US embassy cable - 05HANOI363

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000363 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR DRL/IRF AND EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, KIRF, VM, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT:  NSC Senior Director Michael Green Discusses 
Religion with Protestant Church Leader 
 
Reference: A) 04 Hanoi 3257; B) 04 Hanoi 1987; C) Hanoi 353 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: According to a senior Evangelical Church 
of Vietnam: North (ECVN) representative, the GVN has 
provided new freedom to the Church, despite not yet having 
released implementing regulations for the Ordinance on 
Religion.  Now that the GVN has permitted (after a 20-year 
delay) the ECVN to hold its Congress and appoint a new 
Management Board, obtaining GVN permission to build new 
churches and train new leaders is the ECVN's top priority. 
The Church would also like to see the Central Government 
publicize the implementing regulations of the Ordinance on 
Religion and publicly affirm the legitimacy of Protestant 
practice.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) Visiting NSC Senior Director for Asia Dr. Michael 
J. Green met February 5 with Au Quang Vinh, Pastor of the 
ECVN's Hanoi church, at the ECVN's headquarters in Hanoi. 
Poloff accompanied.  Vinh told Green that "Christian 
followers" in Vietnam appreciate the policies and statements 
of the United States regarding religious freedom in Vietnam. 
In past years, Pastor Vinh said, "we have had many 
difficulties."  Recently, however, things have improved.  In 
particular, Vinh mentioned the December 2004 Congress of the 
ECVN, the first such Congress in 20 years.  "We told the 
Government that we would only hold our Congress if they 
respected our operating principles and allowed us to select 
our own Management Board," Vinh explained.  "Now they have 
done so" (Ref. A). 
 
3. (SBU) Now that the Management Board has been selected and 
recognized, the main challenge is to increase the number of 
pastors and churches, Vinh said.  Vinh put the number of 
Protestant believers in northern Vietnam as "more than 
100,000" despite the fact that the ECVN has only 14 pastors 
and churches.  (Note: Most of these believers are ethnic 
minorities in the Northwest Highlands.  The ECVN has no 
official churches in that region, but remains in contact 
with many house churches. End note.)  "In the coming 
period," Vinh said, "we will ask the Government for 
permission to open a school to train pastors and will also 
request that the Government recognize ECVN congregations in 
border provinces so that they can carry out normal 
activities."  The biggest obstacle to normal church 
activities is "local authorities who do not understand the 
religious beliefs and practices of followers."  Vinh also 
said he wants to improve the condition of existing churches. 
 
4. (SBU) To serve adequately the existing number of 
followers, the ECVN needs 1,000 new churches, Vinh stated. 
Construction of new churches "can be very difficult," he 
acknowledged, citing as an example the ECVN's efforts to 
build a newer, bigger church in Hanoi on existing land. 
This effort has been hampered by the Hanoi city government, 
based on the ECVN's lack of a certificate of land use rights 
to back its claim that the land the church sits on was given 
to the ECVN by the Christian and Missionary Alliance in 
1954, Vinh said.  (Note: The certificate of land use rights 
acts like a land title or deed in Vietnam.  It is nearly 
impossible to get permission to improve a property in 
Vietnam when the ownership is not adequately documented. 
End note.) 
 
5. (SBU) Vinh acknowledged "a number of new and better 
points" in the Ordinance on Religion (Ref. B), although he 
noted that since the Ordinance's release in November 2004 
there has so far been no implementation decree.  A key 
factor in the Ordinance's effectiveness will be the degree 
to which local authorities understand and abide by it.  "In 
many areas," Vinh complained, "local authorities act as if 
they have no knowledge of the law or regulations."  The 
ECVN's plan is to "carry out the law of Vietnam through the 
Commission on Religious Affairs and ask the Commission to 
respect our legitimate demands and understand that we do not 
want armed struggle."  All the ECVN needs to construct its 
churches is permission, Vinh said.  "Protestants all over 
the world will support us." 
 
6. (SBU) The implementing regulations of the new Ordinance 
on Religion will be the crucial factor in assessing whether 
the Ordinance is useful or not, Vinh continued.  "In 
Vietnam, the law opens a large door but the implementing 
regulations close a smaller one," he explained.  The 
implementing regulations will determine how local 
authorities understand and comply with the law.  The Central 
Government can assist by making it known that Protestantism 
is lawful and formally recognized. (Note: As reported in 
Reftel C, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai issued on February 4 
(but did not publicize until February 16) 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. 
End Note.)  "In many local areas, it is thought that 
Protestantism is the United States, and the United States is 
the enemy," Vinh said.  "All we want is fair treatment for 
Protestantism like any other religion in Vietnam."  The 
ECVN's new Managing Board plans to test the waters by 
"asking for permission to open a training center for pastors 
this summer."  In a "few days," the ECVN will submit a plan 
to the Committee on Religious Affairs concerning the work of 
their church, including the issues of church construction, 
training of religious workers and the opening of bible 
schools.  So far, Vinh said, the religious freedom changes 
in Vietnam have been good for his church.  There are new 
pastors in Lang Son Province and Hai Phong City, and the GVN 
gave the ECVN permission to hold a Congress, elect leaders 
and establish a work plan.  Vinh added that he believes that 
this progress has come about as a result of USG pressure on 
the GVN, and that in the future the two sides should 
establish visits and exchanges to improve bilateral 
relations and religious freedom. 
 
7. (SBU) Comment: Pastor Vinh was distinctly upbeat during 
this meeting.  In the past, he has been guardedly positive 
about religious freedom, but full of frustration about the 
conduct of authorities.  This time, he seemed to be looking 
forward to the GVN's implementing positive changes, possibly 
because of the success of the EVCN Congress in December and 
the new vigor it has given the church after 20 years of 
delays.  End Comment. 
 
8. (U) Dr. Green has cleared this message. 
 
MARINE