ATTACHMENT 2

List of Confiscated, Destroyed, or Abused Church Properties

Updated as of April 1999
Source: Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam (CRFV)

UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH OF VIETNAM (UBCV)

The UBCV has been outlawed and all of its properties have been confiscated. Some 10,000 schools, hospitals, universities, orphanages... of UBCV have been appropriated by the state; temples are turned over to the state-sponsored Buddhist Church. Following are some examples of temples transferred to the state-sponsored church or transformed for government use.

  1. Phap Van Temple, at 244 Nguyen Van Dau, Phuong 11, Quan Binh Thanh. It now belongs to the state-sponsored church.
  2. Vietnam Quoc Tu (National Shrine of Vietnam) in Saigon, transferred to the state-sponsored Buddhist Church of Vietnam.
  3. Buu Quang Temple, Xa Cam Thanh, Huyen Tu Nghia, Quang Ngai. It was also the provincial office of the UBCV. In 1976 the government confiscated this temple and sent its abbot Thich Quang Y to prison. The temple is now used for rice storage.
  4. Quang Duc Temple, 294 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia.
  5. Van Hanh University, Le Van Sy Street, 3rd District, Saigon
  6. Van Phuoc Temple in Binh Duong.
  7. Thien An Temple in Binh Duong
  8. Phap Hoa Temple, Da Nang, now transformed into government office.
  9. Dinh Tam Temple, Da Nang.
  10. Phuoc Vien Temple, Da Nang, completely razed.
  11. Hue Nghiem Institute of High Buddhist Study.
  12. Phu Xuan Temple, Nha Be, Gia Dinh, Saigon. It has been transformed into a government warehouse.
  13. Quang Duc Temple, Khanh Hoa, transformed into a handicraft center.
  14. Van Hoa Temple, Kien Giang, Rach Gia, transformed into a training center for Communist cadres.
  15. Khanh Minh Temple, Long An, transformed into a maternity ward.
  16. Bo De Highschool, Qui Nhon, Binh Dinh Province, transformed into dormitories.

HOA HAO BUDDHIST CHURCH

Hoa Hao Buddhist Church
One of 800 Recital Minarets of the Hoa Hao Buddhist Church confiscated by the government after 1975. This place where religious leaders once preached, has been used by communist cadres to dry their laundry

Right after the takeover of Saigon on April 30, 1975, the communist government ordered the dissolution of the entire Hoa Hao Buddhist Church (HBC) hierarchy. They confiscated all HBC properties including offices, temples and shrines, the Hoa Hao University in Long Xuyen province, and all recital minarets, including the following.

  1. HBC Headquarters Office at Hoa Hao village, now transformed into the Administrative Office of Phu Tan district, An Giang Province. Hoa Hao Holy Land is now called: Phu My Village, Phu Tan district, An Giang Province.
  2. Office of Management Board of Hoa Hao Holy Land, transformed into the Information and Cultural Office of Phu Tan district.
  3. HBC Library of Hoa Hao Holy Land, transformed into Phu My People Committee, Phu Tan district.
  4. Boarding house for Hoa Hao Buddhist pilgrims at Hoa Hao Holy Land was levelled. The land was used to build the District Treasury.
  5. HBC Relief Station now is the District Education Office.
  6. HBC Lecture Hall at My Huong market now is a government sport club office.
  7. Mess Hall No. 1 for Hoa Hao Buddhist pilgrims near My Huong market was levelled. It is now a restaurant.
  8. Mess Hall No. 2 near HBC's headquarter was also levelled to build a food storage.
  9. Hoa Hao Representatives Office, 114 Bui Thi Xuan Street, Saigon.
  10. Office of Hoa Hao Saigon Management Board, facing the Hoa Hao Representatives Office.
  11. Office of Hoa Hao An Giang Management Board, 80/1 Nguyen Truong To St. Long Xuyen City.
  12. Office of Hoa Hao Phong Dinh Management Board, 42 Ly Thai To St. Can Tho City.
  13. Office of Hoa Hao Interprovincial Phong Dinh-Chuong Thien Management Board 42 Ly Thai To St, Can Tho City.
  14. Seat of Hoa Hao Interprovincial Phong Dinh-Chuong Thien, 16-18 Tran Quoc Tuan St, Can Tho City.
  15. Office of Hoa Hao Chau Doc Management Board transformed into Nguyen Ai Quoc Party School, Chau Doc City.
  16. HBC & VDSP's Soldier Cemetary was levelled. Built on it now is the District Chau Phu Committee Office.
  17. HBC Soldier Cemetary of Binh Minh district was also levelled.
  18. Office of Hoa Hao Vinh Long Management Board, located at Vinh Long-Can Tho square, transformed into Vinh Long Printing office.
  19. Office of Hoa Hao Sa Dec Management Board, 2km from the former Sa Dec Provincial Administrative Headquarters.
  20. Office of Hoa Hao Tan Chau Management Board transformed into Tan Chau Light Industry office.
  21. Lecture Hall of Long Phu village, Tan Chau district is now being used as maternity hospital.
  22. Office of Hoa Hao An Phu Management Board, transformed into An Phu Tax Branch.
  23. Seat of the Viet Nam Social Democrat Party, affiliated with HBC 480 Hong Thap Tu St., Saigon.

In all, before 1975, the HBC had:

  • 28 provincial or City Offices,
  • 82 district offices,
  • 476 village offices
  • 3,100 hamlet offices
  • and over 800 Recital Minarets which were visibly established along the main arteries cutting through all the villages of the Mekong delta.

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Most properties of the Catholic Church have been confiscated in 1975 and have remained confiscated. The return of the following properties has been officially requested by the Church but to no avail.

  1. Giao Hoang Hoc Vien (Papal Institute), Dalat
    Over the years, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Vietnam has requested the return of this property, which belongs to the Vatican, but to no avail.
  2. Nha Huu Duong Dong Dong Cong (Retirement Home of the Church of Mother-Co-Redemptrix)
    34/2 Ap Phu Chau, Xa Tam Phu, Huyen Thu Duc
    15 acres of orchard, retirement home, and all equipment and furniture confiscated on September 7, 1988
    Rev. Tran Dinh Thu has written a letter to the government to request the return of this property. His request has been ignored.
  3. Dac Lo Church (Alexandre de Rhodes Church of the Jesuit Order), 161 Ly Chinh Thang Street (formerly Yen Do Street), 3rd District, Saigon. It has been transformed into state-owned Tuoi Tre (Youth) Publishing Company.
  4. Thanh Mau Primary and Secondary School, property of the Hoa Khanh Catholic Congregation, Lien Chieu District, Da Nang City. It has been appropriated by the Da Nang College of Pedagogy, which converted it into a public housing facility and an animal farm. Since 1991 the Hoa Khanh Congregation has requested the return of this property to no avail.
  5. Lasalle Taberd Highschool, 53 Nguyen Du Street, First District, Saigon.
  6. Highschool of the Dominican Order, 44 Tu Xuong, 3rd District, Saigon.
  7. Highschool of the Dominican Order, 190 Le Van Sy, Phu Nhuan, Saigon.
  8. Seminary of the Co-Redemptrix Order, Tam Ha Village, Thu Duc, Saigon.
  9. St. Paul Vincent de Paul Seminary, 42 Tu Xuong, 3rd District, Saigon.
  10. Nguyen Ba Tong Highschool, 73 Bui Thi Xuan, 2nd District, Saigon.
  11. St. Paul Highschool, 4 Cuong De (now Ton Duc Thang), Saigon.
  12. St. Thomas Highschool, 698 Le Van Sy, 3rd District, Saigon.
  13. Lasalle Mossard Highschool, Thu Duc, Saigon.
  14. Regina Mundi Girl Highschool, 228 Cong Ly (now Nam Ky Khoi Nghia), 3rd District, Saigon.
  15. St. Paul Hospital, Phan Thanh Gian, 3rd District, Saigon.
  16. Seminary Hoan Thien, 11 Dong Da, Hue.
    Note: In Saigon alone, 300 schools of the Catholic Church were confiscated in 1975.

PROTESTANT CHURCHES

All properties of the Pentacostal Church have been confiscated after 1975. Following is a complete listing of these properties.

