US embassy cable - 02HOCHIMINHCITY759

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000759 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/KFOSTER 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR PRM 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KIRF, SOCI, VM, ETMIN, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT: PROTESTANT PROBLEMS IN KON TUM PROVINCE 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HO CHI  00759  01 OF 02  290756Z 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: AN ETHNIC MINORITY PROTESTANT PASTOR 
AND ONE OF HIS CONGREGATION MEMBERS TRAVELED TO HO CHI 
MINH CITY TO TELL CONGENOFFS OF AN ASSAULT BY 20-PLUS 
VILLAGERS IN THAT CENTRAL HIGHLANDS PROVINCE OF KON TUM 
THIS PAST APRIL.  THE PASTOR SAID THE VILLAGERS WHO 
ATTACKED THEM HAD ACTED ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM LOCAL 
POLICE.  THE PASTOR NOTED HE WAS AWARE OF THE 
SEPARATIST "DEGA PROTESTANTS" IN THE OTHER CENTRAL 
HIGHLANDS PROVINCES OF DAK LAK AND GIA LAI, BUT 
MAINTAINED THAT ONLY MAINSTREAM PROTESTANTS RESIDE IN 
KON TUM.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) ON JULY 24, AN ETHNIC CO TU (KATU) PROTESTANT 
PASTOR AND AN ETHNIC RO NGAO (RENGAO) CONGREGATION 
MEMBER FROM KON TUM PROVINCE - THE MOST REMOTE OF 
VIETNAM'S CENTRAL HIGHLANDS PROVINCES - TRAVELED DOWN 
TO HCMC TO TELL CG AND POLOFF OF THE DIFFICULTIES THEY 
ARE EXPERIENCING THERE.  AN HCMC RELIGIOUS CONTACT HAD 
RECOMMENDED THAT THEY TRY TO SEE US.  (NOTE: POST IS 
REFRAINING FROM NAMING SOURCES IN THIS SBU REPORT.) 
 
3. (SBU) THE PASTOR, WHO LIVES IN KON TUM CITY, SAID HE 
HAS BEEN PREACHING TO SEVERAL FAMILIES IN A 
PREDOMINANTLY CATHOLIC ETHNIC RO NGAO VILLAGE NAMED DAK 
CHACH IN KON TUM PROVINCE'S DAK HA DISTRICT FOR SEVERAL 
YEARS.  THE CONGREGATION MEMBER, A RESIDENT OF THIS 
VILLAGE, SAID DISTRICT AND VILLAGE POLICE HAD GATHERED 
THE VILLAGERS TOGETHER ON MARCH 20, TO TELL THEM TO 
GIVE UP PROTESTANTISM AND TO BEAT THE PASTOR AND 
DESTROY HIS VEHICLE NEXT TIME HE CAME TO THE VILLAGE. 
ON MARCH 30, DISTRICT AND VILLAGE POLICE TOLD THE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HO CHI  00759  01 OF 02  290756Z 
RESIDENTS THAT THEY EXPECTED THE PASTOR THE FOLLOWING 
DAY AND REITERATED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS TO "GIVE HIM A 
BEATING." 
 
4. (SBU) THE PASTOR AND CONGREGATION MEMBER DESCRIBED 
THAT WHEN THE PASTOR CAME TO DAK CHACH VILLAGE ON APRIL 
1, ABOUT 20 ETHNIC RO NGAO CATHOLIC RESIDENTS CORNERED 
HIM AND BEAT HIM SEVERELY FOR THREE HOURS.  (POST NOTE: 
POST HAS SEEN PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PASTOR, ALLEGEDLY 
TAKEN AFTER HE RETURNED TO KON TUM CITY.  HE IS CLEARLY 
HEAVILY BRUISED AND SWOLLEN, WITH WELTS ON HIS BACK, 
SIDES, AND BLACK EYES.)  THE CONGREGATION MEMBER CALLED 
THE PASTOR'S WIFE (WHO WAS 25 KILOMETERS AWAY) TO 
NOTIFY HER.  THE PASTOR'S WIFE CALLED PROVINCIAL AND 
DISTRICT SECURITY OFFICES AND THE POLICE 113 EMERGENCY 
NUMBER, BUT THEY TOLD HER IT WAS JUST A MINOR CLASH 
BETWEEN CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS.  THE CONGREGATION 
MEMBER SAID THAT WHEN HE AND HIS WIFE TRIED TO ASSIST 
THE PASTOR, THEY WERE ALSO BEATEN BY THE VILLAGERS. 
THE PASTOR RELATED THAT SOME VILLAGERS HAD APOLOGIZED 
TO HIM AFTERWARDS, SAYING THEY HAD BEEN ORDERED TO DO 
WHAT THEY DID. 
 
5. (SBU) THE PASTOR SAID THAT AFTER HE RETURNED TO KON 
TUM CITY, DAK HA DISTRICT POLICE INFORMED HIM THAT HE 
WOULD NO LONGER BE ALLOWED TO PREACH IN THE DISTRICT -- 
AND IF HE DID, THE LAW WOULD NOT PROTECT HIM.  HE HAS 
NOT BEEN BACK TO PREACH. 
 
6. (SBU) THE CONGREGATION MEMBER SAID THAT ON APRIL 2, 
DISTRICT AND VILLAGE POLICE EXPELLED HIM, HIS WIFE, AND 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HO CHI  00759  01 OF 02  290756Z 
THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN FROM THE VILLAGE.  WHEN THEY 
REFUSED TO LEAVE, AUTHORITIES DEMOLISHED THEIR HOME 
WITH A BULLDOZER.  HE PROVIDED PHOTOGRAPHS OF SOME 
WRECKAGE THAT HE SAID WAS HIS FORMER HOUSE.  BULLDOZER 
TRACKS COULD BE CLEARLY SEEN.  HE SAID THE POLICE ALSO 
CONFISCATED THE "RED BOOK," WHICH PROVES HIS OWNERSHIP 
OF THE PROPERTY WHERE HIS HOUSE STOOD.  HE HAS BEEN 
UNEMPLOYED SINCE APRIL, AND HAS BEEN LIVING WITH 
FRIENDS OR RELATIVES FOR A FEW DAYS OR WEEKS, BEFORE 
MOVING ON SOMEWHERE ELSE. 
 
7. (SBU) IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS, THE PASTOR WAS 
EMPHATIC IN ASSERTING THAT THE SIZABLE PROTESTANT 
POPULATION OF KON TUM PROVINCE ARE MAINSTREAM BELIEVERS 
WHO ONLY PRACTICE PRAYING TO GOD.  THERE ARE NO "DEGA 
PROTESTANTS" - PROTESTANTS WITH A POLITICAL AGENDA - 
ACCORDING TO THE PASTOR.  HE BELIEVES PROVINCIAL 
AUTHORITIES IN KON TUM REFUSE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN 
"DEGA" AND MAINSTREAM PROTESTANTS IN AN EFFORT TO 
JUSTIFY "ELIMINATING" PROTESTANTISM IN THE PROVINCE. 
 
8. (SBU)  PREVIOUSLY, THIS PASTOR HAD SENT WORD THROUGH 
OUR MUTUAL HCMC CONTACT THAT HE WOULD WELCOME A VISIT 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ7256 
 
PAGE 01        HO CHI  00759  02 OF 02  290757Z 
ACTION DRL-02 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   AMAD-00  CIAE-00  SRPP-00  EAP-00   EB-00 
      ED-01    UTED-00  HHS-01   H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00 
      LAB-01   L-00     NSAE-00  OIC-02   OPIC-01  PRS-00   P-00 
      SP-00    SS-00    STR-00   TEST-00  TRSE-00  USIE-00  PRM-00 
      G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /009W 
                  ------------------D16618  290757Z /38 
P 290644Z JUL 02 
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6568 
INFO AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 
USMISSION GENEVA 
ASEAN COLLECTIVE 
DIA WASHDC 
NSC WASHDC 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000759 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/KFOSTER 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR PRM 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF 
 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HO CHI  00759  02 OF 02  290757Z 
BY CONGENOFFS TO KON TUM.  WHEN ASKED FACE-TO-FACE 
WHETHER SUCH A VISIT WOULD BE HELPFUL OR HURTFUL TO HIM 
AND HIS CONGREGATION, HE HESITATED.  HE THEN RESPONDED 
THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT HOW LOCAL AUTHORITIES 
WILL REACT TO "INFORMAL" VISITS.  HE SAID HE WOULD LET 
US KNOW AFTER HIS RETURN TO KON TUM. 
 
9. (SBU) COMMENT: POST CANNOT GENERALIZE ABOUT SYSTEMIC 
VIOLENT HARASSMENT OF MAINSTREAM PROTESTANTS IN KON TUM 
PROVINCE BASED ON THIS SINGLE FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT.  BUT 
WE BELIEVE IN THIS PASTOR'S BONAFIDES.  ELEMENTS 
DESCRIBED IN THIS REPORT - BEATINGS OF PROTESTANT 
PASTORS AND FOLLOWERS, POLICE HIRING OR ORDERING LOCAL 
RESIDENTS AND/OR THUGS TO DO THE DIRTY WORK, AND 
PROTESTANT RESIDENTS BEING EXPELLED FROM THEIR VILLAGES 
- ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE WE HAVE HEARD IN NUMEROUS SECOND 
AND THIRD-HAND REPORTS FROM THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND 
OTHER PROVINCES.  THIS HAS BEEN THE FIRST FIRSTHAND 
REPORT ABOUT AN ASSAULT ON A PROTESTANT PASTOR IN KON 
TUM PROVINCE WITH CREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE. 
YAMAUCHI 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED