Cablegate: Interrogations of Anti-Corruption Activists

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

2001HANOI02197 - UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ4789

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INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00
DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 CAEX-01 PA-00
PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 IRM-00 STR-00
TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-01 DRL-02
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------------------1BCEEF 070126Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3874
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
ASEAN COLLECTIVE
NSC WASHDC
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002197

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PINS PGOV VM HUMANR DPOL
SUBJECT: INTERROGATIONS OF ANTI-CORRUPTION ACTIVISTS

1. (SBU) REFORM ACTIVIST NGUYEN THANH GIANG CONFIRMED TO
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POLOFF ON SEPTEMBER 6 THAT POLICE HAD VISITED FELLOW
ACTIVISTS HOANG MINH CHINH AND PHAM QUE DUONG BETWEEN 7 AND
8 AM ON SEPTEMBER 5 AT THEIR HOMES. POLICE THEN "INVITED"
THEM TO THE HANOI POLICE STATION AND QUESTIONED THEM
SEPARATELY FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE RELEASING THEM. LATER
THAT DAY, POLICE SIMILARLY "INVITED" FIVE OTHER ACTIVISTS,
INCLUDING GIANG, HOANG TIEN, LE CHI QUANG, NGUYEN VU BINH,
AND TRAN DUNG TIEN, AS WELL AS SOME FRIENDS OF CHINH'S
DAUGHTER WHO HAPPENED TO BE VISITING HIS HOUSE, TO VARIOUS
HANOI DISTRICT POLICE STATIONS FOR QUESTIONING BEFORE
ULTIMATELY RELEASING THEM LATER THAT DAY AS WELL.

2. (SBU) ACCORDING TO GIANG, BOTH CHINH AND DUONG BEGAN
HUNGER STRIKES WHILE UNDER QUESTIONING. BEFORE BEING
RELEASED, POLICE "INVITED" THEM AGAIN TO REPORT TO THE
POLICE STATION ON SEPTEMBER 6 FOR FURTHER QUESTIONING.
EMBASSY DOES NOT YET HAVE INFORMATION ON THE OUTCOME OF THAT
SESSION.

3. (SBU) GIANG SAID THAT HE BELIEVES THAT THESE TWO WERE
QUESTIONED IN CONNECTION WITH A REQUEST SENT (BY UNSPECIFIED
MEANS) ON SEPTEMBER 3 TO VIETNAMESE PARTY SECRETARY GENERAL
NONG DUC MANH, VIETNAM PRESIDENT TRAN DUC LUONG, PRIME
MINSTER PHAN VAN KHAI, AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CHAIRMAN NGUYEN
VAN AN. THE REQUEST WAS SIGNED BY DUONG (DESCRIBED BY GIANG
AS A RETIRED COLONEL IN THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE'S ARMY) AND
TRAN KHUE (IDENTIFIED AS A HO CHI MINH RESIDENT, ABOUT WHOSE
FATE GIANG DID NOT COMMENT). THEY EXPRESSED A WISH TO
ESTABLISH AN ASSOCIATION TO "SUPPORT THE PARTY AND THE STATE
FIGHT CORRUPTION." INFORMAL TRANSLATION FOLLOWS IN PARA 6.

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4. (SBU) GIANG ADDED THAT THE HOME PHONES OF THESE
ACTIVISTS HAD ALL BEEN CUT OFF. HE PLEDGED TO VISIT THE
TELEPHONE BUREAU AND, IF SERVICE IS NOT RESTORED, TO STAGE A
HUNGER STRIKE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

5. (U) EMBASSY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE WELL-BEING OF
THESE ACTIVISTS AND REPORT FURTHER AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
BECOMES AVAILABLE.

6. (U) INFORMAL TRANSLATION
BEGIN QUOTE

SEPTEMBER 2, 2001

AN APPLICATION TO ESTABLISH THE PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION TO
SUPPORT THE PARTY AND STATE TO FIGHT CORRUPTION
AT PRESENT, CORRUPTION HAS BECOME A NATIONAL CALAMITY THAT
HAS ERODED THE TRUST OF PEOPLE TOWARD THE PARTY AND THE
STATE AND OBSTRUCTS NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. FORMER SECRETARY
GENERAL LE KHA PHIEU HAS STATED "IF WE DON'T FIGHT AGAINST
CORRUPTION THEN THE PARTY WILL LOSE ITS LEADING ROLE."
SECRETARY GENERAL NONG DUC MANH HAS ALSO ANNOUNCED "WE MUST

SIPDIS
FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION MORE SERIOUSLY." AND NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY CHAIRMAN NGUYEN VAN AN ALSO STATED "DEMOCRACY CAN'T

BE SIMPLY REQUESTED, IT MUST BE FOUGHT FOR. FAIRNESS ALSO
CAN'T BE SIMPLY REQUESTED, THERE MUST BE STRUGGLE BEFORE
THERE IS FAIRNESS. CORRUPTION OF COURSE MUST BE FOUGHT
AGAINST VERY SERIOUSLY."
TO ANSWER THE PARTY'S AND THE STATE'S CALL, WE ARE ASKING
FOR PERMISSION TO ESTABLISH THE PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION TO
SUPPORT THE PARTY AND STATE TO FIGHT CORRUPTION.
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PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE ASSOCIATION:
- TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROPAGANDA ABOU THE PARTY'S AND
STATE'S POLICY ON AND ADVOCACY F FIGHTING CORRUPTION.
- TO CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVNG THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE
STRUGGLE AGAINST CORUPTION OF THE PARTY AND THE STATE.

SPECIFIC ACTVITIES OF THE ASSOCIATION:
- REGULAR INFORMATION ABOUT THE SITUATION OF FIGHTING
CORRUPTION TO THE PEOPLE AND STATE AGENCIES.
- TO DENOUNCE CORRUPT PRACTICES THAT DAMAGE THE INTERESTS OF
THE NATION AND THE PEOPLE.
- TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCOERING AND INFORMING ABOUT CORRUPT
PRACTICES.
- O SUGGEST MEASURES TO PROSECUTE CORRUPT PRACTICES.
- NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES.

ORGANIZATION:
- THE ASSOCIATION IS COMPRISED OF VIETNAMESE CITIZENS
"LOYAL TO THE COUNTRY AND FAITHFUL WITH THE PEOPLE" WHO
VOLUNTEER TO JOIN.
- THE ASSOCIATION IS ORGANIZED NATIONWIDE WITH SYSTEMATIC
STRUCTURE.
- EVERY LEVEL WILL HAVE FULL-TIME STAFFS ELECTED FOR
APPROPRIATE TERMS.
- TO ISSUE AN "ANTI-CORRUPTION NEWSPAPER" (CONSISTENT WITH
THE PRESS LAW.) TO COMMUNICATE INTERNALLY BY USING "LETTER
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TO THE EDITOR" FORMAT WHILE WAITING FOR PERMIT.
- THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE TO ESTABLISH THE ASSOCIATION IS
AS FOLLOWS: THE REPRESENTATIVE IN NORTHERN AREA IS MR. PHAM
QUE DUONG, 37 LY NAM DE, HANOI, MOBILE TELEPHONE 0903252286.
THE REPRESENTATIVE IN SOUTHERN AREA IS MR. TRAN KHUE, 296
NGUYEN TRAI, QUAN 5, HO CHI MINH CITY, (TELEPHONE 8-363-825,
E-MAIL TRANKHUE@HCM.FPT.VN). THE REPRESENTATIVES WILL WORK
UNDER THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE ASSOCIATION.
- THE OPERATING FUND DEPENDS ON VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTIONS FROM
MEMBERS AND OTHER DONORS INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS. THE BUDGET WILL BE PUBLICLY REPORTED
PERIODICALLY.
- AFTER STABILIZING THE ORGANIZATION AND ACTIVITIES, THE
ASSOCIATION WILL APPLY TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE VN
FATHERLAND FRONT.

WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THE PARTY AND THE STATE FOR THE
PERMISSION TO ESTABLISH THE PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION TO SUPPORT
THE PARTY AND STATE IN FIGHTING CORRUPTION.
THANK YOU.
(SIGNED)
PHAM QUE DUONG
TRAN KHUE
END QUOTE
PORTER

UNCLASSIFIED

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