US embassy cable - 05HANOI465

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000465 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, S/P, AND DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KIRF, PREL, PGOV, VM, RELFREE, HUMANR, ETMIN 
SUBJECT: S/P OFFICER ENGAGES GVN OFFICIALS ON RELIGIOUS 
ISSUES 
 
Reftels: A) 04 Hanoi 1987, B) Hanoi 353 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: An official from the Committee for 
Religious Affairs (CRA) sees Vietnam's new Ordinance on 
Religion and Instruction on Protestants as significantly 
reducing restrictions on religious activities.  The 
situation for Protestants in the Central Highlands has 
improved recently, he claimed.  Furthermore, Protestants in 
the Northwest Highlands will have new freedoms, including 
the ability to hold meetings in private homes.  A Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs official echoed these claims and urged 
the USG to think about regional issues and the health of the 
bilateral relationship in assessing actions related to CPC. 
End Summary. 
 
Committee for Religious Affairs Explains Recent Changes 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
2. (U) During their February 24 meeting, Nguyen Thanh Xuan, 
Director for Protestant Affairs at the Government Committee 
for Religious Affairs told S/P Officer William Inboden that 
Vietnam's Ordinance on Religion, passed last June, is now 
the highest legal document governing religion in the country 
(Ref. A).  New points in the Ordinance include setting clear 
requirements for recognition of religious groups, relaxed 
controls of transfers of clerics, fewer limits on the 
external relations of religious groups and enhanced 
abilities for religious groups to conduct charitable 
activities.  Under the Ordinance, there are now three levels 
of Government control regarding activities of religious 
groups: 1) "inform," 2) "register" and 3) "request 
permission."  In the past, most activities required "level 
three control."  Now, however, level one or two is the norm, 
and level three is only necessary for major activities, such 
as the construction of churches.  Xuan acknowledged that the 
Ordinance still has "special ways" of dealing with the 
Vatican.  Continued requirements for consultation on the 
appointment of Catholic priests are a "sign of respect" and 
not evidence of interference in Church affairs. 
 
3. (U) Referring to the new Instruction on Protestants (Ref. 
B), Xuan explained that, in addition to upholding the legal 
activities to the two officially-recognized Protestant 
Churches in Vietnam, the Instruction addresses unrecognized 
denominations that were established both before and after 
1975, as well as Protestants in the Central and Northwest 
Highlands.  Those denominations that were established in 
Vietnam before 1975 will receive consideration for 
recognition in a "more favorable manner."  Post-1975 
denominations should register their activities, and they can 
be considered for recognition as they "fill all the 
necessary requirements." 
 
4. (U) In the Central Highlands, there has been a rapid 
growth in the number of Protestants in recent years.  This 
in itself is not a problem, Xuan said, but separatists have 
begun to act "under the guise of religion."  Nonetheless, 
there has been recent progress for Protestants in that 
region.  There are eighteen students from the Central 
Highlands studying at the Southern Evangelical Church of 
Vietnam's (SECV) Bible School in Ho Chi Minh City.  Many new 
congregations have been recently recognized in the region. 
Bibles are available in ethnic minority languages, and SECV 
is in discussion with provincial authorities about opening 
special Bible classes for unrecognized preachers in every 
Central Highlands province.  (Xuan later acknowledged that 
the State Religious Publishing House only prints the Bible 
in Vietnamese, Chinese and English).  House churches should 
register their activities and show they have no affiliation 
with separatist groups.  Once they have at least 100 members 
and a preacher in charge, they can begin the process of 
seeking recognition as an independent congregation.  A 
church building is no longer a requirement for recognition, 
which will end the previous "chicken and egg" problem of 
congregations needing a church building to be official, but 
not being able to build a church until they became official, 
Xuan said. 
 
5. (U) In the Northwest Highlands, Xuan said that believers 
would be able to hold meetings in private homes so long as 
they registered with provincial authorities.  After some 
time they may be able to develop into official 
congregations, but that would depend on the charter of the 
denominations with which they are affiliated.  Xuan 
suggested that such nascent congregations might be able to 
affiliate with the Evangelical Church of Vietnam: North. 
The CRA understands that dissemination of the new 
Instruction to provincial authorities is extremely 
important. 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Think Regionally 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) Nguyen Duc Hung, Assistant Foreign Minister and 
Director General of the American Department, began his 
meeting with Mr. Inboden by addressing regional issues.  He 
gave an overview on recent political developments in the 
region, including a discussion about the East Asia Summit 
and Vietnamese engagement in APEC and in ASEAN regional and 
sub-regional forums.  Hung talked of the "peaceful rise" of 
China and the desire of the "smaller countries in the 
region" to "live with China and keep good relations with the 
United States."  Hung then mentioned the positive progress 
in the U.S.-Vietnam relationship over the past ten years, 
including recent progress in "sensitive" areas such as 
military cooperation and counter-terrorism.  "Vietnam wants 
to maintain this momentum," AFM Hung said.  He implied that 
the USG should consider the issue of religion within this 
broader context. 
 
7. (SBU) Addressing religious issues, Hung said that "the 
situation in Vietnam is very different from the perception 
in Washington."  He made reference to a decree by Ho Chi 
Minh that guaranteed freedom of religion in Vietnam and 
mentioned the new Ordinance and Instruction.  "We will 
follow these very closely," Hung promised.  The GVN has 
worked hard to improve the lives of ethnic minorities.  In 
the past, "fanatics and sects" had sometimes deceived these 
believers and taken their money.  Authorities have had to 
take measures against this.  Vietnam's openness to religion 
is reflected in the way it has welcomed the recent 
appointment of a new Archbishop to Hanoi and the visit to 
Vietnam of long-exiled Buddhist leader Thich Nhat Hanh.  CPC 
designation for Vietnam has "hurt my people," Hung said. 
Hung said that the GVN is preparing for diplomatic 
discussions over the CPC issue and appealed to Ambassador 
Hanford to "remove Vietnam from the CPC list." 
 
8. (U) In the interest of expediency, S/P William Inboden 
asked post to send this cable without his clearance. 
MARINE