WRITTEN QUESTION P-1362/03

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(4 April 2003)

Subject: Alarming situation of Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang in Hanoi

Only a few days after Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) was visited by diplomats from EU Member States, the Commission and the United States during his convalescence in Hanoi, his situation has taken a sudden turn for the worse. According to the International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB), the Hanoi authorities have reacted adversely to the Patriarch's recent 6-point statement calling for his immediate release and that of his deputy Thich Quang Do, the re-establishment of the UBCV's legitimate status, an assurance of the UBCV's complete independence of all political control, and a guarantee of the UBCV's right freely to organise humanitarian operations.

Three UBCV dignitaries who had accompanied the Patriarch to Hanoi were forced to leave under threat of imminent arrest, and the Patriarch himself is unable to leave the capital. In a phone conversation with IBIB Director Vo Van Ai, the Patriarch said the authorities were pressing him to go to the Nguyen Thieu Monastery (Binh Dinh province) instead of returning to Nghia Hanh (Quang Ngai province), where he has been detained without trial for the past 21 years. This is part of a government campaign to transfer the Patriarch to Binh Dinh and place him under house arrest, whilst claiming that he has been released. The Patriarch said he had reiterated to the authorities that he would only move from Quang Ngai when he had received official release papers. He would then return to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where he was arrested in 1982.

Is the Commission whose recent initiative is to be warmly welcomed aware of these recent developments concerning the Patriarch? What initiatives does it intend to take regarding this new campaign of harassment against him? More generally, given the Hanoi authorities' total obduracy towards freedom of religion and expression, does it not feel that it should call upon EU Member States to issue an extremely serious warning on this matter to the Vietnamese authorities?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2003)

As the Honourable Member is certainly aware the situation concerning the Supreme Patriach of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, has evolved since the submission of the question. He has in particular been received by Vietnam's Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, but has also been allowed to return to Quang Ngai Province.

The Commission is aware that these events do not automatically entail a change with regard to the legal status of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, which remains banned in the country. The Commission will continue to monitor closely the situation of Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, but considers that these recent gestures by the Government of Vietnam are an encouraging step towards enhanced tolerance of freedom of religion.

Moreover, the Commission would refer to its reply to the Honourable Member's previous written question concerning the Venerable Thich Huyen Quang E-0621/03(1).

(1) See page 115.