Unofficial Buddhist monk Thich Minh Tue is believed to have resurfaced after disappearing from public view for nearly a month and was seen walking next to his younger brother in a video clip that has gone viral on social media networks in Vietnam.
The video clip recorded on July 12 shows Thich Minh Tue, 43, walking along a street in an undisclosed location in Vietnam while residents take photos and record videos of him.
Tue's younger brother Le Thin told the BBC that the monk "really has reappeared and is healthy," though he said had not seen the video clip and could not confirm its authenticity.
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Unofficial monk becomes internet sensation during pilgrimage across Vietnam (VIDEO)
The monk, whose real name is Le Anh Tu, became an internet sensation in May when some of his followers documented his barefoot journey across Vietnam on TikTok and other social media platforms.
Police forced Tue, who does not belong to Vietnam's state-approved Buddhist monastic order, to end his trek in early June when they detained him and several of his followers during a raid in a forest in Thua Thien Hue province.
He later resurfaced in Gia Lai province's Ia Grai district where police officers accompanied him as he begged for food near his parents' home, before secretly leaving around mid-month, Le Thin said in a video that Radio Free Asia could not independently verify.
Relatives sent a letter to police in Gia Lai province on July 1 saying that the family is "worried and confused" because they hadn't received any information about Tue and his mental and physical health for nearly 20 days.
Translated by Anna Vu for RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Matt Reed.