Minh Thien Ven Thich

Memoirs of 26 years in Exile in Communist Viet Nam Minh Thien Ven Thich

This "Memoirs of my 26 years in exile", written with heartfelt thanks, was dedicated to my parents and my teachers who had taught me tirelessly to be a useful person. I was also very grateful to the martyrs, the patriarchs, the heroes who had sacrificed their lives for founding our nation and protecting it, as well as protecting our national religion. My gratitude also went to the political prisoners who had passed away without having a chance to witness the future victory of the nation over the dictatorship. Besides, I felt the pain and prayed for those boat people who tried to seek freedom but unfortunately died at sea. My heart went out for the families of those who lost their lives since the Communist took over our country. I would like to extent my gratefulness to the International Community, the United Nations and the International Human Rights organizations, the United Nation Human Rights Committee, Mr. Abdelfattah Amor, UN reporter for "Intolerance against Religion" who took the trouble to come with some delegates to visit me on October 24, 1998 while I was in the Xuan Loc Detention, Dong Nai. I would like to thank the Government and Congress of the United States, The United Europe, the Amnesty International Organization in The United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, The Committee for World Religions in the United States, the Committee for Human rights for Vietnamese overseas, the International Media, the Free Asia Radio, the Homeland Radio that for many years had tirelessly canvassed and supported my fight for justice, and undauntedly spoke up for the release of myself and other prisoners of conscience. With all my heart, I deeply thank those who, in one way or another, had tried to help my family and myself, emotionally as well as financially, from the time I was still in prison to the first days I was set free.