Thich Nhat Hanh's Efforts to Return to Vietnam

October 16, 1999

Source: The New York Times

On October 16, 1999, The New York Times published an article on Thich Nhat Hanh's efforts to return to Vietnam. In his words, "I have offered teachings and practices in 35 countries...And yet in Vietnam, my books are still banned." Many efforts have been attempted to allow Thich Nhat Hanh and other Buddhist teachers to enter the country, but now Thich Nhat Hanh is speaking publicly to increase support in the United States and Europe to persuade the Vietnamese government to allow him and other monks and nuns entrance as legitimate religious figures. They want to enter without having to depend on the sponsorship of the government-sanctioned Buddhist organization, which lacks credibility with many Vietnamese Buddhists in the United States.