was established in 
1992 in North Carolina, USA by Kok Ksor and some other 
remnants of FULRO- Front Unifie pour la Liberation des Races 
Opprimees or United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed 
Races - who are now residing in the U.S.  FULRO was an armed 
organization created by foreign forces during the war 
against the Vietnamese people in the 1960's and 1970's. 
After the war ended in 1975, and during the 1980's, FULRO 
carried out armed terrorist activities causing heavy 
civilian casualties in Viet Nam; 
 
- Kok Ksor himself used to be a soldier in the puppet army 
of the former South Vietnamese regime, joined the separatist 
FULRO in 1969, fled to Cambodia and then self-claimed "Major- 
General" of Fulro.  In 1974, he was sent to the United 
States by the founder and leader of FULRO, "General" Y-bham 
Enoul, and has since remained in the U.S.; 
 
- Kok Ksor has been soliciting for the so-called 
"Independent State of Degar."  By the end of 1999, he 
formally announced the establishment of the so-called "an 
Independent State of Degar" among the exiles in North 
Carolina, USA and claimed himself as "President of the 
State," appointed former "Major General" Y Bhi Kbour, former 
"Chief of Staff" of the FULRO "Prime Minister's Office", as 
"Prime Minister", and appointed 5 other former FULRO members 
as "Ministers" of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Justice, 
Economic and Health Care and six others as "Provincial 
Chiefs".  Kok Ksor drafted the "Guiding Principles and 
Instructions for the establishment of the Independent State 
of Degar", sent them back to Viet Nam for his accomplices to 
implement, in which he wrote: "To clearly state to the 
Communist regime that: the Guidelines of FULRO Degar have 
been and will be consistent, that is to carry out the 
struggle to demand for the independence and sovereignty of 
the "Government" and "Independent State of Degar" and "When 
it is necessary to use armed forces, we will be supported by 
other countries; to carry out both methods (political and 
armed forces) we will surely win"; 
 
- Kok Ksor and the MFI incited and prepared for the violent 
riots in the Central Highland in February 2001 and other 
violent riots in Viet Nam.  He worked out plans, guidelines 
and sent back to Viet Nam for his accomplices to carry out. 
In April 2004, during the Easter holidays, from his office 
in South Carolina (sic), Kok Ksor and his Montagnard 
Foundation worked out the draft plan for demonstrations in 
the Central Highland.  He instigated and instructed his 
followers, the extremist elements in the Dak Lak and Gia Lai 
provinces in the Central Highland of Viet Nam, to induce, 
deceive and force local people to carry out violent 
demonstrations.  The day before the demonstrations took 
place where banners demanding to establish a "Degar State" 
were displayed, on Friday, April 8, 2004, from his office in 
South Carolina, Kok Ksor and the MFI sent out the above 
mentioned Draft Plan to many international media 
organizations including those of Vietnamese overseas, 
informing them that there would be demonstrations in Viet 
Nam, that they had mobilized hundreds of thousands of 
Vietnamese to take part, that the demonstration would take 
several days, claimed themselves as the organizers, and 
called for international support and attention.  Under the 
instructions from Kok Ksor and the MFI, the extremist 
elements in Dak Lak and Gia Lai used dangerous weapons to 
beat on-duty officers, causing serious injuries, destroyed 
public works and property in some communes. 
(2) The Position of the Government of Viet Nam: 
 
- The MFI with Kok Ksor as its so-called "President" is a 
terrorist group, whose characters are no different from 
those notorious terrorist groups operating in Asia, Europe, 
and America. . . that the international community is 
condemning and fighting against.  MFI and Kok Ksor are now 
obviously carrying out activities of incitement and 
preparation for further violent riots in the Central 
Highland and other localities in Viet Nam threatening the 
security of Viet Nam and the safety of it people.  The 
establishment of the so-called "Independent State of Degar" 
in exile with Kok Ksor as its "President" and the 
preparation for its formation inside Viet Nam are clearly 
acts of subversion that threatens the sovereignty and 
territorial integrity of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, 
a member State of the United Nations.  Kok Ksor's and the 
MFI's aims and activities are contrary to the spirit, 
purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations 
and violate international law; 
 
- Therefore, the TRP's accreditation to MFI and Kok Ksor 
means accreditation to a terrorist group that has been 
engaging in subversive and politically motivated activities 
against the State of Viet Nam, which constitutes an abuse of 
its consultative status with ECOSOC and a violation of 
ECOSOC's Resolution 31/1996.  The Government of Viet Nam, in 
the spirit of dialogue and cooperation, at the last three 
consecutive sessions of the NGO Committee, has agreed upon 
giving the TRP the opportunities to understand the matter by 
asking them through the Committee to prepare special reports 
to explain their acts.  While the question is still under 
consideration of the Committee and its continued 
accreditation to the MFI and Kok Ksor only demonstrate that 
the TRP's abuse and violation are deliberate and in 
disrespect of this Committee on NGO's. 
 
