US embassy cable - 01HOCHIMINHCITY1265

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 001265 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR BCLTV ALLAN LANGLAND 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, VN 
SUBJECT: HCMC PARTY COMMISSION ON IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE FAVORS FOREIGN INVESTMENT 
 
1.(U) SUMMARY:  CONSUL GENERAL PAID A COURTESY CALL 
NOVEMBER 6 ON MS. PHAM PHUONG THAO, HEAD OF THE HO CHI 
MINH CITY PARTY COMMISSION ON IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE.  IN 
A CORDIAL MEETING, PHAM EXPLAINED SHE DEALS WITH A VERY 
BROAD RANGE OF ISSUES, INCLUDING URBAN PLANNING.  SHE 
SPOKE AT LENGTH ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTRACTING FOREIGN 
INVESTMENT TO HCMC AND ON THE PROBLEMS FLOWING FROM 
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INTERNAL MIGRATION.  SHE ALSO EXPLAINED HOW THE 
COMMISSION CHECKS THE MEDIA TO ENSURE ITS CONTENT FITS 
PARTY POLICIES, ALTHOUGH SOME CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS 
PERMITTED.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.(U) FOREIGN INVESTMENT:  PHAM EMPHASIZED HCMC'S 
IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ROLE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF 
VIETNAM.  SHE SAID FOREIGN INVESTMENT HAS ALREADY HAD A 
POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE CITY AND SURROUNDING PROVINCES, 
INCREASING BOTH OPPORTUNITIES AND AVAILABLE SERVICES. 
SHE BELIEVES LOCAL AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN 
TRANSPORTATION, EDUCATION, MEDICINE, MEDIA AND CULTURE 
IS CRUCIAL TO BOTH THE CITY'S DEVELOPMENT AND ITS 
EFFORTS TO COMBAT SOCIAL PROBLEMS. 
 
3.(U) PHAM WAS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE MANY NEW BUSINESSES 
THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED IN HCMC AND WANTS MORE.  SHE 
NOTED THAT ALTHOUGH 5,000 BUSINESSES HAD BEEN 
ESTABLISHED IN THE PAST YEAR IN HCMC, SOME 3,000 
BUSINESSES HAVE CLOSED.  INJECTING A BIT OF HUMOR INTO 
THE PROCEEDINGS, PHAM SAID SHE WAS COMMITTED TO THE 
MARKET SYSTEM OF ECONOMICS, BUT IT WOULD BE NICER TO 
SEE A "BETTER RATIO OF BUSINESS START-UPS TO BUSINESS 
FAILURES." 
 
4.(U) INTERNAL MIGRATION:  PHAM HIGHLIGHTED INTERNAL 
MIGRATION AS A MAJOR FACTOR IN HCMC'S RAPID GROWTH. 
RURAL MIGRANTS TO HCMC PRIMARILY COME IN SEARCH OF 
BETTER PAYING JOBS, WITH SALARIES FOR THE MENIAL JOBS 
THEY FIND GENERALLY RANGING BETWEEN 40 TO 60 USD PER 
MONTH.  BUT HCMC IS SEEING SOME CITY RESIDENTS 
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MIGRATING TO NEIGHBORING PROVINCES.  THIS OUT-MIGRATION 
IS DRIVEN BY THE DESIRE FOR HIGHER PAYING FACTORY JOBS, 
WITH SALARIES AVERAGING 100 USD PER MONTH.  PHAM SAW 
THIS OUTFLOW OF WELL-EDUCATED PEOPLE AS A PROBLEM, AND 
SAID FOREIGN INVESTMENT TO BUILD ADDITIONAL FACTORIES 
IN HCMC WOULD HELP COMBAT THIS. 
 
5.(U) MIGRATION ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS 
SUCH AS PROSTITUTION AND BEGGING.  PHAM STATED THAT 
FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN HCMC BUSINESSES IS KEY TO HELPING 
ALLEVIATE THESE SOCIAL PROBLEMS.  SHE BELIEVES FOREIGN 
INVESTMENT WILL HELP PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE OTHERWISE RELYING ON THESE 
ACTIVITIES FOR THEIR INCOME. 
 
6.(U) MASS TRANSIT:  PHAM STATED THAT THE CITY 
DESPERATELY NEEDS A MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM, EMPHASIZING 
THE ROLE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COULD PLAY IN ITS CREATION. 
SHE URGED U.S. BUSINESSES TO INVEST IN MASS TRANSIT FOR 
HCMC.  AT A MINIMUM, PHAM BELIEVES HCMC NEEDS TWO MASS 
TRANSIT CORRIDORS (NORTH-SOUTH AND EAST-WEST). IN 
ADDITION TO MASS TRANSIT, ENFORCEMENT OF EXISTING 
TRAFFIC LAWS IS KEY TO MANAGING HCMC'S TRANSPORTATION 
PROBLEMS.  PHAM HIGHLIGHTED THE CURRENT EFFORT TO TEACH 
DRIVERS IN HCMC TO FOLLOW BASIC TRAFFIC RULES, CALLING 
IT AN "IMMENSE TASK".  SHE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS 
PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORT -- ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO LAST 
ONE YEAR -- MIGHT HAVE TO BE EXTENDED IN ORDER TO 
PRODUCE THE DESIRED RESULTS. 
 
