TENSIONS REMAIN HIGH IN STANDOFF WITH BUDDHISTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HO CHI MINH CITY 000684 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/JMARTIN STATE ALSO FOR DRL/IRF AND S/S-O UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HO CHI 00684 01 OF 03 070943Z CINCPAC FOR FPA SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM KIRF VM HUMANR RELFREE SUBJECT: TENSIONS REMAIN HIGH IN STANDOFF WITH BUDDHISTS REF: A. HANOI 1340 B. HCMC 0632 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: TENSIONS REMAIN HIGH IN HCMC AND HUE AS POLICE MAINTAINED TIGHT SURVEILLANCE OVER SEVERAL PAGODAS WHOSE RESIDENTS INCLUDE MONKS LOYAL TO THE BANNED UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM (UBCV). UBCV MONKS FROM VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM HAD PLANNED TO CONGREGATE IN CENTRAL QUANG NGAI PROVINCE ON JUNE 7 IN DEFIANCE OF GOVERNMENT PROHIBITIONS (SEE REF B AND PREVIOUS). THICH QUANG DO, WHO HAD PLANNED TO LEAD THE DELEGATION, WAS PLACED UNDER HOUSE ARREST ON JUNE 1 AND REMAINS CONFINED TO HIS LIVING QUARTERS INSIDE THE THANH MINH ZEN PAGODA IN HCMC (SEE REF A). POLICE ON JUNE 7 EXPELLED FROM THE COUNTRY A MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, WHO DEMONSTRATED IN FRONT OF QUANG DO'S PAGODA. PHONE LINES TO MANY PAGODAS HAVE BEEN CUT, AND CONTACTS WHOM CONGEN HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACH BY PHONE EXPRESS FEAR AND ANGER. ONE MONK IN HUE SAID THE SITUATION THERE IS "EXTREMELY TENSE." END SUMMARY. THICH QUANG DO UNDER HOUSE ARREST -------------- ¶2. (U) THICH QUANG DO, THE SECOND-RANKING MONK IN THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 00684 01 OF 03 070943Z OUTLAWED UBCV, HAD NOTIFIED GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES THAT HE WOULD LEAD A DELEGATION OF MONKS TO QUANG NGAI PROVINCE ON JUNE 7 WITH THE PURPOSE OF TAKING UBCV PATRIARCH THICH HUYEN QUANG BACK TO HIS HOME PAGODA IN HCMC. HUYEN QUANG HAS BEEN CONFINED TO AN ISOLATED PAGODA IN CENTRAL VIETNAM SINCE 1982. MONKS, INCLUDING THICH QUANG DO, WHO HAVE VISITED THE 83-YEAR-OLD HUYEN QUANG, HAVE NOTED A MARKED DETERIORATION IN THE PATRIARCH'S HEALTH OVER THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS. THEY ARE CONCERNED OVER THE LACK OF MEDICAL FACILITIES IN QUANG NGAI PROVINCE, AND NOTING THAT HIS TERM OF DETENTION WAS OFFICIALLY CONCLUDED IN 1997, HAVE URGED OFFICIALS TO ALLOW QUANG TO RETURN TO HCMC. (NOTE: IN DECEMBER 1999, OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY OFFERED TO ALLOW HUYEN QUANG TO BE RELOCATED TO HANOI WHERE QUALITY MEDICAL FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE. QUANG REPORTEDLY TOLD THEM HE WOULD NEVER GO TO HANOI. END NOTE.) ¶3. (SBU) IN AN EFFORT TO PREVENT THE UNAUTHORIZED DELEGATION OF UBCV MONKS TO TRAVEL TO QUANG NGAI PROVINCE, POLICE ENTERED THICH QUANG DO'S THANH MINH ZEN PAGODA IN HCMC ON JUNE 1 AND READ A GOVERNMENT DECISION TO PLACE HIM UNDER A TWO-YEAR ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION (HOUSE ARREST) ORDER. POLICE ALSO CUT THE PHONE LINES TO THE PAGODA. POLOFF SPOKE WITH PENELOPE FAULKNER, OF THE UBCV'S INFORMATION OFFICE IN PARIS ON JUNE 3. SHE SAID THAT HER CONTACTS IN HCMC REPORT THAT QUANG DO IS CONFINED TO HIS LIVING QUARTERS ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE PAGODA. NO ONE EXCEPT POLICE OFFICERS HAS HAD DIRECT ACCESS TO HIM SINCE JUNE 1. SEVERAL NON-UNIFORMED POLICE MAINTAIN A PRESENCE OUTSIDE HIS ROOM IN THE PAGODA. WHENEVER POLICE ENTER HIS ROOM, ACCORDING TO FAULKNER'S CONTACTS, THEY DO SO TWO AT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HO CHI 00684 01 OF 03 070943Z A TIME IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT NEITHER OF THEM COOPERATES WITH HIM TO SMUGGLE OUT MESSAGES. ¶4. (SBU) THE SCHEDULED TIME FOR DEPARTURE OF THE DELEGATION TO QUANG NGAI PROVINCE WAS 10:00 A.M. ON JUNE ¶7. POLOFF DROVE DIRECTLY BY THE PAGODA AT 9:55 A.M. AT THAT TIME, THE GATES TO THE PAGODA WERE OPEN, BUT THE AREA BEHIND THE GATES LEADING TO THE ENTRANCEWAY TO THE PAGODA AND THE LIVING QUARTERS WAS EMPTY. TWO PERSONS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN PLAINCLOTHES POLICEMEN SAT AT A COFFEE SHOP ACROSS THE STREET. THERE WAS NO UNUSUAL ACTIVITY. EUROPEAN MP ARRESTED AND DEPORTED -------------- ¶5. (SBU) OLIVIER DUPUIS, A BELGIAN MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, ENTERED THE PAGODA ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 7. HE REPORTEDLY PLANNED TO STAGE A SIT-IN DEMONSTRATION IN SYMPATHY WITH QUANG DO. PLAINCLOTHES POLICE ALLOWED HIM TO STAY IN THE PAGODA FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR, BUT THEN TOOK HIM BACK TO HIS HOTEL IN A "MILITARY VAN," ACCORDING TO ONE WITNESS. ¶6. (SBU) BUT DUPUIS, WHO IS ALSO SECRETARY OF THE ITALIAN- BASED TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY, WAS NOT DISSUADED. HE REPORTEDLY RETURNED TO THE PAGODA IN THE LATE AFTERNOON WITH AN ASSISTANT, MARTIN SCHULTES, AND UNFURLED A BANNER THAT SAID "RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR VIETNAM" IN BOTH ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE. POLICE THEN DETAINED BOTH DUPUIS AND SCHULTES AND EXPELLED THEM FROM THE COUNTRY. THE BELGIAN EMBASSY WAS NOT ABLE TO SAY IF EITHER DUPUIS OR SCHULTES WERE EVER OFFICIALLY "ARRESTED" OR "DEPORTED," BUT AN OFFICER AT THE EMBASSY DID CONFIRM TO POLOFF THAT IMMIGRATION POLICE ESCORTED DUPUIS FROM HIS HOTEL TO HCMC'S TAN SON NHUT AIRPORT, AND HE LEFT THE COUNTRY AT ABOUT 9:00 P.M. ON JUNE 7. ANXIETY AT HCMC PAGODAS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) IN THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 7, CONGEN CALLED THE AN QUANG PAGODA IN HCMC, THE HOME PAGODA OF THICH HUYEN QUANG, AND ASKED FOR THICH TAM AN, A MONK WHO REPORTEDLY HAD BEEN DETAINED BY POLICE THE DAY BEFORE. THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE SAID THAT IF WE WISHED TO TALK WITH TAM AN, WE SHOULD GO THERE IN PERSON AND THEN ABRUPTLY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 00684 02 OF 03 070944Z HUNG UP THE PHONE. WE THEN CALLED THE RESIDENTIAL NUMBER OF THICH TRI QUANG, WHO ALSO LIVES AT AN QUANG PAGODA AND IS ONE OF THE THREE RANKING MONKS OF THE OFFICIAL BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION IN HCMC. TRI QUANG SAID HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY ATTEMPTS BY MONKS TO GO TO QUANG NGAI PROVINCE THAT MORNING. HE SAID THAT THICH TAM AN WAS PRESENT AT THE PAGODA BUT, AS OF JUNE 4, HE WAS UNAVAILABLE TO COME TO THE PHONE AT THE MOMENT (REF A). CONGEN ALSO CALLED THICH HIEN PHAP, ANOTHER OF THE THREE RANKING MONKS OF THE OFFICIAL BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION WITH WHOM WE HAVE MET SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. PHAP, WHO HAS IN THE PAST BEEN WILLING TO TALK ABOUT THE UBCV, SEEMED ANNOYED BY OUR INQUIRIES AND SAID HE KNEW NOTHING MORE ABOUT THICH QUANG DO AND THE UBCV PROBLEMS THAN WHAT WAS REPORTED ON TELEVISION. ¶8. (SBU) CONGEN CALLED THE XA LOI PAGODA IN HCMC. AT ONE NUMBER, THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE SUGGESTED WE CALL BACK LATER. WHEN WE CALLED AN HOUR LATER, NO ONE ANSWERED THE PHONE. AT ANOTHER NUMBER, THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE BECAME ANGRY AT OUR INQUIRIES. HE SAID NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS HAPPENING AT THE PAGODA AND SUGGESTED WE SHOULD PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MATTER. ¶9. (SBU) CONGEN ALSO CALLED CAO DAI AND CATHOLIC CONTACTS WHO LIKELY WOULD BE AWARE OF THE UBCV SITUATION. THESE CONTACTS, WHO HAVE NEVER HESITATED TO TALK OVER THE TELEPHONE BEFORE, SAID THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO MEET POLOFF, BUT DID NOT WANT TO SPEAK OVER THE PHONE. LIKEWISE, POLOFF WAS ABLE TO REACH THE HCMC-BASED UBCV MONK WHO DEPARTED HCMC ON JUNE 1 FOR QUANG NGAI. HE IS UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HO CHI 00684 02 OF 03 070944Z BACK IN HCMC, BUT SAID IT WAS "TOO DANGEROUS" TO SPEAK OVER THE TELEPHONE. (NOTE: POLOFF PLANS TO MEET WITH THIS CONTACT AS SOON AS TIME PERMITS. HE RESIDES IN ONE OF THE RURAL DISTRICTS, LOCATED AT SOME DISTANCE FROM THE CITY. END NOTE.) TENSIONS IN HUE -------------- ¶10. (SBU) CONGEN WAS UNABLE TO REACH THICH THAI HOA AT THE TU HIEU PAGODA IN HUE CITY. ALL PHONE LINES TO THE PAGODA HAVE NOW BEEN CUT. (REF A REPORTED THAT THAI HOA'S RESIDENTIAL NUMBER WAS OUT OF SERVICE, BUT THE TWO LINES TO THE MAIN PAGODA WERE STILL WORKING.) THE LINES TO PHUOC THANH PAGODA AND THIEN LAM PAGODA ARE SIMILARLY OUT OF SERVICE. THE LINE TO BAO QUOC PAGODA WAS OUT OF SERVICE, BUT CONGEN WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH ON ANOTHER NUMBER. POLOFF ASKED TO SPEAK WITH THICH THIEN HANH, WHO REPORTEDLY HAD BEEN CALLED IN FOR