·By Radio Free Asia·5 min read
Radio Free Asia: Unofficial Monk Who Became Internet Sensation in Vietnam Ends Pilgrimage
Cuộc hành hương của Minh Tuệ bị chấm dứt đột ngột giữa nhiều tranh cãi — trong khi chính quyền tuyên bố ông tự nguyện dừng lại, các sư đồng hành mô tả một cuộc đột kích lúc nửa đêm.
On June 3, 2024, RFA reported that Minh Tuệ's pilgrimage had ended after approximately three weeks drawing massive crowds across Vietnam.
Authorities justified the end of the pilgrimage by citing concerns about social stability, health risks, and one participant's death from heatstroke. However, monks traveling with Tuệ told a starkly different story: approximately 100 officials conducted a coordinated midnight raid, handcuffing participants and scattering them across different provinces.
The incident exposed the ongoing tensions between independent religious practice and state oversight in Vietnam. Authorities fined a YouTuber who had documented the journey and announced plans for a new surveillance application to monitor Buddhist practitioners nationwide. The government's official statement — that he had "voluntarily retired" — was widely questioned by supporters and human rights observers alike.
RFAchính quyềntự do tôn giáo2024
