US embassy cable - 05HANOI353

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000353 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KIRF, PGOV, VM, ETMIN, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTER ISSUES INSTRUCTION ON PROTESTANTS 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Prime Minister Phan Van Khai issued on 
February 4 an Instruction to guide Ministries and People's 
Committees in their relations with Protestant churches and 
believers.  The document directs authorities to assist 
Protestant followers in celebrating their faith, including 
by opening churches, registering pastors and allowing 
denominations operating since 1975 to register their 
religious practice, even if they do not yet meet all 
criteria for official recognition.  The Instruction also 
specifically bans forced renunciations of faith.  In the 
Central Highlands, local authorities are to allow those 
groups that do not yet meet requirements to form a 
congregation to register and conduct their activities so 
long as they have no affiliation with separatist movements. 
End Summary 
 
2. (SBU) The Prime Minister's Instruction (unofficial 
translation in Para 6) directs all relevant authorities to 
"create favorable conditions for Protestant followers to 
belong to their local communities."  When a "true demand for 
religious practice is seen," authorities are told to 
register for religious practice the activities of those 
"Protestant cults and organizations that have not yet met 
enough conditions... to be recognized."  Authorities are 
also to consider for legal status organizations that have 
had "pure religious activities since 1975."  Addressing the 
issue of forced renunciations, the Instruction directs 
authorities to "outlaw attempts to force people to follow a 
religion or deny a religion."  Religious believers 
"disguised as Protestants" whose activities "go against the 
nation" are to be publicly announced, and "illegal 
missionaries" are to be punished. 
 
3. (SBU) Focusing specifically on the Central Highlands, the 
Instruction directs authorities to "create favorable 
conditions for [congregations] to build places of worship." 
For those groups of believers who do not meet the full 
criteria of a congregation, authorities should allow them to 
"register for religious practice at a suitable place..." so 
long as the believers are not linked to FULRO or Dega 
separatists.  In the Northwest Highlands, authorities are 
told to make similar accommodations for "followers who have 
practiced their religion for some time," but they are also 
to help people who have adopted Protestantism but "wish to 
come back to their traditional beliefs...." 
 
4. (SBU) The Instruction was released in a limited way on 
February 4, and notice appeared in some Vietnamese 
newspapers.  The Government has since withheld the 
Instruction and plans to re-release it to the press on 
February 16.  We have obtained an advance copy.  While few 
of our religious contacts have seen the Instruction, most 
are aware of it from media reports.  Mission will report on 
their reaction septel, after the official release. 
 
5. (SBU) Comment: This is a very positive document.  It 
contains a specific command from the highest level of the 
GVN banning forced renunciations of faith.  Potentially, it 
also allows house churches to reopen in the Central 
Highlands and act more freely in the Northwest Highlands. 
This goes a long way in meeting the criteria for progress in 
religious freedom that the Department has presented Vietnam 
with and upon which we based CPC designation.  Of course 
orders at the highest level do not always lead to action at 
the local level, an excuse we hear often from the GVN.  We 
will watch closely the GVN's efforts to put these orders 
into practice, although this is not something that will 
happen overnight.  End comment. 
 
6. (U) //Begin Unofficial Embassy Translation// 
 
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM 
PRIME MINISTER 
No: 01/2005/CT-TTg 
Hanoi, February 4, 2005 
 
INSTRUCTION OF THE PRIME MINISTER 
On some tasks regarding Protestantism 
 
 
In implementing of the Party's guidance and State's policies 
on Protestantism in the past, concerned Ministries, services 
and localities have exerted many efforts and achieved 
important results.  Pure religious activities for Protestant 
clerics and adherents are ensured, which creates a positive 
atmosphere among believers and consolidates their trust in 
the Party's leadership.  Protestant followers have actively 
participated in economic, cultural and social development 
and contributed to national construction. 
 
In order to continue strictly to implement the Party's 
guidance and State's policies on religion and belief in 
general and Protestantism in particular, the Prime Minister 
requests that concerned Ministries, services, provincial and 
municipal People's Committees closely coordinate with the 
Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations in strictly 
and effectively implementing the following tasks: 
 
-- 1. Fully realize the Party's guidance and the State's 
legislation concerning beliefs and religions, and policies 
on Protestantism, while actively carrying out economic, 
cultural and social development projects for the improvement 
of people's living conditions; and create favorable 
conditions for Protestant followers to belong to their local 
communities, thus encouraging them to become more deeply 
involved in local economic, cultural and social development 
as well as national construction and defense. 
 
