US embassy cable - 02HANOI2078

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 002078 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL 08/22/2012 
TAGS: PHUM, PINS, PGOV, SOCI, VM, HUMANR 
SUBJECT:  UPDATE ON DETAINED DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS 
 
REF:  HANOI 1787 
 
1.  (U)  CLASSIFIED BY POL/C SCOTT BELLARD; REASON 1.5(D) 
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2.  (C)  THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST -- SEE PARA 7. 
 
3.  (C)  FOLLOWING THE EXPECTED JULY 27 EXPIRATION DATE OF 
A FOUR-MONTH DETENTION ORDER ON DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST PHAM 
HONG SON DURING INVESTIGATION OF HIS ALLEGED "SPY 
ACTIVITIES," POLOFF HAS CONTACTED HIS WIFE VO THI HA BY 
TELEPHONE.  MRS. HA ON AUGUST 22 DECLINED TO DISCUSS HIS 
CURRENT STATUS OVER AN OPEN PHONE LINE BUT DID NOT OFFER TO 
MEET.  SHE NONETHELESS ASKED POLOFF WHETHER EMBASSY HAD ANY 
NEWS ABOUT HIS CASE AND ASKED WITH SOME APPARENT URGENCY IF 
THE EMBASSY COULD QUERY THE GVN AGAIN ABOUT HER HUSBAND'S 
STATUS.  SHE ADMITTED THAT SHE HERSELF WAS HAVING A "LITTLE 
BIT OF DIFFICULTY" AT HER WORKPLACE (THE HANOI OFFICE OF 
THE ASIA-PACIFIC FRANCPHONIE ORGANIZATION), BUT ONLY 
BECAUSE OF HER "DISTRACTION" OVER HER HUSBAND'S CASE. 
 
4.  (C) DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST DR. NGUYEN THANH GIANG ON AUGUST 
21 HAD TOLD POLOFF OF MRS. HA'S REPORTED TROUBLES AND URGED 
POLOFF TO WEIGH IN WITH HER BOSS, A REQUEST THAT SHE 
HERSELF HAS NOT MADE TO POLOFF SEPARATELY DESPITE HIS 
INQUIRIES ABOUT HOW EMBASSY COULD BE HELPFUL.  DR. GIANG 
ALSO RELATED THAT MRS. HA HAD TOLD HIM THAT POLICE HAD 
QUESTIONED HER ABOUT CONNECTIONS WITH GIANG AND 
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A WIDELY DISTRIBUTED LETTER (REFTEL) 
THAT SHE HAD WRITTEN COMPLAINING ABOUT HER HUSBAND'S 
DETENTION.  DR. GIANG CLARIFIED THAT HE HAD ADVISED HER 
ABOUT THE LETTER'S CONTENTS BUT HAD NOT WRITTEN IT FOR HER. 
 
5.  (C)  DR. GIANG ADDED THAT, AFTER THE GVN DETAINED LE 
CHI QUANG IN FEBRUARY AND PHAM HONG SON IN MARCH, HE HAD 
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CONTACTED THEIR FAMILIES, WHOM HE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY KNOWN. 
INITIALLY, HE SAID, THEY WERE RELUCTANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO 
DO WITH HIM, BUT SINCE THEN HE HAS INVITED THEM TO HIS HOME 
FOR MEALS AND HAS NOW BUILT UP RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM, HE 
CLAIMED.  IN A SEPARATE CONVERSATION ON AUGUST 20, 
DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST PHAM QUE DUONG TOLD POLOFF THAT HE HAD 
VISITED MRS. HA AT HER OFFICE EARLIER THAT DAY BUT NOTED NO 
SPECIAL PROBLEMS. 
 
6.  (C)  DR. GIANG INFORMED POLOFF THAT ACTIVIST NGUYEN VU 
BINH, REPORTED BY THE NEW YORK-BASED COMMITTEE TO PROTECT 
JOURNALISTS TO HAVE BEEN DETAINED BY POLICE O/A JULY 19, 
HAD NOT ACTUALLY BEEN UNDER DETENTION. FOR A FEW DAYS 
THEREAFTER, HE WAS "INVITED" TO GO TO A POLICE STATION TO 
"WORK WITH THE POLICE," ACCORDING TO GIANG.  BINH 
REPORTEDLY REMAINS UNDER HEIGHTENED SURVEILLANCE AND WAS 
DESCRIBED AS NOW "RELUCTANT" TO VISIT OTHER ACTIVISTS. 
BINH WAS FORMERLY AN EDITOR AT THE COMMUNIST JOURNAL, THE 
CPV'S OFFICIAL MAGAZINE. 
 
7.  (C)  ACTION REQUEST:  PLEASE ADVISE IF DEPARTMENT 
AUTHORIZES EMBASSY TO MAKE A FORMAL OR INFORMAL REQUEST FOR 
AN UPDATE OF PHAM HONG SON'S STATUS, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF 
FOREIGN NEWS REPORTS THAT HIS DETAINMENT WAS RELATED TO 
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENTS ABOUT DEMOCRACY ON THE STATE 
DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE.  EMBASSY DOES NOT BELIEVE IT 
ADVISABLE AT THIS TIME TO MAKE ANY INTERVENTION WITH MRS. 
HA'S EMPLOYER. 
PORTER 
 
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