Two monks forced to dip hands in boiling water to prove innocence

Two young monks at a pagoda in a Mekong Delta province of Vietnam had their hands scalded after being forced to dip them into boiling water to prove that they didn’t steal money another monk had lost.

The case was brought to local authorities in Lac Hoa Commune, Vinh Chau Town, Soc Trang, where their Tang Du pagoda is located in, said Ly Binh Cang, head of the provincial department of ethnic minority affairs, on March 26.

One of the monks has left hospital while the other is still under treatment at the general hospital of Vinh Chau.

The two monks are Thach Loc, 18; and Thach Mai, 16; who are of Khmer ethnicity and have been staying at the pagoda for around a year.

The case

Monk Thach Loc reported that all monks present at Tang Du Pagoda were alarmed to take part in a meeting at 11:00am on March 13 to learn that monk Trieu Phy Lep, 23, had lost VND1.1 million (US$51).

At 7:00pm the same day, they were alarmed again to join a test to prove their innocence with water boiling in a pan burnt by a gas cooker.

Four monks entered the ‘testing room’ and left with wet but not scalded hands, according to monk Loc.

It is believed that innocent people do not get scalded even if they dip their hands in boiling water.

Monk Mai dipped his hands into boiling water three times while monk Loc dipped twice and they got seriously scalded and were taken to the hospital by their families.

Monk Loc said he was forced by other monks to pay VND1.1 million after accusing him of stealing it. He refused the accusation and was beaten on his ribs and bottom and had a nosebleed.

Both Loc and Mai are students of monk Lep, who lost the money. They left the pagoda for their families before being taken to the local hospital.

The Venerable Tang Hoanh Na, who chairs the Tang Du Pagoda, said he was absent from the pagoda when the case occurred and promised to solve the issue logically after the victims recover from their injuries.

In a meeting with local authorities, monk Lep expressed regret for forcing Loc and Mai to get scalded.