-- 2. Raise public awareness about the need to create 
favorable conditions for Protestant followers and clerics to 
strictly implement the Party's policies and the State's 
legislation on beliefs and religions so as to ensure their 
religious practice is conducted in a normal routine and in 
conformity with the law; encourage every Protestant, cleric 
and adherent, to live a good religious and secular life in 
the service of God, the fatherland and the nation.  Ensure 
that each citizen's freedom of religious and belief practice 
is observed; attempts to force people to follow a religion 
or deny their religion are strictly prohibited.  Be 
determined to fight attempts by hostile forces to abuse 
Protestantism to incite people to act subversively, sow 
division among the people, and conduct activities going 
against the nation. 
 
-- 3. Guide the Vietnam Protestant Church (northern region) 
and the Vietnam Protestant Church (southern region) to 
conduct their religious activities in line with their 
charters and regulations within the law. 
 
-- 4. For Protestant in the Central Highlands, southern 
Truong Son region and central provinces: continue to 
consider and recognize eligible chapters of the Vietnam 
Protestant Church (southern region) and then create 
favorable conditions for them to build places of worship, 
and conduct training and arrange clerics who will take 
charge of managing those chapters that have been recognized 
by the law. 
 
For groups of Protestants which have not met enough 
conditions under the requirements of the law to establish a 
congregation, communal and ward authorities should create 
favorable conditions for them to conduct their normal 
religious practice at home or permit them to register for 
religious practice at a suitable place in hamlets and 
villages, if there exists a pure demand for religious 
practice from local followers committed to follow 
regulations and not to support FULRO and be affiliated with 
Dega Protestantism (which is actually a reactionary FULRO- 
affiliated organization). 
 
-- 5. For people of ethnic minority groups in northern 
mountainous areas who have just adopted Protestantism: 
considering their religious demand, devise proper policies 
along the following lines. 
 
For those Protestant followers who have practiced their 
religion for some time, they should be guided to practice 
their religion at home or at a suitable place in hamlets and 
villages.  When possible, Protestants should be encouraged 
to practice their religion in accordance with the law. 
 
For people having adopted Protestantism who wish to come 
back to their traditional belief, they should be helped to 
realize their wish. 
 
-- 6. To announce publicly to religious believers those 
disguised Protestants whose activities go against the nation 
and sow division among the people as well as their illegal 
activities and the State's punishments and clemency 
policies.  As well, illegal missionaries will be strictly 
punished in accordance with the law. 
 
-- 7. Protestant cults and organizations which have not met 
enough conditions under the requirements of the law to be 
recognized should be helped to register for religious 
practice with communal and ward authorities, if a true 
demand for religious practice is seen.  Step by step, 
consider and recognize the legal status of Protestant cults 
and organizations that had pure religious activities since 
1975.  If they meet all requirements of the law, they should 
be permitted to convene the General Assembly for the legal 
status recognition. 
 
-- 8. According to current law, local People's Committees 
should facilitate requests for construction of places of 
worship, appointment of clerics, and training from 
recognized Protestant cults. 
 
-- 9. Ministers of ministries, heads of Ministerial-level 
agencies and governmental offices, and chairmen of 
provincial and municipal People's Committees must be 
responsible for strictly implementing this Instruction. 
 
The Government Committee for Religious Affairs is 
responsible for overseeing and guiding the implementation of 
the Instruction and providing reports to the Prime Minister. 
 
Recipients: 
 
Standing Secretariat, 
President, 
National Assembly Chairman, 
Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, 
Office of the Central Party Committee and Commissions, 
Office of the National Assembly, 
Office of the President, 
Vietnam Fatherland Front, 
Ministries, Ministerial-level agencies and governmental 
offices, 
Secretaries of Party's Committees and Chairmen of People's 
 
SIPDIS 
Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, 
Supreme People's Procuracy, 
Supreme People's Court, 
Steering Committees for the Northwestern region, Central 
Highlands region, and Western South region, 
Central offices of mass organization, 
Official Gazette, 
Office of the Government: BTCN, TBNC, research group, 
concerned divisions, departments and offices, 
Speaker of the Prime Minister, 
Archives 
 
//End Unofficial Embassy Translation// 
MARINE