US embassy cable - 02HOCHIMINHCITY400

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000400 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/KFOSTER 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KIRF, VM, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT: ASSEMBLIES OF GOD IN VIETNAM: STILL AN "UNDERGROUND ORGANIZATION" 
 
REF: A. HANOI 3601 (1999)  B. HANOI 1755 (1999) 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE 22,000-STRONG 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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FULL GOSPEL ASSEMBLIES OF GOD (AOG) IN VIETNAM SAID HE WOULD 
WELCOME GOVERNMENT RECOGNITION OF THE GROUP, BUT EXPECTED IT 
TO REMAIN AN "UNDERGROUND ORGANIZATION" FOR YEARS TO COME. 
THE GOVERNMENT STILL "REPRESSES" THE AOG, HE CLAIMED, BUT NO 
LONGER IMPRISONS AOG BELIEVERS OR PASTORS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
"SOPHISTICATED REPRESSION" IN THE NORTH 
--------------------------------------- 
2. (SBU) REVEREND DUONG THANH LAM, GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT 
FOR THE FULL GOSPEL ASSEMBLIES OF GOD (AOG) IN VIETNAM MET 
WITH POLOFF ON APRIL 15, THE FIRST CONTACT MISSION HAS HAD 
WITH THE AOG LEADER.  [NOTE: MISSION'S ONLY PREVIOUS CONTACT 
WITH THE AOG OCCURRED WHEN POLICE DETAINED REVEREND TRAN 
DINH "PAUL" AI IN MID-1999 FOR TAKING PART IN A BIBLE 
MEETING IN HANOI.  MISSION LATER ASSISTED AI IN OBTAINING A 
RELIGIOUS WORKER (R) VISA, WHICH HE AND HIS FAMILY USED TO 
TRAVEL TO THE U.S. IN DECEMBER 1999 (SEE REFTELS).] 
 
3. (SBU) LAM SAID HE HAS SERVED AS AOG GENERAL 
SUPERINTENDENT SINCE 1997.  HE STATED THAT HE HAS ONLY 30 
PASTORS (10 OF WHOM ARE ORDAINED, THE OTHER 20 FULLY TRAINED 
BUT NOT YET ORDAINED) TO MINISTER TO 22,000 AOG FOLLOWERS IN 
VIETNAM.  HE SAID THE RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF AOG 
FOLLOWERS (COMPARED TO APPROXIMATELY 800,000 PROTESTANT 
BELIEVERS NATIONWIDE) WAS DUE TO SEVERE REPRESSION OF THE 
AOG AFTER 1975.  HE SAID THE CHURCH REORGANIZED ITSELF IN 
1989, AND HAS SINCE BEEN GROWING RAPIDLY.  MOST OF THE 
GROUP'S 225 HOUSE CHURCHES ARE IN HCMC.  THE NEXT LARGEST 
CONCENTRATION OF AOG WORSHIPPERS IS AMONG THE K'HO AND EDE 
ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS IN LAM DONG AND DAK LAK PROVINCES IN 
THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS.  SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF THAI, H'MONG 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HO CHI  00400  01 OF 02  190630Z 
AND OTHER ETHNIC MINORITY PERSONS PARTICIPATE IN AOG HOUSE 
CHURCH SERVICES IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCES BORDERING CHINA. 
 
4. (SBU) LAM SAID HIS GROUP FACES ITS SEVEREST PERSECUTION 
IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCES.  HE SINGLED OUT LAI CHAU AND LANG 
SON PROVINCES AS THE MOST REPRESSIVE.  IN SOME VILLAGES IN 
LAI CHAU, LAM ASSERTED, NON-UNIFORMED SECURITY PERSONNEL 
STAY IN CHRISTIAN HOMES TO PREVENT THEM FROM CARRYING OUT 
WORSHIP SERVICES.  POLICE SUMMON FOR QUESTIONING PERSONS 
SUSPECTED OF ORGANIZING HOUSE CHURCH SERVICES ON AN ALMOST 
DAILY BASIS.  DISTRICT OFFICIALS ALLEGEDLY ORGANIZE MEETINGS 
WHERE AOG FOLLOWERS ARE COERCED INTO SIGNING DOCUMENTS 
PLEDGING TO ABANDON CHRISTIANITY.  LAM MENTIONED THAT THOSE 
WHO RENOUNCE THEIR FAITH SOMETIMES DRINK ANIMAL BLOOD, BUT 
NOTED THIS IS A COMMON PRACTICE AMONG CERTAIN ETHNIC GROUPS. 
THE ACT IN THIS CONTEXT DEMONSTRATES A RETURN TO TRADITIONAL 
BELIEFS AND PRACTICES. 
 
5. (SBU) LAM GAVE POLOFF A COPY OF A DOCUMENT PURPORTEDLY 
USED FOR RENUNCIATION IN DIEN BIEN PHU IN LAI CHAU PROVINCE. 
THE SIGNATORY AGREES TO FIVE CONDITIONS, THE THIRD OF WHICH 
TRANSLATES AS FOLLOWS: "WE WILL NOT FOLLOW ANY RELIGION, WE 
WILL NOT READ THE BIBLE, WE WILL NOT SING RELIGIOUS SONGS, 
AND WE WILL NOT GATHER IN A GROUP TO PRAY WITHOUT THE 
PERMISSION OF COMPETENT AUTHORITIES."  ACCORDING TO LAM, 
SINCE THE COMPETENT AUTHORITIES NEVER GIVE PERMISSION, 
SIGNING THE DOCUMENT AMOUNTS TO A RENUNCIATION OF FAITH. 
 
6. (SBU) LAM SAID THAT UNTIL TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, POLICE 
IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCES OFTEN BEAT OR IMPRISONED AOG 
PASTORS AND BELIEVERS, BUT RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NO AOG 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HO CHI  00400  01 OF 02  190630Z 
PASTORS OR BELIEVERS IMPRISONED.  OFFICIALS USE "OTHER MEANS 
OF INTIMIDATION."  HOUSEHOLDERS WHO REFUSE TO RECANT THEIR 
FAITH MAY LOSE THEIR JOBS, OR THEIR CHILDREN MAY BE 
FORBIDDEN TO ATTEND SCHOOL.  THEY MAY HAVE THEIR PROPERTY 
CONFISCATED, OR BE OSTRACIZED IN THEIR OWN VILLAGE.  LAM 
WORRIED THAT THIS "SOPHISTICATED REPRESSION" WAS MORE 
EFFECTIVE THAN PHYSICAL ABUSE OR IMPRISONMENT. 
 
MORE TOLERANCE IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 
--------------------------------------- 
7. (SBU) LAM SAID CONDITIONS FOR ETHNIC MINORITY AOG 
BELIEVERS HAVE IMPROVED IN THE LAM DONG AND DAK LAK 
PROVINCES IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, SINCE THE ETHNIC UNREST 
LAST FEBRUARY.  MANY H'MONG FAMILIES FROM LANG SON PROVINCE 
IN THE NORTH HAVE MIGRATED TO DAK LAK.  LAM ADMITTED 
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY WAS A STRONG MAGNET FOR MIGRATION, BUT 
INSISTED GREATER RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE WAS ALSO AN IMPORTANT 
REASON FOR MOVING TO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS.  OTHER 
PROTESTANT CONTACTS HAVE NOTED THAT H'MONG AND OTHER 
NORTHERN ETHNIC MINORITIES, WHO HAVE MIGRATED TO DAK LAK, 
LAM DONG AND BINH PHUOC PROVINCES, SAY THEY FACE LESS 
RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION THAN THEY DID IN THE NORTH. 
 
8. (SBU) BUT THE AOG ALSO FACES PROBLEMS IN THE FAR SOUTH. 
LAM CLAIMED THAT DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL, TIEN GIANG 
PROVINCE IN THE MEKONG DELTA BROADCAST A TELEVISION SPOT 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HO CHI  00400  02 OF 02  190631Z 
THAT CALLED THE AOG A "COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY RELIGION OF THE 
UNITED STATES," AND CALLED ON PEOPLE TO REPORT AOG MEMBERS 
OR ACTIVITIES TO THE AUTHORITIES. 
 
NO LEGAL STATUS ANYTIME SOON 
---------------------------- 
9. (SBU) LAM ASSERTED THAT THE AOG WOULD NEVER REGISTER WITH 
THE NEWLY RECOGNIZED SOUTHERN EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF VIETNAM 
BECAUSE OF DOCTRINAL DIFFERENCES.  HE WOULD WELCOME SEPARATE 
LEGAL RECOGNITION, BUT ONLY IF THE GVN ALLOWED THE AOG TO 
FUNCTION FREE OF GOVERNMENT CONTROL AND CENSORSHIP.  SINCE 
THIS IS NOT LIKELY, HE SAID HE EXPECTED THE AOG TO REMAIN AN 
"UNDERGROUND ORGANIZATION" FOR YEARS TO COME. 
 
10. (SBU) ALONG WITH OTHER "CHARISMATIC" DENOMINATIONS, THE 
AOG ACTIVELY EVANGELIZES IN VIETNAM.  THEIR RELATIVELY SMALL 
NUMBERS DO NOT REFLECT THE VIGOR WITH WHICH THEY SEEK NEW 
CONVERTS, ESPECIALLY AMONG ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS.  THEY ARE 
THE FASTEST GROWING SEGMENT WITHIN VIETNAM'S PROTESTANT 
COMMUNITY, WHICH MAY ALSO EXPLAIN WHY AUTHORITIES IN VIETNAM 
-- WHERE PROSELYTIZING IS ILLEGAL -- ARE WARY AND MONITOR 
THEM CLOSELY. 
 
YAMAUCHI 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED