NLG has influenced tens of thousands of learners across the country and turned them into active propagandists. By creating sources of income in a sophisticated way through a contingent of "servants", Le Van Phuc (also known as Uncle Phuc) and his associates have amassed huge revenue.

More dangerously, the tricks played by NLG have successfully persuaded many patients to stop receiving medical treatment and refuse physicians. Many of them have to pay a heavy price with their lives for their blind confidence in ‘Uncle Phuc’.

It has organized three seminars overseas, including two in Thailand in November 2022 and February 2023. One seminar was held before in Malaysia. Each of the seminars attracted thousands of Vietnamese at the cost of VND30 million per person.

Many families have broken up because of opposing viewpoints about NLG. The question is how can NLG operate in the open air, challenging executive bodies? How can a man regulate and rifle through the pockets of thousands of Vietnamese though he is in the US? And who is helping him?

The methods of treating patients applied by NLG reported by people are sensational. One can put his hands on other people’s back to ‘transmit energy’ as seen in swordplay movies. Energy is also believed to be transmitted via social networks to cure diseases, and transmitted to pigs and fowl to help them grow rapidly.

NLG’s believers now go to every house, alley, district, city and province to disseminate stories about NLG. 

Most of the lessons are organized online, run by Uncle Phuc himself and trusted coworkers.

There are NLG groups operating quietly day and night in many cities and provinces. Sometimes they organize offline meetings in the areas where they live. Most of the learners are elderly who believe in spiritual factors. Even people with high education levels, and high positions in society also participate in NLG.

At first, learners join NLG because they think they won’t lose anything if they attend the classes, which are advertised as free of charge. However, the leaders of NLG have many ways to earn money.

Prior to early 2021, every learner going to third-level class of NLG was informed that they would learn directly with Uncle Phuc in Vietnam and were asked to pay VND600,000, which was paid to rent a hall.

Currently, offline classes are no longer organized in Vietnam. The biggest source of revenue of NLG is now big overseas seminars for learners at third- or higher levels. The costs are between VND25-30 million per head.

In 2022, NLG organized two seminars in Malaysia and Thailand, attracting 1,500 and 2,390 individuals, respectively. In 2023, one seminar was held in Thailand in early February, attracting 2,400 people, most of them Vietnamese.

Every learner reportedly had to pay $500 to ‘rent a hall’, and pay for hotel room, food and travel. The expenses brought a huge amount of income to organizers.

Do Trang from Nam Dinh told VietNamNet that her mother was one of the learners at the seminar in Thailand in late November 2022.

“I gave my mother VND25 million to spend on the trip. I don’t know how much my mother had to pay additionally. Sometimes learners give hundreds of thousands, or millions of dong, to support NLG,” she said.

Thu Ha in Hanoi said at first her mother told her that the seminar was free, but she had to pay for books, for support to the class, and for presents to Uncle Phuc.

Before leaving for Thailand to attend high-level classes, learners are told to study online at home. They have to buy books compiled by Phuc’s group, priced at VND130,000-950,000, and are warned that they cannot borrow books from each other, or they will "lose energy".

People are also encouraged to do charity. The team will introduce the individuals who are in distress and need help for members to help.

Huynh My An in HCM City is one of the most active fighters against NLG. She once had a close contact with NLG and Phuc because her younger sister once attended NLG’s classes with a hope to cure her disease.

And said she remitted big money to NLG’s fund and gave valuable presents to Phuc and his coworkers. But later, she raised her voice to lay bare the nature of the organization.

“Phuc and NLG are swindling thousands of Vietnamese people for profit. So many people suffer because they believe in NLG. This is a sin,” she said.

VietNamNet staff