Democratic Voice of Vietnam

Before 2005

Before joining the 1997 Tay Ninh Sect in 2005, Tran had vehemently denounced it and its leader, Cardinal Tam Thanh Nguyen, pointing to the creation of the 1997 Sect as the Government’s direct interference into the Cao Dai Religion:

“Starting in 1996, the Vietnamese Communist Government promulgated a policy that on the outside appeared to expand religious freedom for the Cao Dai Religion, but in reality aimed to exterminate the Cao Dai Religion in a more sophisticated and quiet manner, in order to deceive international public opinion. This policy was manifested by the granting of legal status to the Cao Dai Toa Thanh Tay Ninh sect, by approving its charter dated April 5, 1997 drafted by the Governing Council but in reality under the command of the Government of Tay Ninh Province, the purpose of which was to eliminate the sanctity of the Cao Dai Religion which was by nature established and taught by God through Spiritism, and turn it into a ‘wordly religion’, and abolish the organizational structure of the Cao Dai Religion according to the Holy Constitution and New Codes; on the other hand, [the government] centralized the leadership of the Church in the hands of the puppet Governing Council, which received order from the government.
“We resolutely protest the brutal interference by the Vietnamese communist government in the internal affairs of the Cao Dai Religion, do not recognize the so-called Governing Council, do not recognize the documents issued by the Governing Council as they were directed by the government in order to eliminate Cao Dai Religion, and do not recognize the list of clergy members newly appointed or newly promoted that were selected or designated by the government so as to control the activities of 5 million Cao Dai followers.” Declaration dated July 3, 2000

On December 23, 1999, the Cao Dai Overseas Missionary, of which Tran was Director, issued a declaration to strongly condemn the government’s plot to replace the 1926 Cao Dai Religion with the 1997 Sect:

“The charter of April 5, 1997 and its accompanying ‘regulations for appointment and promotion supplication according to public nomination law’ created by the Governing Council under the direction of the Vietnamese communist government completely violate the Holy Constitution and the New Codes; therefore the entirety of Cao Dai followers determinedly do not recognize it.
“The Governing Council has shown its disrespect for and has deceived Cao Dai followers…” 

In his article titled “Enjoying the First Spring in the New Millennium: worrying about the fate of religion in the coming days” published in the official newsletter of Cao Dai Overseas Missionary No. 5, January 2000, pages 13-18, Tran condemned Tam Thanh Nguyen, aka Bishop Thuong Tam Thanh, for serving as instrument of the government to eliminate the Cao Dai Religion:
“Then, Bishop Thuong Tam Thanh, with approval of the Committee on Religious Affairs of the Government by Public Communication No. 584/TGCP-V3 dated November 15, 1999, signed Religious Order 01/74 HDCQDL on November 19, 1999 to appoint himself as Chair of the Governing Council. Bishop Thuong Tam Thanh, as Governing Council Chair, then chaired a meeting held at the Holy See, in the presence of eight government officials at the central and local levels, to review and approve the list of clergy members and lay leaders supplicating for promotion and appointment…”

In the same article Tran also denounced all members of the Governing Council:
“… We therefore think that you may not claim that you had to join the Governing Council, accepting the clergy positions through ‘new promotion’ by secular power in order to save our religion; on the contrary, you are directly lending a hand to the government to destroy our religion, shown as follows:
“a. Cao Dai Religion will become a trivial, wordly religion due to the abolition of spiritist séances, and due to interference of secular forces in the ‘promotion supplication, appointment supplication’ process for clergy members and lay leaders. Cao Dai Religion will lose its sacred nature and no longer be God’s religion established by the Supreme Being.
“b. With the Church Organization pushed out of existence, the Governing Council, under the direction of the government, becomes the ‘master’ of millions of followers, with leaders not selected for their moral standing and capabilities but because of their loyalty to the[Communist] Party, the Fatherland Front.
“c. The clergy members newly appointed as Student Priests, with dubious background and low moral standing, will gradually replace all the aging clergy members in the Governing Council, so that they will find ways to destroy the Cao Dai Religion. Then these leaders will know more about Communist doctrines than the teachings of the Supreme Being. The New Codes will be eliminated, the secular law of the government will rule in all activities of followers. The evil power will prevail.“In summary, in light of the vision described above, we request that all clergy members on the Governing Council to think carefully before attending the ceremony for ‘new appointments’.”   

Switching sides

In January 2005, Tran traveled to Vietnam in the name of Cao Dai Overseas Missionary, where met with a Public Security Colonel in charge of the Central Committee on Religious Affairs and Mr. Tam Thanh Nguyen, Bishop of the 1997 Sect — both representing respectively the state-actor and non-state actor responsible for persecuting Cao Dai followers. After having learned of this unapproved trip, on July 30, 2005 the Oversight Committee of Cao Dai Overseas Missionary publicly chastised Tran for violating Article 5.d of the organization’s Charter:
“1. The trip made by Brother former Sub-dignitary Canh Quang Tran was completely personal in nature and had nothing to do with Cao Dai Overseas Missionary.
“2. Cao Dai Overseas Missionary is not responsible for the statements, the activities, and the meetings made by Brother Canh Quang Tran.”
After being expelled from Cao Dai Overseas Missionary, Tran switched sides and joined the government-created sect that he had previously denounced.

Canh Quang Tran’s moving up the ranks within the 1997 Sect:

June 18, 2011: Tran was appointed “Pious” (aka student priest) by Tam Thanh Nguyen, Bishop of the 1997 Sect’s Governing Council and its interim overseas representative, which he had denounced.

July 19, 2012: He incorporated “Caodai Overseas Missionary,” which is almost identical to the organization that had expelled him except that “Caodai” was merged into one word. He has served as the new organization’s Chairman.

October 12, 2013: Tran was appointed the 1997 Sect’s permanent Overseas Representative.

August 8, 2014: Caodai Overseas Missionary registered Cao Dai Religion’s name as its own trademark.

February 3, 2015: The US Patent and Trademark Office granted it temporary registration.

September 7, 2015: Tran was ordained Lay Preacher and promoted to be Head of the Overseas Representative Committee of the 1997 Tay Ninh Sect.

Notes:
On July 25, 2019 the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board cancelled the said trademark registration.
Caodai Overseas Missionary’s registration has been suspended by California’s Franchise Tax Board since early 2018. Verify at https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/

Lawsuit against Tran Quang Canh et al.

Transcript of deposition