CONGEN MEETING WITH THICH HUYEN QUANG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002255

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL 09/16/2012
TAGS: PHUM KIRF PGOV VM HUMANR RELFREE
SUBJECT: CONGEN MEETING WITH THICH HUYEN QUANG



1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY EMI L. YAMAUCHI, CG; REASON 1.5(B)


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: CONSUL GENERAL AND POLOFF VISITED THICH
HUYEN THQ (THQ) AT THE PHUOC QUANG PAGODA IN QUANG NGAI
PROVINCE ON SEPTEMBER 6. THQ WAS CANDID AND FEISTY IN
DESCRIBING HIS HEALTH AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS
CONFINEMENT. HE CRITICIZED THE GVN'S "CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS
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AND POLICIES ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM."
ACCORDING TO THQ, HE WOULD BE WILLING "TO CONSIDER" MOVING
BACK TO HIS HOME PROVINCE OF BINH DINH ONCE THE GVN
PRESENTS HIM WITH AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT DETAILING WHY HE HAS
BEEN DETAINED, THAT HE HAS FULFILLED THE TERMS OF HIS
DETENTION, AND THAT HE IS FREE TO TRAVEL. POST UNDERSTANDS
THAT GVN AUTHORITIES REFUSED A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
DELEGATION'S REQUEST FOR A MEETING WITH THQ DURING THIS
SAME TIMEFRAME. END SUMMARY.


3. (U) ON SEPTEMBER 6, CONGENOFFS MET WITH THQ IN A ROOM
WITH A LONG TABLE, CHAIRS, AND BOOKCASES, SITUATED ACROSS A
COURTYARD FROM THE MAIN PAGODA. A POLICE STATION STANDS
OPPOSITE THE PAGODA'S OUTER GATE, ABOUT 200 FEET AWAY. AT
ONE END OF THE ROOM WERE A BED AND SOME OTHER SMALL
FURNISHINGS. PROVINCIAL ESCORTS FROM THE EXTERNAL
RELATIONS OFFICE AND QUANG NGAI'S "COMMITTEE ON RELIGIOUS
MANAGEMENT" ATTENDED.


4. (SBU) WHILE THQ SAID HIS HEALTH WAS DETERIORATING (DUE
MOSTLY TO OLD AGE, HE NOTED RUEFULLY),HE APPEARED TO BE IN
GOOD HEALTH FOR A MAN OF 83 YEARS. HE GREETED CONGENOFFS
STANDING UNASSISTED IN A DRIVING RAIN, SAT UPRIGHT
THROUGHOUT THE 50-MINUTE MEETING, AND ROSE SPRYLY TO SEE
OFF HIS VISITORS. HE WAS ALERT AND COHERENT AT ALL TIMES,
BUT APPEARED HARD OF HEARING (ALTHOUGH THIS COULD HAVE BEEN
BECAUSE OF THE HARD RAIN AND WIND). THQ'S PRIMARY MEDICAL
COMPLAINTS WERE AN INCREASING LOSS OF SENSATION IN HIS
RIGHT HAND FINGERS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, AND EPISODES OF
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. FROM TIME TO TIME, HE EXPERIENCED
SOME NUMBNESS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS BODY. STILL, HE
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NOTED HIS AILMENTS DID NOT KEEP HIM FROM WRITING BOOKS ON
BUDDHIST RITUALS. HE SAID HE RECEIVED REGULAR MEDICAL CARE
AND MEDICATIONS AND HAD NEVER BEEN DENIED PERMISSION TO
VISIT A DOCTOR.


