Cablegate: Provincial Officials Refuse to Meet with Congen

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

131000Z Jun 00

2000HOCHI00991 - UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ4774

PAGE 01 HO CHI 00991 131002Z
ACTION EAP-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 ANHR-00 SRPP-00
DS-00 EB-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00
INR-00 IO-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02
OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00
SP-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01
DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /009W
------------------622756 131003Z /38
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3172
INFO AMEMBASSY HANOI
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//FPA//
JICPAC HONOLULU HI
SECDEF WASHDC
DIA WASHDC
NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000991

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/DKIRCHOFFER
STATE ALSO FOR DRL
SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN
NSC FOR RAVIC HUSO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM VM
SUBJECT: PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS REFUSE TO MEET WITH CONGEN
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 HO CHI 00991 131002Z

1. CONGEN DPO AND POLOFF CANCELLED A VISIT TO DAC LAC AND
BINH PHUOC PROVINCES IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IN EARLY
JUNE AFTER PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES REFUSED TO MEET WITH
THEM. ORIGINALLY, THE PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN OF BINH PHUOC PROVINCE AGREED TO MEET PROVIDED
THE DISCUSSIONS DID NOT INCLUDE THE ISSUES OF ETHNIC
MINORITIES OR RELIGION. LATER, THE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE
CANCELLED THE MEETING ALTOGETHER.

2. NOT ONLY DID THE TWO PEOPLE'S COMMITTEES REFUSE TO
MEET, BUT THEY INSTRUCTED OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR PROVINCES TO
CANCEL ALREADY CONFIRMED MEETINGS AS WELL (THIS IS
ACCORDING TO TWO SEPARATE RELIABLE SOURCES IN THOSE
PROVINCES). CONGEN NOTED BOTH TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS EXTERNAL RELATIONS OFFICE (ERO) IN HCMC, AS WELL
AS TO THE PROVINCIAL OFFICES, THAT BY REFUSING TO MEET
WITH CONGENOFFS, PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS DEPRIVE THEMSELVES
OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY
REGARDING SUCH POLITICALLY-SENSITIVE ISSUES AS MIGRATION
AND LAND DISTIRBUTION.

3. COMMENT: PER NORMAL PRACTICE, WE PROVIDED THE ERO WITH
ADVANCE NOTICE OF OUR TRAVEL PLANS. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NO
DIRECT EVIDENCE THAT MFA INTERVENED TO ABORT THE TRIP, WE
SUSPECT THAT MAY BE THE CASE GIVEN THE MORE BELLIGERENT
MFA ATTITUDE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED RECENTLY.

JOHN

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 HO CHI 00991 131002Z

UNCLASSIFIED

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