7.(U) MEDIA CONTROLS:  ANOTHER ASPECT OF HCMC'S ROLE IN 
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THE SOUTHERN PART OF VIETNAM IS ITS FUNCTION AS A 
CENTER FOR INFORMATION AND THE MEDIA.  PHAM SAID PEOPLE 
IN HCMC ARE "THIRSTY" FOR NEWS - DOMESTIC AND 
INTERNATIONAL.  IN HER POSITION AS HEAD OF THE HCMC 
PARTY COMMISSION ON IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE, PHAM IS 
INSTRUMENTAL IN SETTING THE POLICY AND REGULATIONS THAT 
GOVERN THE MEDIA HERE.  SHE SAID THE DEPARTMENT OF 
CULTURE AND INFORMATION IS TASKED WITH IMPLEMENTING 
THIS POLICY.  PRINT MEDIA IN HCMC SUBMIT A COPY OF 
THEIR PUBLICATIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND 
INFORMATION, WHERE IT IS EVALUATED IN LIGHT OF THE 
POLICY AND REGULATIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE PARTY 
COMMISSION.  IF THE MATERIAL FAILS THE EVALUATION, IT 
CANNOT BE PUBLISHED.  (COMMENT:  ALTHOUGH CERTAIN TYPES 
OF CRITICISM ARE ACCEPTED BY THE GVN, THE PRINT MEDIA 
PRACTICES SELF-CENSORSHIP TO AVOID PROBLEMS WITH EITHER 
THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION OR THE PARTY 
COMMISSION.) 
 
8.(U) CG ASKED PHAM ABOUT THE MEDIA'S FREEDOM OF 
EXPRESSION, ESPECIALLY RELATING TO EDITORIALS.  CG ALSO 
INQUIRED HOW FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS COULD BEST ASK FOR 
CORRECTIONS IN ARTICLES OR COMMENTARY THAT DO NOT 
ACCURATELY REFLECT THE FACTS OR THEIR VIEWS.  PHAM 
REPLIED THAT THE HCMC MEDIA SOMETIMES PROVIDE 
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM THAT STRENGTHENS THE VIETNAMESE 
GOVERNMENT.  SUCH CRITICISM HAS SOMETIMES LED TO THE 
GVN IMPLEMENTING DIFFERENT PROPOSALS.  HOWEVER, SHE 
ALSO NOTED THAT SOMETIMES THE MEDIA DO NOT HAVE ALL THE 
FACTS ABOUT A CASE.  IN THOSE INSTANCES, THE LOCAL 
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GOVERNMENT INVOLVED COMMUNICATES WITH THE MEDIA IN HCMC 
AND INFORMS THEM OF THEIR MISTAKES.  THE MEDIA THEN 
AMEND THEIR STATEMENTS AND PUBLISH THE CORRECT 
INFORMATION.  LIKEWISE, SOMETIMES THE MEDIA DO NOT HAVE 
ALL THE FACTS ABOUT EVENTS OR POLICIES IN FOREIGN 
COUNTRIES.  THE LOCAL MEDIA ARE AWARE OF THIS, AND THE 
COMMISSION URGES THEM TO BE OPEN TO MORE SOURCES OF 
INFORMATION.  CG STATED SHE WOULD TAKE UP THAT OFFER 
AND WOULD PROVIDE REPORTERS WITH ACCURATE INFORMATION 
ABOUT U.S. EVENTS/POLICIES.  THE MEETING CONCLUDED WITH 
BOTH PHAM AND THE CG EXPRESSING THEIR COMMITMENT TO 
CONTINUED OPENNESS AND ACCESSIBILITY. 
 
9.(U) COMMENT:  PHAM WAS NOTABLE FOR HER IMPRESSIVE 
COMMAND OF THE FACTS UNDERLYING HER BROAD AREAS OF 
RESPONSIBILITY.  SHE SPOKE VERY SOFTLY, BUT WITH A 
RAPID-FIRE DELIVERY, LISTING STATISTICS FROM MEMORY TO 
SUPPORT HER STATEMENTS IN ALL SUBJECT AREAS.  HER 
MANNER REMAINED FRIENDLY THROUGHOUT, INCLUDING WHEN 
MORE SENSITIVE AREAS WERE BROACHED.  THE IMPRESSION SHE 
LEFT IS THAT THE PARTY COMMISSION ON IDEOLOGY AND 
CULTURE REACHES BEYOND ITS NAME, TOUCHING MANY ASPECTS 
OF LIFE IN HCMC -- INCLUDING THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF 
URBAN PLANNING.  END COMMENT.   YAMAUCHI 
 
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