Freeing of monk sign of times ?
HO CHI MINH CITY - Vietnam's most celebrated
Buddhist monk has spent a lifetime in and out of jail and house
arrest for promoting religious freedom and democracy. Freed
again two weeks ago, Thich Quang Do remains as feisty and
outspoken as ever.
"People are very afraid of the government. ... Only I dare to say
what I want to say. That is why they are afraid of me," the
74-year-old Nobel Peace Prize nominee said during an interview
at the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery where he was confined for two
years. It was his first meeting with a foreign journalist since his
June 27 release.
Shaven-headed, with a disarming gap-toothed smile, Do cuts an
elfin figure in his brown robes. Yet as deputy head of the banned
Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, his words carry weight.
As communist Vietnam embraces the free market and seeks
foreign aid and investment, its weak human rights record is under
increasing international scrutiny. While welcoming Do's release,
Western diplomats and human rights groups remain wary of
whether it signifies a true change of heart.
"Given the number of people who are coming in (to prison), a
high-profile release, in and of itself, is not necessarily a big
improvement," said Brad Adams of New York-based Human
Rights Watch.
Do's early release was a singular bright spot in a year that saw an
intensified crackdown on political dissidents and continued
persecution of ethnic minorities.
He credits international pressure, particularly from U.S. and
European legislators, with helping shorten his detention, but
believes it was a token gesture.
The Vietnamese government "wants to join the (World Trade
Organization). That's important to them. So they have to ease up
on human rights and religious freedom ... But this is only
temporary. In reality, they haven't opened up at all," he said.
Last month, Vietnam provoked an international outcry by
sentencing dissident Pham Hong Son to 13 years in jail for
circulating pro-democracy materials over the Internet. His major
offense: translating a U.S. State Department essay "What Is
Democracy ?"
Vietnam maintains that its citizens enjoy freedom of speech and
religion and it only punishes lawbreakers. But its definition of
crime raises questions.
In 1995, when Do was sentenced to a five-year prison term, the
charges included sending two faxes to overseas Buddhists
accusing the government of obstructing a church-sponsored flood
relief mission.
During his latest confinement, Do was kept behind red,
wrought-iron gates, his phone line was cut, and he was denied
visitors and letters.
Even now, "on paper, I am free, but they are always watching,"
Do said, bursting into laughter.
By Tini Tran - The Associated Press - July 10, 2003.
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