Vietnam: Assault and harassment of members of Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam

Case VNM 281105

Assault / Harassment / Repression

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Vietnam.

Brief description of the situation:

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source about the assault against Thich Quang Do, Deputy Leader of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), and the ongoing repression against UBCV leaders.

According to the information received, on November 19, 2005, Security Police clashed with Buddhists at the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery and physically assaulted Thich Quang Do, who was leaving the monastery to preside over a religious Memorial Ceremony in the honours of Zen Master Nguyen Thieu at Giac Hoa Pagoda (Saigon). This ceremony is usually held in Binh Dinh province, but the local communist authorities prohibited the UBCV Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang from holding it there, at the Nguyen Thieu Monastery, where he is currently under house arrest.

On November 18, 2005, the police learned that many UBCV dignitaries were planning to attend the ceremony in Saigon. To prevent this, the People’s Committee sent convocations to all senior UBCV monks, including Thich Quang Do, Thich Nguyen Ly, Thich Khong Tanh, and Thich Nhat Ban, summoning them for “working sessions” (interrogations) at 8.00 am on the next day, at the same time as the Memorial Ceremony. All UBCV senior monks and nuns in the provinces received similar convocations from the local communist authorities, police and religious board, and were forbidden to travel to Saigon. From the evening onwards, the land phones and Internet access at Giac Hoa Pagoda were cut, and mobile phone communications were jammed.

On November 19, 2005, at 8.00 am when six UBCV monks came to escort Thich Quang Do to Giac Hoa Pagoda, 50 security police officers, both in uniform and plain-clothes, were standing in the courtyard of the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery. As Thich Quang Do came downstairs, ten security agents rushed to the staircase to push him back, but the UBCV monks intervened and surrounded the UBCV Deputy leader, escorting him outside. The police ordered Thich Quang Do to come with them for interrogation, but he refused, announcing that he must perform his religious duties first, and would see to the interrogations later.

As Thich Quang Do walked calmly towards the Monastery’s gates, security police seized him and tried to force him back inside, pulling the monk and tearing his robes to pieces. UBCV monk Thich Thien Minh, released this year after 26 years in re-education camp, stood in front of Thich Quang Do and challenged Police to arrest him instead of his master. As the police continued their assault, Thich Thien Minh cried out and crowds began to gather around and joined in by shouting out protests against religious persecution.

Confronted by the growing crowds and increasing tension, police officers finally allowed Thich Quang Do and the six UBCV monks to proceed to Giac Hoa pagoda, following them in police cars. Several hundred security police officers surrounded the Giac Hoa Pagoda throughout the day. A number of security agents masquerading as Buddhists forced their way into the Pagoda and filmed the whole proceedings, taking pictures of everyone present. Communications to Giac Hoa Pagoda were still not re-established on November 20, 2005.

Moreover, following the announcement by the US State Department on November 8, 2005 that Vietnam remains on the list of countries of particular concern, Vietnam has reacted by stepping up threats and repression against the UBCV. The major target of repression were the UBCV Representative Boards set up between July-October 2005 in the provinves of Quang Nam-Danang, Thua Thien Hue, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Hau Giang and An Giang to support people in these poor provinces. At the same time, a vilification campaign was launched against Thich Quang Do in the state media, denouncing his endorsement of these local UBCV sections as “impostures” and “unlawful”. Security Police systematically interrogated UBCV monks, nuns and lay-followers, warning them to disband these sections and cease all contact with UBCV.

• On November 11, 2005, the Thua-Thien Hue People’s Committee sent a notification to Thich Quang Do and Thich Thien Hanh (Ref. 3592/UBND-XH) declaring “illegal” the creation of a UBCV representative board in Thua Thien Hue. They ordered Thich Quang Do to immediately disband the board and warned that any activities it might undertake would be “dealt with as violations of the law”.
  
  
• On November 14, 2005, Security Police and local Communist Party officials in Hue issued a verbal “administrative detention” order on Thich Thien Hanh. They prohibited him from leaving the Bao Quoc Pagoda, and placed him under police surveillance.
  
  
• Similar declarations were issued by the local authorities against several UBCV Provincial Committees, such as in Binh Dinh (Ref. 02/TB-BTG, 9.11.2005), and Danang (Ref. 5978/VP-NCPC, 14.11.2005), and members of several committees were intimidated and harassed. On November 15, 2005, Thich Chon Tam, Head of the An Giang UBCV Provincial committee, was threatened by Security Police to resign and cut off all contacts with UBCV.
  
  OMCT is extremely concerned about the physical and psychological integrity of Thich Quang Do and other UBCV leaders, as well as the general climate of arbitrariness against UBCV monks. Indeed, OMCT recalls that the UBCV monks have been subjected to systematic harassment and repression on the part of the Vietnamese authorities for many years because of their commitment to religious freedom, human rights and democracy in Vietnam.
  

  Action requested:

  Please write to the authorities of Vietnam urging them to:
  i. guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Thich Quang Do and all UBCV members;
  
  ii. order the immediate release of all UBCH leaders and members currently under house arrest, including Thich Huyen Quang;
  
  iii. put an end to all acts of harassment against UBCV and all of its members;
  
  v. to comply with international human rights standards included in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international human rights instruments ratified by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
  

  Addresses:

  • President Tran Duc Luong, Office of the State, 1 Bach Thao, Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Fax : +84 4 823 1872
    
    
  • Nong Duc Manh, General Secretary, Communist Party of Vietnam, Central Committee Headquaters, Nguyen Canh Chan, 1A Hung Vuong, Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Fax : +84 4 845 9205
    
    
  • Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Office of the Prime Minister, Hoang Hoa Tham, Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Fax : +84 4 823 4137
    
    
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dy Nien, Fax : +84 4 823 1872
    
    
  • Minister of Justice Uong Chu Luu, 25A Cat Linh Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Fax: +84 4 843 1431
    
    
  • Minister of Public Security Le Hong Anh, Ministry of Public Security, 15 Tran Binh Trong Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Fax : +84 4 942 4381
    
    
  • Ambassador Mr. Quang Xuan Ngo, Permanent Mission of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the United Nations in Geneva, Chemin des Corbillettes 30, 1218 Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland, Fax: + 41 22 798 07 24 / 24 69, Email: mission.vietnam@ties.itu.int
  
  
  Please also write to the embassies of Vietnam in your respective country.
  
  Geneva, November 28, 2005
  
  Kindly inform the OMCT of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.