VZCZCXRO0745
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHHI #1301/01 2051753
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241753Z JUL 07 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5891
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 3401
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 001301
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS AND DRL/AWH
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV KIRF OTRA ECON BM VM
SUBJECT: HFAC STAFFDEL MIXTER DISCUSSES HUMAN RIGHTS DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS
REF: HANOI 598
HANOI 00001301 001.2 OF 003
1. (SBU) Summary: Visiting Professional Staff Member Jonathan Cobb
Mixter told GVN officials in Hanoi the recent wave of arrests and
crackdown on political dissidents was causing serious concern on
Capitol Hill and could make it harder to facilitate deeper USG
engagement with Vietnam; some members of Congress were especially
concerned after advocating hard for Vietnam's recent accession to
WTO membership and Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status.
GVN officials told Mx{cdJNQEnd summary.
2. (SBU) Professional Staff Member Jonathan Cobb Mixter Mixter and
Associate Don Phan of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign
Affairs Committee (HFAC) traveled to Vietnam July 4 - 7, 2007 for
meetings in Hanoi and President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(PEPFAR) project site visits in northeast Quang Ninh Province. In
Hanoi, Mixter met with the GVN National Assembly (NA) Foreign
Relations Committee; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA)
International Organization's Department; and the GVN Ministry of
Justice (MOJ) as well as NGO Asia Foundation - Vietnam and a local
"civil society" NGO.
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: "WE HEAR YOUR MESSAGE"
----------------------------------------
3. (SBU) In a July 5 meeting with Madame Ton Nu Thi Ninh, Vice
Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Foreign Relations Committee,
HFAC Q