REPORT
Government of Phước Thuận Village, Xuyên Mộc District, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu, Vietnam
Demolished Pháp Biên Pagoda and Attacked Buddhists.
Vietnam, June 1, 2012
To:
- The Government and Congress of the United States
- The Government and Parliament of the European Union
- The Government and Parliament of Canada
- The Government and Parliament of Australia
- The International Religious Freedom Commission of the U.S.
- Human Rights organizations of the world
Dear Officials,
We the undersigned:
- Lê Thanh Phúc
- Trần Văn Thường
Representing Pháp Biên Pagoda, Hồ Tràm Hamlet,PhướcThuậnVillage, Xuyên Mộc District, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu, rspectfully bring to your attention these facts:
Pháp Biên Pgoda was built through local donors’ contributions and had been serving the faithful for nearly 11 years.
In June 2009, Mr.Thành (religious name: Thích Thông Thuận) applied to the pagoda for a 3-month training residency. However, when he lived in the pagoda, he got together with bad individuals and engaged in disruptive activities instead of learning Buddhism. The pagoda’s Board had to expel Mr. Thành.
On January 11, 2011, a group led by Mr. Thành and a Mr. Tân ransacked the pagoda, destroyed Buddha’s statues, and used hoodlums to terrorize local residents. They used excavation equipment to wreck the pagoda’s foundation after seizing all the pagoda’s contents.
The government has ignored our repeated complaints. OnFebruary 18, 2011, we submitted a complaint about those who destroyed our pagoda to the government at the village, district, province and national level. We have received no reply to date.
In order to serve local Buddhists, we erected a temporary structure of wood, bamboo and straw for worship and religious training activities.
At 8pm on August 25, 2011, the government of Xuyên Mộc and Phước Thuận mobilized public security officers, government workers, Mobile Force No. 113, and Border Public Security agents, numbering approximately 150 in all, to surround the pagoda’s grounds. They forced their way into the structure. Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Hạnh, an employee of the Phước Thuận government, forced us to sign an agreement not to reconstruct the pagoda. We found that this made no sense because our former pagoda had served the community during more than 10 years until hoodlums destroyed the building and the government did not protect us. When we erected a temporary structure for religious activities, why does the government prohibit that?
We requested Mrs. Hạnh to show us the government’s order for the destruction of the pagoda, but she could not show us such a document.
After vainly trying to intimidate us, Mr. Nguyễn Văn Sinh, an employee of the Phước Thuận government, gave the order for the government’s forces to destroy the temporary structure and beat up our fellow Buddhists. We lost our pagoda once again and four Buddhist citizens were wounded by government forces.
Knowing that we could not fight against armed oppressors, we could only take photographs as evidence. Public security officers grabbed our camera and beat us even more severely.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a member of the UN and signatory of the 1948 International Human Rights Declaration, the 1966 Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and whose 1992 constitution explicitly protects religious freedom, has shown no intent to respect religious freedom and human rights. The Communist government wants only to maintain its totalitarian power, including controlling all religious life inVietnam.
Before Pháp Biên Pagoda was demolished, the Religious Affairs Office of Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu had repeatedly proposed that the pagoda’s Board join the Buddhist Church of Vietnam, a state-established church serving the Communist Party’s objective of controlling religious life. We refused to join because we follow Buddha’s teaching –“do good and avoid evil” and “live by Faith”. The state-established church is nothing but an organ of the Communist Party whose foundation is atheism.
The local and central governments have ignored our numerous petitions. Our last resort is to appeal to the governments and national assemblies of those countries with a track record for valuing human rights, the International Religious Freedom Commission, and human rights organizations in the hope that you can make the Communist government of Vietnam respect religious freedom and other human rights.
With gratitude,
Representing the Board of Pháp Biên Pagoda:
Lê Văn Phúc
Trần Văn Thường
* email: khanang2010@gmail.com
* links showing Pháp Biên Pagoda’s destruction:
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZSfkw1NMGI
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcn9UpW3KFY
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8OiDmFZyp4&feature=related
