News Release summarized and translated from www.lenduong.net
The Venerables Thich Huyen Quang, Thich Quang Do and Thich Tue Sy have been Arrested And Detained, Whereabouts Unknown
1:30AM in Melbourne, Australia
10:30PM in Vietnam - Thursday, October 09, 2003
A delegation of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam including leaders Thich Huyen Quang, Thich Quang Do, Thich Tue Sy and Thich Vien Dinh have been arrested at approximately 9:00 AM in Vietnam on Thursday, October 09, 2003 by government police.
The delegation left Binh Dinh at 5:00 AM on Tuesday, October 8th to head back to Saigon when the government secret police blocked their departure. Over 200 monks and approximately 1000 people surrounded the delegation's bus forming a human shield. "From this moment, I am on a hunger strike to protest the illegal prevention of our rights to travel home. We will all sit here until the police stops blocking this road, we are not going to any other route, " Thich Huyen Quang proclaimed.
Because of the firm stance of the Unified Buddhist Church leaders as well as the unrelenting support of the people surrounding them, the government police finally cleared the road and the delegation continued south towards home. After spending the night in Van Gia, the delegation continued their journey early Thursday morning.
As they approached Luong Son, which is 10 Km (4.5 miles) from Nha Trang, there was another barricade by the government police who then arrested the entire delegation, put them on a different bus and left.
A total of 9 leaders of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam were arrested: Thich Quang Do, Thich Tue Sy, Thich Vien Dinh, Thich Huyen Quang, Minh Hanh, Tran Tho, Nguyen Ly and two of his disciples.
We are uncertain of their safety or where they have been taken