US embassy cable - 01HOCHIMINHCITY1381

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 001381 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/MSPEER 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR INR/EAP/SEA AND INR/IL/B 
CINCPAC FOR FPA 
SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/ABLAGG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KIRF, PINR, PREL, VM, RELFREE, HUMANR, ETMIN 
SUBJECT: RANKING POLITBURO MEMBER TALKS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, BILATERAL RELATIONS 
 
 
1. SUMMARY: AS THE FOURTH-RANKING MEMBER IN VIETNAM'S 
POLITBURO, HO CHI MINH CITY'S COMMUNIST PARTY SECRETARY 
NGUYEN MINH TRIET IS A MAJOR POLITICAL FORCE.  IN A 
MEETING WITH CONSUL GENERAL, TRIET EMPHATICALLY 
DEFENDED VIETNAM'S RECORD ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS 
FREEDOM.  BUT HE INVITED CG TO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON 
THESE AND OTHER ISSUES "WHERE GAPS REMAIN", IN AN 
EFFORT TO IMPROVE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE TWO 
GOVERNMENTS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
TRIET: "WE SHOULD NOT AVOID RAISING SENSITIVE ISSUES" 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
2. CONSUL GENERAL PAID AN INITIAL COURTESY CALL ON MR. 
NGUYEN MINH TRIET ON DECEMBER 10, AT HCMC COMMUNIST 
PARTY HEADQUARTERS.  TRIET OPENED THE MEETING, NOTING 
THAT HE BELIEVED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BILATERAL 
TRADE AGREEMENT WILL OPEN A "NEW ERA" OF IMPROVED 
BILATERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN VIETNAM AND THE U.S. 
IMPLEMENTATION WILL PREPARE VIETNAM FOR ACCESSION TO 
THE WTO - "THE NEXT STEP" -- HE SAID, AND HE LOOKED 
FORWARD TO WORKING WITH CONGEN DURING THAT PROCESS. 
 
3. LIKENING THE U.S. AND VIETNAM TO FAMILY MEMBERS, 
TRIET SAID IT IS NORMAL FOR TWO COUNTRIES TO HAVE 
DIFFERENCES ON CERTAIN ISSUES.  HE ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT 
GOVERNMENTS SHOULD NOT AVOID CONFRONTING ISSUES WHERE 
THERE ARE "GAPS IN UNDERSTANDING," ESPECIALLY WHEN SUCH 
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DISCUSSIONS COULD MOVE THE TWO SIDES CLOSER TOGETHER. 
HE SAID NEITHER SIDE SHOULD HESITATE TO RAISE SENSITIVE 
MATTERS. 
 
4. CG THEN ASKED TRIET WHAT HE THOUGHT WERE THE MOST 
CONTENTIOUS ISSUES IN THE U.S.-VIETNAM BILATERAL 
RELATIONSHIP.  TRIET DID NOT TAKE THE BAIT.  HE 
RESPONDED ONLY THAT WE SHOULD FIND SOLUTIONS TO 
PROBLEMS THROUGH MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING; WE SHOULD NOT 
MAKE MOUNTAINS OUT OF MOLEHILLS; AND WE SHOULD NOT 
ALLOW DIFFERENCES TO TURN US INTO OPPONENTS. 
 
CG: "THEN LET'S TALK ABOUT THICH QUANG DO... 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
5. CG SAID SHE WOULD TAKE UP TRIET'S INVITATION TO 
RAISE A COUPLE OF SENSITIVE ISSUES.  SHE NOTED THAT 
THICH QUANG DO, THE SECOND-RANKING MONK OF THE BANNED 
UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM, HAS BEEN UNDER 
HOUSE ARREST AND HAS NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO RECEIVE 
VISITORS SINCE JUNE.  REMINDING TRIET THAT THE GERMAN 
EMBASSY HAD BEEN REFUSED A VISIT, SHE THEN ASKED TRIET 
IF HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO VISIT DO. 
 
