US embassy cable - 04HANOI2595

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 002595 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
PACOM FOR JPAC AND FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, PINR, VM, RELFREE, HUMANR 
SUBJECT:  Ambassador's September 16 Meeting with Assistant 
Foreign Minister Nguyen Duc Hung 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary:  The Ambassador met for the first time 
September 16 with Assistant Foreign Minister (and Americas 
Department Director General) Nguyen Duc Hung.  Following a 
brief discussion of VFM Phung's upcoming U.S. visit and 
Vietnam's efforts to reach out to members of Congress, the 
issue of religious freedom and the designation of Vietnam as 
a "Country of Particular Concern" loomed large.  Hung 
described Vietnamese public opinion as "not happy" and said 
the Foreign Ministry would soon issue a statement.  The 
United States had ignored the positive developments in 
Vietnam over the past several years in the area of religious 
freedom and in the lives of ethnic minorities, Hung 
stressed, and Vietnam's new religion law would guarantee 
freedom of religion and prevent forced renunciations.  In 
addition, there were several instances of "fabrications" in 
the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Report.  Vietnam 
hoped to find an "appropriate" way to resolve this, and 
urged the United States not to use "coercion," "sanctions," 
or "an embargo."  Hung said that discussion of PM Khai's 
proposed visit to the United States and other aspects of a 
bilateral "way forward" should most appropriately be 
discussed after the U.S. election.  On the subject of 
bilateral HIV/AIDS prevention cooperation, Hung said the MFA 
would actively participate in an interagency committee to be 
headed by the Ministry of Health.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) The Ambassador, accompanied by DCM and Pol/C, met 
over lunch September 16 with Assistant Foreign Minister (and 
Americas Department Director General) Nguyen Duc Hung and 
Americas Department Deputy Director General Nguyen Ba Hung. 
This was the Ambassador's first meeting with AFM Hung.  Hung 
opened by outlining the itinerary of Senior Vice Foreign 
Minister Phung's upcoming trip to Washington, D.C., and New 
York City, noting that VFM Phung would meet with Deputy 
Secretary Armitage on September 21 and IRF Ambassador 
 
SIPDIS 
Hanford on September 22.  VFM Phung, who was in charge of 
"strategic research" and "relations with major powers," 
would also meet with a number of Senators on September 23, 
including Senators Lugar, Biden, Hagel, and possibly McCain. 
VFM Phung and delegation would then travel to New York City 
for participation in the UNGA.  Normally, FM Nien would have 
attended, but responsibilities for the Asia-Europe Meeting 
(ASEM) would not allow this, Hung said.  The GVN was 
particularly interested in UN Security Council reform, and 
agreed with the majority of nations that the UNSC's 
Permanent Members should reflect a balance of both developed 
and developing countries. 
 
3. (SBU) Hung agreed with the Ambassador that Vietnamese 
delegations should also try to meet those in Congress who 
were "not happy" with Vietnam and added that, two years 
before, GVN representatives had tried to meet with 
Congressman Chris Smith, but that he had declined the 
request.  Hung was grateful for the Ambassador's offer to 
try to help facilitate such meetings in the future and said 
that, in spite of differences with Congressman Smith and 
others regarding human rights and religious freedom, there 
were areas -- such as counternarcotics and preventing 
trafficking in persons -- in which there was no daylight 
between the United States and Vietnam.  Senator Brownback 
and Congressmen Smith and Rohrabacher had strong 
convictions, Hung said, but there were those in Vietnam who 
also had strong convictions, and the bilateral relationship 
would benefit from both sides meeting, arguing, debating, 
and even disagreeing, as long as it was done in an 
atmosphere of mutual respect. 
 
4. (SBU) Turning to the designation of Vietnam as a "Country 
of Particular Concern," Hung said that Vietnamese public 
opinion was "not happy" and the Foreign Ministry would soon 
issue a statement.  This was "regrettable," and Vietnam 
could not agree with the designation.  Vietnam had done much 
over the past two years in the areas of human rights and 
religious freedom, particularly after the United States had 
expressed concern about these issues.  Vietnam understood 
the concerns of the U.S. Executive Branch, Congress, and the 
American people, particularly the Vietnamese-American 
community.  The GVN had a policy of equal treatment for all 
religions without discrimination, and this was particularly 
true for those ethnic minority adherents living in the 
Central Highlands.  Compared to ten or twenty years ago, 
there had been many social, political, and economic changes 
in Vietnam.  No society was perfect -- even the United 
States had to work to improve its own society -- and Vietnam 
was trying hard to raise the standard of living for all 
Vietnamese, including religious adherents and members of 
ethnic minority groups, Hung said. 
 
