A Vietnamese Buddhist monk has been banned by authorities from continuing his barefoot pilgrimage in Sri Lanka, so he will head to his final destination, India, a source told RFA.
Thich Minh Triet set out from Vietnam four months ago to travel to multiple countries, but he was stopped by Sri Lankan police last week, who cited a letter from Vietnam’s National Buddhist Sangha, or Buddhist Religious Association, saying he posed a threat to public order.
His group, which also includes 10 volunteers, has been given temporary shelter at a temple. They were only allowed to meet with tourists and well-wishers and accept food outside the temple, located northeast of the capital, Colombo, but were barred from continuing their trek, a source who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue told RFA.
He said the group decided to immediately head to India after learning it was not allowed to continue its trek in Sri Lanka.
“They don’t give us the green light to continue on the road,” said Phuoc Nghiem, a close associate of Thich Minh Triet, in a YouTube livestream on Wednesday.
Sources said Thich Minh Triet is expected to arrive in the Indian capital of New Delhi by plane from Sri Lanka around 5 a.m. on Friday. He will then fly to Bodh Gaya, the site of Buddha’s enlightenment, where he will continue his practice.
Thich Minh Triet became an unexpected Internet celebrity in Vietnam last year, with his simple lifestyle striking a chord with people. Videos of him walking barefoot quickly went viral online, attracting supporters. But authorities were suspicious of him because he was not an official monk.
He set out from his home country in December on a 2,700-kilometer (1,600-mile) walking tour through several Asian countries.
After leaving Vietnam, he and his companions traveled through Laos and Thailand before encountering problems trying to enter Myanmar and detoured to Malaysia. He had intended to cross the war-torn country to India. After leaving Malaysia, he went to Sri Lanka and planned to walk to the north of the South Asian country and then take a ferry to India.
RFA has reviewed a copy of the letter from the Vietnamese sangha representative summoned by Sri Lankan police. The letter accused Shi Mingzhe of impersonating a Buddhist monk, attempting to establish a dissident sect, and posing a threat to public order and the country’s reputation.
