The 4th Supreme Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), who passed away on 5th July at the Nguyen Thieu Monastery in Binh Dinh, was one of Vietnam’s most respected spiritual leaders. For his uncompromising determination to stand firm, he paid a high price, spending over half his life in prison, internal exile or under house arrest under a succession of political regimes. Together with the Most Venerable Thich Quang Do, Thich Huyen Quang waged three decades of peaceful opposition, becoming a symbol of the non-violent Buddhist movement for religious freedom and human rights. In April 2003, he was received in Hanoi by Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai to discuss the situation of Buddhism. This was the first time a political prisoner had ever been received by a top government official in Vietnam.
According to the information received, the official press has accused "extremist elements disguised as Buddhist monks" - notably UBCV Deputy leader Thich Quang Do, 80, prominent dissident and 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee – of "working to sabotage the Vietnamese State" by "plotting to take over the Patriarch’s funeral". Vietnam claims that the funeral should be organized by the government and the State-sponsored Vietnam Buddhist Church, excluding participation from the outlawed UBCV. Following Buddhist traditions, the body of Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang will lie in an open coffin until his funeral on 11th July so that people may pay their respects. He will then be buried in the Monastery’s grounds.
Hundreds of Security Police arrived on July 7th at Nguyen Thieu Monastery and are now surrounding the building. The phone to Nguyen Thieu Monastery was cut off yesterday and many cell phones are now jammed. Security Police have reportedly placed a jamming system in a vehicle parked outside Nguyen Thieu Monastery. Journalists in Vietnam report that access to the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights’ website, which has given regular updates concerning Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang and events at Nguyen Thieu, has been blocked.
FIDH and VCHR denounce the State interference into the UBCV’s internal affairs as a grave violation of the right to freedom of religion and belief enshrined in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Vietnam is a state party. We express our disappointment as these actions are especially shocking from a country that holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council.
FIDH and VCHR call upon Vietnam to immediately withdraw all plans for a State-organised funeral. UBCV Deputy leader Thich Quang Do and UBCV members should be fully entitled to mourn their leader and conduct religious rites without any political interference in respect of international human rights standards on the right to freedom of religion and belief.
In the hope that you will take these considerations and requests into account,
Respectfully,
Souhayr Belhassen President of FIDH
Vo Van Ai President of the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights