Vietnamese followers of 'barefoot monk' question call for social media silence
Thich Minh Tue, right, as seen in the trailer for the documentary Own Nothing about Buddhist ascetics. (Video screengrab)
A Vietnamese man who became a social media sensation as he walked around the country promoting the virtues of an ascetic way of life, and earning the nickname the “barefoot monk,” has reappeared in public after disappearing four months ago.
But a request purportedly from the man, Thich Minh Tue, asking people not to gather in big crowds to greet him or post about him on social media has raised eyebrows among some of his followers who suspect the authorities don’t want another commotion around him.
Minh Tue, whose real name is Le Anh Tu, is a shavenheaded man who practices the 13 ascetic practices of Buddhism without actually being a monk in an order recognized by the Vietnamese government.
