Plum Village 7 July 2009
Honorable Minister of the Public Security Ministry
Respectfully request Mr. Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to forward
We were very grateful that Mr. Minister has compassionately listened to the voice of the people and helped them. Indeed, thanks to Mr. Minister’s directives, Security Police stopped a violent group wanting to climb upstairs where the nuns were praying. After that, a Security Police told the nuns not to worry because there would be no violence.
However, please extend your compassion to restoring water and electricity for the monks and nuns to use. Today is the 10th day they have to do without electricity, drinking water and running water. On 2 July, 2009, the aggressors came to dig out underground water pipes of all the three nuns’ dormitories and stuffed them with rocks and sand. They also smashed the water pipes of Mountaintop Cloud Residence, Green Willow Residence, and Flame Tree Residence. In the afternoon, the monks helped dig out two old pipes in the nuns’quarter and replaced them with new ones. But soon after the new pipes were replaced, the aggressors defiantly came to smash them to pieces right before the eyes of the Security Police.
Mr. Minister, please intervene and order the Dambri and Bao Loc Security Police to stop and prevent such destructions. Security police are supposed to bring security to the public, not to witness and do nothing at the scene of hoodlums destroying water pipes of the nuns’ Red Flame Kitchen Hamlet.
Mr. Minister, please have compassion for 400 monks and nuns who are young enough to be your children. They have maintained their good Buddhist behavior before such unjust violence. Today is the 10th day that they have lived without electricity, drinking water and water to wash vegetables.
Respectfully yours,
Sister Thich Nu Chan Khong
