New | No-show by China's Shaolin abbot in Bangkok fuels rumours of investigation
Reports quote temple official confirming and then denying that Shi Yongxin is under investigation amid questions over his integrity
The failure of China's controversial Shaolin Temple abbot to make a planned appearance in Thailand on the weekend prompted some Chinese media to speculate that he was under investigation.
Abbot Shi Yongxin was due to head a delegation to a martial arts exhibition roughly two weeks after a person claiming to be a former disciple made allegations about the abbot's integrity.
The Bangkok event is part of celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of Sino-Thai diplomatic relations and the birthdays of the Thai queen and princess.
China News Service reported that the exhibition's organisers were rushing to delete images of Shi from a video that was to be broadcast at the event on Sunday afternoon.
An official from the Thai Young Chinese Chamber of Commerce said members had to alter the footage because Shi did not arrive in Bangkok on Saturday as scheduled.
"We have been planning this event for a few months, and were told Shi Yongxin could not attend the event on August 1 and that we needed to edit the video," chamber general manager Huang Cheng was quoted as saying.
Quoting Qian Daliang, the general manager of a company overseeing marketing and business development for the 1,500-year-old temple, The Beijing News reported that Shi did not go to Thailand because he was being questioned by the religious affairs authorities in Dengfeng, Henan province.