Cablegate: Demonstrators Protest U.S. Interference

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

200031Z Sep 01

2001HOCHI01082 - UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTO9103

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ACTION EAP-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DS-00 EB-00
FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00
LAB-01 VCE-00 DCP-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 PM-00 P-00
SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TEST-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /007W
------------------21D3FB 200051Z /38
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5540
INFO AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY
USMISSION GENEVA
ASEAN COLLECTIVE
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
JICPAC HONOLULU HI
SECDEF WASHDC
DIA WASHDC
NSC WASHDC
DEPTTREAS WASHDC
USDOC WASHDC

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 001082

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/JMARTIN
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR USTR
CINCPAC FOR FPA
SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN
UNCLASSIFIED

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DEPTTREAS FOR OASIA
USDOC FOR 4431/MAC/AP/OKSA/HPPHO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL VM HUMANR
SUBJECT: DEMONSTRATORS PROTEST U.S. INTERFERENCE

REF: HANOI 2307

1. A SMALL GROUP OF PEACEFUL STUDENT DEMONSTRATORS
(APPROXIMATELY 35 TO 50 PERSONS) ARRIVED IN FRONT OF
CONGEN AT 7:40 A.M. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, TO PROTEST
RECENT CONGRESSIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LEGISLATION TARGETED
AT VIETNAM. THE GROUP CARRIED SEVERAL BANNERS WITH
SLOGANS SUCH AS "LONG LIVE THE VIETNAM COMMUNIST PARTY"
AND "US GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO INTERFERE
IN VIETNAM." RSO WAS ALREADY PRESENT AT CONGEN, AND
LOCAL UNDERCOVER POLICE WERE NEARBY. THE DEMONSTRATORS
DISBURSED AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES. THEY DID NOT ATTEMPT
TO SPEAK WITH ANYONE OR PASS ANY WRITTEN DOCUMENTS TO
CONGEN.

2. THE PROTEST OCCURRED JUST PRIOR TO A MEETING OF
SEVERAL HUNDRED YOUNG PEOPLE CALLED TOGETHER BY THE
HCMC COMMUNIST PARTY YOUTH UNION, THE HCMC COMMUNIST
YOUTH BRIGADE, AND THE HCMC STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION TO
DENOUNCE THE PASSAGE BY THE U.S. HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES ON SEPTEMBER 6 OF THE VIETNAM HUMAN
RIGHTS ACT. THE DEMONSTRATORS WERE LIKELY ON THEIR WAY
TO THAT MEETING, WHICH WAS HELD AT THE HCMC YOUTH UNION
CENTER JUST THREE BLOCKS FROM CONGEN. SEVERAL PARTY
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 HO CHI 01082 200051Z
ORGANS UNDER THE UMBRELLA FATHER LAND FRONT COMMITTEE
HAVE ORGANIZED MASS MEETINGS IN THE CITY OVER THE PAST
SEVERAL DAYS TO DENOUNCE THE ACT.

3. VIETNAMESE VERNACULAR MEDIA IN THE CITY ALSO HAS
BEEN CARRYING DAILY EDITORIALS CONDEMNING THE ACT AND
DENOUNCING AMERICAN INTERFERENCE IN VIETNAM'S INTERNAL
AFFAIRS. THE CAMPAIGN APPARENTLY HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL
IN STIRRING UP SOME ANTI-AMERICAN FEELING. THE
DEUTSCHE PRESSE-AGENTUR ON SEPTEMBER 13 PUBLISHED AN
ARTICLE STATING THAT MANY VIETNAMESE WERE PLEASED WITH
THE RECENT TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE U.S. QUOTING ONE
STUDENT AS SAYING THE ATTACKS SHOULD OPEN THE U.S.'S
EYES TO THE RESULTS OF "INTERVENING IN THE INTERNAL
AFFAIRS OF OTHER NATIONS." WHILE POST HAS NOT HEARD
SUCH SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED, THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC
EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY AND CONDOLENCES FROM THE
VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY IN HCMC HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT LIMITED.

WHITE

UNCLASSIFIED

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