Read a version of this story in Vietnamese
Vietnam’s “barefoot monk,” who became an internet sensation this year, has embarked on a pilgrimage to India and crossed into Laos on Thursday, video on social media showed.
Supporters escorted Thich Minh Tue, who is not officially a monk, and several other unofficial monks to the Bo Y International Border Gate at the Vietnam-Laos border. The video showed the group getting help with border-crossing procedures.
The plan to travel to India was revealed in a letter issued by a company owned by Tue’s brother in late November.
Tue’s departure from Vietnam comes about six months after authorities dispersed his group while they were on a cross-country pilgrimage in Thua Thien Hue province in central Vietnam.
It was his fourth time walking across Vietnam, but the first time people were noticing him. As he became more and more popular on social media, supporters came out in droves to wish him well as he strolled into their towns and others decided to join him as he walked from place to place.
After they stopped him, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs announced on its website that he had “voluntarily retired.” But Tue reappeared in his hometown of Gia Lai last month, attracting many followers and YouTube vloggers.
‘Thorn in the side’
Tue became popular because he appeared more genuine than monks recognized in Vietnam’s state-backed Buddhist system, thereby exposing their moral degradation, a Buddhist resident who requested anonymity for personal safety told RFA Vietnamese.
“Those who can gather or influence large groups of people are always a thorn in the side of authoritarian governments,” he said, adding that this may be why the authorities decided to let him leave Vietnam to practice his faith elsewhere.
He said it could be part of a strategy of keeping him out of sight domestically, while simultaneously it is good optics internationally to allow Tue to leave.
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In leaving Vietnam, it is almost as if Tue is seeking religious refuge abroad, Thanh Nhan, a Vietnamese American from southern California, who has been closely following Tue’s journey, told RFA.
“After leaving Vietnam, his journey will likely go smoother and he will likely continue to be followed by the media, she said. ”It would be a great loss for Vietnam if he becomes famous, because he will be known as a genuine monk that is rejected by his own country.”
Allowing Tue to leave for India is a win-win situation, Buddhist scholar Nguyen Thanh Huy from the coastal city of Nha Trang, told RFA.
It “alleviates the challenges in ensuring security and reduces societal pressure stemming from waves of public opinion.”
Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.