Coconuts Hong Kong
A member of the task force, identified as Issac Chang (L), and Bruce Lam (R). Screenshot: Camman Wong via
A group of Hong Kong men, including writer and presenter Bruce Lam and reporter Camman Wong, have started a "task force" of sorts to tackle "fake monks" in Hong Kong, starting with a so-called "fake monk" they met in Lan Kwai Fong on Sunday evening.
In a video he uploaded to Facebook, Wong, who was behind the camera, can be heard saying, "10:15pm. We just saw a man who seemed to be a fake monk- " before Lam interrupts, "Of course he was a faker! Why would a genuine Buddhist monk be in Lan Kwai Fong so late?"
Later, at around the 1:50 minute mark, a man dressed in Buddhist monk's robes was filmed talking to two Western women outside California Tower.
Lam approached the group while carrying a sign which warned of "fake monks" from China known for operating within a 300-metre radius, complete with photos of some alleged culprits.
Another member of the task force, surnamed Chang, then reportedly offered the "monk" some vegetarian rice dumplings instead of money, but said his offer was refused multiple times until he pressed the dumpling into the "monk's" hand.
Chang and Lam then spoke to the "monk", but apparently scared him off as the berobed bloke suddenly picked up his pace and began frantically running away, dumpling in hand.
Lam appeared to reach out to stop him, but ended up grabbing his bag as he disappeared. Note: It's not clear from the video if he actually took it from the "monk", or if it slipped off the man's shoulder.
When the trio was questioned by curious passersby, they said, "He's not a real monk. He only wanted money. We tried to give him food since we know fasting is hard, but he only wanted money. Real monks do not beg for money."
Looking through the bag, they found a donations bowl containing THB100 (HKD22), prayer cards which bore a Tin Hau address, and some beaded necklaces and bracelets made of "cheap plastic".
When asked what they had said to spook the "monk", Lam said, "We were following him with the sign and he said he wasn't a 'fake monk' since he wasn't in the photo... then he ran."
A woman then approached Lam and Chang, apparently begging for money. Instead, they gave her one of the beaded bracelets and the bag of vegetable dumplings. "We don't want to waste food, and she looks like she needed it. We don't have a problem with begging, just don't pretend to be a monk... "
The video ended with Lam walking off to report the incident to some police officers patrolling the area, although it's not clear what those officers had to say about the group rooting through somebody else's belongings.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been updated.
http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2016/06/07/hong-kong-men-start-task-force-confront-alleged-fake-monks-lan-kwai-fong-video
