US embassy cable - 02HOCHIMINHCITY1140

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 001140 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, SOCI, KIRF, VM, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT:  HOA HAO MONK DEFIES GOVERNMENT ORDER AND CLIMBS A 
TREE (AGAIN) 
 
REF:  HO CHI MINH CITY 0719 
 
1.  (SBU) ON NOVEMBER 7, CONTROVERSIAL HOA HAO MONK NAM 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HO CHI  01140  110628Z 
LIEM (VO THANH LIEM) CLIMBED A TREE INSIDE THE COMPOUND OF 
HIS PRIVATE PAGODA FOR THE THIRD TIME IN EIGHT YEARS (SEE 
REFTEL), AFTER LOCAL AUTHORITIES GAVE HIM THREE DAYS TO 
TEAR DOWN A GATE ON HIS PROPERTY.  HE HAS THREATENED TO 
THROW HIMSELF FROM THE TREE, IF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TAKES 
ANY ACTION AGAINST HIS PROPERTY.  ACCORDING TO CONTACTS, 
POLICE HAVE SURROUNDED AND BARRICADED HIS PAGODA.  HOA HAO 
BELIEVERS, A SIZABLE NUMBER OF WHOM WORSHIP AT LIEM'S 
PRIVATE PAGODA ON A REGULAR BASIS, HAVE GATHERED OUTSIDE TO 
MONITOR THE SITUATION. 
 
2.  (SBU) ON NOVEMBER 6, A HOA HAO ORGANIZATION IN THE U.S. 
NOTIFIED POST THAT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAD ORDERED NAM 
LIEM TO REMOVE THE GATE TO HIS PROPERTY IN AN GIANG 
PROVINCE'S CHO MOI DISTRICT.  HOA HAO BELIEVERS HEAVILY 
POPULATE THIS DISTRICT.  TWO RESPECTED HOA HAO ELDERS IN HO 
CHI MINH CITY VERIFIED THE U.S.-ORIGINATED INFORMATION BY 
COMMUNICATING WITH SOURCES ON THE GROUND NEAR NAM LIEM'S 
HOME.  SURPRISINGLY, NEITHER OF THE HCMC ELDERS HAD HEARD 
ABOUT THE INCIDENT UNTIL POST CONTACTED THEM.  ONE OF THE 
ELDERS REPORTED THAT LOCAL POLICE HAD VISITED HIM ON 
NOVEMBER 6 - A MOVE HE NOW INTERPRETED AS INTENDED TO 
INTIMIDATE HIM FROM TRAVELING TO AN GIANG.  THIS ELDER 
STATED THAT HE WOULD CONSIDER TAKING ACTION IF OFFICIALS 
DID ANYTHING TO HARM NAM LIEM OR REMOVE THE GATE.  HE ADDED 
THAT HOA HAO BELIEVERS IN AN GIANG WERE PREPARED TO DO THE 
SAME. 
 
3.  (SBU) NAM LIEM FIRST CLIMBED UP A TREE AND STAYED THERE 
FOR FOUR DAYS IN 1994, AFTER POLICE CAME TO ARREST HIM FOR 
CONSTRUCTING PARTS OF HIS PRIVATE PAGODA, INCLUDING THE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HO CHI  01140  110628Z 
GATE, WITHOUT A BUILDING LICENSE.  HE SERVED A FOUR-YEAR 
PRISON SENTENCE FOLLOWING THAT INCIDENT, BUT NEVER REMOVED 
THE GATE.  UPON HIS RELEASE FROM PRISON, HE WELCOMED THE 
GOVERNMENT'S RECOGNITION OF THE HOA HAO, ALTHOUGH HE LATER 
BECAME DISILLUSIONED WITH THE GVN-SANCTIONED HOA HAO 
ORGANIZATION.  IN NOVEMBER 2001, NAM LIEM WENT UP THE SAME 
TREE WITH GASOLINE AND A KNIFE IN RESPONSE TO GOVERNMENT 
ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE HOA HAO FLAGS AND OTHER INSIGNIA FROM 
HIS GATE.  HE WAS NOT ARRESTED THE SECOND TIME, BUT 
MUTILATED HIS OWN LEG, BEFORE EVENTUALLY COMING DOWN FROM 
THE TREE VOLUNTARILY. 
 
4.  (SBU) THIS TIME, IT IS UNCLEAR WHAT PROMPTED THE LOCAL 
AUTHORITIES TO ACT -- NAM LIEM'S DISPLAY OF CONTROVERSIAL 
HOA HAO INSIGNIA ON HIS GATE, OR PREVIOUS CONCERNS OVER THE 
UNLICENSED CONSTRUCTION, THOUGH THE ONE CERTAINLY 
EXACERBATES THE OTHER.  (POST NOTE: PER REFTEL, PREVIOUS 
POLOFF WAS PREVENTED FROM VISITING NAM LIEM IN JUNE 2002, 
BY A GANG OF YOUNG MEN BLOCKING THE PATH TO HIS PAGODA IN A 
THREATENING MANNER.)  ALTHOUGH THE HOA HAO ELDERS IN HCMC 
ARE SOMEWHAT CONCERNED ABOUT THE SITUATION, THEY HAVE NOT 
ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE OR INQUIRIES ON OUR PART.  POST WILL 
DO ITS BEST TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION 
YAMAUCHI 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED