US embassy cable - 05HANOI395

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000395 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KIRF, PREL, PGOV, VM, RELFREE, HUMANR, ETMIN 
SUBJECT: NORTHERN PROTESTANT CHURCH OUTLINES PLANS 
 
Reftels: A) 04 Hanoi 3257, B) 04 Hanoi 1987, C) Hanoi 353 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: The Evangelical Church of Vietnam: North 
(ECVN) plans to begin renovating its churches, building new 
ones and appointing four pastors in the new future.  In 
appointing the new pastors, the Church will follow the 
relaxed notification requirements of the new Ordinance on 
Religion.  The Church also plans to begin publishing a 
newsletter and open a Bible school in Hanoi, but authorities 
have indicated approval for these two actions may take some 
time.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) Pastor Au Quang Vinh (protect) of the Hanoi branch 
of the ECVN began his February 17 meeting with Poloff by 
saying that he is "very happy with our new opportunities 
this year."  On February 4, the Committee for Religious 
Affairs (CRA) had accepted the new leadership board of the 
ECVN, elected at their general convention last December 
(Ref. A), and the ECVN and CRA had finally settled their 
lingering disagreements about the Church's charter.  The CRA 
did not try to change any tenets of faith in the Church 
charter, but did push for some modifications in the ECVN's 
organizational structure.  For example, the CRA did not want 
the ECVN to register "sub-congregations without church 
buildings," but the Church insisted that this was an 
important part of their outreach to ethnic minority 
Christians in the Northwest Highlands.  "We kept 99 percent 
of the major points," said Vinh, but made some changes in 
language to placate the CRA." 
 
2. (SBU) Pastor Vinh presented Poloff with a letter in 
English that listed eight "works" the Church plans to carry 
out.  These are (quote): 
- Existing local churches must try their best to be self 
sufficient; 
- Strengthen the relationship between old local churches and 
newly built ones; 
- Build new churches and repair old ones that [were] damaged 
by war; 
- Ordain and appoint new pastors to local churches that have 
no leaders; 
- Create a Bible School to train and produce enough 
religious leaders and workers; 
- Recognize qualified churches of the mountainous tribes; 
- Editing and publishing Christian literature; 
- and Encourage local churches to be involved in social and 
charitable works and especially tighten the relationship 
between North and South VN Churches which are so far 
operating as two different organizations because of the 
present law system. (End quote) 
 
3. (SBU) Pastor Vinh indicated that the ECVN leadership's 
first planned activity is to travel "next week" to Thanh Hoa 
and Nghe An Provinces.  In Thanh Hoa, the EVCN will seek 
permission to reconstruct a dilapidated church.  In Vinh, 
capital of Nghe An, the church had been seized by the 
provincial government several years ago and, four years ago, 
the building was razed to construct a park.  The ECVN will 
seek an apology for this and ask the authorities to provide 
them with new land for and aid in constructing a new church. 
 
4. (SBU) Pastor Vinh indicated that the ECVN would appoint 
or transfer four new pastors in March.  This will be a test 
case as it is the first time the EVCN will simply inform 
authorities of the transfer, rather than ask permission. 
This is a new freedom allowed under the new Ordinance on 
Religion (Ref. B).  Also that month, the ECVN leadership 
will travel to Lang Son Province to meet with authorities 
about constructing a church for the ethnic minority Dzao 
congregation there.  "We will really test whether the 
Government is serious about its new policies towards 
Protestants," Vinh said. 
 
5. (SBU) The ECVN has already consulted with the CRA about 
two other issues.  The Church would like to begin publishing 
an internal newsletter.  The CRA said it would likely take 
six months for it to get all the government permissions 
required.  The ECVN also consulted with the CRA about its 
plans to establish a Bible school in Hanoi.  The Church 
would like the school to open this summer, but the CRA 
indicated that necessary approvals "may take some time," 
Pator Vinh recounted. 
 
6. (SBU) Responding to Poloff about the ECVN's plans in the 
Northwest Highlands, Vinh referenced the Prime Minister's 
Instruction on Protestants (Ref. C), saying that the 
document for the first time acknowledges the existence of 
Protestants in the region and bans forced renunciations of 
faith.  The ECVN will continue to train actively volunteers 
from the Northwest Highlands so they understand their 
rights.  (Pastor Vinh's comments on the new instruction are 
covered septel). 
MARINE