6. TRIET SAID HE WAS PROUD OF VIETNAM'S RECORD ON HUMAN 
RIGHTS AND FREEDOM OF RELIGION.  VIETNAM STRUGGLED FOR 
CENTURIES FOR INDEPENDENCE, AND NOW THAT INDEPENDENCE 
HAS BEEN ACHIEVED, HE SAID, PEOPLE KNOW TRUE FREEDOM. 
ONE HALF MILLION CATHOLICS, MANY MORE BUDDHISTS, AND 
MEMBERS OF SEVERAL OTHER RELIGIOUS GROUPS IN HCMC HAVE 
THE FREEDOM TO WORSHIP, DECLARED TRIET.  BUT, HE ADDED, 
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PAGE 04        HO CHI  01381  01 OF 02  120135Z 
THERE ARE A VERY FEW PERSONS WHO ABUSE THESE FREEDOMS. 
IN DOING SO THEY BREAK THE LAW.  THESE ARE CIVIL CASES, 
HE SAID, NOT CASES OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, AND ARE DEALT 
WITH ACCORDING TO VIETNAMESE LAW. 
 
7. CG REPLIED THAT NO MATTER HOW VIETNAM MIGHT 
CHARACTERIZE THICH QUANG DO, HE IS AN INTERNATIONAL 
FIGURE AND MANY PEOPLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES ARE CONCERNED 
ABOUT HIS HEALTH AND WELL BEING. 
 
8. TRIET DECLARED THAT DO WAS IN GOOD HEALTH, AND THAT 
THE GVN IS TAKING GOOD CARE OF HIM, SENDING A PHYSICIAN 
REGULARLY TO MONITOR HIS HEALTH.  HE WAS FULLY AWARE 
THAT SHOULD ANYTHING GO WRONG WITH DO'S HEALTH, "THERE 
ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT 
SITUATION" TO MAKE VIETNAM LOOK BAD. 
 
9. CG SAID SHE WOULD CERTAINLY TAKE TRIET AT HIS WORD 
THAT DO'S HEALTH WAS BEING LOOKED AFTER AND WOULD 
REPORT THIS TO THE EMBASSY AND WASHINGTON.  THIS DID 
NOT MEAN, HOWEVER, THAT SHE WOULD NOT SEEK TO VISIT DO 
IN THE FUTURE.  TRIET LET THAT PASS. 
 
...AND ACCESS TO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS" 
--------------------------------------- 
 
10. CG TOLD TRIET THAT SHE HAD PLANNED TO VISIT THE 
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS THIS WEEK, BUT DAK LAK AND KON TUM 
PROVINCES HAD, LATE LAST FRIDAY, NOTIFIED THE CONGEN 
THAT THE PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S COMMITTEES WERE TOO BUSY 
TO RECEIVE HER.  SHE NOTED HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR 
DIPLOMATS TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL, MEET PEOPLE, AND REPORT 
ACCURATELY AND FAIRLY ON WHAT THEY SEE AND HEAR. SHE 
ASKED TRIET'S ADVICE ON HOW TO BEST PROCEED. 
 
11. TRIET ACKNOWLEDGED THAT, EARLIER IN THE YEAR, 
TRAVEL TO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WAS RESTRICTED BECAUSE 
OF SECURITY PROBLEMS.  HE STATED, HOWEVER, THAT IT WAS 
CURRENT STATE POLICY "NOT TO PROHIBIT ANYONE" FROM 
VISITING THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. HE PROMISED TO VOICE 
HIS SUPPORT OF CONGEN TRAVEL TO THE AREA. 
 
