News

dpa : Press freedom group slams dissident’s harsh prison sentence

HANOI, June 19, 2003 (dpa) – Human rights groups, Vietnamese democracy activists and Hanoi-based diplomats on Thursday condemned Vietnam’s sentencing of a critic of the communist regime to 13 years in prison. Pham Hong Son, 35, was arrested in March 2002, and was convicted in Hanoi People’s Court Wednesday of …

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dpa : Vietnam says jailed dissident monk may be released before September

HANOI, June 5 (dpa) – A prominent dissident Buddhist monk currently under house arrest may be released before the end of his sentence in September, Vietnam’s spokeswoman said Thursday. Thich Quang Do, the deputy head of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (U.B.C.V.) was sentenced in 1995 to five …

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Overseas Congregations of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam in the United States, Europe and Australia call for the release of Venerable Thich Quang Do and the right to existence of the banned UBCV

Overseas congregations of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) in Europe, Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand have launched a pressing appeal to the Vietnamese authorities to release detained UBCV leaders Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do, re-establish the legitimacy of the banned UBCV, and adopt …

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dpa : European Parliament ‘alarmed’ at Vietnam dissident crackdown

HANOI, May 16, 2003 (dpa) – The European Parliament has passed a resolution expressing alarm at Vietnam’s arrest of dissidents and a crackdown on non-approved religions, a day after a United States commission condemned Hanoi for its record on religious rights. The resolution, passed Thursday, calls on Hanoi to release …

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Freedom from Fear : Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang issues Vesak Message to Buddhists in Vietnam – UBCV leaders Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do hold new talks in Ho Chi Minh City

In his traditional Message to Vietnamese Buddhists on the 2547th Anniversary of the Vesak (Birth of Buddha) on 15th May 2003, the Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, Patriarch of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) has launched a pressing appeal to monks, nuns and lay-followers to free themselves …

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Prague Bishop Vaclav Maly calls for the immediate release of Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, Thich Quang Do and Father Nguyen Van Ly

Prague Catholic Bishop Vaclav Maly, President of the Justice and Peace Commission at the Czech Bishop’s Conference, former dissident and signatory of the Czech Charter 77 has sent a letter to Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong calling for the immediate release of three prominent religious prisoners, Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, …

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Vietnam Committee on Human Rights condemns new assault on freedom of expression and religion in Vietnam (59th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights)

GENEVA, 16 April 2003 (VCHR) – Speaking at the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Mr. Vo Van Ai, President of the Paris-based Vietnam Committee on Human Rights and Vice-President of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), strongly condemned the recent wave of arrests of human rights defenders …

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People in Need Foundation grants Homo Homini Award to Venerables Thich Huyen Quang, Thich Quang Do and Father Nguyen Van Ly – Former President Vaclav Havel sends a message of solidarity to human rights defenders in Vietnam

PRAGUE, 11 April 2003 (IBIB) – During the One World International Human Rights Film Festival held in Prague (Czech Republic) from 8-16 April 2003 under the auspices of former President Vaclav Havel and the Mayor of Prague, the People in Need–Czech TV Foundation awarded the Homo Homini Award to three …

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dpa : Crowds greet leader of banned Buddhist sect in Vietnam

HANOI, April 8, 2003 (dpa) – Large crowds of flower-bearing monks and followers greeted the elderly patriarch of a banned Buddhist sect when he made a rare visit to the central Vietnamese city of Hue, an eyewitness and religious sources said Tuesday. More than 1,000 people greeted Venerable Thich Huyen …

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U.S. Ambassador Raymond Burghart visits UBCV Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang in Hanoi – two thousand Buddhists greet Venerable Thich Huyen Quang in Hue

On Friday April 4th, at 2.00 p.m., the United States Ambassador in Vietnam, Mr Raymond Burghardt, paid a visit to the Most venerable Thich Huyen Quang at the Kim Lien Pagoda in Hanoi. This is the first time Thich Huyen Quang has received a visit from a US Ambassador since …

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