Vietnam monk admits posing face-to-face in photos with woman

A Buddhist monk in southern Vietnam has admitted to having sensitive photos taken outdoors with a woman following their emergence on Facebook last month.

Several pictures leaked on the social networking site on September 21 and 22 showed an unknown woman posing face-to-face with and hugging a young man wearing a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a hat.

The man was later identified as Venerable Sir Thich Minh Nhut, a monk at Khanh Quang Pagoda in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho. He is believed to be a member of the pagoda’s supervising board.

Venerable Sir Nhut has admitted that the said photos were real given rumors of them being edited, Bhante Giac Hoa, from the Can Tho chapter of the Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam, said on Thursday.

Venerable Sir Thich Minh Nhut in casual wear and the woman in question. Photo: Facebook

The ‘sensitive’ pictures prompted the Can Tho chapter of the Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam to impose a three-month suspension from Buddhist affairs on Venerable Sir Nhut, Bhante Hoa added.

The photos quickly went viral on the Internet, attracting widespread criticism before being taken down.

A definitive conclusion on this case will be discussed and announced at a meeting on October 15, according to Bhante Dao Nhu from the Can Tho Buddhist chapter.

Venerable Sir Nhut’s scandal came after another monk in northern Vietnam showed off his fancy lifestyle in a video and many photos posted on his Facebook.

In the controversial clip filmed on September 24, Venerable Sir Thich Thanh Cuong, abbot of the Cuong Xa Buddhist pagoda and head of the Buddhist Sangha in Hai Duong Province’s Tu Ky District, was seen eagerly unboxing a 64GB iPhone 6 at a mobile phone store in the province.

The photos displayed Venerable Sir Cuong posing with a VND600 million ($28,241) Vertu mobile phone, next to a dining table full of food, or beside an army jeep while wearing a military uniform instead of his monk robe.

All the photos were deleted from his Facebook page following harsh comments from netizens. But they can be found online now along with the footage.

The monk then admitted his mistakes and apologized to the Hai Duong Buddhist Sangha.

Venerable Sir Cuong were subsequently required to engage in self-criticism and write a report showing how he repents of his errors and submit it to the Hai Duong Buddhist Sangha as a punishment, according to Bhante Thich Quang Tung, head of the Sangha.

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