PARIS, France - A Paris-based support group said on Monday that police in communist Vietnam had arrested three people in a crackdown after a member of an Buddhist youth organisation burned himself to death earlier this month.
The International Buddhist Information Bureau said Vo Tan Sau, deputy head of the Buddhist Youth Movement's executive committee in Quang Nam province, was arrested in Ho Chi Minh City last Wednesday.
It said two other Buddhists, Dinh Ngoc Thu and a woman identified as Ms Linh, were arrested on the same day in Duy Xuyen district of Quang Nam.
It said several of Vo's relatives in Quang Nam had been forbidden to leave their homes and other Buddhists had been summoned for interrogations. The IBIC said Vo had been seriously ill had gone to Ho Chi Minh City for medical treatment.
The IBIC said the crackdown on the Buddhists came after Quang Nam Buddhist Youth leader Ho Tan Anh burned himself to death on September 2, Vietnam's national day, in a protest to demand religious freedoms.
It said the police were reportedly trying to uncover the identity of 13 Buddhist Youth Movement leaders Anh said had pledged to follow his suicide example.
The Buddhist Youth Movement is affiliated to the outlawed United Buddhist Church of Vietnam, whose leaders are in detention.
Hanoi's communist government denies restricting religious rights but recognises only six church organisations. Analysts say it sees unrecognised churches as threat to party power.
06:12 09-10-01
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