Press Release

Vo Van Ai welcomes U.S. decision to maintain Vietnam on black-list of “Countries of Particular Concern” for religious freedom violations

Mr Vo Van Ai, Director of the International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB) and International Spokesman of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) welcomed the announcement by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to maintain Vietnam on a list of eight “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPCs) for its grave …

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NGO Coalition Urges Creation of Credible UN Human Rights Council

The Vietnam Committee on Human Rights and 41 personalities and NGOs send the following letter to the President of the UN General Assembly to urge that the UN Human Rights Council will significantly enhance the UN’s existing capacity to protect and promote human rights : November 1, 2005 H.E. Mr. Jan …

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Vo Van Ai calls on the U.S. to retain Vietnam on the list of religious freedom violators until Vietnam releases prisoners of conscience and legalizes the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam

WASHINGTON, 28th October 2005 (IBIB) – Testifying on behalf of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) at a Congressional hearing on religious freedom in Vietnam on Wednesday October 26, Mr. Vo Van Ai, UBCV International Spokesman and Director of the International Buddhist Information Bureau, gave evidence of “continuing abuses …

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EU and UK Ambassadors visit Thich Quang Do in Ho Chi Minh City – UBCV monk Thich Vien Phuong receives heavy fine for filming video message by Thich Quang Do to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva

PARIS, 3 October 2005 (IBIB) – Ambassador Robert Gordon, the British Ambassador to Vietnam and Ambassador David Milliot, Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, travelled from Hanoi to visit Venerable Thich Quang Do, Deputy leader of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) at the Thanh Minh Zen …

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On the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the End of the Vietnam War and the advent of Communist rule : The European Parliament holds Hearing on Cambodia-Laos and Vietnam

The European Parliament will hold a Hearing on Monday 12th September in Brussels to examine the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. The hearing, organized by the Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Human Rights commemorates the 30th anniversary of the End of the Vietnam War and the …

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Vietnam Committee welcomes the release of prisoners, but condemns Hanoi for “stealing the lives” of religious and political dissidents in Vietnam

PARIS, 31 August 2005 (VCHR) – The Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) welcomes the release of four prisoners of conscience in an Amnesty on Vietnam’s National Day (2 September), i.e. Mennonite Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, Roman Catholic priest Nguyen Thien Phung (aka Nguyen Viet Huan, member of the Congregation …

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New wave of repression against the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam

PARIS, August 18, 2005 (IBIB) – The International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB) has received an urgent communication from Vietnam concerning a new wave of repression against the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV). The repression is targeted against members of Provincial Committees recently founded by the UBCV. Over the …

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UBCV Deputy leader Thich Quang Do sends message of solidarity and condolence to Hoa Hao Buddhists in Vietnam

PARIS, 10 August 2005 (IBIB) – Venerable Thich Quang Do, Deputy leader of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) has sent a message of solidarity to the Hoa Hao Buddhist sect (1) following the self-immolation of two of its members in a protest against religious persecution. According to Hoa …

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UBCV Deputy leader Thich Quang Do calls for UN inquiry mission on freedom of expression and religion in Vietnam

Venerable Thich Quang Do, prominent dissident and Deputy leader of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) issued a statement today applauding the recent U.N. “Opinion” pronouncing UBCV Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang and himself to be victims of arbitrary detention, and urging the United Nations’ Special Rapporteurs on Freedom …

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UBCV leaders Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do express sympathy to Queen Elizabeth II and Tony Blair following terrorist attacks in London

The International Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB) has received a letter from Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) to Queen Elizabeth II and from UBCV Deputy Thich Quang Do to British Prime Minister Tony Blair expressing their condolences for the deaths of innocent citizens in …

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