US embassy cable - 01HANOI3173

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PEACEFUL PROTEST OUTSIDE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Identifier: 01HANOI3173
Wikileaks: View 01HANOI3173 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Hanoi
Created: 2001-12-03 10:23:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: PINS PHUM SOCI VM DPOL
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.

031023Z Dec 01

 2001HANOI03173 - UNCLASSIFIED
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTO8032

PAGE 01        HANOI  03173  031036Z 
ACTION EAP-00   

INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DINT-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  
      DS-00    EB-00    ED-01    FBIE-00  UTED-00  VC-00    HHS-01   
      H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    LAB-01   L-00     AC-01    
      NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PC-01    
      PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00   
      TEST-00  TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-00   
      DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /012W
                  ------------------46205A  031036Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4928
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS HANOI 003173 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PINS, PHUM, SOCI, VM, DPOL 
SUBJECT:  PEACEFUL PROTEST OUTSIDE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 
 
 
1.  (U)  A FEW DOZEN INDIVIDUALS TOOK TO THE STREETS OF 
HANOI FOR SEVERAL HOURS ON DECEMBER 3 FOR WHAT APPEARED TO 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HANOI  03173  031036Z 
BE A PEACEFUL PROTEST AIMED AT MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL 
ASSEMBLY DURING ITS CURRENT SESSION.  BECAUSE THE STREETS 
LEADING TO THE NA BUILDING HAVE BEEN BLOCKED SINCE THE NA 
OPENING, THE PROTESTERS CONGREGATED AS CLOSE AS THEY COULD, 
DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRY AND NEAR THE HO 
CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM. 
 
2.  (U)  PROTESTERS CAME AT LEAST FROM KHANH HOA, KIEN 
GIANG, VINH LONG, AND DONG THAP PROVINCES, JUDGING FROM 
SIGNS AND BANNERS THEY HELD AS THEY SAT QUIETLY.  SEVERAL 
SIGNS READ "SOS TO THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL 
ASSEMBLY."  OTHER SIGNS VARIOUSLY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE 
PLIGHT OF FARMERS AND LAND SEIZURES, INSUFFICIENT DEMOCRACY 
IN VIETNAM, AND ILLEGAL SALES OF PUBLIC PROPERTY BY 
OFFICIALS. 
 
3.  (U)  AT LEAST FORTY UNIFORMED POLICE OBSERVED THE 
PROTESTERS FROM NEARBY.  THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS THAT 
POLICE MADE ANY ARRESTS OR TOOK PROTESTERS INTO DETENTION. 
THE PROTESTERS APPARENTLY DISPERSED ONCE THE DAILY NA 
SESSION CONCLUDED.  IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE PROTESTERS 
HAD OBTAINED PRIOR PERMISSION FOR THE RALLY. 
 
4.  (U)  COMMENT:  THIS INCIDENT IS SIMILAR TO EVEN LARGER 
PEACEFUL PROTESTS, ALSO MOSTLY BY SOUTHERNERS, THAT TOOK 
PLACE DURING THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SESSION IN JUNE.  IT IS 
NOTABLE THAT THE GVN HAS PERMITTED THESE EXPRESSIONS OF 
DISSATISFACTION AND HAS NOT RESPONDED WITH FORCE.  IT IS 
UNLIKELY THAT THE LOCAL MEDIA WILL COVER THESE EVENTS, OR 
THAT THE PROTESTS WILL BE ALLOWED TO GROW TOO LARGE OR TOO 
VOCAL. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  03173  031036Z 
PORTER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 


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