US embassy cable - 02HANOI579

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000579 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USCIRF 
 
SECDEF FOR ABLAGG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL 03/14/2012 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, PGOV, SOCI, VM, RELFREE, HUMANR 
SUBJECT:  HOW NOT TO MAKE FRIENDS 
 
REF:  A.  HANOI 432    B.  HANOI 443 
 
      C.  VIENTIANE 235 
 
1.  (U) CLASSIFIED BY RAYMOND F. BURGHARDT, 
AMBASSADOR; REASON 1.5(D) 
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2.  (C)  SUMMARY:  GVN ACTIONS HINDERED CONTACT 
BETWEEN RELIGIOUS LEADERS IT DID NOT HAND PICK AND THE 
U.S. COMMISSION FOR INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM'S 
(USCIRF) DELEGATION.  CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING A 
PACKED ITINERARY, SELECTIVE COMPLIANCE WITH SCHEDULE 
CHANGE REQUESTS, PLAINCLOTHES TAILS, AND POORLY 
EXPLAINED DETOURS, COMBINED TO MAKE UNOFFICIAL 
MEETINGS DIFFICULT.  THE GVN'S ESSENTIALLY UNDISGUISED 
EFFORTS TO CONTROL THE DELEGATION LEFT A WORSE 
IMPRESSION OF VIETNAM THAN THE CONTENTS OF THE 
MEETINGS THE GVN SEEMS TO HAVE FEARED SO MUCH.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
PLAYING GAMES WITH THE SCHEDULE 
------------------------------- 
 
3.  (C)  DESPITE USCIRF REQUESTS IN WRITING, SENT 
BEFORE THE DELEGATION LEFT THE UNITED STATES, THEIR 
VIETNAMESE HOSTS, THE VIETNAM - USA SOCIETY, AN OFFICE 
OF THE VIETNAM UNION OF FRIENDSHIP ORGANIZATIONS 
(VUFO), REFUSED TO ELIMINATE ANY OF THE 26 ENGAGEMENTS 
IT SCHEDULED OVER FIVE DAYS.  VUFO ALSO REBUFFED A 
SERIES OF ORAL REQUESTS TO STREAMLINE THE SCHEDULE 
MADE BY THE DELEGATION, POLOFF, AND (SEPTEL) CONGEN 
POLOFF.  ON FEBRUARY 22, TRAN VAN DANG, GENERAL 
SECRETARY OF THE VIETNAM FATHERLAND FRONT, VUFO'S 
 
SIPDIS 
PARENT ORGANIZATION, "CONGRATULATED" THE DELEGATION ON 
ITS "ABUNDANT" SCHEDULE, BUT SAID THAT IT WOULD BE TOO 
COMPLICATED TO CHANGE.  LATER, IN AN ASIDE TO POLOFF, 
THE DELEGATION'S HOST, HOANG CONG THUY, GENERAL 
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SECRETARY OF THE VIETNAM - USA SOCIETY, SAID THAT HIS 
 
SIPDIS 
BOSS HAD TOLD HIM THERE COULD BE NO CHANGES.  VUFO DID 
COMPLY WITH AN EARLY REQUEST THAT THE DELEGATION TRIED 
TO REVERSE AFTER IT REALIZED THAT THE CHANGE MEANT AT 
LEAST TWO HOURS OF EXTRA TRAVEL TIME.  VUFO REFUSED TO 
REVERSE THE CHANGE, DESPITE CONGENOFF'S OFFER TO MAKE 
THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS.  CONFRONTED WITH THIS 
INTRACTABLE SCHEDULE, THE DELEGATION DECIDED IT WOULD 
HAVE TO SPLIT UP TO MEET INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE ITS 
OFFICIAL SCHEDULE AT THE SAME TIME AS OFFICIAL 
MEETINGS.  THEY ALSO DECIDED TO SIMPLY REFUSE TO 
ATTEND EVENTS THEY HAD ASKED VUFO TO CANCEL. 
 
MOTORBIKE TAILS 
--------------- 
 
4.  (C)  THE DELEGATION HAD TWO UNOFFICIAL MEETINGS 
(SEPTEL/REF D) IN HANOI, BUT PLAINCLOTHESMEN ON 
MOTORBIKES FOLLOWED THE DELEGATION'S EMBASSY VEHICLE 
TO BOTH.  THE FIRST MEETING, ON FEBRUARY 21, WAS AT 
ONE PILLAR PAGODA NEAR HO CHI MINH'S MAUSOLEUM.  TWO 
PLAINCLOTHESMEN DISMOUNTED FROM THEIR MOTORBIKES AND 
FOLLOWED THE DELEGATION AND ACCOMPANYING EMBOFFS ONTO 
THE PAGODA'S GROUNDS ON FOOT.  THE DELEGATION SPOKE 
WITH A MONK IN ONE OF THE PAGODA'S PUBLIC ROOMS FOR 
ABOUT AN HOUR.  EACH PLAINCLOTHESMEN CAME IN ONCE FOR 
A FEW MINUTES AT A TIME, OSTENSIBLY TO PRAY AND MAKE 
AN OFFERING WHILE STANDING CLOSE ENOUGH TO EAVESDROP 
EASILY.  THE MONK, RECOUNTING PROBLEMS WITH THE 
DISTRICT GOVERNMENT (SEPTEL/REF D), SEEMED TO PAY 
LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE LISTENERS. 
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ANOTHER TAIL AND THE PHONE CALL THAT SAID IT ALL 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
5.  (C)  ON FEBRUARY 22, USCIRF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 
STEVEN MCFARLAND, ANALYST JOHN TAI, AND EMBOFFS PAID A 
CALL ON PASTOR VINH OF THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF 
VIETNAM (ECVN).  PLAINCLOTHESMEN IN TOW, THE 
DELEGATION AND EMBOFFS DROPPED BY PASTOR VINH'S CHURCH 
ON FEBRUARY 20 TO TRY TO MEET WITH HIM.  PASTOR VINH 
ASKED THAT THEY SEND A WRITTEN REQUEST FOR A MEETING. 
THE DELEGATION COMPLIED AND HE CALLED TO ACCEPT THAT 
AFTERNOON.  AFTER THE DELEGATION AND EMBOFFS RETURNED 
TO THE CHURCH ON FEBRUARY 22, PASTOR VINH SAID THAT 
THE POLICE HAD CONTACTED HIM IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE 
DELEGATION LEFT ON FEBRUARY 20 AND ASKED HIM WHAT HE 
HAD DISCUSSED WITH THE DELEGATION.  HE SAID THAT HE 
HAD NOT SAID ANYTHING TO THE DELEGATION, BUT TOLD THE 
POLICE THAT HE INTENDED TO MEET WITH THE DELEGATION 
BEFORE SUNDAY.  A MAN AND A WOMAN ON A MOTORBIKE 
FOLLOWED THE DELEGATION FROM THEIR HOTEL TO THE ECVN 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ2031 
 
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ACTION EAP-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DS-00    FBIE-00  VC-00 
      TEDE-00  INR-00   VCE-00   NSAE-00  SS-00    DSCC-00  DRL-02 
      NFAT-00  SAS-00     /002W 
                  ------------------744461  140555Z /38 
P 140529Z MAR 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5776 
INFO SECDEF WASHDC 
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 000579 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USCIRF 
 
SECDEF FOR ABLAGG 
 
CHURCH ON FEBRUARY 22 AND APPARENTLY WAITED OUTSIDE 
THE CHURCH GATE DURING THE MEETING.  ABOUT THIRTY 
MINUTES INTO THE MEETING MR. THUY OF THE VIETNAM - USA 
SOCIETY CALLED POLOFF'S CELL PHONE.  AFTER ASKING 
AMONG OTHER THINGS, POLOFF'S LOCATION, THUY, SOUNDING 
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SOMEWHAT STRAINED, SAID, "MEETINGS OUTSIDE THE 
OFFICIAL SCHEDULE ARE NOT HIGHLY APPRECIATED," AND 
HUNG UP. 
 
THE HOST AS PEST 
---------------- 
 
6.  (C)  THUY SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED POLOFF ON TWO OR 
THREE OCCASIONS IF THERE WERE GOING TO BE "OTHER" 
OUTSIDE MEETINGS, ONCE WINKING AT POLOFF.  ON FEBRUARY 
23, WHILE THE DELEGATION WAS IN HUE, THUY AGAIN CALLED 
POLOFF TO ASK FOR CONGEN POLOFF'S PHONE NUMBER (EVEN 
THOUGH HE ALMOST CERTAINLY HAD IT).  AT ABOUT THAT 
TIME, CONGEN POLOFF AND PART OF THE DELEGATION WERE 
AWOL FROM AN OFFICIAL DINNER (SEPTEL). 
 
WE WANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON YOU; WILL YOU PAY FOR IT? 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
7.  (C)  THUY AND POLOFF HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS 
ABOUT WHETHER THE DELEGATION WOULD USE A GVN PROVIDED 
VEHICLE OR EMBASSY AND CONGEN VEHICLES, PARTICULARLY 
FOR A TRIP FROM HO CHI MINH CITY TO AN GIANG PROVINCE. 
THUY PERSISTENTLY PUSHED FOR VUFO TO PROVIDE ALL THE 
VEHICLES NEEDED TO ACCOMMODATE THE DELEGATION, EMBASSY 
TRANSLATOR, CONGEN STAFF, AND VUFO'S TWO HANDLERS.  HE 
EXPRESSED NO INTEREST IN CONGEN'S OFFER TO PROVIDE TWO 
VEHICLES, EVEN THOUGH HE AND HIS VUFO SUPERIORS 
REPEATEDLY ASKED, FIRST THE DELEGATION, THEN THE 
EMBASSY, IF THEY WOULD PAY VUFO'S TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR 
THE TRIP. 
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THE FIASCO MOVES SOUTH 
---------------------- 
 
7. (C)  SEPTEL DETAILS THE GVN'S MISHANDLING OF THE 
USCIRF DELEGATION IN HUE, AN GIANG, AND HO CHI MINH 
CITY.  POLICE CONFINED AT LEAST TWO INDIVIDUALS TO 
THEIR HOMES TEMPORARILY.  TWO OTHERS REPORTEDLY LOST 
PHONE SERVICE AFTER AGREEING TO MEET USCIRF.  WITH THE 
DELEGATION IN A CONGEN VEHICLE AND VUFO IN ANOTHER, 
VARIOUS EXASPERATING CIRCUMSTANCES PROLONGED THE TRIP 
TO AND FROM AN GIANG.  POLICE GATHERED CONSPICUOUSLY 
OUTSIDE PLACES WHERE THE DELEGATION HAD OR MIGHT HAVE 
HAD UNOFFICIAL MEETINGS, INCLUDING THE CONSUL 
GENERAL'S RESIDENCE.  FINALLY, VUFO'S THUY BECAME 
INCREASINGLY UNPLEASANT AS THE VISIT WORE ON. 
 
8. (U)  THE USCIRF DELEGATION WAS UNABLE TO REVIEW 
THIS CABLE BEFORE THEY DEPARTED VIETNAM. 
BURGHARDT 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL