E/CN.4/2005/61/Add.1 Page 89 350. According to the Government’s response, Thich Tri Luc, whose real name is Pham Van Tuong, born in 1954, resident in Dong Hoa commune, Di An district, Binh Duong province, used to be a Buddhist monk in temples in Dong Nai and Lam Dong provinces, Hue city and Ho Chi Minh City. In March 1999, Mr. Tuong returned to secular life and married Tran Thi Hoang Oanh, his second wife. On 26 July 2002, he was arrested at Tay Ninh frontier as he tried to cross the border illegally in an attempt to contact and coordinate with certain foreign organizations for activities against the State of Viet Nam. His trial had been scheduled to take place on 1 August 2003. However, for humanitarian reasons and at the request of his wife, the trial was postponed until 12 March 2004. The People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City brought Pham Van Tuong to trial for his acts in violation of article 91 of the Penal Code, namely “illegally fleeing the country in order to carry out acts against the State”. Though his acts of violation of the Law could result in at least 36 months of imprisonment, the Court, considering his attitude of repentance and as a gesture of leniency, sentenced Pham Van Tuong to only 20 months of imprisonment. He was released on 26 March 2004 and is now leading a normal life with his family and expected to be resettled abroad by arrangements with UNHCR and honoured by the Government of Vietnam. 351. On 10 June 2004, the Special Rapporteur transmitted a communication to the Government regarding Thich Vien Dinh, a superior monk of Giac Hoa Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, who had reportedly been harassed by the Security Police and other authorities during the first weeks of May 2004, allegedly after he expressed his support of the illegal UBCV in a letter to the Government. In this letter, he reportedly called for the release of UBCV Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang, Thich Quang Do and all other members of the UBCV leadership who were reportedly arrested in October 2003. 352. It was reported that Thich Vien Dinh had been interrogated by the Security Police over two previous weeks, and that Security Police said they had received orders to expel the 40 monks residing in his pagoda. It was also reported that the Gia Dinh Electricity Company sent him a letter, which he received on 14 May 2004, stating that the electricity contract would be terminated and the electricity to Giac Hoa pagoda cut off unless he could produce a certificate proving that he was the pagoda’s superior monk, as recognized by the State-sponsored Vietnam Buddhist Church (VBC), the only legal Buddhist organization in Viet Nam. 353. It was further reported that Thich Vien Dinh had been subjected to harassment and threats since he was appointed Deputy Head of the Institute for the Dissemination of the Faith (Vien Hoa Dao) at the UBCV Assembly in Nguyen Thieu monastery (Binh Dinh) on 1 October 2003. In particular, it was reported that he was placed under “administrative detention” by the local authorities on 9 October 2003, and that he was barred from leaving Ho Chi Minh City, even to fulfil his religious functions at the Thap Thap pagoda in Binh Dinh province, where he was appointed superior monk in 1995. 354. Thich Huyen Quang, Thich Quang Do and other UBCV senior monks were allegedly arrested in October 2003 when traveling to Ho Chi Minh City after holding

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