Following is the letter by Venerable Thich Quang Do to the Vietnamese authorities, requesting the permission to start a monthly newspaper to defend Buddhism against distortions in the government's publications.
The Government has not responded to this September 22, 1999 letter even though similar request by General Tran Do was rejected within days.
Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam
Institute for the Propagation of the Dharma
Buddhist Calendar 2543
Number: 08 - VP.VHD
Thanh Minh Zen Center, September 22, 1999
To:
Mr. Le Kha Phieu, Secretary General / Vietnamese Communist Party;
Mr. Tran Duc Luong, President SRV;
Mr. Phan Van Khai, Prime Minister SRV;
Mr. Nong Duc Manh, Chairman of the National Assembly SRV;
Dear Sirs,
In this letter we would like to present to you a number of representative cases of desecration of Vietnamese Buddhists' sacred faith as a result of the unhealthy policy of monopoly on public expression:
1. A passage from the General Psychology Teaching Plan of the Psychology Courses Group, Philosophy Department, College of Social Sciences and Humanities reads: On the close relationship between capabilities and virtues in human character, Chairman Ho once said: '...Virtues without capabilities are like a Buddha. He causes no harm but is of no good to society, either'.
2. In the book Introduction to Religions and Religions in Vietnam, written by the Political General Department and published by the People's Armed Forces Publishing House in 1993, the following observations on Buddhism are rendered:
a- ''The common foundation shared by theologians, clergymen, and followers of all religions (Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, etc.) is the theory of 'providence' or 'fate', in which there exist some 'supernatural forces headed by a 'Supreme Being', 'Absolute Power', 'Creator', or 'Sacred One', etc. in the form of 'Jehovah', 'Buddha', 'Allah', etc. (pg. 7);
b- Spiritualism has been the governing factor of the Buddhist's view of the world and humanity. [Such view] leads to the unrealistic characteristics of Buddhists in both religious and secular lives. Buddhism has never overcome the limitations of their idealistic theories in the face of real life and as a result, it has mistakenly called for mercy and charity to all in a class-structured society'' (pg. 113);
c- In Buddhism, the role of human beings in society and the real world are dismissed because people are but a world of feelings; It explains 'existence' as part of transition; Everything must be born from something else; etc. Those explanations drive the followers away from their social roles and induce the pessimistic and submissive view toward life (pg. 114);
d- ''Meanwhile in the South, for easy allurement and manipulation, Americans arranged for the Vietnamese Buddhist Federation to join the International Buddhist Fellowship. The Vietnamese Buddhist Federation was founded in 1951 out of 6 Buddhist associations from the three regions: 1- Theravada Buddhist Church of Central Vietnam; 2- Buddhism Research Association of Central Vietnam; 3- Theravada Buddhist Church of Southern Vietnam; 4- Buddhism Research Association of Southern Vietnam; 5- Theravada Buddhist Church of Northern Vietnam; 6- Buddhism Research Association of Northern Vietnam (migrated)". (pg. 148).
Please pay attention to the national importance of the book excerpted above. According to the preface, the book was researched and written under ''the strict direction of the Political General Department, the Culture and Ideology Department, the Mass Mobilization and Propaganda Department, with special assistance and contribution from comrades on the Government Committee on Religions'' (pg. 5). The purpose of the book is 'to serve [the needs of] comrade teachers in schools and comrade cadres who lead and command the armed forces' (pg. 5) according to the Vietnamese Communist Party's Politburo's directive on ''Fortifying the Task of Dealing with Religions in the New Situation'' (pg. 4). This task, which ''the Party assigns to the armed forces in charge of religions matters, bears the characteristics of an ongoing responsibility'' (pg. 235).
3. In the book Effects of Schools of Thoughts and Religions on Modern Vietnamese, edited by Associate Professor Nguyen Tai Thu and printed by the National Politics Publishing House in Hanoi 1997, Buddhism is mentioned: "Most of all, it (Buddhism) approaches lonely and near-dead people and young people who are facing difficult life, unsuccessful love affair, or collapsed faith. [These people] always long for help from the supernatural forces, set their hope in the hazy sky, fix their faith to the everlasting place. Buddhism created vain view of the world, unreal faith, teaching based on humiliation, passive behaviors which are helpless before nature, and society that ties up human beings. [Buddhism] blurs away individual's characteristics, identification, and development of manners" (pg. 212-213).
4. The book Exploring Characteristics of Our People, researched by Nguyen Hong Phong and published by the Science Publishing House in Hanoi 1963, described Buddhism with: "The system of negativity in Buddhism, such as pessimism, life being a sea of suffering (birth, old age, illness, death), self-denial (generosity, forgiveness), submissiveness (returning good for bad treatment, expecting reward in the next life), etc. has been strongly objected and attacked by our people along with the rituals and strict rules of pagodas" (pg. 222). In the book Nguyen Trai, written by historian Tran Huy Lieu and published by the Science Publishing House in Hanoi 1966, the author wrote: "Up to the Ly and Tran dynasties, Buddhism had held the supreme position in Vietnamese society, thanks to its ability to lull the class of servants who were the most oppressed and exploited class in society" (pg. 47).
Through the above representative illustrations, we have the following observations:
1. In the Buddhist tradition of tolerance and respect for freedom of expression and freedom of thought, everyone has his/her full right to praise or criticize Buddhism. At the same time, Buddhists must also affirm their rights to accept or object viewpoints concerning Buddha and Buddhism.
2. The fact that the Party and the Government monopolizes the right to public expression, monopolizes the right to criticize views outside the Marxist ideological system, considers Marxism the absolute truth, and forces every citizen to accept it without question violates the basic rights of the individual as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the government's Social Science and Information Institute translated and published in 1998 in Hanoi.
3. The fact that the Party and the Government strictly forbid followers of Buddhism and other religions from protesting mistaken critiques by the Party, the Government, as well as their officials on matters relating to people's faiths -- leaving people no means or ability to defend their faith--is a serious violation of the rights affirmed and guaranteed in the ''International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,'' especially Article 1, Article 18, Article 19. [This is the document] the Socialist Republic of Vietnam acceded to on September 24, 1982 and bears the responsibility to follow.
Based on the rights acknowledged and guaranteed by the ''International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,'' the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam hereby urgently proposes to you the following four measures of correction:
1. Requesting the Party and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to respect and dutifully implement the covenants it has signed with the international community, especially with the United Nations of which the SRV is a member;
2. Requesting the Party and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam not to forbid Buddhists from publicly defending their beliefs against views that contradict the truth about Buddha and his teachings, including the statements of Chairman Ho Chi Minh or any other high ranking leaders;
3. Requesting the Party and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to amend sections in the Constitution that contradict the ''Universal Declaration of Human Rights'' and the ''International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,'' and to pass laws that affirm and guarantee the fundamental human rights in accordance with the international documents the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has acceded to and promised to follow.
4. Requesting the Party and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to demonstrate the transparency of a law-binding and democratic government by permitting the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam to publish a monthly newspaper to present the teachings and history of Buddhism in its 20 centuries of existence in and contribution to the Vietnamese civilization. The periodical will also be a forum for dialogue, exchanges or debates among scholars and people interested in Buddhism whenever differences of opinion arise. The birth of such paper would cease all heretofore misunderstandings and false accusations against Buddhism, creating an opportunity for a constructive and equitable dialogue among all segments of society. At the same time, it will be a positive sign to the world of the effort by the Party and Government of the SRV to reestablish freedom of religion in Vietnam.
Respectfully,
Head of the Institute for the Propagation of the Dharma
Venerable Thich Quang Do
(Signed)