Hanoi -State-run media in Vietnam on Tuesday accused a dissident Buddhist monk and other pro-democracy forces of bribing land-rights' protesters to persuade them to call for an end to Communist Party rule. Thich Quang Do, deputy leader of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, was described as a "snake in the grass" by Quan Doi Nhan Dan newspaper, which accused the 78-year-old monk of attempting to stir up unrest in Vietnam.
"Their target is not as humanitarian as what they said but is to change the regime of Vietnam," the newspaper said. "It is a very dangerous conspiracy that needs to be discovered and prevented."
The article accused the group of raising money from overseas Vietnamese to distribute among protesters and attempting to foment opposition to government policies and Communist Party rule.
The denunciation of Do, one of Vietnam's most prominent dissidents and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, follows the detention of one of his fellow monks last week as he was distributing money at a small protest in Hanoi.
Do, whose followers oppose state control of Buddhism and call for multi-party elections, has taken on the cause of villagers protesting the seizure of their land by authorities for development projects.
Earlier this month, the monk launched a worldwide "Relief Fund for Victims of Injustice" to raise financial aid for the protesters.
Last week, a representative of Do's named Thich Khong Tanh was arrested as he prepared to distribute 300 million dong (about 20,000 dollars) to a group of a few hundred protesters, according to a press release from Do's supporters.
Tanh was questioned and released, but forced to go back to Ho Chi Minh City with a warning not to distribute any more money.
The army-run Quan Doi Nhan Dan newspaper on Monday received Vietnam's top press award for an expose outlining the threat of "reactionary" and "hostile" influences working to undermine communist rule.
