Monk Minh Tuệ’s retreat few days ago attracted great public attention and led to many distorted information, and many people continued to look for him and his family so as to create video clips on social media.

Previously, the group of people following Monk Minh Tuệ became more and more crowded leading to risks of insecurity and traffic safety, and he himself has spoken in videos: “Everyone should go back home and do your work, I don't need anyone to follow me because following me has disrupted traffic order”.

Many local people also expressed their opinion that the admiration of the people, along with the business purposes of many individuals on social media, was disturbing Monk Minh Tuệ’s Buddhist practice.

Mr. Trần Văn Thạnh living in Phuoc Quang commune of Binh Dinh province’s Tuy Phuoc district shared: “Traveling in such crowds would affect urban order and traffic safety, disturb the Buddhist practitioner and affect his Buddhist practice”.

Mr. Nguyễn Sơn living in Tra Ba ward of Gia Lai province’s Pleiku city shared: “Monk Minh Tuệ is also human. He also needs to be healthy, but if they don't let him rest, then ask how he can maintain his health for continuing his religious practice. If they insist in doing that, they would cause him a lot of trouble”.

After Monk Minh Tuệ stopped his walk for alms and go on a retreat, some forces took advantage of this to distort the religious policy in Vietnam by promoting false information on social media that Monk Minh Tuệ was arrested and forced to stop practicing Buddhism.

In the interview made by VTV1, Monk Minh Tuệ shared about his retreat for the last seven days: “My spirit and health are still good, still able to practice according to the Buddha’s teachings… Nothing has changed. My desire to walk for alms has led to traffic jam so that I could not go, so in this circumstance I should stop walking. I also wish that when I walk out on the street, people don’t gathering like that, and they’re creating video clips or something like that, it’s not appropriate.

Also according to the VTV1 reporter, Monk Minh Tuệ’s family recently sent an application requesting to the authorities to handle cases of taking advantage of his image to post on social networking platforms, affecting the monk and his family.

NL