Authorities have barred a Vietnamese Buddhist monk from continuing a barefoot pilgrimage through Sri Lanka so he’s departing instead for his final destination, India, a source told Radio Free Asia.
Thich Minh Tue, who departed on a multi-nation journey from Vietnam four months ago, was stopped in his tracks by Sri Lankan police last week who cited a letter from Vietnam’s state-sanctioned Buddhist sangha – or Buddhist religious association – describing him as posing a threat to public order.
His group, which also includes 10 volunteers, has since been provided temporary accommodation at a temple. They were given permission only to meet and receive food from visitors and well-wishers outside the temple, northeast of the capital Colombo, but were barred from continuing their hike, the source, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue, told RFA.
When it became clear that the group would not be allowed to continue their walk in Sri Lanka, the group decided to immediately leave for India instead, he said.
“They don’t give us a green light to resume walking … on the road,” said Phuoc Nghiem, a close associate of Thich Minh Tue, during a YouTube livestream on Wednesday.
The source said Thich Minh Tue is expected to arrive in India’s capital New Delhi by flight from Sri Lanka at around 5:00 a.m. on Friday. From there, he is expected to fly to Bodh Gaya, the place where Buddha attained enlightenment, and will continue his walk there.
Thich Minh Tue became an unlikely internet sensation last year in Vietnam where his simple lifestyle has struck a chord. He undertook barefoot walks that went viral and well-wishers came out in droves. But authorities treat him with some suspicion as he is not officially recognized as a monk.
Last December, he set out from his homeland on what was meant to be a 2,700-kilometer (1,600 mile) journey by foot through several Asian nations.
Since leaving Vietnam, he and his companions have traveled through Laos and Thailand, and then took a detour to Malaysia after he ran into problems trying to enter Myanmar. He had intended to cross that war-torn country to get to India. After Malaysia he went to Sri Lanka and had intended to walk to the north of the South Asian nation and take a ferry to India.
A copy of the letter from a representative of the Vietnamese sangha that was cited by Sri Lankan police has been viewed by RFA. It accuses Thich Minh Tue of impersonating a Buddhist monk, attempting to establish a dissident sect, and posing threat to public order and national reputation.
Edited by Tenzin Pema and Mat Pennington.
