US embassy cable - 02HANOI2956

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002956 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR DRL AND EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/12 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, KPAO, VM, UNHRC-1, HUMANR 
SUBJECT: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION PROFILES-VIETNAM 
 
REF:  A.  STATE 252917     B.  HANOI 2612 
 
-     C.  HANOI 2621       D.  HANOI 2823 
 
1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR RAYMOND BURGHARDT, 
REASON: 1.5 (D) 
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2. (C)  AS FAR AS EMBASSY CAN ASCERTAIN FROM THIS 
DISTANCE, VIETNAM IS AT BEST A MARGINAL PLAYER ON THE 
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, AND AT TIMES IS ACTIVELY 
OPPOSED TO US VALUES AND VIEWS.  VIETNAM LIKELY SOUGHT 
A SEAT ON THE COMMISSION PRIMARILY AS A MEANS OF 
ENHANCING ITS INTERNATIONAL STATURE, A PROCESS TOWARD 
WHICH IT HAS WORKED ASSIDUOUSLY AND SUCCESSFULLY OVER 
THE PAST DECADE.  THE OTHER PART OF THE GVN'S CALCULUS 
WAS PROBABLY TO BE WELL-PLACED TO PROTECT ITS OWN 
INTERESTS -- AND THOSE OF "TRADITIONAL FRIENDS" LIKE 
LIBYA, IRAN, AND IRAQ -- AGAINST WHAT IT CLAIMS IS THE 
EROSION OF INTERNATIONAL PRINCIPLES RESPECTING NATIONAL 
SOVEREIGNTY AND NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS. 
EMBASSY IS NOT OPTIMISTIC THAT THE USG CAN CHANGE 
VIETNAM'S VIEWS OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY MEANINGFUL 
MANNER.  (SEE REF B FOR A DISCUSSION ON VIETNAM'S TAKE 
ON HUMAN RIGHTS, AND REF C FOR ITS OVERALL WORLDVIEW.) 
 
3.  (C)  COUNTRY PROFILE: 
A.  THE MFA DETERMINES VIETNAM'S VOTES IN INTERNATIONAL 
FORA, FOLLOWING OVERALL POLICY GUIDELINES SET DOWN BY 
THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM (CPV).  A CPV "CELL" 
OVERSEEING BOTH THE MFA AND THE CPV'S COMMISSION ON 
EXTERNAL RELATIONS PROBABLY MAKES KEY DECISIONS, APART 
FROM EXTREMELY SENSITIVE ONES THAT NEED TO BE PRESENTED 
TO THE CPV POLITBURO.  FEW, IF ANY, DECISIONS REGARDING 
THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ARE LIKELY VETTED AT THE 
POLITBURO LEVEL.  THE GVN REPRESENTATIVE IN GENEVA IS 
PROBABLY ON A FAIRLY SHORT LEASE, WHILE THE AMBASSADOR 
IN WASHINGTON ALMOST CERTAINLY PLAYS NO ROLE 
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WHATSOEVER.  VIETNAM WILL NONETHELESS LISTEN 
ATTENTIVELY TO THE VIEWS OF THE G-77 AND ASEAN ON MAJOR 
ISSUES, AND LIKES WHENEVER POSSIBLE TO VOTE WITH THE 
MAJORITY. 
 
B.  THE TOP MFA CONTACT IS FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN DY 
NIEN, WHO SPEAKS GOOD ENGLISH (ALTHOUGH HE OFTEN 
PREFERS TO USE AN INTERPRETER).  HIS OFFICE TELEPHONE 
IS 84-4-199-2218 OR 84-9-13238218 DURING WORKING HOURS 
(12 HOURS DIFFERENCE FROM WASHINGTON), OR 84-4-845-2980 
(NON-WORKING HOURS).  THERE IS NO POINT IN TRYING TO 
CONTACT CPV OFFICIALS DIRECTLY; THEY CLAIM THEIR ROLE 
IS PARTY-TO-PARTY RELATIONS. 
 
C.  THE GVN IN GENERAL DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT 
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS SHOULD INVOKE SANCTIONS OR 
SINGLE OUT PARTICULAR COUNTRIES (APART FROM THE U.S. OR 
ISRAEL) FOR CRITICISM.  SENSITIVE TO INTERNATIONAL 
CRITICISM ON ITS OWN HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD, VIETNAM WILL 
SEEK TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMISSION SPENDS AS LITTLE 
TIME AS POSSIBLE EXAMINING INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES.  ITS 
REPRESENTATIVE IN GENEVA WILL GENERALLY DISCOURAGE 
FORMAL CONDEMNATIONS OF SPECIFIC COUNTRIES -- UNLESS 
THERE IS A CLEAR CONSENSUS AMONG THE G-77 OR OTHER 
MAJOR GROUPING OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.  EMBASSY DOES 
NOT BELIEVE THAT THE GVN HAS A SPECIFIC AGENDA OF ITS 
OWN TO ADVANCE WITHIN THE COMMISSION, AND EXPECTS IT 
WILL BE A FOLLOWER, NOT A LEADER, IN ITS DELIBERATIONS. 
 
D.  A TOP GVN PRIORITY OVER THE COMING DECADE IN THE 
INTERNATIONAL ARENA IS TO WIN A UN SECURITY COUNCIL 
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SEAT FOR 2008.  IT HAS ALREADY BEGUN ITS CAMPAIGN, 
QUIETLY LOBBYING A VARIETY OF NATIONS, INCLUDING THE 
U.S. (REF D).  ASEAN ENDORSED THIS CANDIDACY IN ITS 
ANNUAL MEETING IN 2002.  THE USG CAN PLAY THIS CARD, 
CITING RESPONSIBLE AND PRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR WITHIN THE 
COMMISSION AS ONE CRITERION THE USG WILL CONSIDER WHEN 
MAKING ITS DECISION ON A UNSC SEAT.  THE USG AID 
PROGRAM FOR VIETNAM IS EXCLUSIVELY HUMANITARIAN AND 
TRADE-RELATED, AND SO DOES NOT LEND ITSELF TO LEVERAGE 
RELATED TO COMMISSION ACTIVITIES OR HUMAN RIGHTS 
BEHAVIOR. 
 
E.  THE MFA HAS ALREADY INDICATED THAT IT WISHES TO 
PICK UP THE PACE OF BILATERAL DIPLOMATIC EXCHANGES OVER 
THE NEXT YEAR, INCLUDING POSSIBLE VISITS TO THE US BY: 
MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENSE TRA (FEBRUARY/MARCH); 
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER KHOAN (MARCH/APRIL); FOREIGN 
MINISTER NIEN (JUNE); AND PRIME MINISTER KHAI 
(NOVEMBER/DECEMBER).  THEY WOULD WELCOME VISITS TO 
VIETNAM IN 2003 OF USTR ZOELLICK (MARCH); DEPUTY 
SECRETARY ARMITAGE (JUNE); AND SECRETARY POWELL 
 
SIPDIS 
(JUNE/JULY).  IN ADDITION, THE SECRETARY WILL MEET WITH 
THE FOREIGN MINISTER AT THE ASEAN POST-MINISTERIAL 
CONFERENCE AND ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM IN PHNOM PENH IN 
MID-JUNE, WHILE THE PRESIDENT SHOULD AGAIN BE SEATED 
NEXT TO PRIME MINISTER KHAI AT THE APEC SUMMIT NEXT 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9040 
 
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ACTION DRL-02 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   AMAD-00  CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00 
      DS-00    EAP-00   EB-00    FBIE-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00 
      INR-00   IO-00    LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   MOFM-05  MOF-01 
      AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00 
      PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SSO-00   SS-00 
      STR-00   TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  R-00     ECA-00   IIP-00 
      PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-00   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /015W 
                  ------------------168896  120932Z /38 
O 120854Z DEC 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8329 
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 002956 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR DRL AND EAP/BCLTV 
 
 
 
YEAR.  ALL OF THESE VISITS WOULD GIVE US A GOOD FACE- 
TO-FACE OPPORTUNITY TO LOBBY OUR OWN CANDIDACY FOR THE 
COMMISSION AS WELL AS FOR OUR AGENDA. 
 
F.  VIETNAM'S GOVERNMENT- AND PARTY-CONTROLLED MEDIA 
OFFER NO OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEDIA OUTREACH.  THERE ARE 
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NO DOMESTIC NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (ONLY CPV- 
CONTROLLED "MASS ORGANIZATIONS").  FOREIGN NGOS, WHICH 
ARE MOSTLY INVOLVED IN HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS, ARE 
GENERALLY LOATHE TO GET INVOLVED IN HUMAN RIGHTS- 
RELATED ISSUES, AND VOICED OPPOSITION IN 2001 (SOME AT 
THE GVN BEHEST) TO THE DRAFT VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT 
PASSED BY THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.  VISITS TO 
VIETNAM BY US EXPERTS (BOTH ACADEMICS AND 
ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS) ON THE UN SYSTEM AND ON HUMAN 
RIGHTS OFFER THE BEST LONG-TERM HOPE FOR INFLUENCING 
OPINIONS AT LEAST OF ELITE GROUPS, BUT PROVIDE LIMITED 
VALUE IN ACHIEVING USG GOALS FOR THE CHR-59. 
BURGHARDT 
 
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