Help Bat Nha Monastery

Written by a member of the Communist Part of 36 years, who directly witnessed the event of the eviction of Bat Nha Monastics during his visit on that day.

Thursday, October 08, 2009         Source: http://bauxitevietnam.info/c/12705.html

By Nguyễn Đắc Xuân

From June to September 2009, the official and unofficial websites gave a lot of information, photos and video clips that included statements critical of Venerable Duc Nghi, abbot of Bat Nha Monastery and his students for committing acts of violence towards about 400 monks and nuns residing there and practicing in the Plum Village tradition. That they were helped by governmental and local police forces, along with gangsters to apply these violent means were unheard of in the Vietnamese society. That these aggressions included cutting off electricity and water, beating, throwing rocks, throwing excrement at the Most Venerables from the Buddhist Church of Lam Dong Province and using speaker phones throughout the day, to curse at the monastics in the Plum Village tradition, etc.
Being trained and practiced professionally in journalism, I could not disregard these news reports. However, I also could not believe that these violent acts took place in Vietnam today – a country that has joined the WTO, that is currently the President of the Security Council in the United Nations, that has a global communication network, that has been supporting the constructions of many of the largest temples in the history of Vietnamese Buddhism, that has organized successfully the International Vesak 2008, that is preparing for the Buddhist World Summit in 2010, and that is striving to have a democratic government system. These reported events that contradicted the national ethic tradition were beyond my imagination. So during the past three months, I still did not dare to have any point view.

On the morning of September 27^th, 2009, on my way from HCM city to Da Lat to visit my mother’s grave in Du Sinh cemetery, I stopped by Bao Loc to visit Bat Nha Monastery. I had been to this place a few years ago and had the honor to visit with Venerable Thich Duc Nghi himself. And unexpectedly, even though it was raining heavily, I was able to witness those final moments of peace that became historical for almost 400 Buddhist monks and nuns practicing in the Plum Village tradition at Bat Nha Monastery. (images of a peaceful BNM)

Being adventurous “a dusty tourist”, I first went to the Love and Understanding Kindergarten School of Bat Nha Monastery. The school was closed, so I walked slowly down the slope and entered a two story building with the name “Mountain Cloud Hamlet.”

The kindergarten school Understanding and Love of Bat Nha Monastery

I learned that Mountain Cloud Hamlet was financially supported by Mr. David, an American follower. It was built for the members of the Order of Interbeing (OI) of the Plum Village tradition under the name of Venerable Duc Nghi. But the OI members did not make use of it yet so Ven. Duc Nghi temporarily used it as a resident for some of the nuns of Warm Hearth Hamlet.

A young nun greeted me and informed me that the nuns in Mountain Cloud Hamlet were doing walking meditation. I was led to the backside and walked along the slope leading to the Garuda Wings Meditation Hall, where in previous visit, I had witnessed the first pillars being erected. The meditation hall was immense and peaceful. I noticed there were many monastery signages (of monastic practice guidelines) and many glass windows broken and damaged. The first reports that I had heard about was now witnessed and confirmed. (read direct account from a nun at BNM)

The glass windows of the Garuda Wings Meditation Hall were smashed

Looking out at the Rose for Your Pocket Memorial to the right, I saw a statue of a woman standing tall and at her feet, two statues of children whose arms and legs were broken and now lay fallen with their heads to the ground. The path that connected the meditation hall and the statues was completely blocked by pilled pine branches, so I had cut through the bushes to have a closer look. Beholding the children statues reminded me of my own grandchildren in HCM city and with their broken arms and legs, I felt very disturbed. I only took a few pictures before it started to rain down heavily. (see more images)

Statues of the two children were destroyed

I turned around just on time to see hundreds of monks and nuns with umbrellas, peacefully returning from their walking meditation, now gently folding up their umbrellas and stepping into the corridor of the meditation hall. These monks and nuns did not know me, yet they all lowered their heads to greet me with friendly and gentle smiles. In the presence of their peace and ease, my earlier disturbances were calmed. I greeted everyone and asked them to take a picture of me for my journal.

A peaceful moment on the corridor of the Garuda’s Wings Meditation Hall

After bidding farewell to the monastics, I walked towards the end of the meditation hall and headed in the direction of the monks’ quarters called, Fragrant Palm Forest. This area is situated right behind the Main Buddha Hall and some general facilities that were the main establishments of Ven. Duc Nghi (latter other buildings were constructed to accommodate the 400 monastics). Between the monks’ quarters and this area is but a narrow courtyard. I was extremely surprised to see hung banners on the walls of Bat Nha Monastery that faced the Fragrant Palm Forest buildings. Ven. Duc Nghi had allowed these banners to be raised, with profane and threatening language, unwelcoming and distorting the practices of these 400 monastics of the PV tradition. I lifted my camera to take some pictures of these banners so at home I could read them closely, but the monks immediately stopped me and asked me to put away my camera and to leave this place at once. If not, the thugs who are present at the monastery will take my camera and seize me. The moment of peace in me vanished. I hasted behind the hut that on my previous visit, I had met Ven. Duc Nghi. I then passed the hut reserved for Master Nhat Hanh when he visit and stay in Bat Nha. Then I approached the nuns’ area called Warm Hearth, with 2 tall and wide buildings, divided into many rooms.

One (of the two) building of Warm Hearth Hamlet

During my last visit to this temple, I met writer To Nhuan Vy who came to visit his two nieces Dieu Lan (English translator at the Foreign Ministry) and Dieu Lien who had been practicing here. Now, Warm Hearth Hamlet is much more developed and beautiful. The nuns silently carried on with their tasks before their morning class. I did not perceive any sort of worry or fear here at all. The peace and calmness of these monastics following the practice of the Plum Village tradition helped reassure me as I continued my way up the slope towards the bell tower which was on the left hand side of the Main Hall of Bat Nha Monastery.

With my camera hidden inside my raincoat, I walked along path next to the kitchen which faced the Fragrant Palm Forest Hamlet. Looking over the fence, I saw over a hundred men and women, young and old, with brown and gray shirts; many dressing like government officials, some carrying cameras, video recorders, batons, canes, knives, and hammers; and walking back and forth, talking and laughing boisterously. I was reminded of the gangsters and thugs pretending to be Buddhist followers and plundering at Bat Nha Monastery, whose reports have been posted on websites such as phapnanbatnha, phusa, and langmai. I was afraid to run into my comrades, so I tried to get out of this place quickly. But the paved road was too slippery, so I had to take one step at a time. Just as I had reached the side of the Main Hall, I heard screams and cursing coming from behind me. The mob had forced their way into the Fragrant Palm Forest Hamlet to attack the monks. I could not understand, but I turned around and saw that all the monks were sitting in the lotus position, imperturbably, with their palms joined and invoking the name of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (the Great Being of Deep Listening to the Sound of the World), even while the people of Ven. Duc Nghi beat, pull, and demolish them. Some monks waved their hands to tell me to back away. Like a machine, I backed off.

Looking down towards the tea garden, I saw another group of Ven. Duc Nghi charging their way down to Warm Hearth Hamlet. The violence broke out there as well like in Fragrant Palm Forest Hamlet; and similarly, the nuns also sat in meditation and invoked the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara’s name. I felt terrified like on that morning of August 21^st, 1963 when the National Guards “Cảnh sát Dã chiến” carried out the Flood Operation “Nước lũ” of Mr. Ngo Dinh Nhu and assaulted the Dieu De Temple that I had written about in Giac Ngo Magazine. Even worse, at least in 1963, when I saw the National guards, I could recognize them in order to find a way to deal with them; but on that day at Bat Nha, these policemen, my comrades wore civilian clothes, indistinguishable from the common people and gangsters. I did not tell who is who. If in the case I was attacked, my camera broken and my papers confiscated from my wallet, I would not know who to report to my government. I was very confused. And added to the confusion, the storm poured heavily and my wife in Hue called on the cell phone to let me know a Typhoon #9 would soon arrive in Hue, and that she had not found anyone to help raise my books and research papers onto platforms. This was also terrifying news. Must I withstand two storms at once? The human storm and the storm of nature!

I do not know why I did not run out to the main road in front of Bat Nha Monastery. My survival instinct told me to cross the pine forest and the Garuda Wings Meditation Hall and to go down the slope back to Mountain Cloud Hamlet – the place I had stopped by this morning, thinking that it was far from Bat Nha Monastery and so hopefully would still be peaceful. But unexpectedly, as soon as I arrived at Mountain Cloud Hamlet, I saw a nun with a Hue accent named Trang Nghiem walking relaxingly back and forth on the corridor of the upper floor. She advised me to leave this place immediately; people will attack Mountain Cloud Hamlet soon. Knowing the attack will come soon and yet she was still calm as if she were waiting for guests to visit. Perhaps she was about the age of my daughter. I wondered how long had she been a nun or how long had she been able to dwell in that state? I took refuge in the Buddha with the Most Venerable Thich Don Hau since 1956, back when this nun had not been born; yet in this moment, my mind is still so disturbed and confused. Out of respect her spiritual strength, I descended the stairs and walked out of the gate. The gate was not yet closed. The chanting of the Buddha’s name still resounded behind me. I knew the assault force of Ven. Duc Nghi had invaded Mountain Cloud Hamlet. Homage to the Amitabha Buddha! It’s done! At this point, I could only invoke the Buddha’s name.

I pretended to be a “dusty tourist”; pretended that “I had a sudden bout of stomachache so I had to drop my plan of visiting D’amri waterfall.” I asked a child buying gas at a shop at the side road to help me call for a motorcycle taxi. The child saw me in pain, holding my stomach, so he agreed to help me. A while later, a man in his 50’s came by on a 78-Honda to meet me. With a northern accent, he said:

“I was working in the gardens in Bat Nha Monastery. Today they are attacking the monastics of Plum Village, too violent, so I stopped working. A boy told me there is an old tourist who needs to return to Bao Loc immediately, so I ran out here; but my Honda is in such poor condition that I am afraid I won’t take you all the way to Bao Loc and if we get stranded in the middle of the road, it mean trouble. I heard the guards and policemen are stationed at many points along the road…”

I tried not to worry and asked the Honda driver, “That’s all right, thank you though. I’ll call a taxi. You work in the gardens of Bat Nha; so do you follow Buddhism?”

“I am from Thai Binh,” he replied. “But I follow Buddhism, and my wife follows Catholicism. These past few months, I have witnessed the Buddhism of the Bat Nha Temple condemning the Buddhism of Plum Village so outrageously that I have denounced Buddhism altogether.”

“In what way are they condemning?”

“They are cursing like the runaways and homeless kids in the markets. In the temple of Mr. Duc Nghi, there is an old lady, Huong, living in and serving the temple. All day long she “turns on her machine” (her mouth) and curses at the Plum Village nuns and monks without leaving any details out. She shouts, “Wherever Plum Village goes, suffering follows,” but the local people here would say, “Wherever Plum Village goes, rich people follow.”

“What do you mean rich people follow?”

“Many kinds – young children receive childcare and schooling and can go to the nursery-kindergarten of Understanding and Love program; the poor people receive aid. Thousands of guests come to practice and to visit so local people make a lot of money serving and selling goods to them. Before, the land in the D’amri area costs only a few hundred thousand “dong” (Vietnamese currency) and nobody paid attention to it. But when the Plum Village Buddhism came, each square meter cost one million “dong”. If Plum Village moves away, not even a ghost would visit this Bat Nha Temple anymore! The local people will have difficulties making a living once again.”

“How much do you earn a day from working in the Bat Nha garden?”

“I get 5 kilogram of fragrant rice. I bring home 2 kg, and I sell 3 kg to buy liquor. What a pity!”

The taxi arrived and I had to say goodbye to this Honda rider, “Thank you for the honest information you just shared with me.”

Just like the Honda rider said, on the way out of Bao Loc, even though it was raining, policemen were stationed at many points. When we got to a 3-way intersection, the taxi slowed down, and the driver told the group of policemen that he was “transporting a sick person,” so they let us pass. Once in Bao Loc, I knew there wasn’t any reason for my being there, so I took the Phuong Trang bus directly to Da Lat. I escaped the troubles at Bat Nha. But in mind, I continued to hear the chanting of the Buddha’s name by the Plum Village Sangha in Bat Nha. In Da Lat, I stayed over a friend’s place. Tired and sleepy, yet I could not go to sleep. Now and then, my friends in Bao Loc would call and report to me the situation of the 400 Plum Village monastics and that they were all forced out of their buildings in Bat Nha. While I was on my way to Da Lat, the monks and the nuns were kept under the cold rain and a number of them traveled to Phuoc Hue Temple of Ven. Thich Thai Thuan for refuge. Most of the nuns still stayed back in Mountain Cloud Hamlet. My friend lend me a thick blanket that I used to wrap around my body, but still, I felt cold. I wished for the light of day to come sooner.

The next morning September 28^th, 2009, I traveled to the cemetery to offer the incense for my mother and then visited the temple where my siblings and I had planned to entrust my mother’s spiritual care. As soon as I entered the temple, the abbot, who had in the past, gone down the street to fight against the religious discrimination of Ngo Dinh Diem’s regime in 1963, immediately asked me:

“Hey Mr. government officer, have you run out of things to say, that you have to come up with the story that Thay Thich Nhat Hanh hardly takes a shower, so stinky that his disciples have to carry him to get a bath?”

The comment surprised me. I was caught speechless and did not know how to respond to the abbot appropriately. , I quietly sat down at the table, drank some water, and began to ask about the whole story from beginning to end. The abbot told me that on the afternoon of September 16^th, 2009, the Permanent National Front Committee of Da Lat City called for all Buddhist abbots in the vicinity, along with the general public (at 31 DTH, P.2), to gather at their conference center Khoi Mat so that they can be informed of “some recent Buddhist situations in the area.” At the gathering, the abbot listened to the reports of the Religious Affairs Committee and heard this story regarding Thay Nhat Hanh from one of its representative.

Although I have retired for over 10 years, I still felt disgraceful in front of this old monk. Even though I was familiar with the sometimes crude level of education and knowledge of these local government officers, when I heard how these government officers shared with over 40 Buddhist abbots about Master Nhat Hanh in that way, I felt they had offended not only Master Thich Nhat Hanh, but also violated all the abbots of Buddhist temples in Da Lat. I asked the Abbot:
“Why didn’t you ask the officer from what source he used to claim that this internationally known Zen Master, Thay Nhat Hanh would behave like that? Or why when Zen Master Nhat Hanh returned to visit the country many times, with many Buddhist followers, government officers and leaders welcoming this Zen Master, no one spoke in such a way!”

“Drop it there Mr. Officer,” said the old monk. “You all regard us like a bunch of children and so you spread such propaganda. Why should we waste our saliva (our energy) to go about asking and complicating things more?”

When he had finished speaking, the monk handed me two pamphlets that were distributed during that meeting and said to me, “Take this.”

I already had these pamphlets [1] for awhile now, but out of respect for him, I took them anyways and thanked him. Suddenly, a young monk with a deflated face walked in. The abbot asked the young monk, “What did the government and the local police come and talk about?”

“Respected Teacher, they told us that small business owners of Da Lat were pressuring on the monks, requesting them to hold flags and to demonstrate with them against the government for beating and evicting the monastics that followed the Plum Village tradition out of Bat Nha Monastery in Bao Loc. The government now requests our temples to mind our business (“chuyện chi còn có đó”- everything is fine) and advises us to keep quite so the city can be at peace!”

The abbot complained, “See what you all have caused for these Buddhist followers!”

The young monk turned to me and said, “It’s so disgraceful to be a monk these days! All day I hide in the temple afraid to go outside. How can a big organized Buddhist Church like that let one Ven. Duc Nghi act so recklessly and completely destroy the reputation of Buddhism. Such a thing has never happened before!”

I asked the young monk, “How has Ven. Duc Nghi act recklessly?”

“My Lord Buddha! I heard you’re some kind of famous researcher and you ask me now how Ven. Duc Nghi has behaved so wildly at Bat Nha? Do you use the Internet? Just type into Google “Venerable Duc Nghi” and you can read all you like. There are movies, pictures, and documents all there!”

The way this young monk addressed me and paid attention during our conversation was like me in the 60’s from the last century. It is so contrary to the behavior, the peaceful and patient manner of the monastics that I had met at Bat Nha on the morning of September 27^th. I could only imagine the present distress of these young monastics of Lam Dong. I wonder if the Communist Party and the government are aware of this discontent. Suddenly, I felt really depressed. I paid my respect and bid farewell to the abbot and then I quietly left Da Lat, my second childhood home.

When the bus Mai Linh, transporting me, was approaching Bao Loc, I called on a teacher-poet in Bao Loc to pick me up and take me to visit Ven. Thich Thai Thuan – Vice President of the Management Board of the Buddhist Church in Lam Dong Province and also the Abbot of Phuoc Hue Temple. My poet friend quickly replied, “It’s not possible! Don’t you know that he was attacked during his last visit to Bat Nha at the end of June? The 400 monks and nuns have been evicted from Bat Nha and now, they are taking refuge in Phuoc Hue Temple. The government and the police in Bao Loc are ordering Ven. Thai Thuan to kick these monastics out of the temple. So it’s not possible for us to visit. Please don’t stop by Bao Loc at this time. The situation is very tense. Very well, bye now!”

