Vietnam: Flood relief efforts of the Quoc Lam Tu Buddhist Temple in Ho Chi Minh City; implications for Buddhists participating in flood rescue operations, if any (1999 - January 2002)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 4 February 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | VNM38464.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Vietnam: Flood relief efforts of the Quoc Lam Tu Buddhist Temple in Ho Chi Minh City; implications for Buddhists participating in flood rescue operations, if any (1999 - January 2002), 4 February 2002, VNM38464.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4bec68.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No mention of the Quoc Lam Tu Buddhist Temple could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
In late 1999, Vietnam suffered from what was considered some of the most extensive flooding of the century (IFRC 25 Nov. 1999; CRS 6 Dec. 1999; Reuters 8 Nov. 1999). According to its international information service as cited in a DPA article, Buddhists from the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), an organization considered illegal by the government of Vietnam, were able to travel "all over the devastated provinces by bus, bicycle and boat to distribute tons of rice, instant noodles, candles, medicines and other relief aid to the homeless" (17 Nov. 1999). The head of the government relief committee of the Fatherland Front, the "mass mobilization arm of the [communist] party which also oversees religious affairs," indicated that donations for flood relief channelled through the UBCV would be accepted (ibid.).
In September and October 2000, however, during further flooding in the Mekong Delta, UBCV monks were stopped from carrying out the distribution of aid (AI 2001; HRW 2001; AFP 10 Oct. 2000; CNN 14 Nov. 2000; Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 2000 Oct. 2001, section 2). According to HRW's World Report 2001:
In late September and early October [2000], UBCV monks attempting to conduct independent flood relief missions in the Mekong Delta and distribute aid packages marked with UBCV labels clashed with local authorities. Government regulations limited flood relief operations to state-sanctioned organizations. On September 21, authorities halted a UBCV flood relief mission in An Giang province, led by Thich Nguyen Ly. In early October, a contingent of UBCV monks, including Thich Quang Do and Thich Khong Tanh, travelled to An Giang, where security police blocked their flood relief plans. Police reportedly detained the monks for twelve hours on October 7 before ordering them to leave the province and return to their pagodas in Ho Chi Minh City. The Foreign Ministry later denied that the monks had been detained (HRW 2000).
Amnesty International (2001) and CNN (14 Nov. 2000) both reported that the UBCV was able to carry out relief efforts later in November without obstruction from the government.
In 1995, Thich Quang Do, mentioned above, and four other Buddhists were arrested because of their participation in flood relief efforts (HRW Mar. 1995). Thich Quang Do and fellow Buddhist Thich Nhat Ban were released in 1998 (AI 1999). Please refer to the March 1995 HRW report The Suppression of the Unified Buddhist Church and, particularly, the subsection entitled "Crackdown on Flood Relief Efforts," for further details of the 1995 arrests.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Agence France Press (AFP) [Hong Kong, in English]. 10 October 2000. "SRV Police Expel Buddhist Monk Doing 'Unauthorized' Relief Work in Mekong Delta." (FBIS-EAS-2000-1010 10 Oct. 2000/WNC)
Amnesty International (AI). 2001. Amnesty International Report 2001.
_____. 1999. Amnesty International Report 1999.
Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 2001. October 2001. Washington, DC. United States Department of State.
Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA). 17 November 1999. "Dissident Buddhist Group Helps Vietnam Flood Relief Effort."
Cable News Network (CNN) [Hanoi]. 14 November 2000. "Rights Group Says Vietnam Repressing Religious Freedoms."
Catholic Relief Services (CRS). 6 December 1999. "Flood Relief in Vietnam: Update December 1999."
Human Rights Watch (HRW). 2000. World Report 2001.
_____. March 1995. Vietnam: The Suppression of the Unified Buddhist Church.
International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC). 25 November 1999. "Vietnam: Floods Situation Report No. 1."
Reuters [Hanoi]. 8 November 1999. "Vietnam Flood Hits 527, Weather Aids Relief."
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
LEXIS/NEXIS
Internet Sites including:
Asia Week
Country Reports 1999-2001
European Country of Origin Information Network
International Buddhist Information Bureau [Paris]
Vietnamese Buddhist Temples
