US embassy cable - 03HANOI220

UNCLAS HANOI 000220 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PINS, PHUM, PGOV, SOCI, VM 
SUBJECT:  MORE SENTENCES FOR PUBLIC PROTESTS 
 
REF:  A.  FBIS JPP20030113000060  B.  HANOI 031 
-     C.  02 Hanoi 2713           D.  Hanoi 0175 
 
1.  (U)  An official of the Nam Dinh Provincial People's 
Court confirmed to emboff on January 28 the substance of 
media reports (ref a) about the sentencing on December 18 of 
ten people involved in public protests in Hong Thuan commune 
of Giao Thuy district in that province.  He also confirmed 
that sentences ranged between eighteen months and five 
years. 
 
2.  (U)  According to the official, protests over local 
corruption and agricultural land use taxes dated back at 
least to June 2000, when some local residents -- including 
local Communist Party officials -- first allegedly 
"sabotaged" official meetings set up to handle public 
complaints.  Some residents also apparently "illegally 
detained" the local chief of personnel and chief of the 
district office for up to a week.  Other local residents 
then tried to "sabotage" May 2002 National Assembly 
elections, he claimed. 
 
3.  (U)  The court official noted that local and provincial 
officials had attempted to resolve complaints by "firing" or 
transferring some of the officials accused of corruption, 
but local residents continued to "cause public disorder" by 
attempting to hand deliver complaints to more senior CPV and 
GVN officials.  The organizers were arrested in May 2002, he 
said. 
 
4.  (U)  Minister of Government Office Doan Manh Giao told 
the press on January 11 that the GVN would soon issue a new 
decree to deal with citizens "abusing democracy" to "cause 
social unrest" or "undermine social stability."  He 
predicted, however, that it would take a "long time" to 
draft a law on "this sensitive issue" and noted that the 
eventual decree would not only "stipulate what, how and 
where demonstrators are allowed to protest" but also provide 
clearer fines and punishment.  He admitted the "more and 
more people" were using complaints and petitions to incite 
people to protest. 
 
5.  (U)  Comment:  Similar to protests over land use and 
local corruption that have led to a string of sentences in 
near-by Hatay province (refs b and c), the Nam Dinh case 
again demonstrates both local ire over incompetent and/or 
corrupt officials as well as the continued sensitivity of 
land issues, both of which were major themes of the most 
recent CPV Central Committee plenum (ref d).   The protests 
are also clear indications that the law on denunciations and 
complaints is not working very well (the 2002 revised 
version may help improve this process eventually -- septel), 
that Vietnamese are still willing to take their complaints 
on some issues to the street, and that the GVN will react 
strongly against perceived "agitators" who "threaten" public 
order. 
BURGHARDT