CAODAISM UNDER PERSECUTION IN CENTRAL VIETNAM (1928-1950)

By HUỆ KHẢI (Dũ Lan LÊ ANH DŨNG)

RELIGION publishing house (Hà Nội 2012)

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CAODAISM UNDER PERSECUTION IN CENTRAL VIETNAM (1928-1950)

The unceasing social and political disorders in Central Vietnam, or Annam,^[1] at the beginning of the twentieth century extremely affected Caodaism right after the new religion had been flourishing for two years since its foundation in Cochinchina (November 1926). Indeed, the French colonial ruler as well as the Nguyễn dynasty adopted lots of measures to prevent Caodaism from spreading out over Central Vietnam.

As a chronological record of their persecution against Caodaism, listed below are twelve major events.

1. Thursday, 26 January 1928

In the third year of Bảo Đại’s reign, a Circular dated the 4th of the 1st lunar month (26 January 1928) issued by Cơ Mật Viện, or Secret Council,^[2] reminded all central and local mandarins of the following main points:

- According to Article 13 of Patenôtre Treaty (1884), only Catholicism had the right to disseminate its teaching in the kingdom.

- Protestantism and Caodaism, which had been well flourishing in Cochinchina, had recently spread to some southern provinces of Annam. If these two religions won more and more adherents, certain rebels might take advantage of the people’s belief to cause unrest and violence in some Annamese districts.

- As commanded by Resident Superior of Annam, the practice of both Protestantism and Caodaism was definitely prohibited in every province of Annam. Any violation of this order was to be punished as stipulated by the law.[3]

2. Sunday, 20 May 1928

Jules Friès, Resident Superior of Annam, issued Decree No. 1321, banning a bilingual booklet published in Saigon, titled Thánh Ngôn Thần Tiên Đại Pháp (Messages des Grands Esprits de France) by Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ (1873-1950), a high-ranking Caodaist dignitary.

Article 1 of the related Decree said, “the book is not allowed to be brought in, disseminated, bought or sold, or kept in any part of Annam.” [4]

3. Wednesday, 06 March 1929

In the fourth year of Bảo Đại’s reign, Circular No. 40 dated the 25th of the 1st lunar month (06 March 1929) banned people from practising or disseminating Caodaism or “renovated Buddhism” in Annam.[5]

In 1929, as recorded in some Caodai books, a high-ranking Caodaist dignitary named Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ (1873-1950) failed in his first attempt to bring Caodaism to Huế. Later, another Caodaist dignitary named Vương Quan Kỳ (1880-1939) tried in vain to introduce the banned religion into Bình Định province.

4. The year 1932

Thái Gấm Thanh, a dignitary of the Caodai Tây Ninh Church, traveled to Quảng Nam province in order to sow the seed of Caodaism there. However, he was arrested and expelled back to Cochinchina.

So as to make a living in Saigon (Cochinchina), two young men named Lê Văn Liêm (1908-1934) and Trần Công Ban (1906-1977) left their home village of Bất Nhị (Điện Bàn prefecture, Quảng Nam province). Then, both of them were initiated into Caodaism at Bồng Lai temple in Lái Thiêu town, Bình Dương province. In 1932, these two ardent adherents were arrested due to bringing their new faith to their home village.

5. Wednesday, 19 June 1935

Tôn Thất Quảng, Minister of Rites, sent Circular No. 1104 dated 19 June 1935 to all provincial mandarins in Annam.

Reviewed in Huế on 22 June 1935 by Patau, Principal Private Secretary to Resident Superior Maurice Fernand Graffeuil, the said circular in French reminded that the practice and dissemination of Caodaism or “renovated Buddhism” was still banned in Annam as stipulated in Circular No. 40 dated the 25th of the 1st lunar month of the fourth year of Bảo Đại’s reign (06 March 1929). Consequently, any breach of law was to be prosecuted. It requested all heads of prefectures and districts to notify people of strict observation of the prohibition. Besides, any signs of Caodai practice in their regions were to be reported immediately to the Minister through provincial residents.[6]

6. July 1935

After the inauguration ceremony of Thanh Quang temple (Điện Bàn prefecture, Quảng Nam province), two Caodai missionaries named Trần Công Ban (1906-1977) and Nguyễn Quang Châu (1912-1955) were interrogated by the local authority. Each of them was given a two-month suspended sentence.

7. August1936

After a ceremony at a Caodai temple in Trung Lộc village (Quế Sơn district, Quảng Nam province), Trần Công Ban and Nguyễn Quang Châu were arrested and sentenced to imprisonment for three months.

8. Saturday, 27 March 1937

Cao Triều Phát (1889-1956), a high-ranking dignitary of the Caodai Minh Chơn Đạo Church left for Quảng Nam province. As an ex-delegate to the Colonial Council of Cochinchina, and with reputation of a Cochinchinese notable, he managed to help lessen the suppression against Caodai followers through diplomatic contact with the local ruler.

9. Wednesday, 05 March 1939

An assembly of Caodaists was held at Trung Thành temple in Đà Nẵng to commemorate five years of missionary operation in Annam (1934-1939). However, it was hindered by the local authority. A number of dignitaries were arrested and given a suspended sentence for a few months or up to two years. Furthermore, several Caodai temples such as Trung An, Trung Quang, and Linh Bửu, etc. were closed.

10. The years 1940–1943

Caodaism was violently and unceasingly suppressed all over the country. Decree No. 72 dated 03 May 1940 by Governor General of Indochina Georges Catroux banned all religious flags as well as banners bearing the sign of Swastika 卐 because of its resemblance to the main symbol  of Nazism in the Second World War. Usually decorated with the signs 卐 on the roofs, as a result, a multitude of Caodaist temples were closed from province to province in the whole country.

In Annam, lots of Caodaist followers were put in Dakto prison (Dakto district, Kon Tum province), Trà Khê prison (Trà Bồng district, Quảng Ngãi province), and Phú Bài prison (Phú Vang district, Thừa Thiên prefecture), etc.

11. April 1946

Leaving Annam for Hà Nội (Tonkin), three Caodaist dignitaries named Thanh Long Lương Vĩnh Thuật (1918-1982), Trần Quốc Luyện (1920-1994), and Huỳnh Thanh (1921-1985) managed to contact Minister of Home Affairs Huỳnh Thúc Kháng (1876-1947) and Minister of Propaganda Trần Huy Liệu (1901-1969) so as to solve the critical situation of Caodaist communities in Annam due to the local authority’s extreme measures against Caodaism.

12. Sunday, 06 August 1950

Dated 06 August 1950 and signed by Bảo Đại, Head of the State, Edict No. 10 consists of five chapters, forty-five articles. Article One of Chapter One began with a definition as follows:

“Association is an agreement between two or more people who agree to permanently contribute their knowledge or activities so as to follow a non-profit purpose, for example, purposes of worship, religion, politics, charity, science, literature, fine arts, recreation, youth, sports, and fellowships.”

Article Forty-four of the final Chapter stipulated as follows:

“Special regulations concerning Catholic and Christian associations as well as Chinese-born Vietnamese societies shall be defined later.”

Thus, Edict No. 10 regards every religion except Catholicism as associations or societies.[7] In other words, affected by the said Edict, Caodaism had to suffer religious discrimination practised by the ruler.

11 June 2012

HUỆ KHẢI

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[1] The French colonial ruler divided Vietnam into three territories such as Tonkin protectorate (in the north), Annam protectorate (in the center), and the colony of Cochinchina (in the south). According to Patenôtre Treaty (1884), Annam stretched from the south of Bình Thuận province to the south of Ninh Bình province.

[2] The Nguyễn court consisted of six Ministries, each Head of which was a member of Cơ Mật Viện (Secret Council). Resident Superior of Annam (a French) had the right to chair the Council. All important ministerial affairs had to be solved by the Council. Then, its report on the solution had to be approved by Resident Superior before being sealed and promulgated by the king.

[3] Bulletin Officiel en Langue Indigène (Trung Kỳ Bảo Hộ Quốc Ngữ Công Báo), No. I, 1928, p. 6.

[4] Bulletin Officiel en Langue Indigène (Trung Kỳ Bảo Hộ Quốc Ngữ Công Báo), No. VII, 1928, p. 100.

[5] Bulletin Administratif de l’Annam (Tạp San Hành Chánh Trung Kỳ), No. 12, Huế: 10 July 1935, pp. 801-802.

[6] Bulletin Administratif de l’Annam (Tạp San Hành Chánh Trung Kỳ), No. 12, Huế: 10 July 1935, pp. 801-802.

[7] Công Báo Việt Nam (Vietnam Official Gazette), released on Saturday, the Third year, No. 33, dated 19 August 1950.