US embassy cable - 02HANOI1885

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 001885 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/12 
TAGS: PHUM, PINS, VM, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT:  PROTESTANT SEMINARY TO OPEN? 
 
REF:  HO CHI MINH CITY 630 
 
1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY POL/C SCOTT BELLARD,  REASON: 1.5 
(D) 
 
2. (C)  DURING A LUNCHEON WITH POL/C AND POLOFF ON JULY 
26, ACTING HEAD OF THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF VIETNAM- 
NORTH (ECVN) REVEREND AU QUANG VINH (PLEASE PROTECT) 
SAID THAT THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF VIETNAM-SOUTH (ECVS 
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-- RECOGNIZED BY THE GVN ONLY IN 2001) WAS PREPARING TO 
OPEN A SEMINARY IN HO CHI MINH CITY IN SEPTEMBER 2002, 
ALTHOUGH IT STILL HAD NOT LOCATED A SUITABLE SITE. 
(ITS PRE-1975 CAMPUS IN NHA TRANG IS NO LONGER 
AVAILABLE, HE NOTED.)   REVEREND VINH PREDICTED THE 
NUMBER OF STUDENTS WOULD BE ABOUT 100.  HE EXPRESSED 
CONCERN, HOWEVER, THAT THE GVN'S PERMISSION APPEARS TO 
BE ONLY APPLICABLE TO THIS ONE CLASS;  IT IS FAR FROM 
CLEAR WHETHER THE SEMINARY WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE 
AFTER THE GRADUATION OF THAT CLASS.  HE POINTED TO THE 
EXPERIENCE OF THE ECVN'S SEMINARY IN HANOI, WHICH BOTH 
VINH AND HIS WIFE ATTENDED; THE HANOI SEMINARY CLOSED 
IN 1993 AFTER PRODUCING ONLY ONE CLASS OF 12 GRADUATES. 
HE NOTED THAT THE GVN CONTINUED TO BLOCK THE ECVN'S 
EFFORTS TO GET ITS SEMINARY GOING AGAIN (UNDER THE 
PRETEXT THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS) 
OR EVEN TO HOLD A GENERAL MEETING OF THE ECVN 
LEADERSHIP (THE LAST MEETING WAS HELD IN 1988). 
 
3.  (C)  REVEREND VINH CONFIRMED OTHER REPORTS (REFTEL) 
THAT THE LATE HEAD OF THE ECVS, REVEREND PHAM XUAN 
THIEU, HAD COME UNDER MUCH CRITICISM WITHIN THE ECVS 
FOR HAVING PARTICIPATED IN A MAY DELEGATION OF GVN AND 
RELIGIOUS OFFICIALS TO THE U.S.  HE SAID THAT REVEREND 
THIEU (WHOM HE DESCRIBED AS ONE OF HIS OWN FORMER 
TEACHERS) HAD FELT THAT HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO 
PARTICIPATE, BUT WAS CLEARLY UNCOMFORTABLE IN BEING 
PART OF THIS DELEGATION. 
 
4.  (C)  REVEREND VINH ALSO EXPRESSED CONTINUED CONCERN 
OVER GVN SUPERVISION OF ECVN ACTIVITIES.  HE NOTED THAT 
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HE HAD BEEN EFFECTIVELY BARRED FROM TRAVELING TO LAO 
CAI PROVINCE, FOR EXAMPLE, DUE TO EARLIER "PROBLEMS" 
(WHICH HE DID NOT WISH TO DESCRIBE IN DETAIL) RELATING 
TO HMONG CHRISTIANS.  HE REMAINS CAUTIOUS ABOUT MEETING 
WITH FOREIGNERS; HE URGED POL/C NOT TO TRY TO CONTACT 
ANY OF THE WORSHIPPERS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE SUNDAY 
SERVICES.  REVEREND VINH EXPRESSED CERTAINTY THAT THERE 
WAS MPS SUPERVISION, IF PROBABLY INDIRECT, OF THESE 
WORSHIP SERVICES AT THE SOLE VIETNAMESE PROTESTANT 
CHURCH IN HANOI.  (REVEREND VINH NOTED THAT THERE HAD 
BEEN NINE PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN 1954.)  HE ADMITTED 
HIS OWN RELUCTANCE TO MEET WITH FOREIGN DELEGATIONS, 
INCLUDING THE UPCOMING VISIT OF AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR 
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM JOHN HANFORD, BECAUSE HE FEELS HE 
CANNOT ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS FREELY AND OPENLY, AND 
YET DOES NOT WANT TO SPOUT THE OFFICIAL LINE. 
 
5.  (C)  COMMENT:  REVEREND VINH'S COMMENTS REFLECT THE 
DUALITY OF RELIGIOUS LIFE IN VIETNAM:  WHILE THERE IS 
PROGRESS ON SOME FRONTS, SUCH AS THE PROBABLE OPENING 
OF THE ECVS SEMINAR, OTHER GVN RESTRICTIONS AND ONGOING 
SUPERVISION MAKE AT LEAST MANY RELIGIOUS LEADERS FEEL 
FRUSTRATED AND HAMPERED IN THEIR RELIGIOUS WORK. 
BURGHARDT 
 
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