12. TRIET ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE LEVEL OF ECONOMIC 
DEVELOPMENT IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS LAGGED BEHIND MOST 
OF VIETNAM'S OTHER PROVINCES.  HE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED 
THAT WITHIN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, ETHNIC MINORITY 
GROUPS LAGGED BEHIND ETHNIC VIETNAMESE KINH, BOTH 
ECONOMICALLY AND EDUCATIONALLY.  HE EMPHASIZED THAT THE 
GVN HAD DEVISED POLICIES FOR IMPROVING THE LIVING 
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PAGE 03        HO CHI  01381  02 OF 02  120135Z 
STANDARDS FOR THE CENTRAL HIGHLAND MINORITY GROUPS AND 
THAT, COMPARED TO 25 YEARS AGO, THEIR SITUATION HAD 
IMPROVED GREATLY. 
 
13. THE UNREST IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OCCURRED, 
ACCORDING TO TRIET, BECAUSE OUTSIDERS ENCOURAGED SOME 
DISSATISFIED PERSONS TO AGITATE FOR AN AUTONOMOUS 
STATE.  TRIET SAID VIETNAM WOULD BE FIRM AGAINST ANY 
NOTION OF AUTONOMY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WOULD CONTINUE 
TO WORK TOWARD IMPROVING THE LIVES OF ITS ETHNIC 
MINORITIES.  VIETNAM IS A UNIFIED COUNTRY, HE 
EMPHASIZED, AND WILL REMAIN SO. 
 
BIONOTE 
------- 
 
14. TRIET WAS BORN IN BINH DUONG (FORMERLY SONG BE) 
PROVINCE, JUST NORTH OF SAIGON, AND GREW UP IN SAIGON. 
DURING THE WAR YEARS, HE WORKED FOR THE CENTRAL 
COMMUNIST PARTY MASS MOBILIZATION COMMITTEE, SOUTHERN 
BUREAU.  DURING 1976-1987, HE WORKED FOR THE CENTRAL HO 
CHI MINH YOUTH UNION.  IN 1991, HE BECAME SECRETARY OF 
THE SONG BE PROVINCE COMMUNIST PARTY COMMITTEE, AND 
FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER 1997, HE WAS VICE-CHAIRMAN OF 
THE HCMC COMMUNIST PARTY COMMITTEE (WHILE CONCURRENTLY 
VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE HCMC PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE).  FROM 
HCMC, HE WENT TO HANOI TO HEAD THE POWERFUL MASS 
MOBILIZATION COMMITTEE OF THE CENTRAL COMMUNIST PARTY. 
IN JANUARY 2000, HE RETURNED TO HCMC AS THE CITY'S 
COMMUNIST PARTY CHIEF.  IN APRIL 2001, HE MOVED UP TO 
NUMBER FOUR IN THE POLITBURO, OUTRANKED ONLY BY THE 
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PAGE 04        HO CHI  01381  02 OF 02  120135Z 
PRESIDENT, PRIME MINISTER AND COMMUNIST PARTY GENERAL 
SECRETARY.  SOME OBSERVERS BELIEVE TRIET WILL BECOME 
 
SIPDIS 
VIETNAM'S NEXT PRIME MINISTER. HE IS 59-YEARS OLD. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
15. TRIET PROVED TRUE TO HIS REPUTATION OF BEING 
ENGAGING AND PERSONABLE, IF SOMEWHAT DOCTRINAIRE.  HE 
DID NOT BAT AN EYELASH WHEN THE CG SAID WE WOULD HOLD 
HIM TO HIS WORD ABOUT THE HEALTH OF THICH QUANG DO. 
CONGEN WILL STILL SEEK TO VISIT DO.  CG IS MOVING AHEAD 
WITH HER TRIP TO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS.  RESPONDING TO 
TRIET'S NUMEROUS OFFERS TO DISCUSS SENSITIVE BILATERAL 
ISSUES "OR ANY OTHER PROBLEMS", CG SAID PERHAPS IN A 
MORE INFORMAL SETTING, OVER LUNCH OR DINNER.  TRIET 
SORT OF SAID "UUHMM".  CONGEN WILL  SEEK AN APPROPRIATE 
TIME TO MEET WITH TRIET TO CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE WITH 
HIM.  YAMAUCHI 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED