International Buddhist Information Bureau
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For Immediate Release
California, May 16th 1999
Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam holds landmark VIII Congress of the UBCV leaders adopt blueprint by Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do on the role of Vietnamese Buddhism in the XXI century l Congress calls for the release of UBCV leaders, democratic freedoms and the restoration of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam
For the first time in 22 years, following directives sent clandestinely from Vietnam by the detained Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) Venerable Thich Huyen Quang and UBCV Secretary General Thich Quang Do, Vietnamese Buddhists from all over the world met at the International Buddhist Institute in North Hills, California from 14-16 May 1999 for the VIII Congress of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam.
The Congress concluded with a celebration of the Buddha's Birth at Santa Ana, California with a gathering of 20,000 Buddhists and more than 200 prominent Buddhist monks and nuns from Vietnam, the US, Japan, Korea, Burma, Thailand, Tibet, China, Laos and Cambodia.
This Congress marks a turning point for the UBCV, which has been the target of fierce religious repression in Vietnam since 1975. With a newly-elected leadership and a new plan of action to address the challenges of the XXI century, UBCV Buddhists have vowed to step up the role of Buddhism in the movement for religious freedom and democracy, and for the restoration of the UBVC in Vietnam.
The UBCV, which represents a 20-century tradition of Vietnamese Buddhism and is adhered to by 80% of the population in Vietnam, held its first Congress in 1964, when the name of "Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam" was officially adopted. Before this, Buddhism had been banned from functioning as a Church under French Colonial Decree No. 10, which limited Buddhism to the status of a mere association. In 1955, the UBCV's predecessor, the General Association of Vietnamese Buddhists, was disbanded by Ho Chi Minh's Government, its leaders arrested and a State-sponsored organisation was set up in its place. In the South, after the end of the Vietnam war, despite the Buddhists' progressive position in favour of peace, the Communist authorities launched a widespread campaign to suppress the UBCV. Repression reached such a height that 12 monks and nuns immolated themselves in Can Tho on 2.11.1975 to call for and end to religious persecution.
The UBCV Congress held its VIIth Congress at An Quang Pagoda on January 23rd 1977. This was the last Congress to be held in Vietnam. Immediately afterwards, the authorities clamped down on the UBCV, arresting virtually all the UBCV leadership. Prominent monk Thich Thien Minh was tortured to death by Security Police, Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do were detained in solitary confinement for over 20 months. In November 1981, a State-sponsored body, the Vietnam Buddhist Church (VBC) was set up by the authorities and became the only officially-recognized Buddhist organization. Although the Government never issued an official ban on the UBCV, it continued its campaign of repression, and for the next decade the UBCV was virtually reduced to silence, is leaders imprisoned, exiled or under house arrest.
But the Government never succeeded in suppressing the UBCV. A turning point came in 1992, when Thich Don Hau, then UBCV Patriarch and Superior monk of the Linh Mu Pagoda in Hue, an active centre of Buddhist dissent, handed over succession of the UBCV to Thich Huyen Quang and charged him to organize the VIII UBCV Conference as soon as possible. The appointment of Thich Huyen Quang, an outspoken dissident, detained under house arrest since 1982, Thich Huyen Quang had become the symbol of an emerging movement for human rights and freedom in Vietnam. Whereas the UBCV had so far limited its claims to religious freedom and the restoration of the UBCV, Thich Huyen Quang gave a new dimension to the UBCV struggle, calling for free elections, a multi-party system and democracy in Vietnam. The climate of political repression prevented the UBCV from organizing the VIII Congress immediately, but Thich Huyen Quang continued to make underground preparations for this Congress to take place. The opportunity arose in 1999, following the release of Thich Quang Do in a Government Amnesty. In March 1999, Thich Quang Do travelled secretly to Quang Ngai to meet the UBCV Patriarch. Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do drafted two important declaration on the future orientations of the UBCV, and sent directives to the UBCV Overseas to organize the VIII Conference overseas.
209 leading monks and nuns from UBCV Overseas sections and delegates from the Buddhist Youth Movement from all over the world, including USA, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia met for this landmark VIII Congress. Delegates approved the restructuring of UBCV structures at home and abroad. Thich Huyen Quang, was officially confirmed as UBCV Patriarch ; Thich Quang Do is President of the Institute for the Propagation of the Dharma (Vien Hoa Dao) ; Thich Duc Nhuan, Adviser to the Executive Committee of the Institute for the Propagation of the Dharma ; Thich Tue Sy, Vice-President and Secretary General of the Institute for the Propagation of the Dharma ; Thich Ho Giac, Vice- President of the Institute for the Propagation of the Dharma, Head of the Overseas office of the UBCV.
The delegates attentively studied the "Orientations for Vietnamese Buddhism in the XXI. Century" by Thich Huyen Quang and the "Declaration to the VIII UBCV Congress" by Thich Quang Do sent clandestinely from Vietnam. These important texts, which give an overview of Vietnamese Buddhism's 2000 years of activities, struggles, achievements and hopes, were unanimously approved by the Congress as blueprints for expanding the historic role of Buddhism in building a new world on the principles of peace, happiness and harmony.
The Congress also confirmed its firm resolve to press for the right to existence of the UBCV and for the release of all UBCV monks, nuns and lay-followers detained in Vietnam on account of their religious beliefs. Specifically, they called on the Vietnamese Government :
- to immediately and unconditionally release UBCV Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang, detained without trial for 18 years ;
- to restore freedom of religious activities and restore full rights of citizenship (residence permit, freedom of movement etc..) to all UBCV monks and followers released in the Government amnesties, i.e. Thich Quang Do, Thich Tue Sy, Thich Khong Tanh, Thich Nhat Ban ;
- to cease Police surveillance and blockades on UBCV Pagodas and lift all arbitrary restrictions on the freedom of movement and harassment of UBVC monks Thich Hai Tang, Thich Minh Tuan, Thich Dong Tru and the nun Thich Nu Hanh Toan ;
- to restore the right to existence and full freedom of religious activities to the UBCV.