US embassy cable - 04HOCHIMINHCITY1077

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 001077 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP (HUHTALA); EAP/PD (SKIPPER, GRADISHER, WELTON, 
FURGAL); EAP/BCLTV (GAGNON, ADAMS, DUNLAP) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, PREL, SENV, OPRC, VM 
SUBJECT: GVN LAUNCHES MASSIVE AGENT ORANGE MEDIA CAMPAIGN, BUT FEW 
ARE LISTENING 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary:  The Government of Vietnam has launched a 
vigorous media campaign to whip up support for the Agent Orange 
lawsuit in a New York Federal Court, but our contacts and (wo)man 
on the street in Ho Chi Minh City remain largely unmoved, tending 
to be more preoccupied with quality of life issues such as 
education, trade relations and technology.  Mass organizations are 
"fronting" the campaign, but the GVN is not only the primary force 
behind the media barrage but has also issued specific instructions 
to media institutions to mask government involvement, according to 
PAS media sources.  End summary. 
 
2. (U) On August 4, media in southern Vietnam began a media 
campaign to highlight the Agent Orange case pending against U.S. 
corporations in federal court in Brooklyn, New York.  Each day 
there are articles highlighting victims, announcing mass 
organization rallies, and publishing interviews with both 
Vietnamese and Americans who are speaking out against the use of 
Agent Orange during the war.  Additionally, the newly minted Agent 
Orange Day of August 10 attracted significant media coverage, with 
heavy focus on Agent Orange events and programs in HCMC.  For 
example, the Labor Federation and the War Remnants Museum in HCMC 
held a ceremony to raise funds for Agent Orange victims and to 
collect signatures to support the lawsuit. That same day the 
Vietnamese Alliance of Friendship Organizations announced a 
campaign to collect 2 million signatures to support Vietnamese 
Agent Orange Victims. 
 
3.  (SBU) A correspondent for a leading paper in HCMC informed us 
that the GVN issued an order to editors to mobilize this campaign, 
but at the same time not to make it appear that the GVN was behind 
it.  This explains the apparent active involvement of "mass 
organizations" in what is clearly a command performance, at least 
in HCMC. 
 
4.  (SBU) A quick survey of contacts indicates that bread and 
butter issues continue to drive not only the city's leadership but 
also the average person on the street.   For example, an editor of 
a major HCMC daily told us that the city remains focused on the 
future and that readers are actually far more concerned about 
issues such as traffic safety, education, visas to the U.S. for 
study and business, and bilateral trade issues.  Similarly, 
business contacts have told us that the best way to bring about 
healing between the two countries is through vigorous trade which 
will do more for the relationship than any amount of aid or 
apologies. 
 
5.  (SBU) Perhaps indicative of the government-ordered nature of 
the media campaign, we have not received a single request for 
further information about Agent Orange from either media or other 
contacts.  In addition, despite the government's push to enlist on- 
line supporters of an Agent Orange petition, to date the effort 
has netted only 10 percent of the stated 2 million-signature goal. 
 
6.  (SBU) Comment:  Based on the above assessment, we will keep 
our Agent Orange guidance close at hand for if-asked use, but we 
will focus our public diplomacy efforts on issues that resonate 
such as helping to improve education, encouraging study in the 
U.S., explaining U.S. trade policy, highlighting our humanitarian 
assistance programs, and promoting the development of civil 
society.  End comment. 
 
 
 
WINNICK