Tinh That Bong Lai: Vietnam's Most Sacrilegious Scandal (Pt. 2)
The truth was finally revealed.
What the investigators found has obviously stirred a debate, people were both furious and disgusted at the news.
Turned out, apart from exploiting religion and charity for personal gain, Tinh That Bong Lai was also a stronghold where Le Tung Van reigned over his little kingdom. According to law enforcement, most of the people inside the facility are his wives and children, but what makes the public baffled the most must be the fact that his children are also…his wives.
Check out Part 1, if you missed it:
4. The Truth
So the “orphans” are not orphans at all. In fact, the investigators claimed that they were living with their biological mothers inside Tinh That Bong Lai, however, they couldn’t find any clues about the children’s fathers.
Though the police didn’t confirm any information regarding the mothers of the children, the public did its own research. People just couldn’t contain their curiosity.
YouTubers and paparazzi then became unofficial investigators, one of them was an amateur journalist who went by the pseudonym “Nguyen Sin”. Sin was an intelligent man, he managed to find the most profound piece of evidence that shed light on the identities of the mothers in question: birth certifications.
Turns out, the 5 novices who went viral in 2018 were the sons and daughters of the nuns living there: Huyen Trang, Ky Duyen, and Vong Kim Xuan. The investigation went on for months and finally, shook the media once again with the shocking revelations: Hoan Nguyen, Nhat Nguyen, Nhi Nguyen, Trung Duong, Huyen Trang, Huyen Tran, Ky Duyen are biologically related to Le Tung Van. In other words, he is their father.
“[…] It is completely different from the story that Le Tung Van and the people inside Tinh That (Bong Lai) had claimed earlier, that the children here are 'orphans, abandoned children left in the trash.'" - Nguyen Sin [1].
Now, let’s get back to Le Tung Van here. According to a Facebook post on Nguyen Sin’s official account, he disclosed some critical background information regarding this old man. About twenty years ago, back when there was no “Thanh Duc Care Center”, Le Tung Van had roughly 6-8 wives, with whom he lived in the Binh Chanh district. He was frequently a suspect for stealing and scamming.
In 2007, Le Tung Van was accused of raping a teenage girl. This case was reported to the police by the Vietnam Women's Union along with many journalists, including a journalist named Thai Hieu (from Phap Luat newspaper). However, the man managed to get released out of prison, somehow. Not letting that stop him from doing what he loved, which was scamming, he and his wives continued to forge stamps and legal documents to scam people.
Most of the victims are no longer alive, and a few left got trapped in bankruptcy and poverty while Le Tung Van led a carefree life, enjoying his newfound fame. “Life is indeed unfair, just like how a villain manages to survive till the last act of a movie,” Nguyen Sin adds [2].
The Tangled Family Tree…
As the shocking news uncovered, there were also hints about the father of the children in Tinh That Bong Lai. Fearing that the disclosure of such sensitive information would hurt the children, the government warned the public against spreading unconfirmed rumors. Despite the effort to protect the children, some unidentified sources had already got ahold of a photo of what looks like a DNA report, in which it stated that Le Tung Van is the father of the novices.
According to Nguyen Sin, some of his wives remained faithfully with him during his acts of atrocity, they lived together inside Tinh That Bong Lai. As the investigation went on, the names of the wives (or the women who gave birth to his children) were revealed:
Le Thu Van (Wife #1);
Le Thi Thu Van (Biological sister);
Vong Kim Xuan (Nun);
Vo Thi Tuyet Xuan (Wife #2);
Vong Kim Hoa(Wife #3?);
Cao Thi Cuc (Wife #4);
Ky Duyen (Daughter) and Huyen Trang (Daughter).
Things get messy from here. Here’s how it started: Le Van Tat (his father) married a woman named Le Thi Phai, and together they had 6 children with Le Tung Van being the oldest. Le Tung Van then engaged in sexual misconduct with his sister, Le Thi Thu Van, and had a son named Le Thanh Minh Tung - the only son who realized what his father did was wrong and then proceeded to cut all ties with him.
“My identity was vaguely put together through the stories told by my grandmother. […] I called my mom “auntie” - Le Thanh Minh Tung [3].
Later on, Le Tung Van met and married another woman named Le Thu Van. They had 5 children, who then became his closest allies in Tinh That Bong Lai: Hoan Nguyen, Nhat Nguyen, Nhi Nguyen, Nhat Tue, and Ky Duyen.
Le Tung Van also engaged in sexual misconduct with his only daughter Ky Duyen, and ended up having 2 children in 2014 and 2015.
Cao Thi Cuc became Le Tung Van’s next wife, bearing his children: Huyen Trang, Trung Duong, Minh Tu, and Huyen Tran (the one who lured Diem My). Turns out, Le Tung Van and Cao Thi Cuc had already met before. They started a romantic relationship long before Cao Thi Cuc bought a house in Long An in 2014 where they lived together. People believe that he also brought his family with him when he joined Cao Thi Cuc.
He slept with Huyen Trang, his own daughter, and they had a child in 2014. Luckily, the children who were born from these incestuous relationships were growing up fine without any visible signs of genetic complications.
And so, the life of Le Tung Van inside Tinh That Bong Lai was like an emperor ruling over his kingdom, where the men (his sons) praised him as a living Buddha and the women (including his daughters) worshipped him in the bedroom. Meanwhile, the outsiders were completely fooled by the image that Le Tung Van and his sons had built on social media: charitable and heroic.
Vong Kim Hoa and Vong Kim Xuan are the next concubines to join Le Tung Van in his kingdom. There is no obvious evidence that might imply when they were recruited into Tinh That Bong Lai, but their roles inside this facility are similar to that of the other women: bearing and raising his children.
In the span of 4 years (2014-2018), Vong Kim Hoa has given birth to 3 children and is considered the most “productive” female in Tinh That Bong Lai, dubbed by the media. Meanwhile, Vong Kim Xuan had a child with him in 2018 and the boy is the youngest novice in Tinh That Bong Lai. Both concubines stay by his side loyally, which can be seen in multiple daily vlogs uploaded on their official YouTube channel.
So… Where’s Diem My in this ethically distorted mess?
We will never know, Diem My is still missing and her parents are dried on tears. Until she is found, her role in this mess will remain a mystery. However, according to Nguyen Sin, it seems like Diem My and her supposed “lover” Huyen Tran were both pregnant. Although he didn’t provide any evidence to support his claims, his reputation so far in the investigation was what made people buy into the story.
There is one more detail that later came to light: Diem My wasn’t the only outsider who got brainwashed by this hellhole. Bui Ngoc Tram was an energetic young lady and a die-hard fan of the famous 5 novices from “Crack Them Up”.
Bui Ngoc Tram was working for a hotel in Nha Trang, which happened to be the same hotel where the monks and nuns of Tinh That Bong Lai stayed for their vacation there. In many photos and videos taken throughout the trip, Ngoc Tram always stood next to the people of Tinh That Bong Lai people and dedicated her time to following them around, even joining the monks in the mudbath.
Finally, she decided to join them as a nun in Tinh That Bong Lai. There’s no information on whether or not she was pregnant at some point during her stay in the facility.
Speculation abounds if the children are kept in the dark about their true identities. However, they love their “caretakers”, a.k.a mothers, dearly and some even call the nuns “mom”. Despite how the situation unfolded, the children were also the victims who should be protected from this drama or being taken advantage of for clout. Unfortunately, some people were born without a sense of sympathy.
Both government and non-governmental agencies for children’s rights are currently doing their best to keep the children hidden from the curious eyes out there.
The Roles
Every emperor has his courtiers who help him secure his kingdom and strengthen his reign over the subjects. So who are the courtiers of Le Tung Van?
Hoan Nguyen, Nhat Nguyen, Nhi Nguyen - The “Preachers”
In every video posted on the official YouTube channel of Tinh That Bong Lai, there are three particular individuals who play an important part in narrating and manipulating the audience the way they want: Hoan Nguyen, Nhat Nguyen, and Nhi Nguyen.
The three helped create and manage the social channels of Tinh That Bong Lai. They would frequently post photos and videos about daily life and updates about the novices (all under the command of Le Tung Van). The videos uploaded usually target both international and national audiences to view, share, and comment on. It’s not a surprise that they managed to gather quite a fanbase of 100K+ subscribers and followers.
The content of these clips was mostly defamation and accusations aimed at the Duc Hoa district police; Buddhist organizations; and the reputation and honor of Most Venerable Thich Nhat Tu (the abbot of Giac Ngoc Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City) [4].
Besides, they enthusiastically engaged in entertainment activities to promote themselves and Tinh That Bong Lai, especially Hoan Nguyen and Nhat Nguyen. The pair were frequent participants in singing contests (they had their own FB page to post their covers) and they all won several gold medals in bodybuilding competitions.
