May 16, 2009

In general, many Vietnamese families are traditional ancestor-worshippers.

There are 13 religions, among them Buddhism (Mahayana & Theravada) with about 20 million true believers, Christianity 6 million, Cao Đai & Hoa Hao 1.5 million each, and smaller communities such as Bahai, Islam, 7 Protestant groups officially permitted to operate from October 30, 2007 at 400 places of worship from several thousands to several hundreds of thousands of followers.

After being admitted into the WTO in January 2007, Hanoi has made some limited progress in human rights, but in no way to compare with economic development. Particularly from the beginning of 2008 onward, there have been many important setbacks in abuses of press freedom and in religious freedom.  Theses violations include restrictions, abuse, harassment, intimidation, arrest and imprisonment. The Vietnamese government jails reporters, bloggers, religious leaders, collective prayers and pilgrimage. Recently on May 7, 2009 a pilgrimage from Thai Binh Province to Hanoi was impeded, dispersed, and questioned. Not only violating freedom of worship, the authorities also violated freedom of movement, of assembly of believers.

Churches of all religions and their properties are under the government control through the Fatherland Front, an umbrella of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP). Bible, scriptures, teachings, books, publications, even internal circulars are sanctioned. Religious rites are also under surveillance. Any prospective seminarian must get government permission. For any promotion from priest to bishop or from archbishop to cardinal the Vatican needs to consult the Vietnamese government.

The Police Ministry has 2 bureaus: A16 – A and A16 – B responsible for religions in the North and South respectively; and each province or city has a branch, PA16, to follow and harass suspected believers.

The communist demagogy lies in:

-   Vietnamese law requires that religious groups register with the government. Those that do not are considered illegal.

-  Vague provisions of law which can be explained this way or that way by fits and starts.

-  Toleration of  believers while controlling spiritual leaders, putting them under guard or in jail if necessary.

-  Big difference between word and deed. Very often local authorities do not follow the government instructions. How do we understand this?

The communist regime operates with 2 components at all levels: government-committee receiving the guidance from party-committees under the direction of VCP’s politburo. An official written order issued from the government looks fairly good, reasonable and legal; but another oral order (or a special note) from the politburo through the party-committee manipulating the puppet government to do this or not to do that, i.e., tolerate or delay to prosecute their subordinates to harm the believers who do not follow the government directives against their own belief. A believer feels isolated, even not safe in his or her own religion if he or she has a point of view different from the party line.                                             

Independent churches including the Unified Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Đai, and home-Protestant churches are outlawed. All want to have freedom to exercise their pure faiths, not mingled with Marxism through the so-called ‘Fatherland Front’. The communist leaders do nothing to normalize the situation but repress.

About Buddhism:

- The VN Unified Buddhist Church had existed in the South of VN since 1964, while there was no such similar Church of any kind in the North.

After 30 April 1975, the politburo hurriedly created the VN Buddhist Church, not elected even by one true believer, with the aim of subsuming the Unified Buddhist Church that truly represented millions of believers. As a result, the politburo failed: in 1981 the then chief executive of the Unified Church Thich Tri Thu removed himself from his job and the vice-chief Thich Quang Do took office. The Most Venerable Thich Quang Đo didn’t knuckle under the communist cunning trick and courageously and persistently continue to resist.

Hanoi should recognize that the collapse of the Soviet Union and the bankruptcy of Marxism removed from them any upper hand over religions. Therefore, Hanoi should recognize the legality of the Unified Buddhist Church and dialogue with The Most Venerable Thich Quang Do.

- By now, Venerables Thich Quang Do, Thich Vien Hy, Thich Vien Dinh (Thanh Minh Zen Institute in Phu Nhuan District, Saigon), Thich Khong Tanh (Lien Tri Pagoda in District 2, Saigon) are under guard.

- Venerable Thich Thien Minh (Vinh Binh Pagoda - Bac Lieu), Thich Nhat Ban (Ba La Mat Pagoda (Long Thanh- Dong Nai), Thich Chan Tam (Tay Hue Pagoda, Sam mountain), Thich Tri Khai (Lam Đong), Thich Man Thien (Hai Phong): their pagodas were confiscated or destroyed, they are “pagodaless.”

- In the Mekong delta, the Khmer Krom people have 500 pagodas and 20,000 monks. They want to have their own Church not under the control of Fatherland Front. Five monks were jailed in Soc Trang Province after a peaceful protest in March 2, 2007 calling for greater religious freedom and protesting the government requirement of learning Vietnamese.

 

On June 28, 2008 monk Tim Sakhorn was released but prohibited from returning to Cambodia, although he has Cambodia citizenship.

About Christianity:

Vatican and Hanoi have no diplomatic relationship. The bilateral talks haven’t got any concrete results. Quite a lot of catholic priests and believers dissent from the communist regime.

The picture of father Nguyen Van Ly being muzzled at his own trial epitomizes VN’s policy of political & religious repression. He was jailed on February 2007 and is still in jail.

In August 2008 a dispute over 2 pieces of land broke out in Hanoi and Thai Ha between the Catholic Church and government. The government refused to give them back to the church and unilaterally forcibly transformed these 2 on-going disputed lands into public parks. The government then targeted Archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet with a denunciation press campaign. The stand-off continues.

Lawyer responsible to defend Thai Ha believers Le Tran Luat was arrested and he was debarred. He cannot practice any more.

Other priests Phan van Loi, Nguyen Huu Giai, Chan Tin are virtually under house-arrest and ceaselessly harassed, intimidated.

About Protestantism and Montagnards:

Reverend Nguyen Cong Chinh and his wife were brutally assaulted a couple of times in 2007 and 2008 in Gia Lai. Two Protestant lawyers Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan are in jail for their human rights advocacy.

250 Montagnards have been imprisoned following 2001 and 2004 riots against religious persecutions and land loss, many are still in jail. The Montagnards continue to flee into Cambodia and Thailand seeking protection through UNHCR.

Authorities continue to beat and arrest Montagnards for refusing to join state-controlled church, protesting land confiscation particularly for bauxite ore exploitation in the Central Highland, or even just for making contacts with relatives or groups abroad.

In April 2008, police arrested Y Ben Hdokin in Dak Lak province after others fled to Cambodia. He was found dead 3 days later in custody. Police said he killed himself.

About Cao Dai and Hoa Hao:

Many Cao Dai and Hoa Hao believers are harassed, intimidated, beaten, arrested, or imprisoned when they organize the collective sessions to learn religious teachings or celebrated birthday of the founder of Hoa Hao, Master Huynh Phu So.

In the past 2 years Representatives of Hoa Hao Mr. Nguyen Van Coi, Mr. Nguyen Van Lia, Mr. Le Minh Triet have denounced many times the persecution and imprisonment of many puritan Hoa Hao followers with the names of victims. The chief of the group Le Quang Liem is under house-arrest.

Another well-known Hoa Hao leader Tran Huu Duyen, 93 year old, served 10 years in prison and his house was confiscated. After release, he became homeless.

Many Vietnamese believers expect some progress in religious freedom when VN was admitted into WTO in January 2007. In fact, the record is getting worse, much worse.

In summary

We believe that all people have inherent dignity and worth and that people with diverse views can practice their faiths while living in peace and harmony.

Freedom is not a grant of government, it is the birthright of every man, woman and child.

Our Vietnamese people have the same aspiration and desire for religious freedom as anyone in the world. We are doing everything in a peaceful manner to regain it. The obstacle is that Hanoi does not recognize religious freedom. Hanoi boasts that they have as many as 13,000 laws but unfortunately there is no rule of law in Vietnam. Actually they rule by the law of the jungle or the law of the mafia.

Our believers want to have a clear separation of religion from the government, especially in the case of one-party state like Vietnam. There must be no governmental interference in the internal organization of the church and peaceful religious activities. The politburo of the VCP should abolish any laws, regulations, or local rules that limit or suppress the religious freedom of citizens. They should abolish the current system that requires religious groups to get official approval in advance and substitute for it with a system in which registry is transparent and respectful.

Vietnam was just reviewed under the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations Human Rights Council on May 8, 2009. Vietnam’s report didn’t mention a word about the VCP’s politburo that is responsible for all evils.

Vletnam admitted there are many shortcomings and many wrongdoings and promised before 192 countries to do better with a bill of goods. Now they must have concrete & measurable benchmarks to demonstrate their true intention to improve human rights and respect religious freedom in the next 4 years.

On behalf of HR activists, I urge:

-         The Obama administration to put VN back into the Countries of Particular Concern For Religious Freedom( CPC) list.

-         Vietnam and Vatican to establish diplomatic relation as soon as possible and that Hanoi government should talk to Archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet to find a way out of the land dispute.

-         the VCP’s politburo to dialogue with the Unified Buddhist Church and with the independent religious groups of Cao Đai and Hoa Hao; to release all prisoners of conscience including Nguyen Van Ly, Nguyen Van Đai, Le Thi Cong Nan, blogger  Đieu Cay; to abolish all anti-democratic decrees: number 44, 88, 258 of the Penal Code and recently edict 97/2008/NĐ – CP on supervising the internet.

Finally, I would like to thank CIRF for visiting us today. I would assure you that our believers are very much beholden to your dedicated efforts trying to bring about freedom in Vietnam.

Saigon May 16, 2009

Dr. Nguyen Dan Que

Chair, Non-violent Movement

For HR in Vietnam

Address: 104/20 Nguyen Trai  P3  Q5  Saigon