QUESTIONING BY POLICE A FEW DAYS EARLIER. THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE ASKED US TO CALL BACK AGAIN IN TEN MINUTES. WE CALLED REPEATEDLY FOR THE REST OF THE DAY, BUT NO ONE PICKED UP THE RECEIVER AT THE OTHER END. ¶11. (SBU) CONGEN ALSO CALLED THE CHAU LAM PAGODA IN HUE, THE RESIDENCE OF THICH PHUOC VIEN, ONE OF THOSE WHO REPORTEDLY PLANNED TO TRAVEL TO QUANG NGAI. WHEN WE ASKED TO SPEAK WITH PHUOC VIEN, THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE ENGAGED IN A LONG CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE ELSE PRESENT AT THE PAGODA BEFORE ANSWERING. HE THEN TOLD US TO CALL BACK IN TEN MINUTES. TEN MINUTES LATER, AND SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THAT, THE PHONE WENT UNANSWERED. WHEN SOMEONE FINALLY ANSWERED THE PHONE, WE WERE TOLD THAT THICH PHUOC VIEN WAS BUSY AND UNABLE TO TALK WITH US. ¶12. (SBU) AT LONG QUAN PAGODA IN HUE, THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED THE TELEPHONE ENGAGED IN A CURIOUS CONVERSATION. WHEN WE ASKED A QUESTION, HE HESITATED FOR A LONG TIME, THEN ASKED WHY WE WERE ASKING ABOUT THE UBCV, THEN HESITATED SOME MORE. AFTER HE TALKED WITH SOMEONE ELSE WHO APPARENTLY WAS PRESENT IN THE ROOM WITH HIM, HE SHOUTED SOMETHING UNINTELLIGIBLE AND THEN HUNG UP THE PHONE. ¶13. (SBU) A MONK AT PHUOC DUYEN PAGODA IN HUE SAID POLICE HAD BEEN PRESENT ON THE PAGODA'S GROUNDS UNTIL 11:30 P.M. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 00684 03 OF 03 070944Z THE NIGHT BEFORE. HE SAID HE HAD BEEN CALLED IN FOR QUESTIONING AT THE POLICE STATION IN THE MORNING. HE SAID THAT POLICE HAD ALSO CALLED IN THICH CHI THANH (FROM THE PHUOC THANH PAGODA),THICH THIEN HANH (FROM THE BAO QUOC PAGODA),AND THICH CHI MAU. THE MONK AT PHUOC DUYEN PAGODA SAID HE AND 30 TO 40 OTHER MONKS FROM HUE STILL PLANNED TO GO TO QUANG NGAI, BUT THAT CAR AND TAXI OWNERS WERE TOO AFRAID TO PROVIDE VEHICLES FOR THEM. SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE CONVERSATION, HE SAID THE SITUATION IN HUE WAS "EXTREMELY TENSE" AND THE MONKS WERE "ANGRY." ¶14. (U) MEANWHILE, A UBCV PRESS RELEASE FROM PARIS SAID THAT POLICE HAVE SURROUNDED THICH HUYEN QUANG'S RESIDENCE IN QUANG NGAI PROVINCE, AND "UBCV MEMBERS TRYING TO VISIT HIM HAVE BEEN TURNED AWAY." COMMENT -------------- ¶15. (SBU) CLOSE POLICE SURVEILLANCE OF UBCV MONKS LIKELY WILL PREVENT ANY OF THEM FROM MEETING WITH THICH HUYEN QUANG FOR THE TIME BEING. THEIR SUCCESS IN SEALING OFF HUYEN QUANG, HOWEVER, MAY ONLY ADD TO THE FRUSTRATION AND RESENTMENT OF HIS SUPPORTERS (WHO ARE SIZABLE IN NUMBER). FURTHERMORE, VIETNAM IS STILL LEFT WITH THE PROBLEM OF AN AGING UBCV PATRIARCH IN AN ISOLATED PAGODA IN QUANG NGAI PROVINCE. SHOULD HIS HEALTH EVENTUALLY FAIL HIM WHILE STILL IN DETENTION IN THIS REMOTE PROVINCE, THE TENSIONS OF RECENT DAYS MAY SEEM MILD IN COMPARISON. RAY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HO CHI 00684 03 OF 03 070944Z UNCLASSIFIED