US embassy cable - 02HOCHIMINHCITY39

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HO CHI MINH CITY 000039 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/MSPEER 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR PRM 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF 
CINCPAC FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREF, PGOV, PINS, SOCI, PREL, KIRF, VM, CB, RELFREE, HUMANR, ETMIN 
SUBJECT: CHRISTMAS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS: TOLERANCE AND REPRESSION FOR ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANTS 
 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: ACCORDING TO TWO ETHNIC MINORITY 
LEADERS, ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANTS IN THE CENTRAL 
HIGHLANDS ENCOUNTERED A MIXTURE OF TOLERANCE AND 
REPRESSION BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES AT CHRISTMASTIME. 
THERE WERE ALLEGED INCIDENTS OF SEVERE POLICE ABUSE IN 
SOME VILLAGES, BUT IN OTHER VILLAGES, AUTHORITIES 
SEEMED TO ALLOW GROUPS AS LARGE AS SEVERAL HUNDRED 
PEOPLE TO ATTEND CHRISTMAS PRAYER SERVICES.  IN A 
SEPARATE INCIDENT, VIETNAMESE SOLDIERS WERE ALLEGED TO 
HAVE KILLED AS MANY AS EIGHT PERSONS WHEN UP TO 230 
PERSONS WERE PREVENTED FROM CROSSING THE BORDER INTO 
CAMBODIA ON CHRISTMAS DAY.  SEPTEL REPORTS FURTHER ON 
PROTESTANTS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
CHRISTMAS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 
---------------------------------- 
2. (SBU) ON JANUARY 15, TWO ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANT 
LEADERS, ONE FROM DAK LAK PROVINCE AND ONE FROM GIA LAI 
PROVINCE, CAME DOWN FROM THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS TO MEET 
WITH CG AND POLOFF FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS.  THEY SAID 
LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS HAD BEEN 
WORRIED THAT THE SAME GROUPS WHO HAD ORGANIZED ANTI- 
GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATIONS IN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2001 WOULD 
USE CHRISTMAS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO STAGE MORE 
DEMONSTRATIONS.  OFFICIALS IN THE VARIOUS LOCALITIES 
TOOK DIFFERENT APPROACHES IN TRYING TO PREVENT 
CHRISTMAS GATHERINGS FROM GETTING OUT OF HAND.  IN SOME 
LOCATIONS, OFFICIALS ALLOWED GATHERINGS OF SEVERAL 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HO CHI  00039  01 OF 03  151450Z 
HUNDRED PEOPLE; IN OTHER PLACES, THEY ALLOWED PEOPLE TO 
PRAY TOGETHER ONLY IN SMALL GROUPS IN THEIR HOMES.  YET 
IN OTHERS, PROTESTANT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS WERE 
FORBIDDEN OUTRIGHT. SOME LOCAL AUTHORITIES PUSHED 
CHRISTMAS SERVICES AHEAD TO THE SUNDAY BEFORE 
CHRISTMAS. 
 
3. (SBU) ACCORDING TO THE LEADER FROM DAK LAK PROVINCE, 
400-500 ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANTS GATHERED IN BUON 
CUOR KNIA VILLAGE FOR AN OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS EVE VIGIL 
THAT AUTHORITIES ALLOWED TO GO ON ALL NIGHT.  (POST 
NOTE: THIS VILLAGE WAS VISITED BY CONGENOFFS DURING A 
PRE-CHRISTMAS TRIP TO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS.)  ON 
CHRISTMAS DAY, HOWEVER, THE TWO ETHNIC MINORITY 
MINISTERS WHO LED THE SERVICES WERE DETAINED AND HELD 
FOR FIVE DAYS.  THEIR DETENTION WAS NOT IN CONNECTION 
WITH THE CHRISTMAS SERVICE, ACCORDING TO OUR SOURCE. 
POLICE DETAINED THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE SUSPECTED OF 
BEING INVOLVED WITH TWELVE VILLAGERS WHO HAD ATTEMPTED 
TO CROSS THE BORDER TO CAMBODIA ON CHRISTMAS DAY (SEE 
NEXT SECTION). 
 
4. (SBU) THE LEADER SAID THAT IN KRONG PA DISTRICT, DAK 
LAK PROVINCE, ABOUT 600 ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANTS 
GATHERED FOR AN OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS VIGIL.  ON CHRISTMAS 
DAY, HOWEVER, POLICE SUMMONED THE FEMALE MINISTER OF 
THE CONGREGATION TO THE POLICE STATION FOR SEVERAL DAYS 
OF QUESTIONING.  OUR SOURCE SPECULATED THE POLICE WERE 
DISMAYED AT THE LARGE TURNOUT AT HER CHURCH. 
 
5. (SBU) THE LEADER SAID THAT HE HAD PERSONALLY LED A 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HO CHI  00039  01 OF 03  151450Z 
PRAYER CEREMONY OF ABOUT 250 PERSONS OUTSIDE HIS HOME. 
HE SAID HE WAS AWARE OF AT LEAST FIVE OR SIX OTHER 
PLACES IN DAK LAK PROVINCE WHERE PEACEFUL PRAYER 
GATHERINGS OF MORE THAN 100 PERSONS TOOK PLACE.  HE 
SAID THAT IN NUMEROUS VILLAGES IN THE PROVINCE, POLICE 
ALLOWED GROUPS OF 50 PEOPLE OR FEWER TO GATHER IN HOMES 
TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS. 
 
6. (SBU) THIS SOURCE EMPHASIZED, HOWEVER, THAT IN OTHER 
VILLAGES IN DAK LAK PROVINCE, AUTHORITIES PASSED THE 
WORD THAT NO ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANT CHRISTMAS 
SERVICES WOULD BE ALLOWED.  AS A RESULT, OUR SOURCE 
CLAIMED MOST ETHNIC MINORITY CHRISTIANS EITHER DID NOT 
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS OR PRAYED QUIETLY IN THEIR HOMES. 
 
7. (SBU) THE LEADER FROM GIA LAI PROVINCE SAID 
CHRISTMAS THERE WAS SIMILAR.  IN PLEI BRENG VILLAGE, 
NEAR THE PROVINCIAL SEAT OF PLEIKU, SOLDIERS ASSISTED 
IN ORGANIZING THE CHRISTMAS PRAYER SERVICES.  THIS 
SOURCE SPECULATED IT WAS LESS A MATTER OF HOLIDAY 
SPIRIT THAN A MEANS FOR MAINTAINING CONTROL OVER 
EVENTS.  HE SAID THAT IN GIA LAI'S CHU PRONG AND CHU SE 
DISTRICTS, NO CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS WERE ALLOWED. 
 
8. (SBU) IN PEK VILLAGE IN DAK DOA DISTRICT, ABOUT 1500 
PERSONS GATHERED ON DECEMBER 24, AND WERE PREPARING TO 
 

PAGE 02        HO CHI  00039  02 OF 03  151451Z 
SUBJECT: CHRISTMAS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS: TOLERANCE 
AND REPRESSION FOR ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANTS 
 
STAGE AN ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATION.  AFTER A FEW 
HOURS, POLICE AND ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANT LEADERS 
PERSUADED THE PEOPLE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES 
PEACEFULLY.  OUR SOURCE SAID HE WITNESSED EVENTS IN DAK 
DOA PERSONALLY. 
 
9. (SBU) HE SAID THAT POLICE DETAINED AND TORTURED TWO 
PASTORS FROM CHU SE DISTRICT BY PUTTING STICKS BETWEEN 
THEIR FINGERS AND THEN SLAMMING THEIR HANDS WITH A 
BOOK.  ONE OF THE TWO, 32-YEAR-OLD R'MAH NHUI (ALSO 
KNOWN AS AMA SOREN) FROM IA LE VILLAGE IN CHU SE 
DISTRICT, CAME TO THE LEADER'S HOME AND SHOWED HIM HIS 
BROKEN FINGERS.  HE ASSERTED THE POLICE DID THIS 
BECAUSE THEY HEARD HE WAS PLANNING TO ORGANIZE A 
CHRISTMAS PRAYER SERVICE. 
 
10. (SBU) SPECIFICALLY ASKED ABOUT ALLEGATIONS OF 
TORTURE BY ELECTRIC SHOCK, THE LEADER FROM GIA LAI 
PROVINCE SAID HE WAS UNAWARE OF POLICE USING THESE 
TACTICS.  THE LEADER FROM DAK LAK PROVINCE, HOWEVER, 
SAID BUON CUOR KNIA POLICE BEAT UP AND SHOCKED WITH 
ELECTRIC WIRES 12 PEOPLE WHO HAD ATTEMPTED TO CROSS 
INTO CAMBODIA.  BOTH LEADERS SAID POLICE -- ETHNIC 
MINORITY AS WELL AS ETHNIC VIETNAMESE KINH -- ROUTINELY 
ROUGHED UP SUSPECTS DURING DETENTION.  NEITHER SOURCE 
WAS AWARE OF ANYONE DETAINED IN CONNECTION WITH 
CHRISTMAS SERVICES WHO WAS STILL BEING HELD. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HO CHI  00039  02 OF 03  151451Z 
ALLEGATIONS OF KILLINGS ON THE CAMBODIAN BORDER 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
11. (SBU) BOTH LEADERS RELATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 230 
ETHNIC MINORITY PERSONS ATTEMPTED TO CROSS INTO 
CAMBODIA ON CHRISTMAS DAY.  THEY CAME IN TWO GROUPS - 
ONE GROUP OF ABOUT 30 PERSONS FROM KON TUM PROVINCE; 
ANOTHER GROUP OF ABOUT 200 PERSONS FROM DAK LAK 
PROVINCE.  A GUIDE LED THEM TO A PLACE ON THE CAMBODIAN 
BORDER NEAR GIAO VILLAGE IN DAK MIL DISTRICT, DAK LAK 
PROVINCE. 
 
