US embassy cable - 05HOCHIMINHCITY160

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000160 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, SOCI, KIRF, PGOV, KHIV, VM, RELFREE, HIV/AIDS 
SUBJECT: HIV/AIDS INTER-FAITH SERVICE DRAWS TOP CITY 
LEADERSHIP AND THOUSANDS OTHERS 
 
REF: HCMC 132 
 
1. (U) Over 6,000 people attended an inter-faith prayer 
service to raise HIV/AIDS awareness organized by the 
Catholic Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of 
February 15.  Senior city government and Party leaders as 
well as heads of Vietnam's six recognized religions 
participated in the service, the first of its kind in HCMC. 
 
2. (U) The nearly three-hour event opened with a speech by 
Nguyen Thanh Tai, Vice-Chairman of the HCMC People's 
Committee, responsible for social and cultural affairs.  Tai 
outlined the threat that HIV/AIDS poses to the community and 
HCMC's response.  He welcomed the efforts of religious 
groups, other NGOs, and individual volunteers to combat 
HIV/AIDS.  Following Tai, Buddhist, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, 
Muslim, Protestant, and Catholic leaders emphasized their 
desire to work together to combat HIV/AIDS.  Following the 
speeches, Cardinal Pham Minh Man, Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh 
City, led a Catholic service.  The event concluded with 
testimonials from HIV positive patients and volunteers 
caring for AIDS patients.  Local print and television 
outlets covered the event. 
 
3. (U) During the event, Catholic Church representatives 
announced they would launch an AIDS awareness campaign 
throughout the HCMC archdiocese.  They also said they were 
planning to establish Church-based volunteer networks to 
care for AIDS patients throughout the city.  Alluding to the 
HCMC government's discouragement of charitable activities by 
religious groups in the past, the Vicar General of the 
Catholic Church said "we hope the government's offices will 
give more favorable conditions to religions as well as 
social and charitable organizations in order to serve man 
more concretely and efficiently." 
 
4. (SBU) Phuong Dinh Toai (protect), Program Manager of the 
Archdiocese's AIDS Committee, told us the Church spent five 
months negotiating the inter-faith service with the 
government and other religious leaders.  However, once the 
Archdiocese received permission from the government to move 
ahead, the Church was free to plan the event as it chose. 
Toai said that the Church made the final decision on whether 
to allow local Government leaders to participate or not 
based on the content of their speeches, which were 
prescreened by the Archdiocese. 
 
5. (SBU) Comment:  Cardinal Man previously had grumbled that 
the HCMC government was limiting unduly the Church's 
charitable activities.  A lot has changed over the past few 
months: the HCMC government has allowed the Church to become 
the primary care giver at an HIV/AIDS treatment facility 
within a drug rehabilitation center (Ref A).  The Church 
also recently secured formal permission to operate an AIDS 
hospice in the HCMC area.  Other Church initiatives, such as 
an HIV/AIDS counseling and testing center, while not yet 
Government-approved, operate without hindrance. 
 
6. (SBU) Comment Continued: The well-orchestrated inter- 
faith service made clear and very public the desire of 
religious organizations -- particularly the Catholic Church 
-- to do more in the fight against HIV/AIDS.  The prominent 
involvement of the City's high-ranking leaders in the 
service is an encouraging sign that the HCMC government is 
ready to partner more fully with religious-based and non- 
religious NGOs to combat a growing HIV/AIDS threat.  End 
Comment. 
 
WINNICK