VietNamNet Bridge – A total of 19 children and 14 elderly people living in the Bo De Pagoda in Ha Noi's Long Bien District were relocated to municipal community centres on Friday morning, Aug 22.

Bo De Pagoda monks proven innocentin child trafficking case

The move was carried out by the Ha Noi Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs under the observation of the Long Bien District and Bo De Ward authorities.

It comes after the Ha Noi Police recently seized Nguyen Thi Thanh Trang, 36, a worker at Bo De Pagoda in Ha Noi's Long Bien District, for alleged child trafficking.

Trang was charged with selling a child to another woman, Pham Thi Nguyet, 35, for VND35 million (US$1,650). Nguyet was also taken into custody.

Earlier on Thursday, three-year old Kieu Tam Anh, who was also living in the pagoda was moved to the Ha Noi Elderly and Disabled Children Care facility in the Thuy An Commune of Ba Vi District. Anh was found to be suffering from epidermolysis bullosa, a hereditary connective tissue disease causing blisters on the skin, and has been transferred to the National Paediatrics Hospital for treatment.

Another child that was living at the pagoda with HIV was moved to the Social Labour and Education No 2 in Ba Vi District's Yen Bai Commune. The remaining 18 children and the 14 elderly people were moved to the Ha Noi Elderly and Disabled Children Care and the Social Sponsoring Centre No3 in Nam Tu Liem District's Tay Mo Commune.

Duong Tuyet Nhung, head of the Social Sponsor Division under the Ha Noi Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that it was the first stage of the move. The remaining people living at Bo De Pagoda, believed to number more than 100, would be vetted and moved to community centres.

After being moved to social sponsoring centres, each person would be sponsored VND700,000 ($33) per month under the city's regulations.

VNS/VNN