Cablegate: Ubcv Monks Visit Hospitalized Patriarch in Hcmc: An
VZCZCXRO6249
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHHM #1115 2750836
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 020836Z OCT 06
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1533
INFO RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 1090
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0010
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 1617
UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 001115
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SOCI PREL PGOV KIRF PREF VM
SUBJECT: UBCV MONKS VISIT HOSPITALIZED PATRIARCH IN HCMC: AN
UNPRECEDENTED GATHERING
REF: HCMC 1089; B) HCMC 1090
1. (SBU) On October 2 we spoke with Thich Vien Dinh, a senior
HCMC-based member of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam
(UBCV). He told us that on September 29, UBCV General Secretary
Thich Quang Do led a delegation of 20 senior UBCV monks to visit
hospitalized UBCV Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang. The delegation
included Thich Thien Hanh, the senior UBCV monk from Thua Thien
Hue province. The one-hour visit marked the first time that
senior UBCV monks were able to meet since their attempt to hold
a general organizational conference in October 2003. Dinh
asserted that, the monks did not discuss church affairs, at
least at the hospital. He would not discuss on the phone the
content of other meetings that the senior UBCV monks had in
HCMC.
2. (SBU) Although Thich Thien Hanh and other senior UBCV monks
technically remain under "pagoda arrest," none sought permission
from authorities to travel to HCMC. And none were stopped or
harassed along the way, despite tight surveillance. Thich Thien
Hanh was enroute back to Hue on October 2. Dinh said that Thich
Thien Hanh had traveled to Binh Dinh province from Hue shortly
after Thich Huyen Quang was first hospitalized. In addition to
the group meeting, Thich Quang Do and Thich Vien Dinh have had
daily private meetings with Thich Huyen Quang without government
interference. According to Dinh, Thich Huyen Quang's condition
has "stabilized." Should he die, however, Thich Quang Do has a
copy of the will which lays out succession and administrative
plans for the Church.
3. (SBU) Dinh said that the UBCV had arranged to transfer the
ailing patriarch from Cho Ray hospital to the private
Franco-Viet hospital on October 1. According to Dinh, the UBCV
preferred to treat the patriarch at a private institution,
arguing that the care would be better and the controls on access
less restrictive. Dinh said that administrators at HCMC's Cho
Ray Hospital tried to prevent the transfer, saying they could
not process the paperwork over the weekend.
4. (SBU) Comment: Both Thich Quang Do and Thich Huyen Quang
have told us separately that the GVN would never allow them to
meet. Huyen Quang told Quang Do that they would meet in heaven
but not before. Dinh pointed to Vietnam's pending WTO
accession, the APEC Leaders' Summit and the visit of President
Bush to explain why authorities allowed the unprecedented
gathering of UBCV monks. Although Dinh is almost certainly
correct, there may be more to the story. Fear of a local
"Buddhist backlash" should the government be perceived as
denying access to the Patriarch on his deathbed may have been
another factor in the authorities' calculations. Also, as
reported reftel, just before Thich Huyen Quang was initially
hospitalized he was visited by a senior Ministry of Public
Security official for a "courtesy call." We note that WTO and
Presidential visit considerations have not deterred authorities
from harassing and arresting other political activists
throughout the HCMC consular district (ref b). End Comment.
WINNICK