US embassy cable - 01HOCHIMINHCITY631

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000631 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/JMARTIN 
STATE ALSO FOR DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, VM, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT: THICH QUANG DO'S MARCH 29 LETTER 
 
REF: A. HCMC 0603  B. HANOI 1208  C. HCMC 0456 
 
1. REF C REPORTED THAT DISSIDENT UBCV BUDDHIST MONK THICH 
QUANG DO TOLD GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS THAT IF THICH HUYEN 
QUANG, UBCV PATRIARCH, WAS NOT ALLOWED TO RETURN TO HCMC 
FROM DETENTION IN QUANG NGAI PROVINCE, THEN DO WOULD GO TO 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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QUANG NGAI HIMSELF TO BRING QUANG BACK TO HCMC.  DO MADE 
THESE STATEMENTS IN A LETTER DATED MARCH 29.  POST HAS 
OBTAINED A COPY OF THAT LETTER AND IS PROVIDING AN 
UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION IN PARAGRAPH TWO.  ON MAY 21, DO 
ISSUED A SIMILAR LETTER, SETTING JUNE 7 AS A DEADLINE FOR 
GOVERNMENT ACTION (THIS IS BEING REPORTED SEPTEL).  POST 
DOES NOT YET HAVE A COPY OF THE MAY 21 LETTER. 
 
2. FOLLOWING IS THE UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF DO'S MARCH 
29 LETTER.  BEGIN TEXT: 
 
THAN MINH ZEN MONASTERY 
MARCH 29, 2001 
 
MR. LE KHA PHIEU, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 
OF VIETNAM 
MR. TRAN DUC LUONG, PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF 
VIETNAM 
MR. PHAN VAN KHAI, PRIME MINISTER OF THE SOCIALIST 
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM 
MR. NONG DUC MANH, CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF 
THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM 
 
DEAR SIRS: 
 
FOR GENERATIONS, THE CONCEPT OF FILIAL PIETY - CHILDREN'S 
AFFECTION, LOVE, RESPECT, AND CARE FOR THEIR PARENTS - HAS 
BEEN THE WAY OF LIFE OF OUR SOCIETY.  EVEN AFTER REACHING 
ADULTHOOD, VIETNAMESE PEOPLE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SERVE AND TAKE 
CARE OF THEIR ELDER PARENTS. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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I DARE SAY THAT EVEN YOU WOULD NOT ABANDON THIS 
TRADITIONAL PRACTICE, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR ELDER PARENTS 
WERE IN A POOR STATE OF HEALTH. 
 
MY PURPOSE HERE IS NOT TO PRY INTO YOUR PERSONAL FAMILY 
AFFAIRS, BUT TO DEMONSTRATE IN A PERSONAL MANNER THE 
GRIEVOUS ANXIETY THAT TENS OF MILLIONS OF BUDDHIST 
BELIEVERS FEEL ABOUT THEIR SPIRITUAL LEADER, THE MOST 
VENERABLE THICH HUYEN QUANG, THE PATRIARCH OF THE UNIFIED 
BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM (UBCV). 
 
THE MOST VENERABLE THICH HUYEN QUANG, BIRTH NAME LE DINH 
NHAN, 83, WAS ARRESTED AND PUT UNDER DETENTION BY THE HO 
CHI MINH CITY POLICE IN 1982 IN AN ABANDONED PAGODA IN 
NGHIA HANH DISTRICT, QUANG NGAI PROVINCE.  HE HAS BEEN 
DETAINED THERE FOR 19 YEARS, BUT HAS NEVER BEEN CHARGED 
WITH A CRIME.  BESIDES OLD AGE AND WEAKNESS, THE MOST 
VENERABLE THICH HUYEN QUANG SUFFERS MANY SERIOUS 
ILLNESSES.  ONE PERSON COMES TO COOK FOR HIM IN THE 
MORNING, BUT LEAVES IN THE AFTERNOON.  IN THE EVENING, NO 
ONE IS THERE TO TAKE CARE OF HIM.  OVER THE PAST 19 YEARS, 
THE POLICE HAVE HARASSED HIM HUNDREDS OF TIMES.  THIS HAS 
MADE HIM EXCLAIM, "I HAVE NO HOME TO LIVE IN, NO GRAVE TO 
DIE IN, NO ROAD TO WALK UPON, AND NO CRIME TO JUSTIFY THIS 
INTERMINABLE IMPRISONMENT." 
 
ON NOVEMBER 28, 1997, THE POLICE OF QUANG NGAI PROVINCE 
CAME TO HIM AND READ OUT A STATE DECISION DECLARING THAT 
HIS TERM OF DETENTION WAS OFFICIALLY CONCLUDED.  THEY READ 
IT TO HIM, BUT WOULD NOT HAND THE DOCUMENT OVER TO HIM AS 
REQUIRED BY LAW.  IN DECEMBER OF THAT YEAR, THE POLICE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HO CHI  00631  01 OF 02  250206Z 
CAME BACK TO FORCE HIM TO REGISTER AND HAVE HIS 
IDENTIFICATION CARD SHOW HIS OFFICIAL RESIDENCE AS CHO 
CHUA COMMUNE, NGHIA HANH DISTRICT, QUANG NGAI PROVINCE. 
BUT HE REFUSED TO SIGN THE DOCUMENTS.  HE STATED THAT 
BECAUSE HE WAS ARRESTED IN SAIGON, WHEN HIS TERM OF 
DETENTION IS CONCLUDED, HE SHOULD BE PROVIDED AN OFFICIAL 
RELEASE ORDER TO ALLOW HIM TO RETURN TO HIS PREVIOUS 
RESIDENCE AT AN QUANG PAGODA.  THE POLICE OFFICER LEFT 
WITHOUT RESPONDING TO THIS STATEMENT, AND THE AUTHORITIES 
OF QUANG NGAI HAVE YET TO FREE THE PATRIARCH. 
 
UNDER THE GOVERNMENT DECREE ON HOUSEHOLD REGISTRATION AND 
MANAGEMENT NUMBERED 51/CP, DATED MAY 10, 1997, HO CHI MINH 
CITY RESIDENTS WHO ARE SENT TO PRISON OR WHO SUBMIT TO 
ADMINISTRATIVE PUNISHMENTS AT REEDUCATION CAMPS OR MEDICAL 
TREATMENT CENTERS ARE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO AND RESIDE IN 
HO CHI MINH CITY ONCE THEIR TERM OF DETENTION HAS 
CONCLUDED.  WE ASK WHY THE POLICE AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES OF 
QUANG NGAI HAVE NOT FOLLOWED THIS DECREE, WHICH IS CLEAR 
AND SPECIFIC. 
 
CURRENTLY, THE MOST VENERABLE THICH HUYEN QUANG'S HEALTH 
IS DETERIORATING.  OUR ENTIRE CHURCH AND ITS BUDDHIST 
BELIEVERS ARE EXTREMELY CONCERNED.  THIS IS WHY I AM 
WRITING TO REQUEST YOUR URGENT ACTION.  I RESPECTFULLY 
REQUEST YOU TO ISSUE A LETTER TO THE PROVINCE OF QUANG 
NGAI SO THAT THE MOST VENERABLE THICH HUYEN QUANG MAY BE 
FREED TO RETURN TO HIS PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN HO CHI MINH 
CITY AS REGULATED BY DECREE 51/CP. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE A REPLY OR IF YOU DO NOT ISSUE ANY 
LETTER TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE REQUEST OF OUR CHURCH BY EARLY 
JUNE, I WILL HEAD A DELEGATION OF MONKS, NUNS AND 
BELIEVERS TO QUANG NGAI TO ESCORT THE MOST VENERABLE THICH 
HUYEN QUANG BACK TO SAIGON.  HIS HEALTH CONDITION NOW IS 
SUCH THAT HE NEEDS REGULAR CARE AND TREATMENT BY NURSES 
AND ATTENDANTS ON A DAILY BASIS. 
 
THE EXILE TO A REMOTE, MOUNTAINOUS AREA OF AN ORDINARY, 
GOOD MAN SPARKS ANGER IN HUMANITY.  THE EXILE OF THE 
PATRIARCH WHO REPRESENTS MILLIONS OF BUDDHIST BELIEVERS IS 
EVEN MORE OF AN AFFRONT TO MANKIND. 
 
IF THE MOST VENERABLE THICH HUYEN QUANG PASSES AWAY, I 
SINCERELY WOULD NOT WANT THE PARTY AND THE STATE TO BE 
RESPONSIBLE TO HISTORY AND TO THE CONSCIENCES OF TENS OF 
MILLIONS OF VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST BELIEVERS. 
 
THAT IS THE REASON I WRITE THIS URGENT, HUMANE REQUEST. 
 
RESPECTFULLY YOURS, 
 
BUDDHIST MONK THICH QUANG DO 
HEAD OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 
 
CC: THE MOST VENERABLE THICH HUYEN QUANG 
OFFICE II OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 
UBCV AT ALL LEVELS DOMESTIC AND ABROAD 
HEAD OF AN QUANG PAGODA 
INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST INFORMATION BUREAU IN PARIS 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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END TEXT. 
 
RAY 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED