Cablegate: Central Committee Ousts Two Members

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

2002HANOI01795 - UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTO4143

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ACTION EAP-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00
DOEE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 ED-01 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00
HHS-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01
NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00
ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 ECA-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /008W
------------------CBC5AE 161051Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7049
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS HANOI 001795

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINS SOCI VM DPOL
SUBJECT: CENTRAL COMMITTEE OUSTS TWO MEMBERS

REF: A. FBIS SEP20020716000011 B. HANOI 1780 AND PREVIOUS

1. (U) SUMMARY: AT THE CONCLUSION OF ITS SIXTH PLENUM ON
JULY 15, THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM (CPV) CENTRAL
UNCLASSIFIED

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COMMITTEE (CC) ANNOUNCED THE DISMISSAL OF TWO OF ITS MEMBERS
-- VICE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY LIEUTENANT GENERAL BUI
QUOC HUY AND DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE VOICE OF VIETNAM TRAN
MAI HANH -- FOR ALLEGED "LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY" OVER AND
INVOLVEMENT IN THE NAM CAM ORGANIZED CRIME CASE. THE CC
ALSO RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNMENT THAT THE TWO BE FORMALLY
DISMISSED FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT POSITIONS AS WELL. END
SUMMARY.

2. (U) THE FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF
THE JULY 4-15 SIXTH PLENUM DISCUSSED AT LENGTH THE REASON
FOR THE DISMISSALS FROM THE CC OF GENERAL HUY AND DG HANH.
IT NOTED THAT HUY, AS THEN-HO CHI MINH CITY POLICE CHIEF,
"DID NOT FULFILL HIS TASKS" AND "WAS IRRESPONSIBLE IN
LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND USE OF CADRES, THUS LETTING THEM
BECOME CO-OFFENDERS IN THE TRUONG NAM CAM CASE." HANH
HELPED "TO RELEASE UNTRUE AND IRRESPONSIBLE INFORMATION,"
AND ALSO "VIOLATED THE PRESS LAW TO DEFEND TRUONV VAN CAM."
BOTH HUY AND HANH WERE ALSO BLAMED WITH HAVING MAINTAINING
RELATIONS WITH A NUMBER OF "BAD ELEMENTS" OVER A LONG TIME.

3. (U) THE CC RECOMMENDED THAT THE GVN RELIEVE HUY OF HIS
VICE MINISTERIAL POSITION AS WELL AS DEMOTE HIM FROM
LIEUTENANT GENERAL TO MAJOR GENERAL. IT SIMILARLY
RECOMMENDED THAT THE GVN REMOVE HANH OFFICIALLY FROM HIS
POST AS DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE VOICE OF VIETNAM AND THAT
THE VIETNAM JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION DROP HIM AS VICE
PRESIDENT AND GENERAL SECRETARY. IN MAY, HANH HAD BEEN
TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED FROM THOSE POSTS AS WELL AS FORCED TO
RESIGN AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, FOLLOWING A
POLITBURO RECOMMENDATION.
UNCLASSIFIED

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4. (U) SOME PRESS REPORTS NOTED THAT HUY WAS ONE OF THE
VERY FEW HIGH-LEVEL OFFICIALS TO BE DISMISSED FOR "LACK OF
SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY," AND COMMENTED HOW COVERAGE OF HIS
AND HANH'S CASES CONTRASTED WITH THE DISMISSAL OF THEN-
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER NGO XUON LOC OVER ALLEGED FRAUD IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF A HANOI WATER PARK IN THE LATE 1990S. SOME
MEDIA COMMENTARY CLAIMED THAT THE CPV WAS TRYING TO PORTRAY
ITS HANDLING OF HANH, HUY, AND OTHERS IN THE NAM CAM CASE AS
AN EXAMPLE OF ITS DETERMINATION TO COMBAT CORRUPTION AND
OTHER KINDS OF SOCIAL EVILS THAT HAVE BEEN "JEOPARDIZING THE
ETHICS" OF MANY CIVIL SERVANTS.

5. (U) SPEAKING AT THE PLENUM, CPV GENERAL SECRETARY NONG
DUC MANH ADMITTED THAT SOME SENIOR OFFICIALS HAD BEEN
"BOUGHT," EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY SHOWN
"REVOLUTIONARY FIRMNESS" AND HAD MADE "MANY CONTRIBUTIONS
DURING WARTIME." MANH STRESSED THAT CADRES "AT ALL
ECHELONS" MUST FOLLOW PARTY STATUTES AND STATE LAWS.

6. (U) OFFICIAL MEDIA COVERAGE ALSO NOTED THAT THE PLENUM'S
DISCUSSIONS ON PARTY DISCIPLINE HAD BEEN HELD IN A "HIGHLY
DEMOCRATIC AND CANDID ATMOSPHERE."

7. (U) COMMENT: IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE PLENUM WAS
PERHAPS LIVELIER THAN THE NORM AND THAT THE CPV DECIDED TO
OFFER UP SOME SACRIFICIAL LAMBS IN ORDER TO TRY TO CONVINCE
THE PUBLIC THAT THE CPV IS SERIOUS ABOUT COMBATING
CORRUPTION WITHIN ITS SENIOR RANKS. WHAT REMAINS UNCLEAR IS
WHETHER THE HUNT FOR CULPRITS IN THE NAM CAM AND OTHER
SENSITIVE CASES HAS CONCLUDED WITH THESE DISMISSALS OR
UNCLASSIFIED

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WHETHER OTHER HIGH-LEVEL VICTIMS WILL FOLLOW. IT REMAINS
UNLIKELY, HOWEVER, THAT THE CPV WILL BE ABLE TO UNDERTAKE A
CREDIBLE AND THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF THIS CASE TO THE
SATISFACTION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
BURGHARDT

UNCLASSIFIED

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