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Viewing cable 06HOCHIMINHCITY551, CONSUL GENERAL MEETS UBCV PATRIARCH THICH HUYEN QUANG

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06HOCHIMINHCITY551 2006-05-24 10:16 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
VZCZCXRO5543
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHHM #0551/01 1441016
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241016Z MAY 06
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0891
INFO RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 0647
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0930
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