Criminal proceedings initiated in connection with 'Tinh That Bong Lai' (Bong Lai Monastery).
On the afternoon of January 4th, the Security Investigation Agency of the Long An Provincial Police Department initiated a criminal case and summoned Mr. Le Tung Van and other related individuals for questioning regarding the "Tinh That Bong Lai - Zen Monastery on the Edge of the Universe" case.
According to initial verification by the Long An Provincial Police, in 2014, Ms. Cao Thi Cuc (born in 1960, permanent residence in Long Huu Dong commune, Can Duoc district) purchased a house and land with an area of nearly 2,000 square meters.2He lived in Lap Thanh hamlet, Hoa Khanh Tay commune, Duc Hoa district, Long An province, then moved here to live, and later renovated it to use as a private place of worship.
Mr. Le Tung Van, who previously resided in Pham Van Hai commune, Binh Chanh district, Ho Chi Minh City, self-proclaimed himself the Director of the Thanh Duc nursing home and orphanage. Because this facility operated in violation of legal regulations and failed to meet material and environmental hygiene standards, the People's Committee of Binh Chanh district issued a decision on July 25, 2007, to terminate the operation of the Thanh Duc facility.
 |
| Mr. Le Tung Van renamed Bong Lai Hermitage to Zen Monastery on the Edge of the Universe. Photo: Vinh Quang. |
Since 2015, Mr. Le Tung Van sold all the land at the aforementioned address and temporarily resided with Ms. Cao Thi Cuc in Lap Thanh hamlet, Hoa Khanh Tay commune, Duc Hoa district, Long An province, while also adopting children for charitable purposes. However, local police stated that in reality, most of the children living in Ms. Cuc and Mr. Van's household were accompanied by their mothers and were not orphaned or homeless children.
 |
| Mr. Le Tung Van during a meeting with authorities. Photo: Vinh Quang |
Currently, Mrs. Cúc's household still has 18 residents, including 6 children, all of whom have their biological mothers living with them. Over the past period, this place has exploited the pretext of caring for orphaned and destitute children to solicit donations from people both domestically and internationally for personal gain, affecting public order and social opinion.
However, after the press reported on the non-compliance with regulations regarding temporary residence registration, adoption registration, and the exploitation of religion and orphanage for profit, using the guise of religious practice while living and working like ordinary people, public opinion understood the true nature and activities of the "Tinh That Bong Lai" group and shifted towards condemnation and criticism. On January 1, 2020, Mr. Le Tung Van held a ceremony to change the name of "Tinh That Bong Lai" to "Thien Am on the Edge of the Universe".
