The Most Venerable Thich Quang Do

The Most Venerable Thich Quang Do is Fifth Supreme Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV).  The Patriarch has been jailed numerous times for leading non-violent protests against the Vietnamese government and calling for religious freedom and democracy in Vietnam.  After the Fall of Saigon in April 1975, the Communist government of Vietnam outlawed the UBCV, banned its religious activities, and confiscated many of its Buddhist churches and facilities.  As a leader of the UBCV, the Patriarch was persecuted for opposing the creation of the state-sponsored "Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam," the only Buddhist organization established and recognized by the Communist government of Vietnam.  In 1982, the Patriarch was exiled for 10 years.  In 1995, he was sentenced to five years in prison for organizing a rescue mission for flood victims in the Mekong Delta.  In 1998, he was placed under house arrest at the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in Saigon and remains there to this day without due process or a formal charge.  The Patriarch is under constant surveillance and is allowed to travel for medical care or tending to religious activities outside of the monastery.

 

Advocate: Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA)