US embassy cable - 03HANOI541

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000541 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR DRL/IRF, DRL, EAP/BCLTV 
PASS TO US COMMISSION FOR INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KIRF, PINS, VM, HUMANR, ETMIN, RELFREE 
SUBJECT: DECEMBER 2002 GASSING INCIDENT IN LAI CHAU 
 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary:  Reports of a gas attack on Hmong 
Protestants in Lai Chau province on December 29, 2002 appear 
to have a basis in fact.  However, the gas appears to have 
been something like pepper spray or tear gas rather than more 
lethal poison gas as claimed in some reports.  There are no 
confirmed deaths as a result of this attack.  End summary. 
 
2.  (SBU)  Two Protestant evangelists have shared with 
Embassy reports they have gathered from various sources 
regarding a single gassing incident that took place on 
December 29, 2002 in Hoi Huong hamlet of Dien Bien district 
of Lai Chau.  It appears that 23 local officials, primarily 
police, came to the building where the Hmong had gathered to 
worship.  One source said that when the authorities tried to 
confiscate the worshipers' Bibles and songbooks, the women 
and children in the congregation left (apparently with some 
of the Bibles and songbooks), leaving 90 men.  The 
authorities then withdrew an unknown distance.  Then there 
were two "explosions," immediately followed by some unknown 
hot gas, which caused burning sensations in the mouth, nose, 
and eyes, as well as difficulty breathing. 
 
3.  (SBU)  According to one source, four men were 
hospitalized as a result of the gas, but all were out of the 
hospital by some time before February 19.  Accounts differ on 
whether the victims included women.  One source has claimed 
one woman miscarried after the attack. 
 
4.  (SBU)  When asked on January 29 about reports of a gas 
attack, the Lai Chau provincial People's Committee's Chief of 
Chancery confirmed, "co su viec" ("there was something") but 
stressed that what actually happened was "completely 
different" from international reports.  However, he refused 
to elaborate or to answer any more questions and referred 
inquiries to the province's International Cooperation 
Department (ICD).  Subsequent attempts to telephone the ICD 
and the hospital where some gassing victims were reportedly 
taken have been unsuccessful. 
 
5.  (SBU)  After two Hmong eyewitnesses recounted the episode 
to the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North), church 
officials in Hanoi arranged for a meeting with the Ministry 
of Public Security, which reportedly promised to investigate 
the incident.  However, as of February 26, there had been no 
response. 
 
6.  (U)  The two sources separately provided Embassy copies 
of a report apparently written by Hoi Huong residents within 
about two hours of the gassing.  They allegedly compelled 
three local officials involved in the incident to sign as 
witnesses.  The following is Embassy's informal translation. 
 
Quote: 
Socialist Republic of Vietnam 
Independence - Freedom - Happiness 
 
A Report by Witnesses 
 
Today, 29 December 2002 at about 9:00 AM, we citizens of Hoi 
Huong hamlet, Muong Nha commune, Dien Bien District, Lai Chau 
province, went to the house of Vu Say So to pray and worship. 
 The reason is because we are Protestant Christians belonging 
to the Evangelical Church of Vietnam based at 2 Ngo Tram 
Street in Hanoi.  At that time, a whole team of officials of 
Dien Bien District Lai Chau, implementing Plan 184, came into 
the house.  There were 23 people in this Plan 184 working 
delegation.  At the same time we were about to start our 
worship service, someone released a hot gas into the house. 
It had a hot smell and it penetrated our mouths, noses, and 
eyes, and it made us all collapse. 
 
Also at that time, three cadres came down the road from Dien 
Bien or Da Dong.  Six people who saw them were Vu A Tu, Sung 
A Vu, Vu A Lan, Vu Pha Sang, Vu Thi Lu, and Vu Sua Se.  These 
six people heard the explosion set off by the three cadres, 
who then helped each other out of the building covering their 
faces and noses, laughing.  They were Vu Da Chu (illegible) 
of Dien Bien district, Tra A Pao of Dien Bien district 
police, and Lo Van Tien, Dien Bien district Youth Union 
official.   They were seen laughing, Pao covering his mouth, 
Tien holding his head high.  Meanwhile other cadres were 
outside or in the house next door. 
 
At this time Mr. Vu Sung So, who was outside, saw three 
cadres leave the house and run away. 
 
Those who were strongly affected by the gas include:  Giang 
Thi My, Mua A Khoi, Sung Thi Do, Vu Thi Senh, Lau Thi Chu, 
Lau Thi Mua, Vang Thi Do, Vu Thi Lia, and Mua Thi My.  There 
were other people affected as well. 
 
The people named became very sick and were taken to the Ban 
Khoan Hospital (in) Muong Nha commune. 
If after this something bad happens, injury or death, then 
the 184 working delegation (or unit) must bear responsibility 
for the people sickened by the hot gas, and must compensate 
them. 
 
We wrote this report before 11:15 a.m. the same day. 
 
Report prepared by Lau Phai Senh (signature) 
 
Representative of the village Vu A Cong (signature) 
 
Witnesses (signatures) 
Vu Thi Lu 
Vu A Lau 
Sung A Vu 
Vu A Da (or Dia) 
Vu A Tu 
 
Affirmed by village chairman Vu Nha Ca (signature) 
 
Working group (or unit) 184 (signatures) 
Vu A Chu 
Chang A Pao 
Lu Van Tien 
 
End quote. 
 
7.  (SBU)  Comment.  This incident underscores the mix of 
rumor and fact that complicate balanced reporting on 
religious freedom and practice in remote parts of Vietnam. 
What may have been GVN crowd control techniques to break up 
what appeared to local officials an illegal gathering under 
Vietnam's strict regulations on assembly led to 
unsubstantiated and apparently untrue international reports 
of poison gas and Christian martyrs.  One of the most 
important factors preventing a more accurate picture of what 
really happened is the GVN's own self-defeating lack of 
transparency. 
BURGHARDT