US embassy cable - 05HOCHIMINHCITY433

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000433 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, SOCI, PREL, PGOV, KIRF, VM, RELFREE, HUMANR 
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH AMNESTIED HOA HAO ACTIVIST TRUONG VAN DUC 
 
REF:  A) HCMC 142; B) HCMC  325 
 
1. (SBU) We met with Hoa Hao activist Truong Van Duc on April 22 
during a visit to the Mekong Delta.  Duc was released from prison 
on February 1 as part of the GVN's 2005 Tet amnesty (ref A).  He 
was sentenced to 12 years in prison in February 2001 for "causing 
social disturbance" and "obstructing officials acting to carry out 
their duties."   (Note: Duc said that charges stemmed from an 
incident on November 25, 2000, when he and his spiritual leader Le 
Quang Liem were traveling to Phu My -- the birthplace of Hoa 
Haoism -- to commemorate the birthday of the religion's founder. 
He alleged that plainclothes police stopped them, confiscated 
their camera equipment, and beat him unconscious.  Duc was 
released after one day, but arrested on January 16, 2001 and 
charged with the offenses for which he was imprisoned. End Note) 
 
2. (SBU) Duc said he was not beaten in prison.  Nonetheless, his 
health suffered because prison authorities served him a meat-based 
diet even though his beliefs require him to be a vegetarian.  He 
said his health has improved now that he is able to eat properly. 
Although his hometown is Phu Hiep, in An Giang province, Duc has 
been working as a gravedigger in neighboring Ben Tre province. 
Duc believes his release was a direct result of international 
pressure. 
 
3. (SBU) Since his release Duc has spoken with Hoa Hao leader Le 
Quang Liem three times, once in person in neighboring Dong Thap 
province, home to many Hoa Hao followers, and twice on the phone. 
Duc also has been able to meet with other followers of Liem's 
group in the An Giang area.  There were no restrictions on their 
personal worship.   While complaining of police harassment, Duc 
did not corroborate Liem's assertion to us that his followers in 
An Giang were so restricted that they were unable to work, worship 
and leave their homes (ref B).  However, he said that he is 
followed wherever he goes and  there are three police checkpoints 
around his home that monitor all comings and goings.  On the 
anniversary of the Founder's disappearance (April 3), a holy day 
for many of the followers of unrecognized Hoa Hao groups, he hung 
flags and banners in commemoration.  After he refused a police 
order to remove them, police set up roadblocks around his house to 
prevent other followers from joining him. 
 
4. (SBU) When asked if he had any contact with the GVN-recognized 
Hoa Hao church or with the founder's family, Duc stated that the 
Hoa Hao Administrative Council (HHAC) consisted of party members 
controlled by the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and that the founder's 
family had "sold out to the authorities."  Although Duc said that 
he would travel to the founder's family's house on Founder's Day - 
- an estimated 200,000 believers descend on the small town of Phu 
My each year to mark this event (this year on 24 June)  -- he 
stated that his relationship with the family had been 
irretrievably damaged when they certified to police after his 
arrest that he was "not a true believer." 
 
WINNICK 
 
 
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