US embassy cable - 04HANOI2855

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002855 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL AND H 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, VM, HUMANR 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND FOREIGN RELATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN 
DISCUSS PARLIAMENTARY TIES, HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
Reftels: A) 03 Hanoi 3187; B) Hanoi 2590; C) State 219822 
 
1. (U) Summary:  National Assembly Foreign Relations 
Committee Chairman Vu Mao told the Ambassador that he wants 
improved relations between the National Assembly (NA) and 
U.S. Congress and hopes to arrange an official visit to 
Washington by NA Chairman Nguyen Van An.  The Foreign 
Relations Committee still hopes to place a staff member in 
the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington to work on bilateral 
parliamentary relations.  Chairman Mao also confirmed that 
the GVN has set up an inter-agency "steering committee" to 
handle international allegations on human rights issues. 
During the meeting, but unrelated to it, a small protest of 
land issues by farmers took place outside the NA office 
building.  End Summary 
 
2.  (U) Receiving the Ambassador for a courtesy call on 
October 20, Chairman Vu Mao reminisced fondly of his October 
2000 visit to Washington and said he had "warm feelings" 
towards the United States.  While acknowledging that 
relations with Congress are a major issue for his committee, 
he admitted that he has largely delegated this to Committee 
Vice-Chairwoman Madam Ton Nu Thi Ninh to take advantage of 
her excellent English skills.  Chairman Mao described 
Congress' knowledge of Vietnam as "very limited," and said 
he will encourage visits to Vietnam by members of Congress, 
adding that this invitation is open equally to "those who 
have goodwill toward Vietnam, and those who do not have 
goodwill."  Mao told the Ambassador that he had "criticized" 
Vietnamese Ambassador to Washington Nguyen Tam Chien for 
spending "insufficient time on Congressional relations," and 
acknowledged that the Foreign Relations Committee is still 
seeking to place a representative in Vietnam's Washington 
Embassy (Ref A), hopefully during his term, which ends in 
two years.  Mao also hopes to arrange a visit to Washington 
for NA Chairman Nguyen Van An in 2005 or 2006.  While he 
would prefer to receive a formal invitation from Congress 
for such a visit, the NA could undertake the trip without 
one, Mao declared. 
 
3. (U) The Ambassador agreed that placing a NA 
representative in the Embassy in Washington would be a good 
idea, and said that maintaining good relations with Congress 
is, in his view, one of the most important tasks that the 
Vietnamese Embassy in Washington has.  He encouraged 
Chairman Mao to be proactive in reaching out to Congress and 
suggested that the Foreign Relations Committee encourage a 
visit to Vietnam by the newly formed Congressional Vietnam 
Caucus.  The Ambassador added that, despite Senator Frist's 
and Speaker Hastert's inability to participate, Members of 
Congress are likely to attend the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary 
Forum, scheduled to take place in Vietnam in January (Refs B 
and C). 
 
4. (U) In response to the Ambassador's inquiry, Chairman Mao 
confirmed that the GVN had established the "Steering 
Committee on Human Rights Issues" (SCHRI), which was chaired 
by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and included 
representatives from different ministries and the National 
Assembly.  Madam Ninh serves as the NA's representative on 
the committee.  The SCHRI advises the Party and Government 
on human rights issues; determines whether Vietnam's 
policies and principles regarding human rights are being 
upheld in reality; and collects ideas and criticisms from 
abroad either to correct the "shortcomings" in the 
Vietnamese system that they identify, or to refute the 
foreign claims if they are inaccurate.  (Note: This 
committee was apparently set up after NA complaints that 
actions by other GVN ministries, especially the Ministry of 
Public Security, were damaging efforts to improve Vietnam's 
human rights image abroad. Ref A.  End note.) 
 
5. (U) During the Ambassador's visit, a small demonstration 
of farmers upset about land rights took place outside the 
National Assembly building.  The demonstration, apparently 
coincidental, was entirely peaceful, and consisted largely 
of rural families sitting on the sidewalk across from the 
parliamentary offices and a small number of policemen, 
watching but leaving them undisturbed.  (Note: 
Demonstrations such as these are illegal and still 
relatively rare in Vietnam.  End note.) 
 
6. (U) Comment:  The establishment of an inter-agency group 
within the GVN to address human rights issues is welcome 
news.  It likely exists more to address Vietnam's image 
abroad rather than the substance of human right issues 
domestically, but any measure that forces some of Vietnam's 
more conservative-minded ministries to factor in human 
rights must be considered a positive, albeit small, step in 
the right direction.  End Comment. 
MARINE