US embassy cable - 04HOCHIMINHCITY824

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000824 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL/IRF, PRM, CA/VO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, CVIS, PREF, SCUL, SOCI, PREL, PGOV, KIRF, VM, RELFREE, HUMANR 
SUBJECT: FORMER UBCV MONK TO PURSUE IMMIGRANT VISA AFTER 
RESETTLING IN SWEDEN 
 
Ref: HCMC 0336 
 
1. (SBU) Mr. Pham Van Tuong, formerly known as Thich Tri Luc while 
still a monk with the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, 
has confirmed that he is now scheduled to depart Vietnam on June 
22 under UNHCR auspices for resettlement in Sweden.  He will 
travel with his wife and child.  Mr. Tuong said he plans to follow 
up with AmEmbassy Stockholm on an existing SR1 immigrant visa 
petition after establishing residence in Sweden.  Post requests 
that AmEmbassy Bangkok and AmEmbassy Stockholm enter Mr. Tuong 
into the Lookout System to facilitate further processing at an 
appropriate time. 
 
2. (SBU) On June 3, 2004, Mr. Tuong mailed the ConGen (without 
explanation) a copy of an I-797 Notice of Approval containing the 
following information: 
RECEIPT NUMBER:     EAC-02-274-53468 
RECEIPT DATE:  AUGUST 30, 2002 
PRIORITY DATE: AUGUST 29, 2002 
NOTICE DATE:   APRIL 1, 2003 
CASE TYPE:          I360; PETITION FOR AMERASIAN, WIDOWER OR 
SPECIAL IMMIGRANT 
PETITIONER:         ANANDA BUDDHIST INST 
               C/O ABOTT THICH VAN DAM 
               3418 ANNANDALE ROAD 
               FALLS CHURCH, VA  22042 
NOTICE TYPE:   APPROVAL NOTICE 
SECTION:       SPECIAL IMMIGRANT - RELIGIOUS WORKER, Sec. 
101(a)(27)(C)(ii) 
 
3. (SBU) According to our Consular Section records, USCIS approved 
his petition in April 2003.  AmEmbassy Bangkok has confirmed that 
the petition is already in their files.  The case number is 
PHP2003599003.  Mr. Tuong understands that he will need to contact 
AmEmbassy Stockholm to have the case transferred there for 
processing.  He also understands that there is no guarantee that 
he will qualify for that visa status until he applies. 
 
4. (SBU) In a meeting at the ConGen on June 18, Mr. Tuong said the 
GVN had issued him a passport three days earlier, despite his 
inability to obtain the required residency documents since his 
release from prison on March 26, 2004.  He credited UNHCR in Hanoi 
for keeping steady pressure on the GVN, and thanked the Embassy 
and ConGen for their concern.  Mr. Tuong said he had been 
questioned frequently by the police since his release, but did not 
describe any other harassment.  At the suggestion of UNHCR and the 
police, he had drafted and signed a "commitment letter" promising 
to refrain from any activities that might disrupt or disturb the 
GVN once he has left Vietnam.  He told ConGenoffs that he planned 
to remain involved in the cause of human rights and religious 
freedom, regardless of what he wrote in the letter. 
 
5. (SBU) The International Organization for Migration (IOM), which 
is making arrangements on behalf of UNHCR, has advised Mr. Tuong 
to meet with a representative from the Consulate General of Sweden 
at a local police station on June 22.  They have also assured him 
that an IOM representative will meet him upon his arrival in 
Sweden, although he did not seem to have any idea where he would 
be living or what he would be doing there.  He was uncertain 
whether someone from UNHCR or IOM would accompany him and his 
family to the airport for their flight.  ConGenoffs advised Mr. 
Tuong not to pack any documents or items that might be of a 
sensitive nature.  His itinerary is as follows: 
-- 22Jun  LH773          SGN-FRA   2030 0520 
-- 23Jun  LH3000    FRA-ARN   0715 0915 
-- 23Jun  SK6736    ARN-JKG   1210 1310 
 
6. (SBU) Pham Van Tuong was a long-time UBCV monk who fled to 
Cambodia in 2002 and was granted refugee status by UNHCR, before 
reportedly being kidnapped by Vietnamese agents and brought back 
to HCMC (reftel).  He was later held in prison in HCMC for over a 
year, and then sentenced to time served plus a few months.  The 
GVN denied knowing where he was until just before his trial. 
After his release, the GVN agreed to cooperate with UNHCR on 
processing his refugee claim.  ConGen has maintained regular 
contact with him ever since.  He received refugee admissions 
documents from Swedish authorities back in May, and his wife and 
child were issued passports at roughly the same time. 
 
7. (SBU) Mr. Tuong said he had been aware that a monk in the U.S. 
was "sponsoring" him while he was in Phnom Penh pursuing his 
refugee case in 2002, but had never seen the notice of approval 
until just recently.  He had not discussed the matter with the 
GVN, for fear it would cause delays in obtaining his passport and 
refugee documents for Sweden.  He had, however, been in contact 
with the UBCV's Paris-based International Buddhist Information 
Bureau via email. 
YAMAUCHI