News

In a Message to Vietnamese Buddhists for the Lunar New Year (Têt) :
UBCV Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang calls on Buddhists to brave persecution and pursue the non-violent movement for religious freedom and human rights

The Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, Patriarch of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) has sent a Message to Vietnamese Buddhists on the occasion of the Lunar New Year of the Monkey today, 22nd January 2004. The Message was sent clandestinely from the Nguyen Thieu Monastery in Binh …

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107 Buddhist monks in Hue condemn rejection of US Congress Resolution by Thich Tri Tinh, Head of the Executive Council of the State-sponsored Vietnam Buddhist Church

PARIS, 4 December 2003 (IBIB) – The International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB) has received a letter co-signed by 107 young Buddhist monks in Hue. Dated 30th November 2003, it strongly condemns a recent letter from Thich Tri Tinh, President of the Executive Council of the State-sponsored Vietnam Buddhist Church (VBC) …

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European Parliament passes an Urgent Resolution condemning Vietnam’s crackdown on Buddhists and urging the immediate release of Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do

STRASBOURG, 21st November 2003 (VCHR) – At the issue of a week of meetings with a delegation of senior monks from the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) led by Mr Vo Van Ai, Director of the International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB), the 626-memberEuropean Parliament in Strasbourg unanimously voted a …

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dpa : Vietnam slams human rights group’s criticism

    HANOI, Nov 19, 2003 (dpa) – Vietnam reacted angrily to a French human rights organization’s criticisms of the country’s human rights record Wednesday. In a statement Monday, the France-based Vietnam Committee on Human Rights called on the European Union to urge Vietnam to release prisoners of conscience, loosen …

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Venerable Thich Quang Do is gravely ill under house arrest in Saigon – Buddhists stage protest against religious repression outside Vietnamese Consulate in San Francisco

The International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB) has received alarming reports on the serious health condition of Venerable Thich Quang Do, 2003 Nobel Peace Prize nominee and Deputy leader of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), who is currently under effective house arrest at the Thann Minh Zen Monastery …

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AFP : Vietnam-religion-rights – Outlawed Buddhist church says Vietnam stepping up repression

  Agence France Presse   HANOI, Oct 21 (AFP) – Vietnam has intensified its crackdown on an outlawed Buddhist church, placing senior monks under house arrest to isolate them from their followers, the church’s overseas information arm said Tuesday. The Paris-based International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB) said 11 monks from …

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Reuters : INTERVIEW-Vietnam religious head defends action on monks

    HANOI, Oct 17 (Reuters) – Two elderly Buddhist monks from an outlawed group accused of possessing “state secrets” are not being detained but their fate depends on the result of further investigation, Vietnam said on Friday. Ngo Yen Thi, chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, which …

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AFP : Vietnam says three dissident monks under house arrest

  Agence France Presse   HANOI, Oct 16 (AFP) – Vietnam said Thursday it has placed three senior monks from an outlawed Buddhist church under house arrest for two years for violating the country’s strict security legislation, escalating a crackdown on the group. Foreign ministry spokesman Le Dung said their …

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AP : Vietnam places three monks from banned church under arrest

    HANOI, Vietnam, Oct 16 (AP) — Three monks from a banned Buddhist church have been placed under house arrest for allegedly violating national security laws, the Vietnamese government said Thursday. The detained monks belong to an outlawed sect that has clashed repeatedly with Hanoi. Thich Tue Sy, Thich …

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Reuters : Vietnam curbs travel for three Buddhist monks

HANOI, Oct 16 (Reuters) – Communist Vietnam said on Thursday it had set curbs on travel by three Buddhist monks for a period of two years but added that the action was spurred by legal violations and not meant as religious repression. The three men are members of the Unified …

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