Hanoi inspects summer retreats

The Hanoi Religious Affairs Committee set up a team to inspect summer retreats, after parents reported that their children were beaten by friends and had unsanitary conditions at the retreat at Cu Da Pagoda.

Mr. Pham Tien Dung, Head of the Hanoi City Religious Affairs Committee, announced the above information on the morning of June 19. In the first phase, the delegation will inspect Phuc Lam Pagoda (Thuong Tin District), Dinh Quan (Bac Tu Liem District), Khai Nguyen (Son Tay Town) from June 21 to 26. The inspection contents include local management, security and order, health, environmental sanitation, and food safety.

In addition, the Hanoi Religious Committee requested the government and the Buddhist Executive Committees of districts to strengthen management of summer retreats and not approve establishments that do not have the conditions or capacity to organize these activities.

According to Mr. Dung, earlier this month, the Religious Affairs Committee issued a similar document and requested the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Hanoi to pay attention to and manage the activities of meditation courses for students.

Cu Da Pagoda. Photo: VOV — Cu Da Pagoda. Photo: *VOV*

Two days ago, Ms. Nguyen Giang Nhu, Yen Xa village, Tan Trieu commune, Thanh Tri district, attracted attention when she posted that her 11-year-old son was beaten by a friend at a retreat at Cu Da pagoda, Thanh Oai district, and suffered an arm injury. This information received more than 11,000 comments and nearly 7,000 shares.

According to her, her 11-year-old son was beaten with a wooden chair by his friends, not allowed to bathe, had a dirty bathroom, and had to sleep on the floor. When he got home, he complained of pain, had difficulty moving his arms, and was in a state of panic. Her family took him to the hospital for an X-ray, which concluded that he had no broken bones but soft tissue injuries.

Venerable Thich Di Kien, abbot of Cu Da Pagoda, confirmed the incident, saying that on June 15, during recess, Ms. Nhu's child and another student got into a fight. The monks took the child to the hospital for examination, and the doctor concluded that the injury did not affect the bones, so they did not inform the family.

Cu Da Pagoda has stopped all summer retreats. The money the pagoda received from Ms. Pham Thi Thu - the focal point for organizing retreats at the pagoda for the past 3 years - 86 million VND for food, water and electricity for the children will be returned to the parents.

Retreats for students have appeared for about 10 years now and are increasingly attracting the attention of parents. Many pagodas such as Ba Vang (Quang Ninh) and Hoang Phap (HCMC) organize these retreats, accepting thousands of students to practice for free, usually lasting 5-7 days.

In 2022, in Hanoi, 32 pagodas organized 53 summer retreats with the participation of 14,500 students.

Le Nguyen

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