US embassy cable - 05HOCHIMINHCITY293

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000293 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, SOCI, PREL, PGOV, KIRF, VM, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT: CONDITION OF FORMER MENNONITE PRISONERS MISSTATED IN NGO 
PRESS RELEASE 
 
REF:  A) HCMC 086  B) HCMC 212  C) HCMC 221 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: UK-based NGO Christian Solidarity Worldwide 
(CSW) issued a press release on March 15 alleging torture of a 
number of the Mennonite Six; followers of Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang 
who were arrested following a confrontation with police officers 
in March 2004.  Key statements in the release are at odds with the 
facts, based on our meetings with the subjects and information 
from other well informed sources.  Pastor Quang and his followers 
have a history of conflict with the police and of exaggerating 
these incidents for international media attention. ConGen provides 
contingency press guidance below.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) The CSW press release referenced the case of brothers and 
former prisoners Nguyen Thanh Nhan and Nguyen Hieu Nghia and 
current prisoner/mental hospital patient Le Thi Hong Lien, stating 
that "one [brother] is now partially paralysed (sic) and the other 
has conditions which may be life-threatening."  The two brothers, 
along with two other Mennonites, were arrested in March after a 
confrontation between Pastor Quang's followers and the police.  We 
met separately with both men at length in January after their 
release from prison and also had the opportunity to review their 
medical records (Ref A).  There was no immediately visible 
evidence that they had suffered sustained or systematic abuse by 
prison authorities.  On 22 February, Nguyen Thanh Nhan again 
visited the Consulate.  In addition to appearing physically sound, 
Poloff watched him run across six lanes of traffic in front of the 
Consulate building with no obvious signs of physical distress. 
 
3. (SBU) The press release also refers to imprisoned Mennonite Le 
Thi Hong Lien.  Following her arrest, Lien appears to have 
suffered a mental breakdown.  Congen has followed her case closely 
and urged authorities to provide her medical care and humanitarian 
release.  The CSW press release stated that Lien had been brought 
to Bien Hoa Mental Hospital for an examination but subsequently 
had been returned to Tong Le Chan Prison.  Lien's father, Le Quang 
Du, told us that his daughter was evaluated at Bien Hoa Mental 
Hospital on March 1 and then was returned to prison but was 
transferred to the hospital for long-term care shortly thereafter. 
He visited her in the mental hospital on 4 March and again on 11 
March.  Du stated that Lien was showing signs of improvement: 
where previously she had been disoriented and unresponsive, she 
now addressed her father and enquired about the whereabouts of 
possessions confiscated prior to her transfer to Tong Le Chan 
prison. 
 
4. (SBU) Proposed contingency guidance: 
 
Q:  What can you tell us about alleged abuse of the two Vietnamese 
Mennonite brothers, Nguyen Thanh Nhan and Nguyen Hieu Nghia and of 
another Mennonite prisoner, Ms. Le Thi Hong Lien? 
 
A: 
-- THE UNITED STATES STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE BASIC RIGHT OF FREEDOM 
OF RELIGION IN VIETNAM AND HAS PRESSED THE GOVERNMENT TO RESPECT 
THE RIGHTS OF ALL VIETNAMESE TO WORSHIP FREELY. 
 
-- OUR CONSULATE GENERAL HAS MET WITH BOTH NGUYEN THANH NHAN AND 
NGUYEN HIEU NGHIA AND REVIEWED THEIR MEDICAL RECORDS.  NEITHER 
BROTHER APPEARED TO BE SUFFERING SERIOUS MEDICAL PROBLEMS ON THOSE 
OCCASIONS. 
 
-- REGARDING MS. LIEN, WE HAVE URGED VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES TO 
PROVIDE HER ADEQUATE MEDICAL ATTENTION AND TO RELEASE HER FROM 
PRISON ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS.  WE UNDERSTAND THAT MS. LIEN IS 
NOW IN LONG-TERM CARE AT BIEN HOA MENTAL HOSPITAL. 
 
WINNICK