US embassy cable - 03HOCHIMINHCITY111

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000111 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL/IRF, DRL/CRA 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PREL, SOCI, KIRF, VM, HUMANR, ETMIN, RELFREE 
SUBJECT:  HCMC PASTORS: CHRISTMAS CELEBRATED WITHOUT 
GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary:  Despite a stream of reports from U.S. 
sources proclaiming a new "crackdown" on Protestant 
worshippers in the Central Highlands and elsewhere in 
Vietnam over the Christmas holidays, conversations with well- 
connected pastors in HCMC over the past weeks revealed 
surprisingly few allegations of even harassment by the 
government.  Instead, the pastors talked of growing numbers 
of worshippers, new churches, and expansion of religious 
training programs both here and abroad.  End summary. 
 
2.  (SBU)  During a dinner with several local religious 
leaders from various Protestant denominations, none of these 
pastors polled by Poloff was aware of any specific instances 
of arrests, beatings, or interference with worship services 
over the holidays.  All said they were able to celebrate the 
holidays with their own congregations without incident, and 
believed that others outside of HCMC had done so as well. 
They spoke of hundreds of religious leaders currently 
undergoing training here and overseas. 
 
3.  (SBU)  One ethnic minority congregation leader did 
complain of police searching his home and questioning him 
just that morning.  However, he believed the incident to be 
connected with a November trip to Tien Giang province, when 
he was intercepted outside a "church" and detained briefly, 
before being told to return to HCMC.  The authorities then 
disbanded the assembled worshippers and confiscated a 
variety of religious and secular items. 
 
4.  (SBU)  In a separate, unrelated meeting, three Mennonite 
pastors responded that they had not heard of any specific 
examples of interference with Christmas services, but said 
they might still receive additional information from the 
provinces.  The pastors promised to arrange for direct 
meetings with sources from the Central Highlands in the 
future, rather than act as middlemen.  The pastors said the 
Mennonites had recently sent religious workers to Gia Lai 
and Dak Lak provinces to try to "rally" hundreds of house 
churches that had "become scattered" over the past five 
months.  Ethnic minority religious leaders, however, "seemed 
scared."  Because this five-month time period would coincide 
with reports of arrests in the Central Highlands during 
August-September 2002, Poloff pressed for details. The 
pastors, however, described the general climate of 
harassment faced by all unregistered house churches. 
 
5.  (SBU)  The Mennonite pastors did provide Post with news 
of the December 27 arrest of a missionary near HCMC, but no 
details on why he was arrested.  Photographs show dozens of 
people gathered around a police vehicle as uniformed 
officers take the missionary into custody.  Later 
photographs purport to show the missionary after he was 
returned from custody beaten and unconscious.  The photos 
depict him lying on the floor, with one of the pastors 
standing over him with a clearly marked first aid kit.  The 
missionary has since recovered, according to the pastor. 
(Post note: To the untrained eye at least, the police in the 
photos do not appear to be using excessive force.  Poloff 
will try to follow up with the missionary directly.) 
 
6.  (SBU)  One of the pastors also provided photographic 
evidence of a police search of his home in December.  These 
photographs show uniformed police officers asking questions 
and taking notes.  The pastor believes this incident might 
have been related to his failed attempt to register as the 
legal representative for three relatives of Father Ly, who 
were detained in June 2001.  (Post note: Father Ly, who was 
sentenced to a total of 15 years imprisonment for "damaging 
national unity" in October 2001, remains a controversial 
figure even within the Catholic Church here.)  The same 
pastor also mentioned that he was working toward opening a 
training center on law and human rights. 
 
7.  (SBU)  According to the three Mennonite pastors, the GVN 
continues to "watch and prohibit."  They claimed that two 
other pastors who had returned from training in Thailand 
late last year were apprehended by police and injected with 
poison.  The two had subsequently "lost their memories" and 
are currently under the care of their followers, being no 
longer able to fulfill their pastoral duties.  (Post note: 
Post will attempt to verify this story, as the pastors 
acknowledged they were giving Poloff a second/third-hand 
account.)  In an aside, the pastors said that "local 
governments" in the Central Highlands had "opposed and 
threatened" Deputy Prime Minister Dung during a recent visit 
there. 
 
8.  (SBU)  The pastors had no statistics for what they 
proudly described as a steadily growing number of 
worshippers, but said there are 1500 Mennonite house 
churches throughout the country.  The pastors are also 
attempting to revive a Christian Boy Scout program in 
Vietnam.  This program would be independent of any umbrella 
organization, and, presumably, unrecognized here.  The 
pastors are close to naming 12 troop leaders, including five 
who had served in that capacity before the organization was 
disbanded in 1975.  They cited great interest among members 
of the Christian community. 
9.  (SBU) Comment:  Post accepts that much of this 
information is anecdotal.  The fact that some have been able 
to worship peacefully does not mean all enjoy the same 
opportunity, which is why we do not generalize about 
religious practice in the Central Highlands.  Still, it is 
noteworthy that none of these religious leaders (who have 
been consistent sources of information critical of GVN human 
rights violations in the past) complained of government 
repression over the holidays.  This does not preclude the 
possibility that additional information may surface later, 
but offers a counterpoint to some of the more inflammatory 
charges generated by other sources. 
 
Yamauchi