Free Vietnam Alliance
(http://www.fva.org)
Press Release
October 13, 2003
On October 9, 2003, the Vietnamese government arrested top leaders from the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam at the conclusion of a meeting in which the UBCV elected its new leadership without seeking the consent of the government. In all, eleven monks and laity were detained when their vehicle was stopped at a roadside.
Below is a summary of the whereabouts of key UBCV leaders based on the latest reports:
1/ The Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, patriarch of the UBCV, along with Venerable Thich Dong Tho were transferred to Nguyen Thieu pagoda in Binh Dinh where they are under house arrest and virtual isolation.
2/ The Venerable Thich Quang Do is under house arrest at Thanh Minh monastery in Saigon. The 75-year old deputy leader of the UBCV has reportedly initiated a hunger strike to protest the government’s persecution. Prior to his detainment, he was suffering from intestinal illness and is in overall poor health.
3/ The Venerable Thich Tue Sy immediately went on a hunger strike after being detained. Authorities subsequently transferred him to Gia Lam pagoda in Saigon and through a hastily organized secret tribunal sentenced him to two years of administrative detainment.
4/ The Venerable Thich Nguyen Dinh was taken to the Gia Lam pagoda following three days of interrogation. He is also being isolated.
Members of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam have been under constant persecution since the Vietnamese authorities dissolved the UBCV in 1981 and created an official Buddhist church controlled by the Communist Party. This latest crackdown has generated strong reactions from the international community,
In a letter dated October 12th to five American members of Congress who sent a protest letter to Vietnamese authorities on October 10th, the Venerable Thich Tue Sy writes:
“Immediately after having been released, I was told of your concern for the safety and potential arrest of our Superior Elders, the Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang and the Most Venerable Thich Quang Do. Although at this moment I have not got any relation to our Superiors, because every phone line to them had been cut off, I would like, to some extent in my capacity, on behalf of our Superiors, to express here our deep gratitude for your interference that certainly had an impact on the Vietnamese Government. As soon as I get contact with them, I will make a report in detail to them on your letter to the top leaders of the State of Vietnam.
We hope in the days to come the American people and her Representatives will give us further strong support in our struggle for the right of independent churches to practice our faith not being submitted to the dictatorship of any political party.”
The Free Vietnam Alliance will provide further updates on the situation of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam as information develops.