THICH QUANG DO'S MARCH 29 LETTER

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 PAGE 02 HO CHI 00631 01 OF 02 250206Z 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 PAGE 03 HO CHI 00631 01 OF 02 250206Z 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 PAGE 02 HO CHI 00631 02 OF 02 250206Z 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 PAGE 03 HO CHI 00631 02 OF 02 250206Z END TEXT. RAY UNCLASSIFIED