I turned off my phone. I felt like a fugitive on the run.

When I got home, I wrote down everything that I had just seen and heard, in order to compare with the information that I had compiled from the Internet and had saved on my PC awhile ago. Opening the “File on the violent actions at Bat Nha Monastery,” I put aside all the information and reports from this person and that radio station. I only printed out official documents and reports from the central and local government, from the central and provincial Buddhist church, from the Plum Village Sangha at Bat Nha Monastery, and from the Ven. Duc Nghi, etc.

Having witnessed the reality for myself and having re-read these official documents and reports, it did not help me understand things any clearer but on the contrary, it made me even more confused.

1- At the lamp transmission ceremony (recorded at phapnanbatnha.org), in front of the Buddha’s altar and Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Venerable Duc Nghi made the following vow:

“Respected Teacher, today I receive this lamp in the Upper Hamlet meditation hall, I vow to you that: ‘Rather to kindle a feeble flame than to sit and curse at the darkness.” I will return to Viet Nam, and will go to those places with difficulties and those places still with much suffering and bring your love and the love of the Sangha to beautify life. And when tomorrow comes, when I am no longer present in this world, my disciples will continue that path and no one can go against the path that I have already laid down.”

Venerable Duc Nghi giving a Dharma talk after having received the lamp transmission

As it seems, no one has understood the political stance and has rank highly the value of the Plum Village Buddhism of Master Nhat Hanh as much as Ven. Duc Nghi. Ven. Duc Nghi invited Master Nhat Hanh to Bat Nha and in front of the Buddha’s altar, the Venerable offered the temple grounds of Bat Nha to the Master. The Venerable traveled to France to receive the lamp transmission and be accepted as a disciple the Master. He learned the Plum Village practices in order to bring back and apply them at Bat Nha. Today, if the government feels that the practice of Plum Village and the political views of Master Nhat Hanh are harmful to the present regime, then the first person responsible to the government is none other than the Ven. Duc Nghi himself – the Abbot of Bat Nha Monastery. So it is difficult to understand why up to this point, the governing laws of Vietnam have not been applied to Ven. Duc Nghi but are only concerned with the registration for temporary residency of some 400 Vietnamese youth at Bat Nha Monastery and who are at Phuoc Hue Temple.

2- In the urgent report about the attack on the delegation from the Board of Management of the Buddhist Church of Lam Dong Province which took place on June 29^th, 2009 at Bat Nha Monastery, Bao Loc district, Lam Dong Province, it states:

a) The delegation of the Board of Management went to Bat Nha Monastery to investigate and to directly behold the situation at Bat Nha Monastery, an establishment that rightly belongs to the Buddhist Church. Yet Ven. Duc Nghi allowed a group of angry and violent people attack the delegation with batons, rocks, excrements, intending to injure the delegation.
b) This violent and sinister act did not happen by chance, but was premeditated and prepared before hand, with the intention to attack the Board of Management and the Venerable leaders of the Buddhist Church of Lam Dong. This action undermines the law of the land, violates human dignity and health, and seriously offends the High Venerables’ respectability. This is a great pain and disgrace that is rarely seen in the history of Vietnamese Buddhism.
c)The violence that has taken place and continues to take place at Bat Nha Monastery from then up to now, Ven. Thich Duc Nghi, Thich Dong Hanh (his disciple) and his people must be held entirely responsible before the laws of the government and the regulations of the Buddhist Church (bolded by NDX, the author of this article).

Venerable Thai Thuan, Vice President of the Board of Management of Buddhist Church in Lam Dong province, was seriously injured on June 20th, 2009.

The violations of Ven. Duc Nghi are very clear and have been reported by the highest office of the Buddhist Church in Lam Dong to the government, to the Vietnamese Buddhist Church, to the central and local departments. Even so, during more than three months, all the departments and offices of the government and the central office of the Buddhist Church, all have yet to contact Ven. Duc Nghi and his party? Who is this Ven. Duc Nghi that he can live outside the governing laws and Buddhist regulations; that he can freely apply jungle laws to the Board of Management of the Buddhist Church in Lam Dong, and to the 400 monastics in the PV tradition, whose only self- defense is to invoke the Buddha’s name?

3- All the violences carried out by Ven. Duc Nghi and his students and followers at Bat Nha Monastery from June until now were witnessed by the local policemen. Police officers are responsible for arresting criminals and protecting innocent civilians. Why don’t you stop cooperating with the criminal with the name Thich Duc Nghi? Or could Thich Duc Nghi is a person from …?

4- The police force is there to execute the laws, to apply them clearly in bright day light and with the just reasons. Well then where did the local police force go and did not participate in bringing to order these 400 monastics in BNM; but instead, resorted to the use of suspicious characters and thugs to do the job of eviction? With that kind of behavior, do you know that you are collaborating those who are sabotaging Vietnam and disregarding our government?

5- If the suggestions of Master Nhat Hanh are not agreeable to the Vietnamese government, that is an issue between the Master and the government. The practice of these 400 youths following the Plum Village tradition has not shown any indication of relation to that disagreement nor any indication of “threat” to the security and the politics of the local area. Then why did Lam Dong Province proceed with the forced eviction, with such urgency, on a cold, wet day with rains from a #9-Typhoon?

6- The government at Lam Dong, Bao Loc district, and local policemen, via local news broadcast and other means of communication, has always affirmed that “the disorder at the Monastery of Plum Village (BNM) is a Buddhist internal matter.” The 400 monastics practicing in the PV tradition at Bat Nha Monastery are the disciples of Ven. Duc Nghi – Vice president of the Board of Management of the Buddhist Church of Vietnam in Lam Dong. Even if Ven. Duc Nghi disowns them, they are still a part of the Buddhist Church in Bao Loc (Lam Dong). Why did the government forcefully evict those 400 Buddhist monastics without any representative from the Board of Management of Bao Loc or of Lam Dong?

Venerable Duc Nghi headed the ordination ceremony for 45 aspirants on January 8th, 2006

7- In part 4 of the report dated on August 12^th, 2008 – 18 pages long, written by the monastics Thich Chan Phap Kham, Thich Chan Trung Hai, Thich Nu Chan Thoai Nghiem, Thich Nu Chan Phuc Nghiem, sent to the Board of Management of Buddhist Church of Lam Dong and the Buddhist representative committee in Bao Loc – the total cost for the construction of buildings at Bat Nha monastery, for buying the properties and for building Mountain Cloud Hamlet next to the monastery is over one million USD. All the buildings in Fragrant Palm Forest, Warm Hearth Hamlet, Mountain Cloud Hamlet, and the Garuda Wings Meditation Hall are the properties of the Plum Village Sangha. Before they evicted the 400 owners from their own property, did the local government and Ven. Duc Nghi have a clear plan as to what they will do with that property which is worth over one million dollars?

8- To succeed with the eviction of the 400 monastics out of Bat Nha Monastery using violent means as discussed above, the leaders of Lam Dong Province must have understood clearly their plan of actions. Then, I respectfully ask my comrades to help explain to this old journalist (in order to write it in history) one thing: Is there any difference between the violent acts just committed by those people, following your orders at Bat Nha Monastery and the violent acts committed by the Ngo Dinh Diem regime, oppressing Buddhism in 1963 (in its essence and in its appearance)? (If there isn’t any difference, then those historians of Vietnamese history will have a lot difficulties when they write about the history of the Diem regime. My dear comrades, please save us, researchers).

There are many things that still need explanations, but this article is already too long, so I won’t raise here. If this receives attention from the high levels of government, then I’ll share more in the next articles.

I have retired from government service for over 10 years, but with the responsibility of a revolutionary writer, I continue to stand strong on the cultural and ideological front to protect our country and its people. So I can continue to be proud of my life that has in some way contributed to the building of a society that is “equal, democratic and civilized.” So that I can write without any reservations, I respectfully ask the different central government offices and departments, leaders of Lam Dong Province, and the Buddhist Church of Viet Nam to explain to me the questions I have raised above. If this does not receive your care and attention, then my confidence and trust in the Communist Part, in the Buddhist Church of Vietnam at the end of my life will depart me.

Respectfully,

Gac Tho Loc, October 2009

Nguyễn Đắc Xuân [2]

Footnotes:

[1] Document 1: The opinion of the Government Religious Affairs Committee concerning the religious activities of Plum Village (France) in VN, number 1329/TGCP-PG, signed on October 29, 2008. (see entire document) Document 2: Announcement about the final decision about Bat Nha Monastery in Bao Loc, Lam Dong by the Board of Management of Buddhist Church of VN, office 2, number 037/CV/HĐTS, signed on January 19^th, 2009.

[2] So that readers and those responsible for resolving the violent situations at Bat Nha may understand better the background of the writer of this article, I would like to introduce myself: I was born in 1937, I am almost 73 years old now (I spent 15 childhood years in Da Lat), came from the Movement against the religious discrimination of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime (1963), had 3 years fighting in the city (1963-1966), had 9 years joining the fight against Americans (1966-1975), 36 years in the Communist Party (1973-2009), member of Vietnamese Writer Group, member of KH Vietnamese History Group, before retirement (July 1998) had 5 years being the head office of Lao Dong Magazine in the Central and Highlands (1993-1998). Presently a researcher on history and culture, member of the scientist group in the National Research Center, special CTV of Hon Viet Magazine (Address: 62 Trần Quốc Thảo, Q.3, TP HCM), specialist in Nguyen Hue-Quang Trung in Hue, research specialist about the Youthful period of Bac Ho in Hue. I published almost 50 books on the history and culture of Hue. Presently I am writing about the history of the Buddhist movement against the religious discrimination policy of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime (1963), the history of the Patriotic Movement in the city, Literature and Music Movement calling for peace in 1964-1966 in South VN. Permanent resident in Hue, half of my time is lived in HCM city. All contacts can be through e-mail gactholoc@yahoo.com. If any readers want to know more about me and what I have written, please go on these following websites: : sachhiem.net, giaodiemonline.com, dongduongthoibao.net, nhandanvietnam.org, http:/honvietquochoc.com.vn.

Translator’s note: translation of the author’s background and activities (CV) may not be accurate. Therefore, I am including the author’s original introduction of himself here (in Vietnamese):

Để những người có trách nhiệm trong việc giải quyết những bạo hành ở TV Bát Nhã và độc giả gần xa hiểu rõ hơn về nhân thân tác giả bài viết này, tôi xin tự giới thiệu vài nét sau đây: Tôi sinh năm 1937, nay gần 73 tuổi (có 15 năm thơ ấu ở Đà Lạt), xuất thân từ Phong trào đấu tranh chống Chính quyền Ngô Đình Diệm kỳ thị tôn giáo (1963), có 3 năm tranh đấu ở đô thị (1963-1966), có 9 năm tham gia kháng chiến chống Mỹ (1966-1975), 36 tuổi Đảng (1973-2009), Hội viên Hội Nhà văn VN, hội viên Hội KH Lịch sử VN, trước khi hưu trí (7-1998) có 5 năm làm Trưởng Văn phòng báo Lao Động ở miền Trung và Tây nguyên (1993-1998), hiện nay là nhà nghiên cứu văn hóa lịch sử, thành viên của Hội đồng khoa học Trung tâm Nghiên cứu Quốc học, CTV đặc biệt của báo Hồn Việt (62 Trần Quốc Thảo, Q.3, TP HCM), chuyên gia về Nguyễn Huệ-Quang Trung ở Huế, chuyên gia nghiên cứu về Thời niên thiếu của Bác Hồ ở Huế, đã xuất bản gần 50 đầu sách văn hóa lịch sử Huế, đang viết lịch sử cuộc Vận động của Phật giáo chống chính sách kỳ thị tôn giáo của chế độ Ngô Đình Diệm (1963), lịch sử của Phong trào đấu tranh yêu nước ở đô thị, Phong trào Văn thơ âm nhạc vận động hòa bình những năm 1964-1966 tại miền Nam VN. Thường trú ở Huế, một nửa thời gian sống ở TP HCM. Mọi liên lạc qua e-mail: gactholoc@yahoo.com Địa chỉ email này đã được bảo vệ từ spam bots, bạn cần kích hoạt Javascript để xem nó. . Nếu có độc giả nào muốn biết thêm về tôi, về những gì tôi đã viết xin vào các trang web sau: sachhiem.net, giaodiemonline.com, dongduongthoibao.net, nhandanvietnam.org, http:/honvietquochoc.com.vn.