- In the legitimate security interest of Viet Nam, a member 
State of the United Nations, in the interest of the United 
Nations and of the Committee on NGO's, Viet Nam requested 
that the TRP's consultative status with ECOSOC be suspended 
until it cancels its accreditation to the terrorist MFI and 
Kok Ksor.  And at its May 21, 2004 session, the Non- 
governmental Committee of the ECOSOC endorsed Viet Nam's 
recommendation to suspend the TRP's consultative status with 
the ECOSOC for three years.  We do hope that all the member 
States of the ECOSOC will approve the recommendation by the 
NGO Committee at the coming substantive session of the 
ECOSOC from June 28 - July 23, 2004 at the UN Headquarters 
in New York. 
 
(II) On the application of Free Viet Nam Alliance (FVA) for 
ECOSOC's Consultative Status 
 
(1) Facts on the FVA: 
 
- FVA is an affiliation to the so-called "National Unified 
front for Viet Nam Liberation' established abroad in 1982. 
Members of this organization were those working for the 
former regime of South of Viet Nam who after 1975 went into 
exile.  The name "National Unified Front for Viet Nam 
Liberation" itself manifests its subversive and sabotage 
nature.  During the 1980's, this organization carried out 
terrorist activities not only in Viet Nam, but also against 
overseas Vietnamese in the form of blackmail and 
assassination.  Some groups of armed terrorists sent by this 
organization infiltrated into Viet Nam with an aim to create 
their network, build up armed forces and incite riots to 
overthrow the legitimate Government of Viet Nam.  By the end 
of 1992, they gathered a force of around 100 armed thugs in 
Cambodia and boasted they could rally up to 20,000 members 
to stage acts of sabotage against Viet Nam from the 
Cambodian territory.  Most of them were either killed or 
captured and put on trials.  The self-claimed "President" of 
this organization Hoang Co Min together with his group was 
intercepted and he was killed while staging such an 
infiltration.  Many of this organization's illegal 
activities have been under investigation by the FBI in the 
U.S.  In 1992, it was in the FBI's list of supporters and 
planners of criminal activities, among them drug trafficking 
from Asia to America. 
 
- This organization has several affiliations in countries 
like the U.S.A., France, Australia and others under 
different names such as "National Movement for Resistance 
Support" or "Party of New Viet Nam".  TO conceal it acts of 
sabotage and subversion, FVA is now camouflaging itself 
under the cloak of democracy and human rights.  It 
frequently provides false and fabricated information in an 
attempt to smear Viet Nam, thus undermining the unity and 
solidarity among the Vietnamese people.  Neither, this 
organization represents any of the overseas Vietnamese than 
some elements hostile towards the new State of Viet Nam 
simply for the fact that 30 years after the war ended in 
Viet Nam, they have not been able to reconcile. 
 
(2) The Position of the Government of Viet Nam: 
 
- Acts of sabotage and incitements to overthrow the 
legitimate Government of a member state of the United 
Nations are criminal and illegal.  Those acts by the FVA 
constitute obstructions to the cause of economic, cultural 
and social development in Viet Nam, an aim the United 
Nations and the ECOSOC are striving for.  Its aims go 
against the very spirit, purposes and principles of the 
charter of the United Nations and of ECOSOC Resolution 
1996/31.  FVA must not be accorded consultative status with 
the ECOSOC.  As a result, at the request of Viet Nam, the 
Committee on NGOs considered and decided to reject the 
application of the FVA for a consultative status with the 
ECOSOC.  Viet Nam believes that all the members of the 
ECOSOC will be in favor of that decision at its substantive 
session in July, 2004 in New York. 
 
Hanoi, 8 June 2004 
 
End text. 
PORTER