US embassy cable - 01HOCHIMINHCITY1266

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HOA HAO MONK COMES DOWN FROM THE TREE

Identifier: 01HOCHIMINHCITY1266
Wikileaks: View 01HOCHIMINHCITY1266 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Created: 2001-11-09 09:12:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: PHUM KIRF VM RELFREE HUMANR
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

090912Z Nov 01

 2001HOCHI01266 - UNCLASSIFIED
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ5584

PAGE 01        HO CHI  01266  091009Z 
ACTION EAP-00   

INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   AMAD-00  CIAE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00    UTED-00  
      H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00     NSAE-00  OIC-02   
      OPIC-01  PC-01    PRS-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00   
      TEST-00  TRSE-00  USIE-00  PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  
      SAS-00     /007W
                  ------------------3C29DE  091009Z /38    
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5683
INFO AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 
USMISSION GENEVA 
ASEAN COLLECTIVE
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
SECDEF WASHDC
DIA WASHDC
NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 001266 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/MSPEER 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF 
CINCPAC FOR FPA 
SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/ABLAGG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HO CHI  01266  091009Z 
TAGS: PHUM, KIRF, VM, RELFREE, HUMANR 
SUBJECT: HOA HAO MONK COMES DOWN FROM THE TREE 
 
REF: HANOI 2924 
 
1. (U) REFTEL REPORTED THAT ON NOVEMBER 6, HOA HAO 
BUDDHIST MONK NAM LIEM, OF AN GIANG PROVINCE IN THE 
MEKONG DELTA, HAD CLIMBED UP A TREE NEAR HIS PAGODA 
CARRYING A KNIFE AND A CONTAINER OF GASOLINE.  HE WAS 
THREATENING TO IMMOLATE HIMSELF TO PROTEST LOCAL POLICE 
ENTERING HIS PAGODA AND MAINTAINING A PRESENCE THERE 
SINCE NOVEMBER 1.  AS OF NOVEMBER 8, NAM LIEM WAS STILL 
UP IN THE TREE.  APPROXIMATELY 30 POLICE OFFICERS WERE 
TRYING TO PERSUADE HIM TO COME DOWN.  AN UNDETERMINED 
NUMBER OF SUPPORTERS AND CURIOUS BYSTANDERS WERE ALSO 
ON HAND. 
 
2. (SBU) ON NOVEMBER 9, POLOFF SPOKE BY TELEPHONE TO LE 
QUANG LIEM (LQL), A HOA HAO ELDER CURRENTLY UNDER HOUSE 
ARREST IN HCMC, BUT WHO CONTINUES TO BE WELL INFORMED 
OF EVENTS REGARDING HOA HAO ISSUES.  LQL SAID THAT 
DURING THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 8, NAM LIEM CUT HIS 
THIGH WITH THE KNIFE HE HAD CARRIED UP INTO THE TREE. 
LQL SAID THAT EARLY IN THE EVENING OF NOVEMBER 8, NAM 
LIEM CAME DOWN THE TREE.  HE SAID WITNESSES TOLD HIM 
NAM LIEM APPEARED WEAK WITH WHAT THEY SUGGESTED WAS A 
LOSS OF BLOOD AND FATIGUE. 
 
3. (SBU) AS OF NOVEMBER 9, ACCORDING TO LQL, NAM LIEM 
REMAINED INSIDE HIS HOME AND PAGODA COMPLEX.  LQL ADDED 
THAT 30 POLICEMEN AND 50-70 LOCAL OFFICIALS WERE ALSO 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HO CHI  01266  091009Z 
INSIDE THE COMPOUND.  THE POLICE WERE ENCOURAGING THE 
LOCAL TOWNSPEOPLE TO STAY AT HOME. 
 
4. (U) POST HAS NO WORD YET ON THE STATUS OF NAM LIEM'S 
HEALTH, OR WHETHER OR NOT LOCAL OFFICIALS WILL TAKE ANY 
LEGAL/POLICE ACTION AGAINST HIM.  WE WILL CONTINUE TO 
MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY AND REPORT ON 
DEVELOPMENTS. 
 
YAMAUCHI 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 


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