Cablegate: Meeting with Afm Hung

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

011046Z Oct 02

2002HANOI02369 - UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ4439

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FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7670
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
AMEMBASSY MEXICO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002369

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FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM PINS ETRD VM APEC RELFREE HUMANR
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH AFM HUNG

1. (U) CIRF: IN A MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR ON OCTOBER 2
(SEPTEL WILL COVER DISCUSSION OF THE TRIAL OF NGUYEN THI
NGOC HANH), ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN DUC HUNG
EXPRESSED THE GVN'S "DISAPPOINTMENT" OVER THE RECENTLY
REPORTED RECOMMENDATION OF THE US COMMISSION FOR
INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (CIRF) TO INCLUDE VIETNAM ON
COUNTRIES OF "PARTICULAR CONCERN" REGARDING ABUSES OF
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RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF DIPLOMATIC
NOTE IN PARA 4.) HE CLAIMED THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION DID
NOT "SHOW GOODWILL," NOR WAS IT "USEFUL" IN THE PROCESS OF
DIALOGUE ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES. HE
EMPHASIZED THAT IT WAS "NOT GOOD" FOR THE PROMOTION OF
BILATERAL RELATIONS, AND THAT IT WOULD "NOT HELP TO
ACCELERATE" THE PROCESSES OF DIALOGUE. HE INSISTED THAT
INCLUDING VIETNAM ON THIS LIST WOULD BE "VERY BAD," ALTHOUGH
HE ADMITTED THAT DIALOGUE WAS BETTER THAN NO DIALOGUE. HE
URGED AMBASSADOR TO CONVEY THIS CONCERN TO THE USG, WHICH
AMBASSADOR AGREED TO DO, WHILE ALSO REITERATING THE VALUE OF
DIALOGUE INCLUDING WHEN THE TWO SIDES DO NOT AGREE.

2. (U) ACTOR: AMBASSADOR RAISED THE CASE OF NOTED
VIETNAMESE ACTOR DON DUONG, WHO IS REPORTED BY INTERNATIONAL
MEDIA (AS WELL AS IN NUMEROUS LETTERS FROM HOLLYWOOD
ENTERTAINMENT FIGURES) TO HAVE HAD HIS PASSPORT CONFISCATED
AND TO BE UNDER THE THREAT OF ADDITIONAL PUNISHMENTS BY
VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES. HE NOTED THE HARMFUL AFFECT THAT
SUCH ACTIONS WOULD HAVE ON VIETNAM'S INTERNATIONAL IMAGE AND
ASKED AFM HUNG'S ASSISTANCE IN COORDINATING WITH THE
MINISTRY OF CULTURE TO DETERMINE THE TRUE FACTS OF THE CASE.

3. (U) APEC: AMBASSADOR EXPLAINED TO AFM HUNG
ARRANGEMENTS THAT WOULD BE IN PLACE AT THIS YEAR'S APEC
LEADERS' MEETING TO ALLOW FOR WHISPER INTERPRETERS AT THE
TWO SOCIAL EVENTS AND URGED THAT THE GVN PROVIDE ITS OWN
INTERPRETER FOR POSSIBLE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN PRESIDENT BUSH
AND PRIME MINISTER KHAI AT THE DINNER AND LUNCH. AFM HUNG
NOTED THAT THE GVN HAD BEEN IN COORDINATION WITH THE
GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO ON THESE ARRANGEMENTS. AMBASSADOR ALSO
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ASKED FOR AFM HUNG'S HELP IN ENSURING THAT THE USG WAS AWARE
AHEAD OF TIME THE SUBJECTS PM KHAI WAS LIKELY TO RAISE WITH
THE PRESIDENT SO THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT COULD ADEQUATELY
BRIEF HIM TO ENSURE A MORE PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION. AFM HUNG
AGREED TO DO SO, AND ASKED THAT THE US SIDE DO THE SAME.

4. (UI) INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE:
NO. 407/NG-CM

THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF
VIETNAM PRESENTS ITS COMPLIMENTS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND WOULD LIKE TO INFORM IT
THAT:

ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2002, THE U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SUBMITTED A REPORT TO RECOMMEND THAT THE
SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CLASSIFY

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VIETNAM IN A LIST OF COUNTRIES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN IN THE
AREA OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. THIS IS AN ACT THAT VERY MUCH
LACKS GOODWILL AND IS FULL OF FIXED VIEWS OF THE U.S. CIRF
TOWARD VIETNAM.

IT NEEDS TO BE REAFFIRMED THAT IN VIETNAM THE RIGHT OF
FREEDOM OF BELIEF AND OF NON-BELIEF IS GUARANTEED BY THE
CONSTITUTION AND IS EXERCISED IN REAL LIFE IN THE SOCIALIST
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM. THE REALITY OF THIS RIGHT OF FREEDOM
HAS BEEN WIDELY RECOGNIZED BY THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC
OPINION, INCLUDING THE OBJECTIVE PUBLIC OPINION OF US
CITIZENS.

IN THE LARGER INTERESTS OF VIETNAM-US RELATIONS, WHICH ARE
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EXPANDING, AND WITH AN ATTITUDE OF GOODWILL, VIETNAM
RECEIVED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE USCIRF IN FEBRUARY 2002 SO
THAT THEY COULD WITNESS BIG CHANGES IN VIETNAM WITH THEIR
OWN EYES. THE COMMISSION ALSO RECEIVED ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION THROUGH MEETING WITH VIETNAM'S DELEGATION OF
RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN WASHINGTON IN MAY 2002. HOWEVER,
UNFORTUNATELY THIS COMMISSION STILL DELIBERATELY EVALUATED
THE RELIGIOUS SITUATION IN VN INCORRECTLY AND SUBMITTED A
NON-CONSTRUCTIVE RECOMMENDATION. WE DEEM THE ABOVE
RECOMMENDATION, IF ACCEPTED AND APPROVED, WILL NOT HELP THE
PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTIVE AND CANDID DIALOGUE AIMED AT
STRENGTHENING MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE PEOPLES OF
THE TWO COUNTRIES, AND IT WILL AFFECT NEGATIVELY THE
BENEFICIAL AND DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VIETNAM AND
THE UNITED STATES.

THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF
VIETNAM STRONGLY REQUESTS THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NOT TO ACCEPT THE ABOVE- MENTIONED
RECOMMENDATION FULL OF FIXED IDEAS OF THE USCIRF.

THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF
VIETNAM AVAILS ITSELF OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RENEW TO THE

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INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 DODE-00 WHA-00
DS-00 EB-00 E-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00
INR-00 LAB-01 VCE-00 NSAE-00 OES-01 SS-00 STR-00
TEST-00 TRSE-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00
/004W
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R 011046Z OCT 02
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7671
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
AMEMBASSY MEXICO

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 002369

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FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF

DEPARTMENT OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THE
ASSURANCES OF ITS HIGHEST CONSIDERATION.

1 OCTOBER 2002
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BURGHARDT

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