US embassy cable - 03HOCHIMINHCITY650

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000650 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AEPEAP/BCLTV AND DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KIRF, PGOV, PHUM, PREL, SOCI, KIRF, VM, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT: Leader of the Hue Branch of the Outlawed United 
Buddhist Church of Vietnam (CONGEN MEETS HUE BUDDHISTS 
DESPITE GVN INTERFERENCE 
 
 
REPREF: 01 HANOI 1340, HANOI 2255, A) HCMC 0412, B) HCMC 
0585 
 
Summary 
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1. (SBU)  An influential leader of the Hue branch of the 
outlawed UBCV discussed his views with DPO and A/PAO on the 
current state of the Buddhist Church, the status of Thich 
Huyen Quang, and the need for continued U.S. pressure on the 
GVN to allow greater religious freedom.  The meeting was 
marred briefly by GVN attempts to first block the call on 
the monks at their pagoda, then surveil the visit. 
 
All Buddhists Are One, but U.S. Assistance Helps 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
2.  (SBU)  Summary: On June 17, 2003 Deputy Principal 
Officer, U.S. Consulate General of Ho Chi Minh City, met 
with DPO and A/PAO called on Thich Thien Hanh, leader of the 
Hue Branch of the outlawed United Buddhist Church of Vietnam 
(UBCV), and his assistant Thich Phu Viet at the Bao Quoc 
Pagoda in Hue last month.  During their two-hour meeting, 
the religious leader reiterated his organization's now 
standard "line" that to discuss the UBCV's current status in 
Vietnam, as well as the health and well being of Thich Huyen 
Quang, leader of the UBCV currently under house arrest. End 
Summary.most monks in Vietnam actually belong to the UBCV. 
In his view, the UBCV and the officially recognized Vietnam 
Buddhist Sangha (VBS) were divided artificially but were 
still one.  He also said more than 60 percent of the 
population in Hue followed the UBCV, as opposed to roughly 
40-50 percent of the population nationwide.  This high 
concentration of UBCV followers in Hue had always given the 
local monks great influence within the organization.  His 
own Bao Quoc Pagoda had 26 monks, while the largest in the 
area had 80.  He also referred to 500 pagodas in Thua Thien- 
Hue province and 200 in the city of Hue alone, although it 
was unclear whether or not these were all UBCV.  The last 
new pagoda was built in 1981, the same year the UBCV was 
outlawed. 
 
3.  (SBU)  Thich Thien Hanh said he had seen conflicting 
signs of change in the GVN's attitude towards religious 
freedom.  There were no restrictions on individuals 
practicing their religion or discussions within the UBCV 
pagodas.  There were currently no UBCV monks or believers in 
the Hue area facing detention and no domestic travel 
restrictions.  He noted, however, that international travel 
remained difficult, citing a member of the UBCV who was 
denied permission to travel to China in 2001 as the most 
recent specific case.  There were also restrictions on 
building new pagodas.  His main concern remains legalizing 
the status of the UBCV. 
 
4.  (SBU)  According to Thich Thien Hanh, the GVN was 
worried that a "legalized" UBCV might develop into a 
political party challenging the authority of the Communist 
Party (CPV).  Asked directly about the possibility of 
working within the current legal framework of the GVN, Thich 
Thien Hanh felt it would be difficult, but might be 
possible.  His assistant seemed even more skeptical.  Even 
so, Thich Thien Hanh called on the USG to aid in the UBCV's 
quest for legal recognition within Vietnam.  He repeated 
this several times and stated explicitly that it was his 
only request, although he also hoped the U.S., as a 
permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, 
would continue working to persuade the GVN to respect human 
rights in accordance with its UN obligations. 
 
Thich Huyen Quang 
----------------- 
5.  (SBU)  Based on reports from a Hue monk who had just 
returned from Quy Nhon, UBCV Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang 
(ref A) was in good health.  Monks were allowed to visit him 
freely and speak with him privately and UBCV and VBS had 
gone jointly to see him.  While he remained unrestricted in 
his ability to travel, he was required to have a GVN escort 
at all times.  Thich Thien Hanh briefly recounted the 
Patriarch's visit to Hue in April 2003, noting that 3,000 to 
4,000 people had turned out to greet him upon his arrival. 
As the visit had been approved by the GVN in advance, there 
had been no negative reaction from the local authorities. 
 
External Relations Still Sensitive 
---------------------------------- 
6.  (SBU)  Shortly before the meeting was scheduled to 
begin, an FSN from the HCMC Public Affairs staff was called 
in to speak with the Director of the Hue Office of External 
Relations (ERO), Mr. Chau Binh Nguyen.  Mr. Nguyen advised 
PAS FSN that he was aware of a meeting "at a pagoda" and 
that ConGen officers should not hold the meeting because it 
had not sent a diplomatic note requesting permission.  DPO 
explained that the agreement between the USG and GVN -- the 
same agreement that theoretically binds their officers in 
San Francisco to notify us of their travel outside of that 
city -- required prior notification (not permission) for 
official meetings with government officials.  After checking 
with Thich Thien Hanh -- who seemed genuinely surprised that 
the ERO knew we were coming but clearly wanted the meeting 
to proceed regardless -- DPO decided to hold the meeting as 
planned. 
 
7.  (SBU)  ConGen drivers indicated there were police 
present when the DPO and APAO arrived at the pagoda, 
although they were not clearly visible and made no attempt 
to stop the meeting.  When ConGen officers left, however, 
they observed a handful of individuals who appeared to be 
plainclothes police within the compound, and several police 
cars with uniformed police standing just outside the gate. 
ConGenoffs did not observe any police following them from 
the pagoda.  In a follow-up call the next day, the monks at 
the pagoda reported no problems after the meeting.  Mr. 
Nguyen continued to express his concern that the meeting had 
taken place without a dip note which he could share with the 
local Committee on Religious Affairs. 
 
Comment 
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8.  (SBU)  Despite the free and open exchange with Thich 
Thien Hanh, including his own generally positive 
pronouncements on the continuing ability of the UBCV to 
practice their religion and attract followers, the actions 
of the provincial leadership illustrate the ongoing official 
paranoia over unrecognized religious groups.  There is also 
a more general pattern of provincial authorities seeking to 
"approve" all ConGen meetings in their localities.  The Hue 
ERO's argument that we needed a diplomatic note due to Thich 
Thien Hanh's status as a religious leader was disingenuous 
at best, given that the Vietnamese government does not 
recognize the UBCV as a religion.  On the bright side, even 
though Mr. Nguyen remained adamant about the need for a dip 
note, he stressed that the ConGen could hold its meeting 
without a GVN presence. 
 
WHITE