Cablegate: Hoa Hao Attempted Self-Immolation Follow-Up

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

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000878

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL, DRL/IRF, DS/IP/EAP, DS/IP/ITA,
DS/CC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SOCI PREL PGOV KIRF ASEC VM
SUBJECT: HOA HAO ATTEMPTED SELF-IMMOLATION FOLLOW-UP

REF: HCMC 872

1. (SBU) Further to the attempted self-immolation in front of the
Consulate earlier in the day, Hoa Hao dissidents Truong Van Duc
and Le Quang Liem contacted ConGenOffs again within minutes of
each other around 1500h to discuss the incident. Duc told us that
his Hoa Hao "contacts" in the Mekong Delta informed him that they
planned to carry out a self-immolation in front of the Consulate
to protest GVN treatment of the Hoa Hao. Nine individuals had
volunteered to self-immolate one-by-one. Both Duc and Liem asked
if the "international community" had planned to do anything to
help given the "intolerable pressure" on the Hoa Hao. We did not
respond, other than to stress that the USG rejects self-immolation
and all acts of violent extremism no matter the underlying
grievances and urged all involved to avoid taking actions that
might lead to loss of life.

2. (SBU) Following these discussions, DPO and RSO informed
contacts in HCMC's External Relations Office and Ministry of
Public Security that up to eight more Hoa Hao adherents might
attempt self-immolations in HCMC. Interestingly, even as the Hoa
Hao activists were confirming that the self-immolator was one of
their own, a contact in the MPS attempted to downplay the Hoa Hao
angle, telling RSO that the detained individual had no religious
affiliation and was known to be mentally disturbed.

WINNICK

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