5. (SBU) WHILE THE MAJORITY OF HIS TRIPS OUTSIDE THE
PAGODA WERE FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION, THQ MENTIONED TWO LOCAL
TRIPS WITHIN THE LAST YEAR TO MY LAI AND THE DUNG QUAT
INDUSTRIAL ZONE. IN WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN STAGED FOR OUR
BENEFIT, THE QUANG NGAI RELIGIOUS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
ESCORT REMINDED THQ THAT HE HAD JUST GONE TO QUANG NGAI
TOWN THE DAY BEFORE TO VISIT WITH A FELLOW MONK. THQ SAID
HE LED A NORMAL LIFE, READING RELIGIOUS TRACTS AND
RECEIVING REGULAR VISITORS. LATER ON, HE SAID HE HAD VERY
FEW VISITORS, ASIDE FROM THE YOUNG NUNS AND MONKS WHO CAME
FOR A FEW HOURS EACH DAY TO COOK AND CLEAN. THESE YOUNG
FOLLOWERS ROTATED ABOUT EVERY 15 DAYS. THQ LIVES ALONE,
WITH NO ACCESS TO TELEPHONE OR MAIL. HE HAD BEEN INFORMED
OF CONGENOFFS' UPCOMING VISIT BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES.


6. (U) REGARDING THE BASIS FOR HIS CONFINEMENT, THICH
HUYEN QUANG EMPHASIZED THAT HE WAS UNDER DETENTION FOR
RELIGIOUS - NOT POLITICAL - REASONS. HE IS UNABLE TO LEAVE
THE PAGODA WITHOUT POLICE PERMISSION. THROUGHOUT THE
VISIT, THQ REFERRED TO THE FACT THAT HE HAD BEEN DETAINED
BY THE "FRENCH COLONIAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME MORE
THAN 30 YEARS AGO." HE SAID HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE REASONS
FOR HIS CURRENT DETENTION AND HAD NEVER SEEN AN OFFICIAL
DOCUMENT DETAILING THE CHARGES AND SENTENCE. ACCORDING TO
THQ, NO ONE HAD EVER EXPLAINED THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH
HE COULD TRAVEL/MOVE. THUS, WHENEVER HE WAS INVITED TO GO
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ELSEWHERE, HE TOLD PEOPLE HE COULD NOT LEAVE. OTHER
PAGODAS WERE HESITANT TO INVITE THQ BECAUSE THEY KNEW HE
COULD NOT MOVE.


7. (U) THE RELIGIOUS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ESCORT
INTERRUPTED TO SAY THAT THQ HAD BEEN OFFERED AN OPPORTUNITY
TO RETURN TO BINH DINH PROVINCE (HIS HOME PROVINCE) LAST
YEAR, BUT "HAD CHANGED HIS MIND." THQ CONTRADICTED HIM,
POINTING OUT THAT HE HAD MERELY ASKED TO SEE HIS OFFICIAL
CHARGING DOCUMENT, TO KNOW THE REASONS FOR HIS ARREST AND
LENGTH OF DETENTION "BEFORE MAKING UP HIS MIND." THQ MADE
IT CLEAR THAT HE COULD NOT COMMIT TO A MOVE UNTIL HE HAD
SEEN OFFICIAL PAPERS DETAILING THE REASONS FOR HIS
DETENTION, CERTIFICATION THAT HE HAD COMPLETED THE
DETENTION SUCCESSFULLY AND HAD BEHAVED CORRECTLY, AND
CONFIRMATION OF HIS FREEDOM TO TRAVEL.


8. (SBU) THICH HUYEN QUANG STATED THERE HAD BEEN NO
(POSITIVE) CHANGES IN VIETNAM WITH REGARD TO ELECTIONS,
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, OR HUMAN RIGHTS. HE SAID THE GVN HAD
NOT ALLOWED THE UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM (UBCV)
TO OPERATE AFTER 1975, AND THAT FEWER PEOPLE NATIONWIDE
WENT TO WORSHIP. WHEN ASKED HOW HE REGARDED THOSE WHO
BELONGED TO THE GVN-RECOGNIZED BUDDHIST CHURCH, THQ

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ACTION EAP-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PERC-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00
INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00
NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00
ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00
DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /009W
-------------- E8554F 170853Z /38
R 170845Z SEP 02
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7568
INFO ASEAN COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 002255

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL

CRITICIZED THE ORGANIZATION ITSELF AS STATE-RUN (SOMETHING
"CREATED OUT OF EXPEDIENCY, IN A TIME OF NEED"),BUT
EMBRACED ITS FOLLOWERS AS "ALL OUR PEOPLE." ASKED WHETHER
OTHERS IN VIETNAM OR OVERSEAS WERE AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK FOR
HIM, THQ RESPONDED VAGUELY THAT THERE WERE OUTSIDE
ORGANIZATIONS THAT SPOKE ON HIS BEHALF.

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9. (SBU) THE PROVINCIAL ESCORTS ATTEMPTED TO INTERRUPT
WHEN THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS STRAYED "TOO FAR FROM
GENERAL CONCERN ABOUT THICH HUYEN QUANG'S HEALTH." BUT
CONGENOFFS AND THQ PRESSED ON. AT THE END, THE ESCORTS
ENCIRCLED THQ'S CHAIR TO SPEED UP THE FAREWELLS. THQ SAID
HE WOULD WELCOME A RETURN VISIT.


10. (C) COMMENT: THIS WAS CONGENOFFS' FIRST MEETING WITH
THICH HUYEN QUANG. WHILE WE FOUND HIM TO BE SOMEBODY THAT
WE WOULD LIKE TO GET TO KNOW BETTER, WE WERE CONCERNED THAT
HE SEEMED TO DWELL ON THE DISTANT PAST -- WEARING THE PRIDE
ON HIS SLEEVE OF HAVING BEEN ARRESTED MORE THAN 30 YEARS
AGO "UNDER THE FRENCH COLONIALISTS" AND DECRYING THE
OUTLAWING OF THE UBCV IN 1975. HE DID NOT WISH TO BE DRAWN
INTO A DISCUSSION ABOUT FUTURE ACTIVITIES, ASPIRATIONS,
GOALS, SO THE HISTORY LESSON WAS INTERESTING, BUT DID NOT
NECESSARILY ADD TO OUR KNOWLEDGE.


11. (C) ON THE OTHER HAND, WHEN CONGENOFFS RAISED THE
NAMES OF TWO BUDDHIST FOLLOWERS WHO HAVE VISITED THQ IN THE
PAST AND WHO ARE CURRENT CONGEN CONTACTS -- THICH NHAT
THIEN AND A NUN WHO DESCRIBES HERSELF AS THQ'S GRANDNIECE -
- THQ'S LANGUAGE INDICATED THAT HE HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT
THE FORMER. THQ DESCRIBED THICH NHAT THIEN AS "SOMEBODY I
HAVE WORKED WITH IN THE PAST." AS FOR HIS GRANDNIECE, HE
SAID THAT HE DID NOT KNOW WHERE SHE WAS, OR WHAT SHE WAS
DOING BECAUSE SHE WAS "USUALLY VERY BUSY."


12. (SBU) POST NOTES THAT ACCORDING TO A PRESS RELEASE
FROM THE "QUE ME" ACTION FOR DEMOCRACY IN VIETNAM/VIETNAM
COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS, HEADQUARTERED IN FRANCE, A
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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITING VIETNAM DURING
SEPTEMBER 7-11, WAS DENIED MEETINGS WITH THICH HUYEN QUANG,
THICH QUANG DO, AND FATHER NGUYEN VAN LY. POST ALSO NOTES
THAT QUANG NGAI PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS DID NOT USE THE EXCUSE
OF TORRENTIAL RAINS AND FLOODED ROADS TO CANCEL OUR
APPOINTMENT, AS IS OFTEN DONE IN THESE SORTS OF SITUATIONS.
HOWEVER, PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS DID TRY TO KEEP THE MEETING
BRIEF. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE,
NGUYEN KIM HIEU, PERHAPS DOWNPLAYING THICH HUYEN QUANG'S
STATURE, HAD TOLD CONGENOFFS EARLIER IN THE DAY THAT THQ
WAS SIMPLY AN OLD MAN "WHOSE WAY OF THINKING DOES NOT AGREE
WITH OURS. WE WOULD JUST LIKE HIM TO GO BACK TO HIS HOME
PROVINCE." END COMMENT.

YAMAUCHI

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