Their roles are not just that. In some videos where the children needed to perform a skit, they would help the kids learn their lines and master the art of acting. People just couldn’t resist these adorable children after all.
While Hoan Nguyen and Nhat Nguyen share a 4-year sentence, Nhi Nguyen was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison.
Trung Duong - The “Banker”
In order to benefit from charity endeavors in the long run, Tinh That Bong Lai needed a financial manager.
This is where Trung Duong came into the picture. Le Tung Van assigned him to manage the finances and the inflow of charitable funds sent to Tinh That Bong Lai [5]. Unlike his three brothers who frequently appeared in almost every photo and video, Trung Duong kept his life and everything about him offline. He never responded to interviews or media inquiries regarding the issues surrounding the facility [6].
He acted as a caretaker for everyone inside TInh That Bong Lai, from the children to the brothers, watching over everything while his brothers did their tasks. The fact that he hid himself so well posed a significant challenge to the “online investigators” who wished to uncover the secrets of Tinh That Bong Lai.
Most people did not even know this guy existed, or even if they did, they wouldn’t suspect him for his rather “harmless” appearance. Therefore, when news broke that Trung Duong was indicted and temporarily detained, the public was taken aback. As soon as the authorities got ahold of him, the secrets started to reveal themselves.
He received a 4-year sentence.
Cao Thi Cuc - The “Assistant”
She bought the land, built and renovated the building, then turned it into Tinh That Bong Lai. Cao Thi Cuc devoted her time and effort to helping Le Tung Van from the beginning to the end.
She attached herself to Le Tung Van everywhere he went, she never left his side and took care of him, like a housewife. With every new member recruited, Cao Thi Cuc would carry out the rituals, including convent entrance ceremonies and worship rituals, which could be seen in many videos [7].
The investigative agency later identified Cao Thi Cuc as the leader of the Tinh That Bong Lai alongside Le Tung Van. According to the investigators, Cuc was responsible for managing all financial transactions for Le Tung Van and everybody else inside the facility, partially sharing the same task as her son, Trung Duong.
She received a 3-year sentence and Le Tung Van was sentenced to 5 years (due to his age and health conditions).
Other Involvement
Entertainment Entity?
Remember the comedy show that made the 5 novices in Tinh That Bong Lai go viral?
“Crack Them Up Vietnam” was produced by Dien Quan Entertainment, one of the most favorite producers in Vietnam that is behind numerous gameshows that are well-received by Vietnamese audiences, especially in the Southern part. The CEO of the company, a man who goes by the nickname “Color Man”, is speculated to be involved in the mess inside Tinh That Bong Lai.
According to Nguyen Sin, Color Man was well aware of what was going on inside Tinh That Bong Lai, including the true identities of the “orphans”. However, in the pursuit of television fame and audience attention, Color Man and his company fabricated a narrative portraying these children as orphans. They elevated Le Tung Van as a benevolent and compassionate figure. Le Tung Van was then showcased on shows to exploit the public’s empathy.
Political Dissent Organizations?
Le Tung Van and his associates are widely recognized as a notorious group of political dissenters. Through their videos, they consistently express their opposition and disagreement with the government. Now that they have gained somewhat of a 'celebrity' status on the Internet, it's obvious that they would garner support from like-minded individuals.
Therefore, it wouldn't come as a surprise if they received support from huge political dissent organizations, both within and outside of Vietnam, to further propagate their "ideals" and spread rumors (like how they blamed the police for “brutally returning” Diem My to her parents without her consent).
One of Le Tung Van's sons, Minh Tu, is a blatant dissenter who frequently shares content highlighting how the Vietnamese government has violated the rights of the people in Tinh That Bong Lai (which is bullshit). He is believed to be residing in the USA, while his father and brothers are serving their time in prison.
The End To Tinh That Bong Lai?
Well, it’s hard to say if things ended after the arrests. Diem My is still missing, and the children in Tinh That Bong Lai have recently been sent to school, but their future is uncertain. The public already knows what happened to them; it’s just a matter of time until they discover the truth themselves.
At the age of 90, Le Tung Van's health is deteriorating, and his inevitable end is approaching. However, once his sons are released from prison, will they follow the same path?
Will there be a new Le Tung Van? Only time will tell.
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Such a mess.
Good read, damn, these religious/charitable scams are agnostically borderless, we have versions of it everywhere and in every creed