US embassy cable - 04HOCHIMINHCITY1129

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 001129 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL/IRF, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, SOCI, PREL, PGOV, KIRF, VM, RELFREE, HUMANR 
SUBJECT: VIETNAMESE PASTOR TRAN MAI RELEASED FROM DETENTION 
 
REF:  a) HCMC 1123; b) HCMC 789 
 
1. (SBU) We spoke with Pastor Tran Mai, at home and in good health 
on September 7, and confirmed his release on September 6 after 
eight days detention.  The pastor said he was unclear as to why he 
was detained at the Cambodia/Vietnam border on August 29 (ref a). 
He stated that, as on previous occasions, he traveled to the U.S. 
through Cambodia and then sought to return to Vietnam via the same 
route.  He did note, however, that this time he sought to enter 
Vietnam using a local border gate and not at the usual 
international border crossing (from where he presumably departed 
Vietnam).  The police told him that it was illegal for him to 
enter Vietnam through a non-international border gate. 
 
2. (SBU) According to the pastor, once in custody, the police did 
not focus on his immigration violation, but on his religious 
activities.  The police pressed the pastor on his "frequent" 
overseas travel, which organizations were sponsoring him and 
whether he had links to groups or individuals in Cambodia -- he 
said he had none.  The police also quizzed Pastor Mai on his links 
with detained Mennonite pastor/human rights activist Nguyen Hong 
Quang as well as religious activities on the margins of the South 
East Asia sporting games "SEA Games 22", which Vietnam hosted in 
December 2003.  (Note:  during the SEA games, local authorities 
detained 15 Christian missionaries for distributing unauthorized 
leaflets with religious content to spectators in HCMC.  Pastor 
Tran Mai was detained for 24 hours during the police investigation 
of the incident.  Pastor Quang was arrested on June 8 at his home 
in HCMC and remains in pre-trial detention.  For more details on 
Pastor Quang's arrest see ref b.  End Note.) 
 
3. (SBU) The pastor said that during his detention the police 
treated him respectfully, although he was upset to be kept in the 
same facility with common criminal suspects.  He said that the 
police kept all his personal belongings including his passport, 
cell phone and Vietnamese ID card.  In a separate conversation on 
September 7, the pastor's wife told us that police officials had 
instructed the pastor to check in with police officials in HCMC on 
a daily basis. 
 
WINNICK