12. (SBU) ACCORDING TO OUR SOURCES, THE GUIDE TOLD THE 
GROUP HE WOULD LEAVE THEM AND RETURN AFTER PURCHASING A 
MOBILE PHONE IN DAK MIL TOWN.  TWO HOURS LATER, 
VIETNAMESE SOLDIERS SURROUNDED THE GROUP.  THE LEADERS, 
WHO WERE RELATING SECOND-HAND REPORTS, INSISTED THAT 
ONE GROUP OF VIETNAMESE SOLDIERS APPROACHED FROM THE 
EAST AND ANOTHER FROM THE WEST, I.E. VIETNAMESE FROM 
THE CAMBODIAN SIDE OF THE BORDER.  OUR DAK LAK SOURCE 
SAID THIS WAS CLEARLY A "SET-UP". 
 
13. (SBU) THIS LEADER FROM DAK LAK SAID A SECURITY 
OFFICIAL TOLD HIM THAT 186 PERSONS WERE DETAINED, BUT 
MOST WERE RETURNED TO THEIR HOME VILLAGES BY MILITARY 
VEHICLE AND RELEASED THE SAME DAY.  HE STRESSED THAT 
NONE OF THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE GROUP WAS 
MISTREATED, BUT ASSERTED THAT A DOZEN MEN WERE BEATEN 
AND TORTURED WITH ELECTRIC SHOCK UPON THEIR RETURN TO 
BUON CUOR KNIA. 
 
14. (SBU) THE LEADER FROM GIA LAI PROVINCE SAID THAT 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HO CHI  00039  02 OF 03  151451Z 
ETHNIC MINORITY VILLAGERS WHO LIVE IN THE AREA TOLD HIM 
THAT NEAR TO WHERE KON TUM, GIA LAI AND THE CAMBODIAN 
PROVINCES OF RATANAKIRI AND MONDULKIRI MEET, SEVERAL 
PERSONS FROM THE GROUP BEING RETURNED TO KON TUM TRIED 
TO ESCAPE.  SOLDIERS OPENED FIRE AND KILLED FOUR 
PERSONS, ACCORDING TO THESE VILLAGERS.  IN A SEPARATE 
INCIDENT, ACCORDING TO THIS SAME LEADER, SOLDIERS SHOT 
AND MAY HAVE KILLED FOUR OTHER PEOPLE AS THEY TRIED TO 
ESCAPE BY SWIMMING ACROSS THE SRE PAK RIVER IN DAK LAK 
PROVINCE. (THE LEADER FROM DAK LAK PROVINCE DID NOT 
MENTION THESE INCIDENTS BEFORE DEPARTING.)  WHEN ASKED 
SPECIFICALLY IF HE BELIEVED IT WAS GVN POLICY TO KILL 
VILLAGERS ATTEMPTING TO CROSS INTO CAMBODIA, OUR GIA 
LAI SOURCE SAID "NO", BUT HE BELIEVES SOLDIERS ARE TOLD 
TO "STOP PEOPLE FROM CROSSING," AND SOMETIMES "MISTAKES 
ARE MADE." 
 
15. (SBU) THE LEADER FROM GIA LAI PROVINCE SAID THAT 
TWO OF THE 30 PEOPLE FROM KON TUM PROVINCE ARE STILL 
UNDER DETENTION IN A PRISON IN PLEIKU.  THEIR NAMES ARE 
HOANH AND AMA XUAN.  THREE PERSONS FROM DAK LAK ARE 
STILL BEING DETAINED, BUT HE KNEW THE NAME OF ONLY ONE 
OF THEM - RAHLAM LUA (ALSO KNOWN AS AMA DUY). 
 
"DEGA PROTESTANTS" VS. MAINSTREAM PROTESTANTS 
--------------------------------------------- 
 

16. (SBU) BOTH LEADERS SPOKE OPENLY ABOUT THE SPLIT 
BETWEEN MAINSTREAM ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANTS IN THE 
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND THE "DEGA PROTESTANTS" WHO 
ACTIVELY SUPPORT AN INDEPENDENT ETHNIC MINORITY 
("DEGA") STATE IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS.  ALL OF THE 
PERSONS WHO ATTEMPTED TO CROSS THE BORDER INTO CAMBODIA 
WERE "DEGA PROTESTANTS," ACCORDING TO THE LEADERS.  THE 
LEADER FROM DAK LAK PROVINCE CHARACTERIZED THE "DEGA 
PROTESTANTS" AS "FALSE CHRISTIANS," WHO IGNORE THE 
ADVICE OF "TRUE" PROTESTANT PASTORS TELLING THEM NOT TO 
GO TO CAMBODIA. 
 
