This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


2001HOCHI01040 - UNCLASSIFIED
 
 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ7260

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ACTION EAP-00   

INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   AMAD-00  CIAE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00    UTED-00  
      H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00     NSAE-00  OIC-02   
      OPIC-01  PRS-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00   TEST-00  
      TRSE-00  USIE-00  PRM-01   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00   
        /007W
                  ------------------1AD1F1  050936Z /38    
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5494
INFO AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY TOKYO 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 
AMCONSUL HONG KONG 
USMISSION GENEVA 
ASEAN COLLECTIVE
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
JICPAC HONOLULU HI
SECDEF WASHDC
DIA WASHDC
NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 001040 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/MSPEER 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        HO CHI  01040  01 OF 02  050936Z 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR DRL/IRF 
CINCPAC FOR FPA 
SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KIRF VM HUMANR RELFREE
SUBJECT: BUDDHIST IMMOLATION IN DANANG 
 
REF: A) HANOI 1340  B) HCMC 0734 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: THE PARIS-BASED INFORMATION BUREAU OF 
THE UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM (UBCV) AND 
SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL NEWS SERVICES REPORTED THAT A 
UBCV LAY BUDDHIST SUPPORTER COMMITTED SUICIDE BY 
IMMOLATION IN DANANG ON SEPTEMBER 2 TO PROTEST 
REPRESSION OF THE BANNED UBCV.  BUDDHIST OFFICIALS IN 
HANOI CONFIRMED ONLY THAT A PERSON FROM A BUDDHIST 
FAMILY IN DANANG HAD COMMITTED SUICIDE BY IMMOLATION 
BUT CLAIMED TO BE UNAWARE OF THE REASONS FOR HIS ACT. 
UBCV MONKS IN HUE TOLD HCMC POLOFF ON SEPTEMBER 4 THAT 
SEVERAL OTHER MONKS IN HUE AND DANANG WERE ALSO 
CONSIDERING SELF-IMMOLATION.  SUCH ACTS ARE UNLIKELY TO 
ENCOURAGE OR FORCE THE GVN INTO DIALOGUE WITH THE UBCV. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
IMMOLATION IN DANANG 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) ACCORDING TO THE PARIS-BASED INFORMATION BUREAU 
OF THE UBCV AND SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL PRESS ACCOUNTS, 
61-YEAR-OLD HO TAN ANH (VIETNAMESE NAME ORDER - LAST 
NAME, MIDDLE NAME, FIRST NAME), A LAY UBCV SUPPORTER 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HO CHI  01040  01 OF 02  050936Z 
AFFILIATED WITH THE BUDDHIST YOUTH MOVEMENT IN QUANG 
NAM PROVINCE, BURNED HIMSELF TO DEATH BETWEEN 3:30 AND 
4:30 A.M. IN A PARK IN DANANG CITY ON SEPTEMBER 2, 
VIETNAM'S INDEPENDENCE DAY. 
 
¶3. (U) ANH REPORTEDLY SENT SEVERAL LETTERS TO THE UBCV 
INFORMATION BUREAU TO FORWARD TO INTERNATIONAL LEADERS 
EXPLAINING THAT THE SELF-IMMOLATION WAS IN PROTEST OF 
CONTINUED REPRESSION OF THE UBCV, ESPECIALLY THE FORCED 
CONFINEMENTS OF UBCV LEADERS THICH HUYEN QUANG AND 
THICH QUANG DO. (NOTE: THICH QUANG DO HAS BEEN CONFINED 
UNDER GUARD TO HIS LIVING QUARTERS IN HCMC SINCE JUNE 
AFTER HE ANNOUNCED HE WOULD LEAD A DELEGATION OF MONKS 
FROM THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN PART OF VIETNAM TO ESCORT 
UBCV SUPREME PATRIARCH THICH HUYEN QUANG FROM QUANG 
NGAI PROVINCE TO HCMC.   REFTELS REPORTED ON THE 
ACTIVITIES OF UBCV MONKS IN HCMC AND HUE IN JUNE AND ON 
THE POLICE AND SECURITY RESPONSE.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶4. (SBU) IN A MEETING WITH EMBASSY POL/C AND POLOFF ON 
SEPTEMBER 5 IN HANOI, SENIOR MONKS OF THE VIETNAM 
BUDDHIST SANGHA EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CONFIRMED THAT THEY 
HAD RECEIVED NEWS FROM DANANG THAT A PERSON FROM A 
BUDDHIST FAMILY HAD INDEED KILLED HIMSELF BY 
IMMOLATION.  THEY DECLINED TO CHARACTERIZE HIM AS A 
MONK, AND SAID THAT THEY HAD NO INFORMATION ABOUT HIS 
REASONS FOR SUICIDE. 
 
¶5. (SBU) HCMC POLOFF CONTACTED MONKS AT TU HIEU PAGODA 
AND BAO QUOC PAGODA IN HUE ON SEPTEMBER 4 BY TELEPHONE. 
THE MONKS ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE IMMOLATION TOOK 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        HO CHI  01040  01 OF 02  050936Z 
PLACE, AND ADDED THAT SEVERAL OTHER PERSONS IN DANANG 
AND HUE ARE CONSIDERING SELF-IMMOLATION IN PROTEST OF 
THE CONFINEMENTS OF THICH HUYEN QUANG AND THICH QUANG 
DO.  HCMC POLOFF SEPARATELY CONTACTED MONKS FROM PHUOC 
THANH PAGODA AND PHUOC DUYEN PAGODA IN HUE WHO HAD 
ATTEMPTED TO TRAVEL TO QUANG NGAI PROVINCE IN JUNE. 
UNTIL POLOFF'S CALL, HOWEVER, THEY HAD BEEN UNAWARE OF 
THE IMMOLATION IN DANANG. 
 
¶6. (SBU) DANANG'S DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS 
CONSULAR SECTION OFFICIALS TOLD HCMC POLOFF ON 
SEPTEMBER 4 THAT THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE INCIDENT. 
DANANG POLICE CONFIRMED TO THE DEUTSCHE PRESSE-AGENTUR, 
HOWEVER, THAT ON SEPTEMBER 2 THEY HAD FOUND AND BURIED 
THE CHARRED REMAINS OF AN UNIDENTIFIED MAN. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) THE TIMING OF THE IMMOLATION REMAINS UNCLEAR. 
SUCH ACTS, ESPECIALLY IF FOLLOWED BY MORE THAT  RECEIVE 
SIMILAR INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION, WILL BE UNLIKELY TO 
SWAY THE GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE UBCV AND MAY 
INSTEAD MAKE MORE DIFFICULT ANY CHANCES FOR DIALOGUE. 
 
TANNENBAUM 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED