US embassy cable - 02HANOI1189

UNCLAS HANOI 001189 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KPAO, OIIP, VM, HUMANR 
SUBJECT:  ARMY DAILY SEEKS TO PROMOTE GOOD RELATIONS WITH U.S. 
 
1.  (U)  SUMMARY. THE PEOPLE'S ARMY DAILY IS DETERMINED TO 
HELP STRENGTHEN BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH THE U.S. AND MIGHT 
BE WILLING TO USE PAS-PRODUCED MATERIALS, ITS EDITOR TOLD 
AMBASSADOR ON MAY 9.  THE EDITOR EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT 
ANTI-SRV VIETNAMESE IN THE U.S. AND THE IMPACT OF THE 
VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U)  MAJOR GENERAL NGUYEN QUANG THONG, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 
OF THE PEOPLE'S ARMY NEWSPAPER (QUAN DOI NHAN DAN), TOLD 
AMBASSADOR, PAO, AND POL/C ON MAY 9 THAT HIS NEWSPAPER'S 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HANOI  01189  131058Z 
EDITORIAL STANCE WAS AIMED AT STRENGTHENING MUTUAL 
UNDERSTANDING AND FRIENDSHIP, INCLUDING WITH THE U.S., 
CONSISTENT WITH THE MUTUAL INTERESTS OF BOTH COUNTRIES.  HE 
SAID THAT THAT THE PAPER HAD REPORTED ON POSITIVE 
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP, ESPECIALLY ON 
DIPLOMATIC AND COMMERCIAL TIES AS WELL AS US HUMANITARIAN 
ASSISTANCE.  HE CLAIMED THAT THE PAPER FOLLOWED AN 
"INDEPENDENT" EDITORIAL POLICY NOT DIRECTLY GUIDED BY THE 
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OR THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM'S 
(CPV) PROPAGANDA ORGAN.  HE ADMITTED THAT "IN REALITY" HIS 
EDITORIAL LINE "REFLECTED" OVERALL DIRECTIONS AND TRENDS SET 
BY THE CPV, HOWEVER. 
 
3.  (U)  WHEN GENERAL THONG ADMITTED THAT SOME OF THE 
PAPER'S SIGNED COMMENTARIES WERE FROM "GUEST WRITERS" 
INCLUDING FOREIGNERS, THE AMBASSADOR ASKED ABOUT THE 
POSSIBILITY OF USING ARTICLES PROVIDED BY THE EMBASSY. 
THONG SAID THAT THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE, IF THEY WERE 
CONSISTENT WITH THE ABOVE-MENTIONED EDITORIAL POLICY.  THE 
AMBASSADOR NOTED THE VALUE IN EXPANDING UNDERSTANDING IN 
VIETNAM OF THE US VIEW OF THE RELATIONSHIP, AND THE 
IMPORTANCE OF DISPELLING SOME OF THE "DISTRUST" OF THE U.S. 
STILL SOMETIMES REFLECTED IN THE PAPER'S SIGNED 
COMMENTARIES. 
 
4.  (U)  GENERAL THONG NOTED THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THERE WAS 
LITTLE COVERAGE OF VIETNAM BY THE US PRESS.  THE AMBASSADOR 
AGREED THAT THIS WAS TRUE, AND STRESSED THAT VIETNAM'S 
PROBLEM WAS NOT THAT PEOPLE IN THE U.S. WERE UNDERTAKING 
"SINISTER PLOTS" AGAINST VIETNAM SUCH AS "PEACEFUL 
EVOLUTION," BUT RATHER THAT SO FEW PEOPLE IN THE U.S. WERE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  01189  131058Z 
INTERESTED IN VIETNAM AT ALL.  HE NOTED THAT ONE BY-PRODUCT 
OF EXPANDED TRADE RELATIONS WOULD BE THAT MORE COMPANIES AND 
INDIVIDUALS IN THE U.S. WOULD HAVE A STAKE IN THE BILATERAL 
RELATIONSHIP, ARGUE VIETNAM'S CASE TO CONGRESS, AND INCREASE 
AND BROADEN THE BILATERAL FRIENDSHIP. 
 
5.  (U)  GENERAL THONG POINTED TO SOME VIETNAMESE IN THE 
U.S. WHO WERE ANTI-SRV, AND POINTED TO THE VIETNAM HUMAN 
RIGHTS ACT AS AN EXAMPLE OF THEIR NEGATIVE EFFORTS.  THE 
AMBASSADOR NOTED THAT VOCAL INTEREST GROUPS IN THE U.S. CAN 
OFTEN HAVE AN IMPACT DISPROPORTIONATE TO THEIR NUMBERS IN 
SECURING PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION THAT EXPRESSES CONGRESSIONAL 
OPINION WITH LIMITED PRACTICAL EFFECT, ESPECIALLY IN THE 
ABSENCE OF LOCAL CONSTITUENTS WHO OPPOSE IT.  GENERAL THONG 
EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE LONGER-TERM EFFECT OF SUCH 
RESOLUTIONS AND LAWS WOULD BE TO SHAPE USG POLICY, NOT JUST 
EXPRESS CONGRESSIONAL OPINIONS.  THE AMBASSADOR NOTED THAT, 
IN THE 21ST CENTURY, ALL COUNTRIES MUST GET USED TO 
INCREASED ATTENTION FROM ONE ANOTHER.  GENERAL THONG WENT ON 
TO CRITICIZE US REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL 
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AS SOMETIMES SLANDEROUS AND NOT REFLECTING 
THE REAL SITUATION IN VIETNAM. 
 
6.  (U)  COMMENT:  THE MAY 10 EDITION OF QUAN DOI NHAN DAN 
REPORTED FAVORABLY ON THE AMBASSADOR'S VISIT ON ITS BACK 
PAGE (INTERNATIONAL), HIGHLIGHTING THAT GENERAL THONG HAD 
TOLD HIM THE NEWSPAPER WAS RESOLVED TO FIGHT AGAINST 
WRONGFUL VIEWPOINTS THAT GO AGAINST THE NORMALIZATION 
PROCESS OF VIETNAM-US RELATIONS.  ON THE FRONT PAGE, 
HOWEVER, WAS ANOTHER SIGNED COMMENTARY LAMBASTING US 
ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES FOR DISTORTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HANOI  01189  131058Z 
SITUATION VIETNAM, IMPOSING "IRRATIONAL CONDITIONS" ON THE 
RELATIONSHIP, AND REVIEWING ALLEGED ACTIVITIES OF THE US 
MILITARY DURING THE WAR THAT HAD VIOLATED VIETNAMESE HUMAN 
RIGHTS.  OUR ONGOING DIALOGUE WITH QUAN DOI NHAN DAN STILL 
HAS A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT WE WILL LOOK FORWARD TO TESTING 
GENERAL THONG'S APPARENT OFFER TO USE MORE PAS-PRODUCED 
MATERIALS. 
BURGHARDT 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED