Religious persecution in Vietnam: 400 disciples of Thich Nhat Hanh urgently request temporary asylum
Statement from Thich Trung Hai, 16 Dec. 2009,
on behalf of 400 Vietnamese monks and nuns of Bat Nha Monastery
Given alongside Heidi Hautala, Chairwoman of the European Parliament Sub-Committee on Human Rights, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
Our government is killing our spiritual aspiration. I am one of the 400 Bat Nha monks and nuns from Vietnam. We have come together to practice peace and nonviolence as a community since 2005.
16 months ago our government began to harass and repress us. In June 2009 they cut electricity and water. In September they violently expelled us from our Bat Nha monastery. After this expulsion we took refuge in Phuoc Hue temple and the persecution escalated up until last week.
The government terrorized the abbot to the point that he had to sign a promise that December 31st is the last day that we can stay together.
Wherever we go in Vietnam we are not safe.
For the sangha to break is the most catastrophic thing that can happen in a monk or a nun’s spiritual life. To destroy a monastery, and to kill a community of monks and nuns is a great misfortune for our traditional culture. We love our nation – we love our people – and we have devoted our whole life to practice being peace, being non-violent, as a concrete contribution to our society and to world peace.
But the government and system of law in Vietnam has shown their inability to protect this peaceful community – so we ask for your protection.
We ask the international community, especially President Sarkozy of France to give us temporary asylum. As soon as our government will allow us to practice and stay together as a community we will return right away to serve our people and not be a burden to France.
Letter from Thich Trung Hai to President Sarkozy
Letter from Thich Trung Hai to Catherine Ashton, Foreign Minister for the European Parliament
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