US embassy cable - 03HANOI1316

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 001316 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL, DRL/PHD, and DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958:  NA 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, KIRF, VM, HUMANR, ETMIN, RELFREE 
SUBJECT:  New Religious Affairs Chief's Views on Tasks 
 
Ref A:  HANOI 0175 
Ref B:  STATE 123409 
Ref C:  HANOI 0868 and previous 
Ref D:  HANOI 0842 
Ref E:  HANOI 0135 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary:  New Chairman of the GVN Committee on 
Religious Affairs (CRA) Ngo Yen Thi told Ambassador on May 
28 that CPV Central Committee Resolution Seven on religion 
is the most important issue currently for the CRA.  His 
overall goal as head of the CRA, in light of the Resolution, 
is to narrow the gap between believers and non-believers 
that had stemmed from historical conflicts.  He explained 
that Resolution Seven is designed to grant and protect 
rights for religious activities, define relations with 
religious groups, and create unity between religious 
believers and non-believers.  Chairman Thi blamed forced 
conversions on the failure of local cadres to understand 
national policy, and said that one purpose of Resolution 
Seven is to correct such failures of understanding and 
publicly to confirm religion as a spiritual need of 
citizens.  Chairman Thi and Ambassador also discussed United 
Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) leaders Thich Huyen Quang 
and Thich Quang Do, Protestants in the Central and Northwest 
Highlands, and the two GVN-recognized Protestant church 
organizations.  Chairman Thi came across as a well-informed, 
open, and willing interlocutor.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (U)  Chairman Thi held his "first meeting with 
foreigners as CRA chairman" with Ambassador and DCM in 
response to Embassy's request to meet with the CRA to 
discuss religious freedom issues raised in ref b.  (Note: 
Former CRA Chairman Vinh retired in early May, but it was 
unclear until May 27 whether Vinh or Thi would receive 
Ambassador.  End note.)  Ambassador asked Chairman Thi to 
outline his ideas for his new job, especially in light of 
CPV Central Committee Resolution Seven (ref a).  He also 
asked Chairman Thi to explain what changes were underway 
with respect to Thich Huyen Quang and the UBCV. 
 
-------------------- 
CPV Resolution Seven 
-------------------- 
 
3.  (U)  Resolution Seven is currently the most important 
issue for the CRA, according to Chairman Thi.  He said that, 
according to some (unnamed) "Western observers," the 
Resolution will pave the way for freer religious activities, 
while other Westerners say that it will limit and bind 
activities more closely than in the past.  He confirmed that 
the Resolution reaffirms longstanding CPV/GVN policy of 
respecting and guaranteeing religious freedom.  However, he 
admitted that there were problems implementing the policy 
and that "not everyone" understands it.  While recognized 
religions operate within the law, some individuals belonging 
to those faiths and other religions not recognized by the 
GVN have "violated the law."  Therefore, the CPV designed 
Resolution Seven step by step to "grant rights to carry out 
activities within the law;" to create "normal" relations 
between religions and the government, between different 
religions, and between religions and other social 
organizations.  It is also designed publicly to confirm that 
religion is a spiritual need of citizens and to give credit 
for the contributions towards national construction of 
religions in close relationships with the GVN.  Finally, he 
said it reaffirms the GVN's respect for religions and 
guarantees the right of religious belief and "normal" 
religious activities. 
 
4.  (U)  The GVN is organizing many classes to ensure that 
local officials have a uniform understanding of Resolution 
Seven and national policy, Chairman Thi asserted.  It is 
necessary that those who decide religious issues have a firm 
understanding of religious matters.  He expressed hope that 
through efforts such as educating local officials, the GVN 
could create an environment fostering normal religious 
activities.  This would, he predicted, help overcome 
Vietnam's image problem overseas. 
 
----------------------- 
Leadership and Religion 
----------------------- 
 
5.  (U)  In response to Ambassador's question about the 
absence of religious believers from the ranks of the CPV, 
Chairman Thi asserted that there are religious believers -- 
including Cao Dai, Catholic, and Protestant as well as 
Buddhist -- in the CPV.  Furthermore, they are permitted to 
carry out their Party and their religious duties without 
conflict and could hold positions at the commune and 
district levels.  He admitted that it is "easier" for 
Buddhists in the CPV, although he clarified that many of 
them are not "students" of the religion, but relatively 
casual "followers."  He emphasized that Vietnam's many wars 
had opened rifts between various religious believers and 
other parts of the population, but that authorities are 
working on closing those rifts.  He added that old 
viewpoints on religion would change and that 
misunderstandings of religion would be reduced greatly. 
 
6.  (U)  Referring primarily to religious leaders rather 
than followers, Chairman Thi pointed out that the National 
Assembly contains religious "believers," but suggested that 
it would be difficult for religious persons to balance their 
religious and professional obligations and thus serve in 
higher positions in the GVN.  He refused to speculate on 
whether persons of religion would be able to rise to senior 
leadership positions in the future. 
 
----------------------------- 
Thich Huyen Quang's Situation 
----------------------------- 
 
7.  (U)  Chairman Thi attributed part of the improvement in 
Thich Huyen Quang's status to the consequences of Resolution 
Seven, but also credited a change in the UBCV Patriarch's 
thinking.  He claimed that the UBCV Patriarch had formed two 
favorable impressions of the GVN while visiting Hanoi (ref 
c).  One was that the GVN has been working hard to build the 
nation and improved the lives of the people.  The second was 
that after visiting several Hanoi pagodas and talking to 
local monks, Thich Huyen Quang had observed that religious 
activities were "normal" in the North.  Subsequently, Thich 
Huyen Quang reportedly expressed these points during his 
meeting with the Prime Minister (ref d), which Chairman Thi 
said he had attended. 
 
8.  (U)  Chairman Thi noted that Thich Huyen Quang had been 
administratively detained in Quang Ngai for "a long time" as 
a result of actions taken by Ho Chi Minh City authorities. 
(Note:  He did not explain why Ho Chi Minh City authorities 
were able to have the UBCV leader detained in another 
province.  End note.)  However, that detention had expired 
in 1997, according to Thi.  Ambassador pointed out that 
Thich Huyen Quang has complained that he has never received 
a written explanation of why he was confined, what the 
duration of his detention was, or that it had ended.  Thi 
expressed surprise at this, saying that the section that had 
initiated the detention had decided to end it in 1997, but 
that Thich Huyen Quang had been too much of a stickler and 
not accepted the decision. 
 
9.  (U)  Ambassador asked about Thich Huyen Quang's current 
legal status.  Chairman Thi noted that the UBCV leader had 
returned to Quang Ngai after his visit to Ho Chi Minh City, 
but was also spending time in Binh Dinh province where his 
original monastery is located.  He claimed that the UBCV 
Patriarch wants to devote most of his time to running this 
monastery and that Binh Dinh authorities would "create 
favorable conditions" for this. 
 
10.  (U)  Chairman Thi said that he was sure that Thich 
Quang Do's administrative detention would be ending soon, 
thanks to the GVN's clemency policy.  He confirmed that 
Thich Huyen Quang had asked the Prime Minister about Thich 
Quang Do. 
 
--------------------- 
Highlands Protestants 
--------------------- 
 
11.  (U)  Ambassador reminded Chairman Thi that Americans 
and Europeans pay considerable attention to the problems of 
Protestants in the Central and Northwest Highlands and that 
he personally has made trips to those regions and met with 
local officials and believers.  He acknowledged that there 
is a history of separatist activities associated with some 
Protestants.  Provincial leaders had told the Ambassador 
that local officials sometimes do not separatists from the 
peaceful majority of Protestant believers.  Ambassador noted 
the negative attitude and lack of knowledge of local 
officials such as the Kon Tum Deputy Chief of Religious 
Affairs who had denied that the SECV was legal, and the 
provincial leader who had asserted to Ambassador that 
minorities who became Protestants were "traitors" to their 
people.  Moreover, while not all reports of church closings 
and forced renunciations were believable, they are 
sufficiently numerous to indicate that such things must be 
happening, Ambassador told Chairman Thi.  While there were 
generally reasonable explanations for and expectations of 
resolving other religious freedom problems, Ambassador told 
Chairman Thi that there was no excuse for those suffered by 
Protestants in the Highlands.  He asked about the status of 
efforts by the SECV and ECVN to enroll highlands 
congregations in their ranks. 
 
12.  (U)  Chairman Thi claimed that such actions by local 
authorities were not in accord with national policy.  He 
said that he had visited the Central Highlands and found the 
issue "very difficult."  Forced conversions happen because 
local cadres "do not understand" national policy.  He 
reiterated that Resolution Seven is partially intended to 
correct this problem.  He added that the GVN is considering 
special programs to benefit Protestants.  Part of the 
complication, he asserted, is that the Dega Protestants have 
a clear political agenda -- inherent in the term Dega, "de" 
referring to the Ede people and "ga" meaning "state" in the 
local language.  Ambassador replied that the Dega are a 
minority and that the U.S. has repeatedly and publicly 
affirmed that it does not support groups seeking to divide 
Vietnam. 
 
13.  (SBU)  Another complication, according to Chairman Thi, 
is that the Southern Evangelical Church of Vietnam (SECV) 
accepted local congregations in the Central Highlands 
without "consulting" with the local authorities.  Therefore, 
local authorities have not known which congregations are 
SECV and which are not.  (Note:  Mission sources have 
reported that the SECV submitted incomplete lists of its 
historical Central Highlands congregations when it 
registered with the GVN in 2001.  Some allege that the SECV 
was pressured to do so.  End note.)  He claimed that this is 
what the Kon Tum official must have been referring to when 
he said that the SECV was not legal.  Ambassador replied 
that regardless of this confusion, it is time to regularize 
the status of these congregations. 
 
14.  (SBU)  Chairman Thi went on to say that some local 
authorities had told him that "every" Protestant was Dega. 
He said that the CRA was trying to overcome this and had 
requested local authorities to work closely with the SECV to 
determine which congregations belonged to the recognized 
church.  Chairman Thi advocated "expedited communications" 
between the SECV and local authorities.  House churches made 
up of "pure religious followers" could be re-established in 
affiliation with the SECV.  However, there would be no 
recognition of Dega groups, he warned.  He promised that the 
GVN would gradually create "normal conditions" for 
Protestant believers, but time was needed to close gaps 
caused by past misunderstandings.  He termed these efforts 
the GVN's "peaceful evolution" campaign. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
The ECVN and Northwest Highlands churches 
----------------------------------------- 
 
15.  (U)  Chairman Thi described the ECVN's leadership as 
moribund and disunited.  Thus, enrollment of congregations 
in the Northwest Highlands could not be taken as 
representative of the will of the ECVN.  He claimed that the 
GVN was taking steps to encourage and strengthen the ECVN's 
executive board and to organize the long-delayed ECVN 
convention.  If the ECVN "followed instructions," Chairman 
Thi said that the convention could be held before the end of 
2003. 
 
---------------- 
Laws on Religion 
---------------- 
 
16.  (SBU)  Ambassador asked Chairman Thi if the GVN was 
considering the USG suggestion to investigate and openly 
punish officials who had violated the religious rights of 
citizens.  Chairman Thi responded that the suggestion is 
under consideration, but that it is difficult to implement. 
There is no separate code on religion and while there are 
other legal provisions that might apply, they are not 
complete.  He mentioned that the new ordinance on religion 
is still under consideration by the National Assembly 
Standing Committee.  He added that the GVN is now 
considering a separate code to define penalties for 
individuals who have violated GVN religion policy, including 
cadres who had committed wrongdoing.  (Note:  Several months 
ago CRA officials indicated that such penalties would be 
included in the religion ordinance.  End note.) 
 
17.  (SBU)  Ambassador expressed concern that this code 
could outlaw  proselytizing.  Chairman Thi replied that 
proselytizing by recognized groups was permitted, but that 
it was illegal for unrecognized groups to do so.  Ambassador 
noted that had this law been in effect at the time, it would 
have outlawed the creation of the Hoa Hao and the Cao Dai. 
Chairman Thi clarified that such groups could register and 
then be permitted to proselytize.  The point, he explained, 
was to prevent the establishment of religions that advocated 
undesirable behavior. 
 
----------------- 
Biographical Note 
----------------- 
 
18.  (SBU)  Ngo Yen Thi has been with the Committee on 
Religious Affairs for about two years, and was principal 
Deputy Chairman for over a year before becoming Chairman 
(although not known to Embassy).  He said that he had worked 
his way up through local and provincial level posts before 
coming to Hanoi.  He is from central Vietnam and immediately 
prior to joining the CRA was Thua Thien Hue province CPV 
Chairman and the provincial People's Council (provincial 
assembly) Chairman.  He was a member of the CPV Central 
Committee from 1996 to 2001 and of the National Assembly 
from 1997 to 2002.  He was born in 1945.  A staffer in the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs International Organizations 
Department described him as being "quite capable." 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
19.  (SBU)  Chairman Thi is an open and well-informed 
interlocutor who responded to most issues directly and 
forthrightly.  His answers about the Central Highlands are 
welcome -- he essentially acknowledged that forced 
renunciations and house church closings have occurred and 
claimed that the GVN is attempting to correct the situation. 
Chairman Thi's explanation of Resolution Seven reinforces 
our conclusion that the CPV and GVN intend to attempt to 
regulate religion more closely while "normalizing" or 
legitimizing its role in society.  His stated intention to 
close the gaps between religious believers and others sounds 
benevolent, but also raises the possibility of strict action 
against unregistered groups. 
BURGHARDT