17. (SBU) WHEN ASKED DIRECTLY ABOUT THE REASONS FOR 
ETHNIC MINORITY VILLAGERS TO CROSS INTO CAMBODIA, THE 
LEADER FROM GIA LAI PROVINCE DIVIDED THE GROUPS INTO 
TWO.  HE SAID HE BELIEVED THE PEOPLE WHO FLED TO 
CAMBODIA IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2001 
UNREST WANTED TO ESCAPE GVN PERSECUTION.  BUT, HE 
BELIEVES THOSE WHO HAVE GONE TO CAMBODIA SINCE THE 
SUMMER (INCLUDING THE GROUP WHO ATTEMPTED TO CROSS ON 
CHRISTMAS DAY) WERE MOTIVATED BY PROMISES OF MONEY AND 
THE HOPE OF RESETTLEMENT IN THE U.S. HE ASSERTED THEY 
HAD "HEARD BY TELEPHONE" THAT SUCH OPPORTUNITIES WERE 
AVAILABLE. (NOTE: THIS ETHNIC MINORITY LEADER'S COMMENT 
IS SIMILAR TO WHAT GVN OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN TELLING US. 
END NOTE.) 
 
18. (SBU) SINCE THIS GIA LAI SOURCE WAS FAMILIAR WITH 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HO CHI  00039  03 OF 03  151451Z 
THE MONTAGNARD FOUNDATION, WE ASKED HOW HE WOULD 
CHARACTERIZE IT.  HE RESPONDED THAT WHILE IT ADVOCATED 
HUMAN RIGHTS, THESE DAYS ITS POLITICAL AGENDA (AN 
INDEPENDENT DEGA STATE) HAD THE UPPER HAND.  WHEN ASKED 
HOW MUCH SUPPORT THERE WAS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS FOR 
AN INDEPENDENT DEGA STATE, THIS SOURCE SAID THAT WHILE 
100 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE SUPPORTED HUMAN RIGHTS, NOT 
MORE THAN 30 PERCENT OF ETHNIC MINORITIES SUPPORTED A 
SEPARATE STATE.  THIS LEADER DESCRIBED THE DEGA 
PROTESTANTS AS USING RELIGION TO FURTHER THEIR 
POLITICAL AGENDA.  WHILE EVERYONE SUPPORTS FREEDOM OF 
RELIGION AND HUMAN RIGHTS, HE SAID, MOST OF THE PEOPLE 
DO NOT SUPPORT USING THESE IDEAS TO WAGE A WAR AGAINST 
THE GOVERNMENT. 
 
DOES ANYONE HAVE A MONOPOLY ON THE TRUTH? 
----------------------------------------- 
19. (SBU) WE BELIEVE OUR TWO SOURCES ARE RELIABLE AND 
PRESENTED INFORMATION THEY THOUGHT ACCURATE.  HOWEVER, 
WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORROBORATE THE SECOND-HAND 
REPORTS OF KILLINGS AT THE BORDER.  WHEN ASKED IF THEY 
WOULD CHARACTERIZE WHAT HAPPENED WITH PROVINCIAL 
CHRISTMAS SERVICES AS "NORMAL" OR "EXCEPTIONAL" 
REPRESSION, THEY SAID THE WIDE RANGE OF OFFICIAL 
ACTIONS WAS "NORMAL."  WHILE NEITHER LEADER SYMPATHIZED 
WITH "DEGA" POLITICAL AIMS, THEY WERE CLEARLY CONCERNED 
ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.  THEY AGREED THAT PROVINCIAL 
AUTHORITIES WANTED TO PREVENT RELIGIOUS SERVICES FROM 
TAKING A POLITICAL TURN.  BUT AS THEIR ACCOUNTS 
INDICATE, THE CHRISTMAS SITUATION VARIED FROM VILLAGE 
TO VILLAGE IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS REGION.  THESE TWO 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HO CHI  00039  03 OF 03  151451Z 
SOURCES DID NOT MAKE ANY OVERALL GENERALIZATIONS, AS 
THEY ACKNOWLEDGED IT IS POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE OF ONE 
VILLAGE TO BE UNAWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ANOTHER 
VILLAGE JUST ONE KILOMETER DOWN THE SAME ROAD. 
 
YAMAUCHI 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED