Aggressive crowd of over 100 people creates havoc at Phuoc Hue Temple, in Bao Loc, and disrupts official meeting with diplomatic EU fact-finding delegation

 

10 December 2009

 

See this footage of yesterday's violence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3fSdkkPQYk

At about 8:45 in the morning of Wednesday, 9 December, a mob, supported and directed by plain-clothes police descended on Phuoc Hue temple, Bao Loc, and disrupted a meeting between the Abbot and diplomatic representatives from the EU. The crowd of more than 100 people, claiming to be local Buddhists, but the majority of whom were not recognized as being either local or Buddhists, forced the meeting to be aborted. With the delegation gone, the crowd targeted their pressure on the Abbot, assaulting, threatening and denouncing him. They read out government decrees ordering the Bat Nha monks and nuns to be expelled and tried to force the Abbot to sign a document ejecting them from his temple. They threatened him, saying that if he did not send the Bat Nha monks and nuns away, by 15 December at the latest, he “will deserve what will happen”.

The attack comes only two days after the local government of Lam Dong issued a directive (document No 227 PNV) ordering various communist and Buddhist associations to mobilize, and execute an order (document 1185TCGP-PG, dated 26 November) from central government’s Committee of Religious Affairs to expel and disperse the Bat Nha monks and nuns from Phuoc Hue Temple.

 

At around 7am on Dec. 9, two hours before the EU delegation was scheduled to arrive at Phuoc Hue Temple, large numbers of plain-clothes policemen were stationed in and around the temple, and in front of the outer, middle, and inner entrance gates. They prevented cars and passers-by from stopping, and locals from entering the temple grounds. Mr Long, the head of Bao Loc Religious police was seen and photographed on site, wearing plain-clothes, at key points throughout the day.

At about 8.45, a noisy crowd of about 100 people appeared and plain-clothes police allowed them to enter the temple. They were brandishing Buddhist flags, but were not recognized as locals.  

At 9am the EU delegation arrived, and as they entered the lecture hall the disruptive crowd poured in behind them, pushing forward and fighting over front seats. The crowd disrupted the meeting, shouting, clapping, insulting those present and creating an orchestrated commotion. There was a person leading the crowd. At the sound of one whistle everyone cheered, at the sound of two whistles they quietened. They used megaphones to broadcast loud music, siren sounds and verbal denunciations.  The meeting had to be abandoned after a few minutes. According to an Associated Press report on 9 Dec., Mary Louise Thaning the head of the diplomatic delegation was quoted as saying that “they were very angry, so it was not useful to continue the meeting”.

After the delegation had left, the mob targeted their pressure on the 63-year old Abbot. He was forced to withdraw to his room and lock the door in order to protect himself. A few lay women and a few monks stood in front of his door to block the mob. But the mob forced their way past, beat on the door of Abbot’s room, demanding he let them in. Meanwhile Bat Nha monks and nuns practiced sitting meditation nearby in peaceful support of the Abbot. The mob was shouting, demanding to see him. After more than an hour trying to force down the door, the crowd was still not able to get into the room and they left at lunchtime. 

The EU delegation returned at about 2pm. At this time the monks and nuns were practicing sitting meditation, as is usual at that hour. The delegation went directly to the Abbot’s room and met with him, a disciple of his, and two monks and three nuns from Bat Nha. During the meeting the mob began to return to the temple. As soon as the meeting ended, and the delegation left, the mob, who had by then reassembled, poured into the room and began to terrorize the Abbot, insulting, denouncing and threatening him. They claimed that the temple belonged to them, that they had paid for it to be built and that they did not want the Bat Nha monks and nuns to stay there. Yet not a single one of them was recognized by the local monks as being a Buddhist practitioner belonging to Phuoc Hue Temple.

They shouted out government decrees and demanded he sign a document they had prepared, which stated that he would send away the Bat Nha monks and nuns by the 15 December. It was at this time they threatened that if the monks and nuns do not leave by the 15 December he “will deserve what will happen” to him. The Abbot refused to sign. The five Bat Nha monastics were still present, and were joined by two more young nuns who wanted to show their support for the Abbot. At one point a woman ordered the crowd to “throw out” the nuns. Men lifted up at least four of the nuns by the waist and threw them out of the door. One of them hit her head in the chaos. She right away sat down on the concrete outside the room and began to practice sitting meditation. 

Emergency calls made to local police were not answered; while local police and religious police were identified amongst the crowd, directing their actions.

During the time of the onslaught against the abbot, most of the monks and nuns were practicing sitting meditation in the Buddha hall on the second floor, avoiding provoking further confrontation. At the same time  monks began to invite the Great Drum and the Great Temple Bell continuously, to alert the town to their plight. The Great Drum and Bell are only ever sounded in the event of big ceremonies, deaths – or emergencies. The monks chanted traditional prayers while inviting the bell and drum. Local followers in the town telephoned the temple to say that they had been ordered by police and local government not to leave their homes to go to Phuoc Hue, and those that made it to the temple’s gate were blocked from entering. During the assault on the Abbot, ambulances were brought up by the crowd and parked outside the temple. This move was interpreted as an act of intimidation. Finally the attackers left as dinner time approached. 

Each crowd member brandished a Buddhist flag, but barely a single one wore the traditional Au Trang grey robe that all lay Vietnamese Buddhist practitioners wear when coming to a temple. It was also reported that many of them smelled of alcohol (Buddhists avoid alcohol, and would not come to the temple drunk). As the abbot himself declared, “By acting in this way, and speaking in this way, these people already prove they are not Buddhists”.

In fact according to information received from Bao Loc citizens, local police have been trying to recruit people for this demonstration for several days, but had great difficulties convincing local people participate, even after intimidations. Some members of the crowd were recognized as being local policemen and women, or from the Veteran’s Association, but it is believed that the majority came from further afield. The crowds timed departures (for lunch and dinner) and their obedient presence on a normal working day, support claims that the crowd were being paid for their ‘work’. This was confirmed by an interaction between Bat Nha monastics and four crowd members who stayed behind at Phuoc Hue temple on Wednesday evening. The nuns asked them who they were and why they had come. They said they were being paid 200,000 Dong per day (for three days) by the government to participate in the crowd, and had traveled over 1,500 km from Nam Dinh in the North. They expressed their regret that they had to do such work.

 

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