US embassy cable - 02HANOI1787

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001787 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL 07/16/2012 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PINS, VM, HUMANR 
SUBJECT:  ACTIVIST CHARGED WITH "SPY ACTIVITIES" 
 
 
1.  (U)  CLASSIFIED BY POL/C SCOTT BELLARD, REASON 
1.5(D) 
 
2.  (C)  THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA) 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        HANOI  01787  01 OF 02  160910Z 
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS DEPARTMENT REPLIED BY FAX 
ON JULY 15 TO EMBASSY'S INFORMAL APRIL 3 REQUEST FOR 
INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATUS OF DR. PHAM HONG SON. 
(PRESS REPORTS HAD CLAIMED SON HAD BEEN ARRESTED AFTER 
HAVING TRANSLATED A DOCUMENT ENTITLED "WHAT IS 
DEMOCRACY" FROM THE U.S. EMBASSY WEBSITE.)  ACCORDING 
TO THE REPLY (TEXT IN PARA 5), DR. SON IS ACCUSED OF 
"SPY ACTIVITIES" -- INCLUDING TAKING MONEY FROM ANTI- 
SRV GROUPS OVERSEAS IN EXCHANGE FOR STATE SECRETS -- 
AND IS UNDER FOUR MONTHS OF "TEMPORARY DETENTION" 
WHILE THE GVN INVESTIGATES HIM. 
 
3.  (C)  POLOFF CALLED SON'S WIFE, VU THUY HA, ON JULY 
15 TO INFORM HER OF THE MFA'S RESPONSE AND ASKED HER 
HOW MUCH SHE ALREADY KNEW OF ITS CONTENTS.  SHE 
REPLIED THAT SHE AWARE OF MOST OF THE POINTS 
MENTIONED, BUT SAID THAT SHE WAS NOT SURE THAT SHE 
UNDERSTOOD ALL OF THE DETAILS.  HOWEVER, SHE DENIED 
THAT HER HUSBAND HAD COLLECTED INFORMATION AGAINST THE 
STATE OR THAT HE HAD TAKEN MONEY TO DO ANYTHING 
AGAINST THE STATE, EMPHASIZING THAT HER HUSBAND IS "AN 
HONEST MAN."  SHE SAID THE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE 
JULY 27 EXPIRATION OF DR. SON'S TEMPORARY DETENTION 
AND NOTED THAT THE AUTHORITIES WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A 
DECISION ABOUT HIM BY THEN.  MRS. HA REQUESTED 
EMBASSY'S ASSISTANCE "TO PUSH FOR A POSITIVE OUTCOME" 
FOR HER HUSBAND. 
 
4.  (C)  COMMENT:  THE CHARGE AGAINST DR. SON IS QUITE 
SERIOUS, BUT IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO HIS 
TRANSLATION OF PAS DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE ON THE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  01787  01 OF 02  160910Z 
INTERNET, OR TO THE LETTERS HE POSTED ON THE INTERNET 
ABOUT POLICE TREATMENT OF ACTIVISTS, INCLUDING 
HIMSELF, IN THE DAYS BEFORE POLICE DETAINED HIM.  DR. 
SON, AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR A FOREIGN PHARMACEUTICAL 
COMPANY IN VIETNAM, PRESUMABLY WOULD HAVE HAD 
LEGITIMATE CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS AS WELL AS ORDINARY 
BUSINESS INSTRUCTIONS FROM THAT COMPANY AND PERHAPS 
OTHER OVERSEAS ENTITIES.  ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE, IT 
IS REMARKABLE THAT THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY 
REPLIED VIA THE MFA, ALBEIT SLOWLY, TO OUR REQUEST FOR 
INFORMATION ABOUT A VIETNAMESE CITIZEN CURRENTLY UNDER 
INVESTIGATION.  END COMMENT. 
 
TEXT OF INFORMAL MFA STATEMENT 
------------------------------ 
 
5.  (U)  SUBJECT:  INFORMATION ON THE CASE OF PHAM 
HONG SON 
 
THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, MOFA 
WOULD LIKE TO FORWARD YOU THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE 
JUST RECEIVED FROM THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY 
CONCERNING THE CASE OF PHAM HONG SON AS FOLLOWS: 
 
DURING THE RECENT TIME, SON OFTEN GOT IN TOUCH WITH 
THOSE WORKING FOR HOSTILE ANTI-VIETNAM ORGANIZATIONS. 
HE RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO 
"BUILD THE FORCES AND WAIT FOR THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY." 
HE PERSONALLY REQUESTED OVERSEAS SUPPORT 
"SUBSTANTIALLY AND FINANCIALLY IN ORDER TO UNDERMINE 
AND OVERTHROW THE STATE OF VIETNAM."  COUNTED AS FAR 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HANOI  01787  01 OF 02  160910Z 
AS LATE 2001, SON HAS COLLECTED AND PROVIDED 
INFORMATION CONTAINING STATE SECRETS FOR OVERSEAS 
ORGANIZATION TO USE, PROPAGATE, DISTORT AND UNDERMINE 
THE STATE OF VIETNAM.  SON REPEATEDLY RECEIVED MONEY 
FROM OVERSEAS HOSTILE ORGANIZATIONS TO TRANSFER 
HOSTILE SUBJECTS IN THE COUNTRY (NOTE:  MEANING 
UNCLEAR.  END NOTE.).  WITH THOSE ACTIVITIES, HE HAS 
VIOLATED ARTICLE 89, PARAGRAPH 1C OF THE PENAL CODE OF 
VIETNAM FOR "PROVIDING OR COLLECTING TO PROVIDE 
INFORMATION CONTAINING STATE SECRETS TO FOREIGN 
SUBJECT; COLLECTING, PROVIDING OTHER INFORMATION AND 
MATERIALS AIMING AT GIVING FOREIGNERS A MEANS TO USE 
AGAINST THE STATE OF VIETNAM."  ON 27TH MARCH, 2002, 
THE INVESTIGATION AND SECURITY AGENCY, MINISTRY OF 
PUBLIC SECURITY ISSUED THE ORDER TO ARREST SON.  ON 
2ND APRIL, 2002, SON WAS PROSECUTED ON CHARGE (NOTE: 
PROBABLE MEANING:  CHARGED.  END NOTE.) OF SPY 
ACTIVITIES AND WAS PUT UNDER 4 MONTHS TEMPORARY 
DETENTION (WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE PEOPLE'S SUPREME 
PROCURACY) IN THE INVESTIGATING DURATION. 
 
SON IS NOW OBSERVING HIS TEMPORARY DETENTION AND 
ENJOYING ALL THE LEGAL PROCEDURES APPLIED FOR 
DEFENDANTS. (END MFA TEXT.) 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4360 
 
PAGE 01        HANOI  01787  02 OF 02  160910Z 
ACTION EAP-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   AMAD-00  ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DINT-00 
      DODE-00  DOEE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    FBIE-00  VC-00 
      H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00 
      AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00 
      PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    STR-00   TRSE-00 
      USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00 
      SAS-00     /009W 
                  ------------------CBB747  160911Z /38 
R 160859Z JUL 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7038 
INFO AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 001787 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL 
BURGHARDT 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL