International human rights groups were quick to protest but the response in Vietnam was muted - which raises the question of why the authorities waste energy clamping down on dissidents who seem to have little public support. Ms. Spencer, deputy director of the Asia Research Centre at Murdoch University, said it was hard to see the monks as a real threat. But how much of a genuine political threat the organization is is not the point. There is a systematic unwillingness to tolerate dissidents. Venerable Thich Quang Ba, abbot and director of the Sakyamuni Buddhist Centre in Canberra, described the problem as one of legitimacy.
Religion stands in people's mind.
They respect religion and follow religious teachings. Venerable Thich Quang Ba said there was support for the monks. He said Vietnam was an overwhelmingly Buddhist country and people gave generously to temples even in economic hardship. Freedom of worship is enshrined in the Vietnamese Constitution but the law says no one may misuse religion to violate State laws and policies. Various measures have been implemented towards this end, including banning the Unified Buddhist Church and new polices which restrict religious education and gatherings.