CONSUL GENERAL MEETS UBCV PATRIARCH THICH HUYEN QUANG

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000551

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KIRF SOCI PGOV VM
SUBJECT: CONSUL GENERAL MEETS UBCV PATRIARCH THICH HUYEN QUANG

REF: HANOI 1115; B) 04 HCMC 1482

HO CHI MIN 00000551 001.2 OF 002



1. (SBU) Summary: In a private meeting on May 18, Thich Huyen
Quang, Patriarch of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of
Vietnam (UBCV) told the Consul General that he is not optimistic
about prospects for normalization of his organization's status.
The 87 year-old monk said that he remains under effective pagoda
arrest and expressed frustration over his inability to meet with
UBCV Secretary General Thich Quang Do based in HCMC. In a
separate meeting, the Consul General raised religious freedom
concerns with Binh Dinh People's Committee Chairman Vu Hoang Ha,
including a lengthy discussion on the UBCV. Ha expressed his
"disappointment" with the political activities of the UBCV. He
asserted that Thich Huyen Quang could travel anywhere and meet
anyone, with the exception of Thich Quang Do, because of Thich
Quang Do's anti-GVN stance. The government's approach to the
UBCV has not changed since the Ambassador met with Thich Huyen
Quang in Binh Dinh in November 2004 (ref b). It reflects the
view that an independent UBCV is a potent threat to the
Communist regime, one of the few areas of agreement between the
GVN and UBCV leaders. End Summary.

Meeting with People's Committee Chairman
--------------


2. (SBU) During a May 18 visit to Binh Dinh province, the Consul
General called on Chairman of the provincial People's Committee
Vu Hoang Ha. The meeting, originally scheduled for 45 minutes,
was extended by an hour to discuss religious freedom issues,
especially the status of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam
(UBCV) and the province's treatment of its patriarch, Thich
Huyen Quang. The Chairman opened the conversation on religious
freedom by referencing the Ambassador's May 9 meeting with Vice
Minister of Public Security Nguyen Van Huong (ref A). The
Chairman said he was "disappointed" that the Ambassador told the
Vice-Minister that Vietnamese citizens were arrested and
imprisoned because of their political and religious beliefs. On
the contrary, the people in question violated Vietnamese law, Ha
said. Ha asserted that Binh Dinh province is proactive in its
support of religious freedom. It facilitated the promotion of
monks of the GVN-recognized Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha (VBS) and
helped restore 333 of Binh Dinh's 364 pagodas.


3. (SBU) Before turning to issues facing the UBCV, the Consul
General raised the Binh Dinh provincial authority's rejection of
the transfer of a Southern Evangelical Church of Vietnam (SECV)
pastor to Quy Nhon and denial of permission for other SECV
provincial pastors to attend bible training in neighboring Quang
Nam province. The CG urged provincial authorities to move
quickly to register and recognize Protestant house churches
under Vietnam's new legal framework on religion. Chairman Ha
claimed he had no knowledge of problems involving the SECV and
offered no further comment.

Chairman on The UBCV and Thich Huyen Quang
--------------


4. (SBU) Turning to the UBCV and Thich Huyen Quang, the Chairman
became very animated. He stated that he "invited" Thich Huyen
Quang to reside in Binh Dinh following his March 2003 surgery in
Hanoi. (Note: Prior to his medical transfer to Hanoi, Thich
Huyen Quang had been under pagoda arrest in Quang Nam province.
End Note.) The Chairman said that he made it clear to Thich
Huyen Quang that he could translate Buddhist texts and establish
a training school for monks, but was not to involve himself in
political activities. The Chairman claimed that Thich Huyen
Quang did not comply and instead contacted the Venerable Thich
Quang Do and "overseas elements.". (Comment: In October 2003,
UBCV leaders held an organizational conclave in Binh Dinh. The
meeting was broken up by government officials and many monks,
including Thich Quang Do, placed under administrative detention.
End Comment.) The Chairman also said that he was disappointed
that Thich Huyen Quang "refused" his requests to meet, despite
the goodwill that the province has shown.


5. (SBU) Chairman Ha claimed that when Thich Huyen Quang
required medical treatment in November 2004, none of his
followers would bring him to the hospital. That is why the
Chairman ordered his personal car to take the monk to the
hospital. The Chairman claimed that he directed hospital staff
to treat the Thich Huyen Quang at any cost. When Thich Huyen
Quang needed a blood transfusion, none of his supporters would
donate blood; and the Chairman ordered provincial police to
donate. "The blood of the Vietnamese Communist police flows
through the Venerable's veins," the Chairman remarked.


6. (SBU) The Chairman stated in presence of local media that
Thich Huyen Quang is not under pagoda arrest. He is free to
travel anywhere he chooses with the exception of meeting with
Thich Quang Do. The Chairman explained that this restriction is
based on the fact that Thich Quang Do is plotting with Vo Van Ai
(head of the Paris-based International Buddhist Information

HO CHI MIN 00000551 002.2 OF 002


Bureau) and Nguyen Huu Chanh to overthrow the GVN. The Chairman
asked the Consul General to convey his best wishes to the Thich
Huyen Quang and that "at his age, he should lead a peaceful
existence."

Meeting with Thich Huyen Quang
--------------

7. (SBU) Following the meeting with the Chairman, the CG met in
private with Thich Huyen Quang for 45 minutes at the Nguyen
Thieu Monastery Although physically frail and supported by an
assistant monk, the 86-year old Most Venerable was lucid and
focused. A large photograph of UBCV monk Thich Quang Duc's 1963
self-immolation adorned one of the walls of the reception room.
(Note: Thich Quang Duc burned himself to death at a busy Saigon
intersection to protest President Diem's oppression of
Buddhists. The self-immolation shocked international observers
and spurred Diem's demise. End Note.)

8. (SBU) Thich Huyen Quang told the Consul General that there
has been no change in the government's position that the UBCV is
an extra-legal organization. Phone and mail communication is
monitored, censored or completely cut, depending on the GVN.
While he remains under effective "pagoda arrest," enforcement
depends on the mood of authorities on any given day. He has had
sporadic contact with Thich Quang Do in HCMC, but he has
resigned himself to the probability that they never again will
meet in person. Thich Huyen Quang told the CG that, despite
GVN's opposition, the UBCV is determined to the 2,000 year
Vietnamese tradition of maintaining Buddhist independence.


9. (SBU) Looking ahead, Thich Huyen Quang was pessimistic that
any compromise with the Communist Party was possible. He was
dismissive of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and said he would
never support an organization whose internal elections were
controlled by the government. However, he noted that VBS and
government officials have sought his input on VBS personnel
issues. The VBS does heed his recommendations, Thich Huyen
Quang noted. He added that at his monastery the UBCV runs a
theological school that is training the next generation of UBCV
leaders.


10. (SBU) Thich Huyen Quang was dismissive of Chairman Ha's
comments that he is allowed travel with the exception of meeting
Thich Quang Do. He told the CG that, "I told Thich Quang Do
that we would have to meet in heaven." The Consul General
assured Thich Huyen Quang that the issue of the UBCV is closely
watched and that the U.S. Mission is committed to continue to
pursue the issue with the national and provincial government.


11. (SBU) Comment: There was no apparent substantive change in
the government's position on the UBCV in the 18 months since
Ambassador Marine traveled to Binh Dinh in November 2004 (ref
B). The GVN considers the UBCV to be a serious threat to the
regime and will not legalize its status or allow senior leaders
to operate freely. The prominent position of the picture of the
1963 self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc in Thich Huyen Quang's
reception room is a stark visual reminder to the GVN of the
latent threat of the UBCV. That said, the GVN is calibrating
its stance carefully, both because of international scrutiny and
because of the stature of the UBCV leadership in the Buddhist
community. For his part, although overtly less political than
his deputy Thich Quang Do in HCMC, Thich Huyen Quang made clear
his continuing opposition to any compromise that would dilute
complete UBCV independence. End Comment.
Winnick