Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Nhandan.org.vn, July 22, 2003

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, vice permanent president of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), has confirmed that VBS has always joined the nation in every step of development. The most venerable condemned the liking human rights conditions on non-humanitarian aid to Vietnam, considering it a brazen interference into Vietnam's internal affairs, ignoring the international law.

It has been over 2,547 years ago since Buddhism was born. Buddhism was first practised in Vietnam nearly 2,000 year ago. Despite numerous rises and falls of the nation, Vietnamese Buddhism has always played a role in the social life. An important feature of Vietnamese Buddhism is that it constantly cements with the nation and has become a religion along the country's history of national building and defence for thousands of years. More recently, Buddhism has played an important role in the struggle for national independence and reunification under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh. Today, monks, nuns and ordinary Buddhist followers are contributing their efforts together with the entire people, to the implementation of the current renovation process.

Monks, nuns and Buddhist people in Vietnam had participated in the struggle against the French colonialists and the US aggressors for the cause of national independence and reunification. Many pagodas become bases for revolutionary cadres. Many monks and nuns replaced robes with military clothes to join the fighting. Some fell down, some were arrested and put into prison, however, they were determined to be loyal to the nation and people. Some became revolutionary cadres and Heroic Mothers.

After the reunification and under the great attention of the State and the Fatherland Front, different sects and organisations of Vietnamese Buddhism gathered to form the sole Buddhist organisation under the name of 'Vietnam Buddhist Sangha,' operating under the guideline 'Dharma-Nation-Socialism.' In the past 20 years of building and development, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has made many important achievements, contributing to the nation's records. Being aware of the pure thinking tenets of Buddhism, the Buddhist monks, nuns and followers in Vietnam have always raised their high sense of responsibility, regarding integration into the society and law and institution observation. This was reflected clearly in VBS's guideline and in the thought 'serving living beings is to respect the Buddha.' Many VBS's pagodas have actively deployed activities for the benefit of Buddhism and life and in response to the movement 'Entire people unite to build a cultural life in residential areas' launched by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, including efforts in mobilising people to fight against crime, AIDS, drugs and others. In addition, different levels of the VBS and pagodas have opened classes of compassion and free medical rooms. Currently, VBS has set up 25 Buddhist halls, 655 charity medical rooms, 165 classes of compassion and 16 kindergartens. Many billions of VND is raised by monks, nuns and pilgrims every year to fund charity activities, support victims of natural disasters and international Buddhism.

The history of the Vietnamese Buddhism turned to new page concerning the establishment of VBS in November 1981. This was the result of the combination of intelligence and the long-standing wish for the reunification of Buddhism and has come true, contributing to creating a new strength in the national great unity. Together with the development and achievements of the nation, monks, nuns and pilgrims are in great harmony, participating actively in different fields which helps boost the development of the Buddhism and promote their role in the national great unity. Article 4 of VBS's charter states: "The purpose of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha is to promote the harmony amongst different Buddhist sects to assist the development of Buddism and join the national construction and defence, thus contributing to the peace and contentment in the world.' Since the establishment of VBS, Buddhist activities have flourished nationwide regarding more monks and nuns, more beautiful pagodas, more people joining Buddhist festivals and more new and restored pagodas which contribute to task of preserving national cultural identity. The education and training of talented monks and nuns receives significant attention from VBS's levels in localities such as Tra Vinh, Kien Giang and Soc Trang so as to provide a good resource for the renovation process. There are also more research magazines and newspapers to meet the need of monks, nuns and Buddhists. In addition, VBS has taken part in many international activities thanks to the open foreign policy of the State.

The above practical activities and developments are clearly the result of the pure tenets and the Vietnamese State's policy, respecting the freedom of religion and belief. Article 70 in the 1992 Constitution defines: "The citizen shall enjoy freedom of belief and of religion, he can follow any religion or follow none. All religions are equal before the law. The places of worship of all faiths and religions are protected by the law. No one can violate freedom of belief and of religion, no one can misuse belief and religions to contravene the law and State policies." This is a vital foundation of the Party's policy and State's law toward the religious operation and activities of the people. The State provided such attention since the early days when the country seized independence. On June 14, 1955, President Ho Chi Minh signed a decree, expressing the view point of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) toward the policy on religion and belief which stressed that 'the government protects the freedom of belief and religion and places of worship. No one can violate that right. Every Vietnamese has the right to decide to follow a religion or not. Monks and nuns are free to preach at religious places such as churches, pagodas and oratories. Provided that, anyone can realise the great and sound attention of the Vietnamese State toward religion and belief, aimed at serving the nation and people's interest. This has been a consistent policy. This freedom was also assured in the renovation process concerning Decree 59-HĐBT dated March 21, 1991 issued by the Council of Ministers (now the government), and Decree 26/1999 NĐ-CP dated April 19, 1999 issued by the government. Currently, relevant agencies are preparing a draft decree on religion to submit to the Standing Committee. The recent seventh plenum of the Party Central Committee adopted a resolution on religion, confirming the clear point of view regarding the policy on respecting and guaranteeing the freedom of belief of the people which was warmly welcome by people nationwide, especially religious people.

Nevertheless, some credulous and gullible monks, nuns and religious people were enticed by hostile and reactionary forces abroad, especially in the US, in the recent time. They slandered that the Vietnamese State violated the human rights and prohibited freedom of belief. They encouraged people to resist the administration. Of course, these actions will be treated according to the law and condemned by the people, especially religious people. On July 15, 2003, US House of Representatives adopted some groundless additional provisions to the Foreign Relations Authorisation Act for the 2004-2005 fiscal year linking "human rights" to non-humanitarian aid to Vietnam. This is a brazen violation into Vietnam's international affairs and runs counter to the international law.

It is known to all that, even in the US, many people are still suffering ill-treatment and discrimination. Such actions have been condemned by the world public, and as a result, the US lost its membership of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. These are the consequences of the American-style of human rights respecting.

I would like to repeat the firm stand of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha which is expressed in its chapter 'Truth consciousness, harmony, peace and social equality to serve the nation's interest, fatherland and human beings' and that the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha is the only organisation representing monks, nuns and followers at home and abroad, operating according to the Constitution and law. It is a reliable member in the national great unity bloc, acting under the guideline 'Dharma-Nation-Socialism' aimed at contributing to the target of an united and prosperous country of Vietnam.

Most Venerable THICH THANH TU
Vice permanent president of the Executive
Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha