US embassy cable - 02HANOI1169

UNCLAS HANOI 001169 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL, PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, PHUM, VM, HUMANR, ETMIN 
SUBJECT:  HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS: 
--           "GVN HAS NOTHING TO HIDE" 
 
REF: A. HANOI 1133   B. HANOI 1165 
 
1.  (U)  SUMMARY.  AMBASSADOR DINH THI MINH HUYEN, DIRECTOR 
OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS' DEPARTMENT OF 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, TOLD DCM ON MAY 7 THAT THE GVN 
IS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE WITH 
THE U.S.  SHE BELIEVES THAT THE DIALOGUES ARE USEFUL FOR 
EXPLAINING WHAT SHE TERMED VIETNAM'S "FAIR HUMAN RIGHTS 
POLICY" AND FOR PROMOTING MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING.  THE GVN'S 
POLICY IS TO ASSIST ALL PEOPLE IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 
REGION, SHE CLAIMED, BUT SHE ALSO NOTED THAT THE POLICY IS 
NOT ALWAYS IMPLEMENTED SUCCESSFULLY.  END SUMMARY 
 
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HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUES A GOOD OPPORTUNITY 
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2.  (U)  AMBASSADOR HUYEN SAID THE GVN VIEWS HUMAN RIGHTS 
DIALOGUES AS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN TO OTHER 
COUNTRIES ITS POLICIES SO "THEY WILL UNDERSTAND US BETTER." 
IN ADDITION TO DIALOGUES WITH THE U.S., VIETNAM HOLDS 
SIMILAR MEETINGS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION, NORWAY, AUSTRALIA, 
AND CANADA.  "WE'LL TALK WITH ANY COUNTRY ABOUT HUMAN 
RIGHTS," AMBASSADOR HUYEN PROMISED.  IN ADDITION TO THE 
DIALOGUES, VIETNAM "WELCOMES" FOREIGN VISITORS; AMBASSADOR 
HUYEN SAID IT IS A "GOOD IDEA" FOR MORE PEOPLE TO SEE THE 
HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION "FIRST HAND." 
 
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HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 
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3.  (U)  IN RESPONSE TO THE DCM'S QUESTION CONCERNING HUMAN 
RIGHTS AND THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, AMBASSADOR HUYEN SAID 
THERE IS MUCH "MISLEADING INFORMATION" ABOUT THIS ISSUE. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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THE GVN'S POLICY IS TO "IMPROVE AND HELP" THE ETHNIC PEOPLES 
OF THE AREA TO DEVELOP BOTH "ECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLY." 
AMBASSADOR HUYEN ADDED IT IS "PART OF OUR CONSTITUTION THAT 
ALL NATIONALITIES ARE EQUAL AND THUS ENTITLED TO EQUAL 
DEVELOPMENT." 
 
4.  (U)  AMBASSADOR HUYEN ADMITTED THAT, WHILE THE POLICY IN 
PLACE IS FAIR, IMPLEMENTATION HAS NOT ALWAYS SUCCEEDED.  DUE 
TO "VARIOUS PROBLEMS," THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IS NOT WELL 
DEVELOPED AND REMAINS RATHER "UNATTRACTIVE" TO FOREIGN 
INVESTORS; NONETHELESS, THE GVN IS TRYING HARD TO IMPROVE 
THE LIVES OF ORDINARY PEOPLE IN THE AREA, SHE CLAIMED. 
AMBASSADOR HUYEN POINTED OUT THAT THE GVN PAYS FEES FOR 
ETHNIC MINORITY CHILDREN TO ATTEND BOARDING SCHOOLS.  (NOTE: 
ONLY SELECTED CHILDREN ATTEND MINORITY BOARDING SCHOOLS. 
END NOTE.)  "WE WANT TO HELP THEM DEVELOP AND BE EQUAL," SHE 
SAID.  ANOTHER EXAMPLE SHE GAVE OF THE GVN'S ATTEMPT TO SPUR 
DEVELOPMENT IS THE SELECTION OF "1,000 POOR VILLAGES" FOR 
GVN ASSISTANCE IN SECTORS SUCH AS INFRASTRUCTURE, 
ELECTRICITY, WATER, EDUCATION, AND HEALTH CARE. 
 
5.  (U)  AMBASSADOR HUYEN ALSO TERMED AS "MISLEADING," 
STORIES ABOUT ETHNIC MINORITY PEOPLE LOSING LAND TO COFFEE 
PLANTATIONS AS A MATTER OF GVN POLICY.  SHE SAID "THERE IS A 
LOT OF HATRED SPREAD BY PEOPLE FROM THE FORMER (SOUTH 
VIETNAMESE) REGIME."  WHILE THE GVN SHOULD BE DOING MORE TO 
CONTROL MIGRATION, NOW PEOPLE ARE FREER TO MOVE AROUND AND 
HENCE MIGRATION IS MORE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL.  ADDRESSING 
THE MONTAGNARD SITUATION SPECIFICALLY, SHE CLAIMED THAT THE 
MAIN REASON THE MONTAGNARDS FLED TO CAMBODIA WAS THAT 
"OUTSIDERS" TOLD THEM THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SETTLE IN THE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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U.S. OR ANOTHER COUNTRY.  THE DCM STRESSED THAT IT WAS 
IMPORTANT FOR THE GVN TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OF THE CENTRAL 
HIGHLANDS ETHNIC MINORITIES.  AMBASSADOR HUYEN REITERATED 
THAT, WHILE THERE ARE VARIOUS SOCIOECONOMIC PROBLEMS IN THE 
AREA, THE GVN "WILL CONTINUE ITS POLICY TO HELP THE ETHNIC 
MINORITY PEOPLE." 
BURGHARDT 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED