Cablegate: Eu Human Rights Dialogue with Vietnam

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

190951Z Dec 02

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ2048

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INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 DOEE-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 MOFM-05 MOF-01
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00
PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00
TEST-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00
PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /015W
------------------1A24FA 191033Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8420
INFO ALL EUROPEAN UNION POST COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ACHAO//
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 003028

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DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KIRF EU VM ETMIN HUMANR
SUBJECT: EU HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE WITH VIETNAM
UNCLASSIFIED

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REF A: FBIS SEP20021206000036
REF B: STATE 241039

1. (SBU) SUMMARY: THE EU, REPRESENTED BY THE TROIKA
AMBASSADORS, HELD A HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE WITH THE GVN IN
HANOI ON DECEMBER 5 (REF A). MORE THAN A DOZEN GVN
OFFICIALS PARTICIPATED, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA), MINISTRY OF PUBLIC
SECURITY (MPS), AND MINISTRY OF JUSTICE (MOJ). TOPICS
INCLUDED THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, PRISONERS AND DETAINEES OF
CONCERN, THE DEATH PENALTY, PRISON VISITS, AND FUTURE
DIALOGUES. THE GVN PROVIDED AN UPDATE OF THREE PERSONS OF
CONCERN ON A EU LIST, AS WELL AS THREE OTHERS. END SUMMARY.

2. (U) THE EU HAS EMBARKED ON A TWO-TIER HUMAN RIGHTS
DIALOGUE WITH THE GVN. LONG-STANDING WORKING LEVEL
DIALOGUES TAKE PLACE REGULARLY; THE LAST OCCURRED IN OCTOBER
AND THE NEXT IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR MARCH. ON
DECEMBER 5, THE EU TROIKA AMBASSADORS HAD THE SECOND HUMAN
RIGHTS DIALOGUE AT THAT LEVEL; THE FIRST TOOK PLACE IN MAY
2002 AND WILL CONTINUE ON A SEMI-ANNUAL BASIS, CORRESPONDING
WITH CHANGES IN THE EU PRESIDENCY. AT THE LATEST MEETING,
THE TROIKA (WITH ITALY REPRESENTING GREECE) HANDLED THE
DIALOGUE BY ITSELF, WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER EU
MEMBERS, ACCORDING TO EU EMBASSY CONTACTS. THE NEXT TROIKA
AMBASSADORS' MEETING WILL BE IN MAY 2003.

3. (SBU) THE AMBASSADORIAL-LEVEL REPRESENTATION AT THE
DECEMBER 5 DIALOGUE GAVE IT "MORE CLOUT" THAN NORMAL,
ACCORDING TO ONE EU SOURCE (WITHOUT EXPLAINING THE EXACT
UNCLASSIFIED

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BENEFITS IN WHAT APPEARED TO A MOSTLY LACKLUSTER EXCHANGE).
OVER A DOZEN GVN OFFICIALS ATTENDED, LED BY LE LUONG MINH,
THEN-ACTING DIRECTOR OF MFA'S INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
DEPARTMENT. (NOTE: MINH, WHO ALSO HEADED THE GVN
DELEGATION AT THE US-VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE IN
NOVEMBER, HAS SINCE BEEN ASSIGNED AS ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE
MFA'S MULTILATERAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION DEPARTMENT. END
NOTE) DEPUTY DIRECTORS OF THE EUROPE II DEPARTMENT, THE
CONSULAR DEPARTMENT, AND THE PRESS DEPARTMENT ALSO
REPRESENTED THE MFA. AS AT THE VIETNAM/US DIALOGUE (REF B),
THE PARTICIPATION OF MINISTRIES OTHER THAN THE MFA WAS
UNPRECEDENTED FOR THE EU. MOJ AND MPS REPRESENTATIVES ALSO
ATTENDED THE BILATERAL HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE WITH AUSTRALIA
IN MAY 2002.

4. (SBU) ACCORDING TO AN EU EMBASSY SOURCE, IT WAS
"DIFFICULT" TO GET DISCUSSIONS GOING DURING THE THREE-HOUR
MEETING, AS THE GVN FREQUENTLY ANSWERED EU QUESTIONS "WITH
RHETORIC." HOWEVER, EU REPRESENTATIVES CLAIMED TO HAVE
FOUND "CONVINCING" THE ANSWER OF THE MFA PRESS DEPARTMENT'S
REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT REPORTS THAT THREE MONTAGNARDS HAD BEEN
EXECUTED RECENTLY BY LETHAL INJECTION. THE PRESS OFFICIAL
STATED THAT NOT ONLY WERE THE REPORTS OF DEATH UNTRUE, BUT
THAT ONLY ONE OF THE THREE HAD EVEN BEEN IN DETENTION, AND
HAD ALREADY BEEN RELEASED.

5. (SBU) GVN OFFICIALS NOTED THE DIFFICULTIES IN CHECKING
LISTS OF PERSONS OF CONCERN (SUCH AS THE LIST OF ABOUT 15
PERSONS SUBMITTED AT THE OCTOBER WORKING-LEVEL DIALOGUE)
BECAUSE SOME INDIVIDUALS WERE LISTED BY THEIR RELIGIOUS
NAMES, WHILE PRISONER RECORDS ARE BY CIVIL NAMES.
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NONETHELESS, THE GVN PROVIDED THE EU TROIKA AMBASSADORS ORAL
UPDATES ABOUT THREE INDIVIDUALS ON THE OCTOBER LIST, AS WELL
AS INFORMATION ABOUT THREE INDIVIDUALS NOT ON THE EU LIST
(SEE PARA 8). GVN OFFICIALS DID NOT EXPLAIN WHY THEY
PROVIDED INFORMATION ON THE OTHER THREE, DESPITE QUESTIONING
FROM THE EU PARTICIPANTS.

6. (SBU) EU REPRESENTATIVES ASKED WHETHER DEATH PENALTY
STATISTICS WERE AVAILABLE. (NOTE: THERE IS SOME FEELING
AMONG HANOI-BASED EU MEMBER COUNTRY DIPLOMATS THAT THE GVN
DOES NOT CARRY OUT ALL OF THE DEATH SENTENCES IT IMPOSES,
AND THAT THIS COULD BE SEEN AS A FAVORABLE HUMAN RIGHTS
POINT. END NOTE) THE GVN SIDE REPLIED THAT NO SUCH
STATISTICS ARE AVAILABLE, BUT SOME OF THE GVN DELEGATES
APPEARED TO GRASP THE EU'S POINT THAT THEY MIGHT TELL A MORE
FAVORABLE STORY, ACCORDING TO ONE EU EMBASSY SOURCE.

7. (SBU) THE EU TROIKA REQUESTED PERMISSION TO VISIT Z30A
PRISON IN DONG NAI OR B14 PRISON NEAR HANOI; BOTH REPORTEDLY
HOUSE A NUMBER OF PERSONS OF CONCERN. GVN OFFICIALS
INDICATED WILLINGNESS TO ARRANGE A PRISON VISIT "ANY TIME,"
BUT AS OF DECEMBER 18 HAD NOT YET REPLIED TO THIS EU
REQUEST. (NOTE: IN JUNE THE GVN TURNED DOWN A CANADIAN
EMBASSY REQUEST TO VISIT B14. END NOTE)

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ2050

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ACTION EAP-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 DOEE-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 MOFM-05 MOF-01
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00
PER-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00
STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 ECA-00 IIP-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00
/015W
------------------1A24FF 191033Z /38
R 190951Z DEC 02
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8421
INFO ALL EUROPEAN UNION POST COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ACHAO//
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 003028

SIPDIS

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DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 HANOI 03028 02 OF 02 191033Z
SUBJECT: EU HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE WITH VIETNAM

8. (SBU) GVN ORAL REPORTS ON PRISONERS:

-- FATHER NGUYEN VAN LY: HAS NOT YET QUALIFIED TO HAVE ANY
REDUCTION IN SENTENCE "SINCE HE HAS NOT MADE ANY PROGRESS"
(NO. 1 EU LIST)(IN A SEPARATE CONVERSATION ON DECEMBER 18,
VICE FOREIGN MINISTER LE VAN BANG MADE A SIMILAR POINT ABOUT
FATHER LY TO AMBASSADOR.)
-- PHAM MINH TRI (AKA FATHER JOHN PHAM NGOC LIEN):
SENTENCED 20 YEARS FOR DAMAGING NATIONAL UNITY, SENTENCE
REDUCED BY 21 MONTHS, (NO. 2 EU LIST). (POST NOTE: WITH
THE REDUCTION IN SENTENCE HE WOULD BE SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE
O/A AUGUST 21, 2005.)
-- NGUYEN DINH HUY: SENTENCED 15 YEARS FOR DAMAGING
NATIONAL UNITY, REDUCED BY 15 MONTHS (NO. 12 EU LIST).
(POST NOTE: IN AUGUST 2001, THE GVN INFORMED POST THAT
HUY'S SENTENCE HAD BEEN REDUCED BY 12 MONTHS. IT IS NOT
CLEAR WHETHER THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL 15-MONTH REDUCTION OR
MERELY AN ADDITIONAL THREE MONTH REDUCTION; IF THE LATTER,
HE WOULD BE SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE O/A AUGUST 17, 2007.)
-- PHAM CONG HIEN (AKA HIEN NHON): SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS
IN PRISON IN OCTOBER 2000, RELEASED AFTER 21 MONTHS. (POST
NOTE: THE GVN PROVIDED POST THE SAME INFORMATION IN AUGUST
2001.)
-- NGUYEN DUC HUAN: SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS OF PRISON FOR
DAMAGING NATIONAL UNITY. (POST NOTE: POST HAS NO
INFORMATION UNDER THIS NAME.)
-- HUYN VAN BA: SENTENCED TO LIFE, LATER REDUCED TO 20
YEARS. (POST NOTE: AKA THICH THIEN MINH, THE GVN PROVIDED
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POST THE SAME INFORMATION IN AUGUST 2001.)
BURGHARDT

UNCLASSIFIED

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