INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST INFORMATION BUREAU
OFFICIAL INFORMATION SERVICE
OF VIEN HOA DAO, UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM
25, rue Jaffeux - 92230 Gennevilliers (France)
Tel.: Paris (1) 47 93 10 81 - Fax: Paris (1) 47 91 41 38
E-mail: ubcv.ibib@buddhist.com
For Immediate Release
Paris, April 28th 2000
Thich Khong Tanh is arrested and subjected to "public denunciation", Police make midnight "identity checks" on Thich Quang Do and search Gia Lam Pagoda ; Buddhist Youth leader is harassed in Quang Nam
The International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB) has received urgent information from the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) reporting arrests, harassment and intimidation of UBCV monks and followers in a widespread Security Police clampdown believed to be aimed at preventing Buddhist protests during the 30th April celebrations.
On three consecutive days, April 25th, 26th and 27th, UBCV monk and prominent activist Thich Khong Tanh was subjected to continual Police harassment, and the 57-year-old monk is still suffering from shock after Police pressed electric cattle prods on his chest to arrest him. Thich Khong Tanh was arrested on April 25th at 4.30 p.m as he prepared to take the ferry boat at Thu Thiem (Ho Chi Minh City) with UBCV monk Thich Quang Hue. Thich Khong Tanh, who is Head of the UBCV's Social Affairs Board, was on his way home to Lien Tri Pagoda after visiting Central Vietnam on a charity mission. The two monks were encircled by 50 Security agents and Police. The Police had no arrest warrant, so the monks refused to be taken into custody and sat down in the marketplace to peacefully resist arrest. A crowd of 500 people quickly gathered, and a number of Buddhists surrounded the monks to protect them. Police vehicles then appeared, and Security agents used electric cattle prods on Thich Khong Tanh before hauling both monks by force into the Police vehicles and taking them to Thu Thiem Police Station.
Thich Quang Hue was searched bodily and detained for interrogation until 9.30 p.m. Police found on him a copy of Thich Quang Do s book "Observations on the grave offences committed by the Communist Party against Vietnamese Buddhists and the Vietnamese people". They confiscated the book and warned he would be arrested if caught distributing such "reactionary literature" again.
Thich Khong Tanh fainted at the Police Station and a doctor was called in. He was then taken to the Police Station in An Khanh. After fainting again twice, and being revived by Police medics, Thich Khong Tanh was brought into a room where over 50 people were waiting. He was then subjected to a "public denunciation" session, chaired by the Heads of the Ward and District sections of the People's Committee, the Fatherland Front and the Security Police. The "public" consisted of 50 so-called "Buddhists from Lien Tri Pagoda". Thich Khong Tanh later informed IBIB that these people were not Buddhists, but plainclothes Security agents and local Party officials.
Thich Khong Tanh was aggressively criticized and questioned until 23.30 p.m. One official rebuked him for resisting arrest in the marketplace : "Why did you shout out "Down with the Communists" today ? Don't you know that's illegal ?" Thich Khong Tanh replied : "You arrested me whilst I was peacefully going about my own business. That s why I shouted "Down with the Communists". If you want me to shout "Long live the Communists", you must treat me in a civilized manner !". At this point, Mrs Mai Xuan Phuong, Chair of the District People s Committee, forbade him from speaking and shouted : "You are just a grain of sand in the desert. We smashed the Americans, despite all their power. As for reactionaries like you, we shall shoot your heads off !".
This is the second time the Police have organised a public meeting to denounce Thich Khong Tanh. After the previous seance, held just over a month ago, a Petition signed by "local Buddhists" was sent to the local authorities calling for the expulsion of Thich Khong Tanh and his disciples from Lien Tri Pagoda because of "the frenzied, anti-revolutionary and anti-governmental activities of the so-called monk Thich Khong Tanh" who has "spent more than 15 years in prison for undermining the people s solidarity and using religion to oppose the policies of the party and State". Again, none of the 19 signatories of this Petition are Buddhist followers from Lien Tri Pagoda.
On April 26th, Security Police arrested 4 of Thich Khong Tanh s novices. They interrogated them about Thich Khong Tanh and threatened to imprison them if they did not leave the Pagoda at once. Yesterday, April 27th at 8.00 a.m., Security Police came again to take Thich Khong Tanh for interrogation. He refused, being too weak to walk. Three hours later, 4 officials from the An Khanh ward People s Committee came to read out a statement accusing the monk of "refusing to comply with the District Police Chief s summons for working sessions, unlawful residence and leaving the pagoda without a permit. The People s Committee shall enforce the necessary sanctions in due course".
At midnight on April 23rd, Security Police tried to break into Thanh Minh Zen Monastery, residence of the prominent UBCV monk Venerable Thich Quang Do, for an "identity check". When the monk refused to let them in, Police continued to bang loudly on the door until 2.00 a.m., dispersing only after a crowd of local people and Buddhists gathered at the Monastery door. The following day, Security Police and Party officials visited Thich Quang Do. They advised him to concentrate on his translation of the Great Buddhist Dictionary and not get involved in political activities. The Abbot of the Monastery, Thich Thanh Minh, has been summoned for questioning twice by Police, and is summoned again today, April 28th. Police have ordered him to expel all lay-Buddhists from the Monastery except for a cook and one helper. Thich Thanh Minh strongly protests this order, which he says is aimed at isolating the monks as part of a campaign to suppress the UBCV.
Police also made a late-night "identity check" on Gia Lam Pagoda, residence of UBCV Secretary General, Thich Tue Sy on April 24th at 11.00 p.m, searching the Pagoda thoroughly for over 2 hours. UBCV Buddhists in Saigon and Hue report similar acts of harassment, midnight searches and increased controls. They believe this is part of an overall Government effort to prevent UBCV Buddhists from issuing appeals for human rights and religious freedom that might disturb the 25th anniversary celebrations of the end of the Vietnam war.
A leader of the "Buddhist Youth Movement" (Gia dinh Phat tu) was arrested, interrogated and intimidated by Security Police in Quang Ngai province after he headed a delegation of Buddhist Youth visiting the detained UBCV Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang in the Lunar New Year (16.2.2000). Nguyen Cam, head of the Buddhist Youth Movement in Quang Nam Province, was arrested and interrogated for two days on March 13th-14th 2000. Police made him write a complete account of his conversation with the Patriarch 5 times over, subjected him to intense psychological pressure and forced him to resign from the "Buddhist Youth Movement". The authorities have made several attempts to outlaw the BYM, an educational movement for lay-Buddhists founded by the UBCV. In 1996, 200 leaders of the movement threatened to immolate themselves unless the Government ceased its campaign to ban their movement.