US embassy cable - 02HANOI3096

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 003096 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL 
 
SECDEF FOR ISA/ACHAU 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL 12/30/2007 
TAGS: PHUM, PINS, PREL, VM, HUMANR 
SUBJECT:  TWO VIETNAMESE ACTIVISTS DETAINED 
 
REF:  HANOI 3046 
 
1.  (U)  CLASSIFIED BY A/DCM SCOTT BELLARD, REASON 
1.5(D) 
 
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2.  (C)  SUMMARY.  POLICE DETAINED DEMOCRACY AND ANTI- 
CORRUPTION ACTIVISTS PHAM QUE DUONG AND TRAN KHUE ON 
DECEMBER 28 AND 29, RESPECTIVELY, IN HO CHI MINH CITY. 
THEIR CURRENT WHEREABOUTS AND CONDITION ARE UNKNOWN, 
BUT THEY MAY NOW BE FACING PROSECUTION ON POTENTIALLY 
SERIOUS CHARGES AFTER YEARS OF HIGHLY VISIBLE ACTIVISM. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
3.  (C)  PROMINENT ACTIVIST DR. NGUYEN THANH GIANG ON 
DECEMBER 30 CONFIRMED TO POLOFF AN ANONYMOUS REPORT 
RECEIVED BY EMBASSY ABOUT THESE DETENTIONS.  DR. GIANG 
SAID THAT KHUE'S DAUGHTER HAD TELEPHONED HIM TO "WARN" 
ABOUT THE DETENTIONS ON DECEMBER 29.  ACCORDING TO HER, 
DUONG WAS DETAINED ALONG WITH HIS WIFE, A FRIEND 
(DESCRIBED BY DR. GIANG AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE GVN'S 
CULTURAL PUBLISHING HOUSE), AND TWO WELL-WISHERS AT THE 
MAIN TRAIN STATION IN HO CHI MINH CITY ON THE AFTERNOON 
OF DECEMBER 28.  THEY HAD GONE TO HO CHI MINH CITY A 
FEW DAYS BEFORE TO SEE FELLOW ACTIVIST TRAN KHUE. 
POLICE DETAINED ALL FIVE AS DUONG, WIFE, AND FRIEND 
WERE ABOUT TO BOARD A TRAIN HOMEWARD.  THE TWO WELL- 
WISHERS, FROM HO CHI MINH CITY, WERE RELEASED AFTER A 
FEW HOURS, ACCORDING TO KHUE'S DAUGHTER. 
 
4.  (C)  KHUE'S DAUGHTER ADDED THAT POLICE HAD COME TO 
TRAN KHUE'S HOUSE ON THE AFTERNOON OF DECEMBER 29. 
THEY DETAINED KHUE AND TOOK AWAY HIS COMPUTER AND 
VARIOUS DOCUMENTS. 
 
5.  (C)  DR. GIANG SPECULATED THAT THE DETENTIONS WERE 
LINKED TO THE DECEMBER 20 SENTENCING OF NGUYEN KHAC 
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TOAN (REFTEL) FOR ESPIONAGE.  HE CLAIMED THAT A 
DOCUMENT USED AT THE TRIAL HAD ALLEGED THAT KHUE AND 
DUONG, AS WELL AS DR. GIANG AND FELLOW ACTIVIST HOANG 
MINH CHINH, WERE CONTINUING TOAN'S ACTIVITIES.  HE 
DECLINED TO ELABORATE ON HOW HE HAD LEARNED OF A 
DOCUMENT USED AT TOAN'S CLOSED TRIAL.  DR. GIANG 
CONFIRMED, HOWEVER, THAT NOTHING UNTOWARD HAD HAPPENED 
RECENTLY TO HIM, CHINH, OR OTHER ACTIVISTS TO HIS 
KNOWLEDGE. 
 
6.  (C)  COMMENT:  GVN SECURITY OFFICIALS ARE OFTEN 
QUICK TO SEE CONSPIRACIES EVEN IN OTHERWISE INNOCENT 
ACTIVITIES.  THEY MAY HAVE JUDGED THAT DUONG'S UNUSUAL 
TRIP TO HO CHI MINH CITY TO VISIT KHUE HAD A SINISTER 
MOTIVE, GIVEN THE PROMINENCE THESE TWO HAVE HAD IN THE 
ACTIVIST COMMUNITY SINCE THE SEPTEMBER 2001 EFFORT THEY 
SPEARHEADED TO SET UP NON-GOVERNMENT ANTI-CORRUPTION 
WATCHDOG.  DUONG'S WIFE HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN KNOWN 
TO EMBASSY AS A POLITICAL ACTIVIST; HER SIMULTANEOUS 
DETENTION MAY JUST BE AN MPS EFFORT TO GAIN EXTRA 
BARGAINING LEVERAGE OVER HER HUSBAND TO BEHAVE.  THERE 
IS, HOWEVER, CONCERN HERE THAT DUONG AND KHUE MAY NOW 
HAVE PUSHED THE ENVELOPE ENOUGH THAT THE GVN WILL FEEL 
OBLIGED TO PROSECUTE THEM UNDER POTENTIALLY SERIOUS 
CHARGES. 
BURGHARDT 
 
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