Hoa Hao Buddhist Church
REBUILD - UNITE - EVANGELIZE
Central Office
E1 Cu Xa Nguyen Dinh Chieu, F4, Phu Nhuan District, Saigon vietnam
Phone: 84-90-636280, Fax:84-88-451987, E-mail: basaigon@reh.vnn.vn
A Sincere Appeal
To: The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights,
The President and Congress of all Nations,
The President and the Congress of the United States,
The Leaders of all Religions,
All Communications, Publishing and News Paper Agencies
Honorable ladies and gentlemen,
After announcing the full resurrection of the Hoa Hao Buddhist Church and publicizing the memorial service to commemorate the 53rd Anniversary of Prophet Huynh Phu So's abduction by Viet Minh forces at Doc Vang on April 16, 1947, to be held on March 30, 2000 at An Hoa Tu Temple, Hoa Hao Village, the Vietnamese Communist Government (VCG) has launched vicious attacks by using their powers to suppress and harm my family. As for myself and members of Hoa Hao Buddhist Church Administrative committee, our lives are in constant danger.
The Vietnamese Communist Government's tactic is to attack us mentally and physically by submitting our family to in-depth background investigation, auditing our business and income taxes, and creating staged accidents using boats and mopeds to harm us. My closest friends and colleagues dedicated Hoa Hao Buddhist members are harassed, threatened, and maliciously targeted. With all the hardship the government imposed on us, the Hoa Hao Buddhist community is adamant about celebrating three traditional Hoa Hao Buddhist Holy Days:
* Birthday of Prophet Huynh Phu So (November 25 Lunar Calendar).
* Prophet Huynh Phu So's abduction by Viet Minh forces at Doc Vang (February 25 Lunar Calendar).
* Founder's Day Celebration, celebrate the establishment of Hoa Hao Buddhism (May 5 Lunar Calendar).
These Holy Days are the most sacred and important days for the Hoa Hao Buddhist community. The Holy Days embodies the essence of Hoa Hao Buddhism.
To stop the Hoa Hao Buddhists community from organizing such celebrations and to expedite the extermination of Hoa Hao Buddhism, the Vietnamese Communist Government will try to confine us, create difficult travel requirements (transit papers), constantly check our identification papers, audit our income taxes, create propaganda labeling us as traitors and terrorist trying to overthrow the government. By enacting these hideous ploys, the government can arrest and imprison us. As in the past, the Vietnamese Communist Government is known for its schrewd plots to destroy individual citizens and annihilate all organizations who opposes the doctrines of communist party.
With such hardship and persecution, the Hoa Hao Buddhist community is unified and strong. Our lives are constantly in peril. With pressures on all sides, our determination and willingness to sacrifice everything to attain freedom of religion has escalated a thousand folds. We believe in justice, human rights and freedom. We sincerely call for support from the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, the President and Congress of all Nations, The President and the Congress of the United States, The Leaders of all Religions, and all Communications, Publishing and News Paper Agencies.
We greatly appreciate your support and assistance in our struggle for Religious Freedom for Hoa Hao Buddhism. We hope the Vietnamese people will know true peace and freedom in the near future.
May our prayers be with you and your family always.
Sincerely and respectfully,
Praised Buddha.
Praised to Amidha Buddha.
Hoa Hao Village, Hoa Hao Holy Land, March 20, 2000
/signed/
Le Quang Liem
Chairman
Hoa Hao Buddhist Church