US embassy cable - 05HANOI2857

UNCLAS HANOI 002857 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/RSP, OBO, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, AMGT, ASEAN, VN, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT: ASEAN PARTNERSHIP, HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE, EMBASSY 
COMPOUND DISCUSSED WITH ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: The Charge met a senior Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs official October 27 and made key points on 
the ASEAN Enhanced Partnership, the upcoming Human Rights 
Dialogue and the New Embassy Compound.  The MFA official 
complained about what the GVN feels is an increased tempo of 
meetings between ConGen Ho Chi Minh City staff and political 
dissidents and cautioned that the possible Congressional 
earmark of funds for the Montagnard Development Project 
could support a group the GVN considers a terrorist 
organization.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) Charge D'Affaires John Boardman met with Assistant 
Foreign Minister Nguyen Duc Hung October 27 at the Foreign 
Ministry at the Embassy's request. 
 
3. (SBU) The Charge reiterated the USG's interest in 
launching the U.S.-ASEAN Enhanced Partnership at the APEC 
Summit in Busan and encouraged Vietnam to support such a 
formulation.  AFM Hung said Vietnam will consider the U.S. 
position on the issue in consultations with other ASEAN 
members.  He noted, however, that Vietnam operates in the 
context of ASEAN consensus and decisionmaking. 
 
4. (SBU) The Charge raised the issue of the discussions with 
the GVN regarding the acquisition of a site for a New 
Embassy Compound (NEC).  It is necessary, he said, for both 
sides to sign the Agreed Minutes from the July 2005 USG-GVN 
meeting before the USG can authorize the Vietnamese request 
to relocate their Consulate General in San Francisco. 
Unfortunately, the Hanoi People's Committee has taken a long 
time to review the Agreed Minutes and made some changes to 
the document that are significant enough to require further 
discussion.  The Charge asked AFM Hung to intervene with the 
Hanoi People's Committee to encourage them to meet with the 
Embassy.  To date, the People's Committee has not responded 
to Embassy requests to meet and discuss the Agreed Minutes. 
AFM Hung pledged to raise the issue with the Hanoi People's 
Committee. 
 
5. (SBU) AFM Hung asked the Charge to be aware of the public 
relations consequences of USG actions relating to human 
rights.  "We have noticed lately that the U.S. Consulate 
General staff in Ho Chi Minh City has been meeting more 
often with dissidents," he said.  "It is your right to meet 
with them, but you need to know that increasing the profile 
and the number of visits sends the wrong signal:  that the 
United States is trying to create opposition forces in 
Vietnam."  The Charge replied that, on the contrary, the 
meetings demonstrate the progress in human rights in Vietnam 
because the GVN is willing to let dissidents speak to 
foreign government representatives without harassment.  In 
addition, such meetings benefit Vietnam because they allow 
the USG to respond to Vietnam's critics with fact-based 
eyewitness evidence rather than second- or third-hand 
reports. 
 
6. (SBU) Looking somewhat stricken at this interpretation, 
AFM Hung protested further: "The dissidents always say 
things that cause problems after their meetings with the 
Consulate General staff.  You are letting yourself be used 
by them this way and letting them take advantage of you. You 
really increase their popularity when you do that.  This 
does not improve the bilateral environment."  The Charge 
noted that both sides have the same goal, which is to 
encourage positive developments in Vietnam. 
 
7. (SBU) Sticking with the human rights theme, AFM Hung said 
that the GVN is waiting anxiously for the release of the 
International Religious Freedom Report.  The Charge said 
that we, too, are looking forward to seeing the report, but 
cannot predict when it will be available.  AFM Hung also 
noted the Senate's approval of several million dollars in 
funding for the Montagnard Development Project, which the 
GVN feels has close ties to Kok Ksor's Montagnard 
Foundation, a group they consider to be a terrorist 
organization.  "That," AFM Hung said with a deep frown, 
"would be VERY bad." 
 
8. (SBU) The Charge advised AFM Hung that we expect the 
Human Rights Dialogue to be in early December; AFM Hung 
nodded and said that would be fine.  The Charge also noted 
that the delegation would want to meet with other groups and 
individuals in Hanoi and HCMC after the Dialogue; AFM Hung 
said that, too, would be fine. 
 
BOARDMAN