US embassy cable - 05HOCHIMINHCITY825

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000825 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, SOCI, PREL, PGOV, KIRF, VM, Religious Freedom, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE FLARES BETWEEN POLICE AND HOA HAO IN MEKONG 
DELTA 
 
REF:  A) HCMC 600; B) HCMC 433 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary:  A day of violence involving police and Hoa Hao 
Buddhist adherents in the Mekong Delta included numerous arrests 
and two self-immolations in An Giang province, one resulting in an 
adherent's death.  We have urged local officials to avoid taking 
actions that would further stir up the situation and pressed Hoa 
Hao dissident leaders to impress upon their followers that self- 
immolation is not a constructive form of protest.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) Nguyen Mai, Director of the California-based Hoa Hao 
Buddhist Organization Phat Giao Hoa Hao, contacted us on August 5 
to inform us that a Hoa Hao activist, Vo Van Thanh Liem, was badly 
beaten and arrested by local police that day in An Giang province 
in the Mekong Delta.  Following up on that information, we 
contacted Hoa Hao dissident leaders Le Quang Liem in HCMC and 
Truong Van Duc in An Giang.  (Per ref B, Duc was released from 
prison on February 1 as part of the 2005 Tet amnesty.  He was 
sentenced to 12 years in prison in February 2001 for "causing 
social disturbances" and "obstructing officials from carrying out 
their duties.") 
 
3. (SBU) Liem and Duc asserted that police in the Mekong Delta had 
launched a series of coordinated surprise raids to arrest Hoa Hao 
activists throughout the Delta.  Neither could offer any 
explanation why the police were taking action at this time.  They 
noted, however, that police had intensified their surveillance of 
Hoa Hao activists since they held a rally on June 4 in Dong Thap 
province to commemorate the first death anniversary of Hoa Hao 
dissident Ha Hai.  (Note:  Hai died from cancer two weeks after 
being released from prison.  Per ref A, at the June 4 event, 
fighting broke out between the police and over 100 Hoa Hao 
activists.  The activists also displayed banners protesting GVN 
"repression of the Hoa Hao," pictures of which were distributed on 
the Internet.  End Note.) 
 
Series of Coordinated Arrests 
----------------------------- 
 
4.  (SBU) Liem and Duc told us that, in addition to the arrest of 
Vo Van Thanh Liem, the following incidents occurred on August 5: 
 
-- Vo Van Thanh Liem's nephew Nguyen Phi Long was arrested at the 
same time as his uncle. 
 
--- At 0600, Nguyen Van Dien in Lai Vung district, Dong Thap 
province, was "attacked" by about 20 police while praying in his 
house.  Police reportedly used electric rods to subdue him and 
took him away. 
 
-- At 0800, police attempted to arrest Vo Van Buu in neighboring 
An Giang province.  Buu attempted to self-immolate, but police 
intervened in time.  According to Liem, Buu was burned in the 
attempt, but the severity of his injuries currently is not known. 
Buu was taken to the local People's Committee headquarters before 
being transported to another police detention facility in An Giang 
province.  The wife of Vo Van Buu, Mai Thi Dung, was arrested. 
 
-- During the day, police arrested Tran Thanh Phong and his wife 
Nguyen Thi Ha in An Giang province. 
 
-- At 1100, police arrested Mai Van Thung in Dinh Yen commune, Lap 
Vo district, Dong Thap province.  His colleague To Van Manh was 
arrested in the province an hour later. 
 
-- A five-hour standoff between Dong Thap police and Tran Van Ut 
ended in tragedy.  According to Liem, when police rushed the house 
to arrest Ut, he self-immolated.  He was taken to a local 
hospital, where he died an hour later.  His body reportedly was 
returned to his family for burial on August 7. 
 
5. (SBU) We spoke again with Duc on August 8.  Duc said that his 
house was surrounded by 60 police officers.  He told us that he 
was prepared to commit self-immolation the moment the police enter 
his house.  This threat is keeping the police from acting, Duc 
said. 
 
Initial Official Reaction 
------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) On August 8, Huynh Nhu Chau, Head of the Committee for 
Religious Affairs in An Giang (protect), confirmed the arrests and 
self-immolation incidents.  In a surprisingly frank conversation, 
Chau told us that in An Giang province six persons were arrested 
because of their activities at the June 4 incident.  He understood 
that they would be charged with participating in an "illegal 
activity that caused a public disturbance" or for "obstruction of 
police."  Chau explained that the police took two months to 
investigate events surrounding the June 4 incident before acting. 
In addition to the six, another 38 were "deeply involved" and also 
may be arrested.  Dong Thap officials were far more reluctant to 
discuss the situation, but confirmed the death of Tran Van Ut and 
said that senior officials were visiting the affected areas of the 
province. 
 
7. (SBU) Comment:  As reported reftels, tensions had been building 
between Hoa Hao dissidents and police, culminating in the June 4 
incident, in which Hoa Hao protestors crossed an obvious redline. 
Unfortunately, dialogue does not appear to be an option between 
the two sides; Liem and his followers are just as uncompromising 
as local officials.  We have expressed our concern to provincial 
government officials over the loss of life and injuries and urged 
that they do whatever they can to avoid situations that might 
spark further violence.  Similarly, we (again) have pressed Liem 
and Duc to urge calm upon their followers and to disavow self- 
immolation as a form of protest.  End Comment. 
 
CHERN