  1. Pentacostal Primary and Secondary School in Saigon
  2. Pentacostal Hospital in Saigon. It has been turned into a state hospital reserved exclusively for high ranking officials.
  3. Pentacostal Hospital near Tan Son Nhat airport. It has been turned into a commercial center.
  4. Pentacostal Hospital in Phu Nhuan. It is presently used as the office of a state oil enterprise.
  5. Pentacostal Church in Thu Duc, Bien Hoa
  6. Pentacostal Church in Da Lat (on former Hai Ba Trung street)
  7. Ai Nghia Church in Duc My, Quang Nam. It has been demolished. Its ground is now used for an outdoor market.
  8. Pentacostal Chapel in Binh Chanh, Cho Lon
  9. Phu Hoa Church in Quang Nam. It has been turned into a grain storage.
  10. Can Tho Elementary School in Can Tho
  11. Vam Nhon Elementary School in Can Tho
  12. Pentacostal Church in Da Nang (on former Phan Chu Trinh Street)
  13. Pentacostal Elementary School in Da Nang. It has been turned into state-owned Da Ly Huong pre-school.
  14. Cho Lon Elementary School for Chinese ethnics in Cho Lon (on former Ba Hat street)
  15. Protestant Church, 3 Nguyen Van Thoai, Saigon.
  16. Protestant Church, at An Dong Market, Cho Lon.

Other properties of Protestant Churches that have been confiscated:

  1. Reformed Protestant Church at 2 bis Le Duan Street, Saigon. It has been transformed into a night club.
  2. Protestant Church at 7 Tran Cao Van, Saigon. It is now used as a child care center.
  3. The Nha Trang Bible College in Nha Trang has been turned into a hotel reserved for communist officers.
  4. Protestant Church at 1 Ly Thuong Kiet, Street, Da Nang became a beer and wine factory after 1975.

CAO DAI CHURCH

Most properties of the Cao Dai Church, all located in Tay Ninh, have been confiscated after 1975 and converted into state properties. Following is a sample list.

  1. The Religious Civil Affair Building, now turned into the Provincial Communist Youth School
  2. The Congregation Hall, now used for the continuing education institution for Communist cadres
  3. The Holy Legislative Body Department, now turned into the office of the Provincial Culture & Arts Association
  4. The Holy Administrative Body Department, now turned into the Agriculture Vocational Center
  5. The Holy Guard Headquarters, now used for the People's Court of Tay Ninh
  6. The Holy Ground Diocese Office, now used as the Sheriff Department of Tay Ninh
  7. The Buddhist Heritage Compound, now turned into the office of the Fatherland Front of Tay Ninh
  8. The Central Vietnam Diocese Office, now turned into the 19th of May Preschool
  9. The Cao Dai Chinese Holy Administrative Body, now turned into the Provincial Lumber Factory
  10. The North of Vietnam Diocese Office, now turned into a lumber factory office
  11. The Amnesty and Charity Holy Compound, now transformed into the Career Training College for Communist Cadres
  12. The Holy-See Orphanage, now turned into the Provincial Medical College
  13. The Holy History Research Branch, now turned into public housing complex for Communist cadres
  14. The Universal Amnesty Services, now turned into a movies theater
  15. The Minority Group Holy Body, now turned into the Interior Administrative Office
  16. The Holy Guard Post, now turned into the Hoa Thanh Post Office
  17. The Holy Auditorium, now turned into the Unification Conference Hall
  18. The Natural Woods (owned by the Cao Dai Church), now turned into a kindergarten playground and cafeteria
  19. The Holy Radio Broadcasting Studio, now turned into an operetta house
  20. The Holy Music and Arts Department, now turned into the Culture and Arts School
  21. The Holy Rites Department, now turned into the Hoa Thanh Pharmacy
  22. The Main Gate Boulevard, now occupied by a fire station, a food warehouse, and housing for communist cadres
  23. The Archbishop Hall, now turned into the headquarters of the Hoa Thanh Fatherland Front
  24. The Holy Architecture Branch, now turned into the office for social services for the handicapped
  25. The Linh-Duc Sewing and Cutting Company, now turned into a provincial orphanage
  26. The Holy Amnesty Medical Services, now turned into the Country Medicine Association
  27. The Holy Library, now turned into the Fitness and Gymnastic Club
  28. The Holy Agriculture Department, now turned into a machine shop
  29. The Holy Industrial Department, now turned into an auto repair shop
  30. The Holy Health Department, now turned into a hospital
  31. The Holy Hospital, now turned into government-owned Hoa Thanh Hospital
  32. The Holy Guard Compound, now turned into Hiep Ninh Open Theater Site
  33. Cao Dai University, now turned into Solidarity University of Pedagogy
  34. Dao Duc School, now turned into Ly Tu Trong Highschool
  35. Le Van Trung High School, now turned into Le Qui Don Junior High
  36. The Holy Centennial Park, now turned into the Solidarity Flower Garden

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