The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 519
“As the period approaches when the monks observe the traditional practice of ‘choul vossa’ [“the rainy season enters” – and every monk has to stay in their particular pagoda, and their food is limited], it is observed that visitors to Buddhist pagodas carry huge candles as well as different supplies, such as food and oil for lighting, to provide these to the monks who now have to stay in their pagodas throughout Cambodia. This is a good Buddhist tradition which Khmer citizens have practiced for a long time. During the ceremonies of donating huge candles, it is now observed that officials of all levels, especially officials who are power holders of the Hun Sen regime, carry huge candles to pagodas. Without considering this carefully, it seems that the power holders of the current regime highly respect and love Buddhism; however, when one considers this properly, it is known that they use Buddhism only as a political folding screen to hide behind, but they do not promote Buddhism. Why do we dare to say so, while officials of the Hun Sen regime carry huge candles to pagodas?
“If we are not wrong, to promote Buddhism does not depend only on carrying huge candles to pagodas. Buddhism can progress, if the Buddhist institutions and the Buddhist leaders are not influenced and do not suffer from interference by power holders. At the present time, it is clear that the Buddhist institutions suffers from interference by power holders in Cambodia. Senior leaders of Buddhism are influenced by power holders, who do everything to protect their ranks and positions, but not to protect Buddhism. Why do we dare to say so?
“The act of the Hun Sen authorities, of Samdech Patriarch Tep Vong and Samdech Head Monk Nun Nget over defrocking the Wat Phnom Den Khang Cheung Head Monk Tep Sakhan is clear evidence that all of them use Buddhism only as a shield for political ambitions. Samdech Patriarch Tep Vong and Samdech Head Monk Nun Nget ordered the defrocking of Head Monk Tep Sakhan on the accusation that he broke the harmonious Cambodian-Vietnamese relations. This defrocking is completely political. The Buddhist institutions have a role to promote Buddhism by instructing the dharma and punishing monks who commit misdeeds towards Buddhism, but not a role to take responsibility for the unity between Cambodia and Vietnam. Samdech Patriarch Tep Vong and Samdech Head Monk Nun Nget act in contradiction to Buddhism, confusing Buddhist regulations.
“Concerning the current power holders, do they really respect, love, and promote Buddhism, when they build pagodas, carry huge candles, and salute the monks? Who ordered police and military police in 1998 to beat and wound the monks, hitting them on the head so that they were bleeding? Were they not power holders of the Hun Sen’s regime? We still remember that at that time there was a demonstration against vote fraud, and the demonstration was suppressed with bloodshed by the police and the military police. Seeing the violence, monks held a pilgrimage for peace, and then the power holders ordered the police and the military police to beat the monks cruelly. What is such an act of the power holders towards the monks, who have nothing besides the dharma?
“We think that the act of carrying huge candles to pagodas and the act of carrying money to build pagodas alone are not sure signs that all those powerful people respect and love Buddhism. Our greatest teacher, the Buddha, advised the Buddhist laypeople not to kill other people, and not to steal other people’s things. Do the powerful people of Hun Sen’s regime practice the Buddha’s advice at present? The fact that the current power holders take money from corruption to build pagodas, to build temples, to provide money to the monks, or to carry huge candles to pagodas, is all deception only. The money gained from corruption and from stealing from the nation and from the people is meaningless. When Buddhist laypeople carry something to provide to the monks, they always chant, ‘…these things are honestly and earned with virtue….’ Is that true for the money of tens of thousands of dollars, and of hundreds of thousands of dollars, which the powerful officials use for religious purposes, is it honestly and earned with virtue?
“We think that people who do evil and use Buddhism as a shield for politics will sooner or later disappear. Khmer citizens more and more know about the wickedness of those power holders who use Buddhism as a shield to deceive Khmer citizens. We hope that in the very near future, Cambodia will have a new and democratic government that distinguishes clearly between state affairs and religious affairs. We also hope that in the very near future, Cambodia will have senior leaders of Buddhism who will not play a role similar to the role of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or of a court, and not be Yuon [Vietnamese] puppets. We hope that there will be new senior leaders of Buddhism, to promote Buddhism by daring to sacrifice themselves to protect Buddhism, not persons who fear more to lose their ranks than that Buddhism might fade away.” Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3224, 31.7.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Tuesday, 31 July 2007
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1405, 31.7.2007
- Governor [Khim Bor] and Deputy Governors [He Kan and Cheng Nhanh] Are Removed [over filling Kobsrov Lake] as a Warning against Governors and Deputy Governors of Other Provinces and Town over Misdeeds
- Baliley Villagers Accuse Mr. Lu Laysreng [Senior Minister and Minister of Rural Development, Funcinpec] of Grabbing Five Hectares of Land [Banteay Meanchey]
- Israeli Prime Minister [Ehud Olmert] Announces US Aid of $30 Billion for Defense
- Thailand Deploys More Than 2,000 Troops in Bangkok [to prevent demonstration against military government]
- Thailand Arrests 30 Muslim Rebel Suspects [in South]
- Deaths in Floods in Indonesia Increase to 134
- 69 Miners Trapped in Coal Mine because of Floods in China
Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #6105, 31.7.2007
- Removal of Kandal Provincial Governor [and deputy governors]; Mr. Sar Kheng: Royal Government Cannot Have Officials Who Commit Misdeeds
- Cambodian Center for Human Rights Supports Removal of Officials in Order to Protect Kobsrov Lake
- Officials Are Deployed 24/7 [day and night] While Suspects Are Being Hunted [over bombing at the Cambodian-Vietnamese Friendship Statue]
- Fire Swallows 42 Houses Early Morning [30 July] in Phnom Penh [Russey Keo]
- US Will Sell Weapons Worth $20 Billion to [Persian] Gulf [Saudi Arabia and five other countries]
- Deaths in Floods in China Increase to Nearly 700
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3224, 31.7.2007
- Buddhism Is Used as Folding Screen for Politics
- Mr. Sam Rainsy: It Doesn’t Matter Whatever the Purpose, I Condemn the Bombing
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4350, 31.7.2007
- Japanese Prime Minister [Abe Shinzo] Loses Elections, but He Doesn’t Agree to Leave Power
Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, Vol.14, #3010, 31.7.2007
- It Is Complicated to Solve Border Issues with Siam [Thailand] and Yuon [Vietnam]
- Survey [by Cambodian Economics Institute] on More Than 100 Companies Affirms that Many Expenses for Business in Cambodia Are Caused by Corruption
- Diplomats and International Organizations Continue to Criticize Cambodia for Most Serious Land Crisis
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