5. (SBU) The United States had "ignored" the positive 
developments in Vietnamese society, Hung continued, and 
Vietnam was not happy.  Hung recognized that people were 
displeased with the behavior of a "handful" of local 
authorities.  Over the past two years, Vietnam had tried to 
follow the "mainstream" in the bilateral relationship and 
work for long-term stability.  Many new elements in the 
relationship had emerged over the past two years, benefiting 
both countries.  Human rights and religious freedom were 
sensitive and unavoidable issues between the United States 
and Vietnam.  Both sides had to have an "appropriate" way to 
resolve this issue without "coercion."  Hung urged the USG 
not to "go back to the history of sanctions and embargo" 
and, instead, work for the benefit of the two peoples. 
 
6. (SBU) In response, the Ambassador stressed that the issue 
of religious freedom was an important one to many Americans. 
The United States sought the adherence of all nations to 
international standards of human rights and religious 
freedom.  There had been improvements in Vietnam, but there 
were still those, some of whom lived in the Central 
Highlands, who did not enjoy religious freedom.  Asked by 
AFM Hung what Vietnam could do to avoid sanctions, the 
Ambassador said that the establishment and registration of 
new churches in the Central Highlands would be a major step 
forward.  How the new ordinance on religion was implemented 
would be another key issue.  The Ambassador urged AFM Hung 
to help Mission staff to understand the situation in the 
Central Highlands by facilitating unrestricted travel there. 
While systemic change in Vietnam was critical, the release 
of high-profile prisoners would also have a positive impact. 
Forced renunciations presented a major problem, and finding 
a way to prevent these would be a significant, welcome step, 
the Ambassador said.  However, dealing with the designation 
issue was complex, and there was no "automatic" way to get 
Vietnam off of the list. 
 
7. (SBU) Hung said he and his colleagues would study these 
steps and discuss them with Ambassador Hanford.  However, 
Vietnam already had measures in place to respond to many of 
the USG's concerns, but apparently not to the extent that 
they met the "understanding" of the United States.  New 
churches had opened up and the GVN had reduced the sentences 
of high-profile prisoners.  Unfortunately, there were some 
"incidents" in the IRF Report that were "groundless" and 
"fabricated," such as the reports of a rape of a pastor's 
wife or the killing of religious followers, Hung argued. 
The Ambassador urged the GVN to give us its take on the IRF 
Report, particularly in areas it felt the USG was wrong.  It 
was good to have a dialogue on the facts, and it was not the 
intent of the United States to have incorrect information in 
our report, nor was it in our interest to do so. 
 
8. (SBU) On the subject of forced renunciations, Hung said 
that, according to Vietnam's new law on religion, forced 
renunciations would simply not be allowed in any form.  The 
GVN guaranteed the right of freedom of religion, and no one 
could infringe on this.  Similarly, people could voluntarily 
choose to believe in any religion and could voluntarily 
participate in all religious activities.  By the same token, 
people had the right to cease believing in any religion. 
The key was that religious belief would take place on a 
voluntary basis, Hung said.  The Ambassador observed that 
how this new law was implemented and disseminated would be 
key and added that having a senior Vietnamese official speak 
out on the subject would send an important message. 
 
9. (SBU) Turning to the subject of a roadmap for the 
bilateral relationship in the coming months, the Ambassador 
noted that VFM Phung would likely be asked about the 
possibility of PM Khai's visit next year or a visit by 
Politburo member Phan Dien before that.  Hung said that, 
before the U.S. Presidential election, it was "not 
appropriate" to discuss this issue, but it could be 
discussed after the election. 
 
10. (SBU) On the subject of recent visa difficulties 
experienced by "D" visa holders visiting Vietnam, Hung said 
that this was more a subject for the Consular Department, 
but added that Minister Nien himself had been made aware of 
the issue. 
 
11. (SBU) Hung agreed with the Ambassador that cooperation 
in HIV/AIDS prevention was an important bilateral area and 
noted that MFA was working with the Ministry of Health to 
set up an interagency committee.  The Ambassador urged MFA 
to play a leading role in this committee because of the 
important policy issues that would come up in the future. 
 
12. (SBU) Hung said that the two sides had managed to move 
the bilateral relationship forward in spite of the 
difficulties that arose because of the war in Iraq and 
expressed his confidence that the United States and Vietnam 
could continue to find areas to move forward.  The 
Ambassador agreed that there were many areas with potential 
for further cooperation, such as counter-terrorism and 
intelligence sharing.  The Ambassador noted that another 
area requiring continued cooperation -- the acquisition of 
the land for a new U.S. Embassy -- demanded our immediate 
attention, and Hung described this as a "headache," 
particularly since the officials in Russia responsible for 
the issue had changed.  Hung assured the Ambassador that, in 
spite of signs that the Hanoi People's Committee was 
attempting to "shop around" the land the USG hoped to 
purchase, the "Deputy Prime Minister is still more powerful 
than the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee." 
 
MARINE