Source: Syracuse.com
Wire Service: AP
A renowned Buddhist teacher has decried the eviction of his followers from a monastery in southern Vietnam, and Vietnamese intellectuals have issued a petition to support them, an unusual move in this communist country where free speech is restricted.
Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese-born Zen master who popularized Buddhism in the West, wrote a letter last week to President Nguyen Minh Triet in which he criticized the police who evicted nearly 400 of his followers from a monastery-the first time the teacher has spoken out about the incident. His followers say a mob including undercover police descended on the Bat Nha monastery in Lam Dong province on Sept. 27, damaged buildings and forced the monastics out, beating some with sticks.
The dispute at Bat Nha has raised questions about Vietnam's record on religious freedom, which has drawn criticism from human rights groups.