THE BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM

Under State Patronage

However a State-affiliated organization subjected to the control of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Buddhist Church of Vietnam wished to maintain its own standing.  On January 1, 1993, 56  dignitaries and monks of the Church  at 17 pagodas in the Thua Thien - Hue area, Central Vietnam, expressed their views as regards the State's intervention in the Church's internal affairs. To demonstrate their will, the Sangha and laity of the Church determinedly voiced protest against the Communist administration. At various pagodas, they raised banners and anti-government placards. The protesters chanted slogans in preparation for a hunger strike if their motion would not be considered. The administration must loosen strict control on the Church, nullifying the order to prohibit the Sangha’s and laity’s prayer session on the 15th day of  the lunar month at Linh Mu Pagoda.

  

The motion came to no answer. Discontent persisted. On January 6, 1993, the Shanga and laity sent a letter of protest to the Most Venerable Thich Tri Tinh, President of the State-affiliated Vietnam Buddhist Church, demanding termination of State interference in the Church's internal affairs. The letter specified incidents of State control such as the State monopoly of authority in the management of internal affairs the Church, which is the man source generating trouble and discord among the Sangha and laity in Hue. The letter also pointed out such discrepancies in the leadership of the governing body as the unbecoming nomination of three monks to the high rank in the Congress of the State-affiliated Buddhist Church taking place in Hanoi during November 3-4, 1992. This State conferment of rank did not conform to the religious codes of Buddhism as defined in Articles 36, 37, and 38 of Chapter 8 of the Constitution of the Buddhist Church of Vietnam. It came out of a political scheme.

   

The letter of protest marked the signatures of the Most Venerable Thich Thien Tri, Hieu Quang Pagoda; the Most Venerable Kha Tanh, Giac Lam Pagoda; the Most Venerable Thich Ho Nhan, Thien Lam Pagoda; the Venerable Dieu Tanh, Quoc Anh Temple; the Venerable Thich Luong Phuong, Phuoc Duyen Pagoda; Monk Thich Tri Mau, Tu Hieu Pagoda; Monk Thich Hue Thong, Tu Van Pagoda; Monk Thich Tri Thang, Phuoc Thanh Pagoda; Monk Thich Chan Phuong, Tho Duc Pagoda; Monk Chon Niem, Thien Hung Temple; Monk Thich Tan Dat, Phat Quang Pagoda; Monk Thich Toan Lac, Kim Quang Pagoda; Monk Thich Luu Thanh, Truc Lam Pagoda; Monk Thich Tan Nghiep, Linh Quang Pagoda; Monk Thich Phap Thong, Huyen Khong Pagoda; the Venerable Thich Thien Hanh; Monk Thich Thai Hoa, Monk Thich Tu Van; Monk Thich The Trang; Monk Thich An Dien; Monk Thich Thien Tan; Monk Thich Truong Minh; Monk Thich Hai Chanh; Monk Thich Hai Binh; Monk Thich Minh Tam; Monk Thich Tam Phu; Monk Thich Minh Y; Monk Thich Tan Tinh; Monk Thich Tam Hue; Monk Thich Thanh Hien; Monk Thich Hanh Duc; Monk Thich Thong Dat; Monk Thich Nhu Chanh; Monk Thich Tri Tuu; Monk Thich Thai Huong; Monk Thich Tue Tam; Monk Thich Gioi Duc; Monk Thich Tam Vien; Monk Thich Tinh Quang; Monk Thich Khe Vien; Monk Thich Tan Nhon; Monk Thich Thanh Dam; Monk Thich Tam Khong; Monk Thich Ho Tinh; Monk Thich Thien Tan; Monk Thich Thien Qua; Monk Thich Bon Tam; Monk Thich Chanh Ke; Monk Thich Quang Tu; Monk Thich Tam Thien; Monk Thich Nguyen Thanh; Monk Thich Chon Y; Monk Thich Phuoc Can; and Monk Thich Phuoc Khai.

     

The administration withdrew its decision afterwards. It also nullified the order to prohibit meetings for prayers on the 15th day of the lunar calendar month at Linh Mu Pagoda.

    

State intervention in the Church’s internal affairs persisted. On November 25, 1994, thirty monks of 28 pagodas met at Tu Dam Pagoda and complained to Thich Thien Sieu, the vice-chairman of  the Executive Committee of the Buddhist Church of Vietnam, notifying the dignitary of the interference of the State in the internal affairs. The chairperson could not give a satisfactory answer. Dissatisfied with the dignitary’s negative attitude, a member of the delegation,  the Venerable Thich Thien Than racked up a hunger strike in protest of the committee. The meeting broke up in disarray 

   Claims for Independence

Humiliation sparked dissent among Buddhist circles that still showed sympathy with the Vietba Unified Buddhist Church. The resistance religious of the Shanga of the Buddhist Church of Vietnam was  first manifest in Hue in 1991. Dignitaries of the Church demanded independence. They officially claimed the rights to serve religious faith, even though the Church was placed under the patronage of the Fatherland Front and the State. By the end of 1992, monks at various pagodas encouraged the believers to distance themselves from the political regime. The claims specifically enumerated the noticeable interference not only in the conduct of affairs but also in the performance of religious services and activities of the local administration. The monks also blamed the leadership of their Church for interference in religious worship of the administration 

  

To dismantle this bloc of dissident Shanga and replace it by a contingent of “progressive” monks, the State carried out a comprehensive “normalization”  of the State-affiiated Church through successive reform programs, replacing the old leaders with the new ones. One of the primary objectives of the administration was dismantling the leadership, causing serious problems to the Church, not only in the conduct of affairs of the Church but also in the propagation of the faith. The Church was stripped off the rights as an institution. It played a nominal role and operated as an auxiliary organ operating within the orbit of the Fatherland Front, instead. The deputy-priest Thich Thien Sieu, kept silent on the subject, much indignation to the Sangha. He left Hue and sought refuge in Nha Trang subsequent to the reopening of the School of Buddhist Fundamental Studies at Bao Quoc Pagoda, Hue, of which he was to be the Headmaster. (Buddhist Bulletin, Hue.November 14, 1994)

To prevent opposition, the authorities unleashed raids, checking identity papers, harassing and interrogating the monks in residence at pagodas in Hue. On December 7, 1994, the Venerable Thich Nhu Dat and 12 nuns were arrested and detained after the "working sessions" at the Security Police Headquarters. The charges were unclear. Two of the nuns, who signed the Bao Quoc petition demanding religious independence, Nun Thich nu Hai Hung of Phuoc Duyen Pagoda and Nun Thich and Hanh Duc of Linh Quang Pagoda, were arrested on charges of "disrupting public order."  The third, Nun Thich nu Huyen Van, was placed under house arrest at Tho Duc Pagoda on December 24, 1994.