US embassy cable - 05HANOI1051

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001051 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KIRF, VM, HUMANR, ETMIN, RELFREE 
SUBJECT: Religion in the NW Highlands 
 
Reftels: A) Hanoi 353, B) 03 Hanoi 3371, C) 04 Vientiane 
281, D) 04 Hanoi 608 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary:  The situation for religious believers 
remains difficult in Vietnam's Northwest Highlands, but 
there are signs of some improvements.  During the 
Ambassador's April 20-24 trip to the region, officials in 
Dien Bien and Lai Chau Provinces said that there are no 
religious believers in their two provinces.  The Ambassador 
noted the recent Prime Minister's Instruction on 
Protestantism (Ref A) and statistics from the Evangelical 
Church of Vietnam: North (ECVN) showed otherwise.  In Lao 
Cai Province, officials acknowledged the presence of 
Catholic and Protestant believers and said they are trying 
to implement Vietnam's new legal reforms regarding religion. 
A Catholic priest described the Church as growing in the 
region, despite a shortage of priests, and said that 
relations with Lao Cai provincial authorities are good.  End 
Summary. 
 
Dien Bien and Lai Chau Haven't Gotten the Message 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
2. (SBU) In both Dien Bien and Lai Chau Provinces, 
provincial officials told the Ambassador that there are no 
religious believers in the two provinces, aside from ethnic 
minorities adhering to traditional beliefs.  Both provinces 
claimed to follow Government polices permitting freedom of 
belief, however.  The Chairman of the Lai Chau People's 
Committee acknowledged that, in the past, some people had 
tried to spread "superstitious beliefs" that had "caused 
divisions among ethnic minorities."  These beliefs included 
claims that the end of the world would occur in 2000 and 
that people should stop working and abandon their land. 
Authorities helped people understand the "true nature" of 
these "false schemes." (Note:  The Chairman was likely 
referring to the "Vang Chu" Hmong sect.  Many Highlands 
authorities apparently have associated all Protestants with 
this sect, either as a result of ignorance of the religion 
or as a deliberate attempt to tarnish it.  Refs B and C. 
End note.) 
 
3. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that the Prime Minister's 
Instruction on Protestantism recognized the existence of 
believers in the Northwest Highlands, and the ECVN has 
documented over 70,000 Protestants belonging to unrecognized 
house churches in Dien Bien and Lai Chau.  He urged 
authorities to take steps to facilitate religious adherents' 
ability to register house churches and worship freely. 
 
4. (SBU) The Ambassador visited three ethnic minority 
villages in Dien Bien and Lai Chau.  In visits arranged by 
provincial authorities to two Thai villages, local leaders 
stated plainly that there are no resident religious 
believers, aside from those who follow traditions of 
ancestor worship.  The Ambassador specifically requested to 
visit a third village that had been identified to us by the 
ECVN as containing a Hmong Protestant house church.  There, 
an anxious looking village leader responded to the 
Ambassador's questions with some coaching from his "elder 
brother," while provincial officials sat nearby.  He stated 
he is not Protestant and that there is no house church in 
his village, although there are some believers.  His claim 
was seemingly belied by a snapshot on the wall of the 
village leader standing in front a church with the words 
"Protestant Church" emblazoned on its facade. 
 
5. (SBU) At the Ambassador's request, we were taken to the 
neighboring house of a Protestant convert.  The believer, 
seemingly unnerved by his official Vietnamese and foreign 
visitors, said that outsiders had come and told him to 
follow Protestantism, and he had obliged.  He acknowledged 
having heard Protestant radio broadcasts in the Hmong 
language.  When asked what he understands his religion to 
represent, he responded that he does not know and just 
follows what others tell him.  (Note:  There was a striking 
difference between the three villages we visited.  While not 
affluent, both Thai villages contained larger and sturdier 
houses, and were located on richer, riverside land.  The 
Hmong village was high on a mountainside, with simple and 
sparsely furnished houses and far more visible signs of 
poverty.  End Note.) 
 
Lao Cai Follows New Religious Laws 
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6. (SBU) Authorities in Lao Cai Province were more 
forthcoming.  Provincial People's Committee Chairman Bui 
Quang Vinh acknowledged that religion is a "very sensitive 
issue."  Authorities respect the different beliefs of all of 
the province's ethnic groups.  Chairman Vinh admitted that 
forced renunciations "may have happened," but added that 
some people have spread Protestantism "as a way to collect 
money from others" and "to spread false information to 
create instability and overthrow the Government."  "Ethnic 
minorities in Lao Cai have long established traditions. 
Protestantism is new and different, and it has caused 
disputes among families and communities, and disorder in 
society.  As a result, some low-level authorities acted 
against it, so some of the reports (of forced renunciations) 
you have heard may be true," Vinh explained.  The provincial 
authorities are aware of the new laws regarding religion and 
they "respect religion," but seek only to support "true 
religion."  The promotion of religion must not "cause damage 
to family or community unity," and authorities will not 
support a religion that "damages another one or acts against 
traditional beliefs."  Vinh also noted that many village and 
commune leaders themselves members of ethnic minority 
groups.  These individuals often resent Protestantism as an 
alien religion that threatens their traditional beliefs and 
practices.  Hau A Lenh, the People's Committee Chairman of 
Lao Cai's Sapa District and himself an ethnic Hmong, said 
that authorities in his district have already reached out to 
Protestant and Catholic believers to explain Vietnam's new 
laws on religion and help ensure their practices can be kept 
in accordance with them. 
 
7. (SBU) Father Nguyen Huy Tuc (protect), the sole Catholic 
priest for all of Lao Cai, Lai Chau and Dien Bien Provinces, 
described to the Ambassador the situation for his followers. 
Father Tuc was assigned to his position in 2004; before 
this, there were no Catholic priests in the three provinces 
(Ref D).  There are seven Catholic churches and 10,000 
faithful in Lao Cai under Tuc's oversight, and two 
additional congregations with 3,000 believers in Lai Chau 
and Dien Bien cities, although they do not have church 
buildings.  Father Tuc has "good relations" with authorities 
in Lao Cai Province, but has not yet had a chance to visit 
the Lai Chau and Dien Bien congregations or meet with 
authorities there.  The majority of Catholics in the region 
are ethnic Kinh Vietnamese, but churches in mountainous 
areas, including Sapa, are mostly ethnic minority.  The 
Church is growing in the region despite the shortage of 
priests.  Congregations are able to hold religious education 
classes for youth and have an internal charity focused on 
aiding Church members.  Father Tuc said he has met with 
provincial authorities in regards to the new legal framework 
regarding religions, and the authorities have provided him 
forms with which the Church can register its activities. 
 
8. (SBU) Comment: The acknowledgement by Lao Cai authorities 
of the presence of Protestant adherents and their apparent 
willingness to work with religious believers is a major 
change.  Previous visits by U.S. and other diplomats to the 
region had simply met with uniform denials by all provincial 
authorities of any religious practice.  There is clearly a 
great deal of ignorance and suspicion of Christianity among 
provincial officials.  This will take time to overcome in 
the Northwest Highlands, but we are hopeful that success in 
Lao Cai eventually will spill over into its more reluctant 
neighbors.  End Comment. 
 
MARINE