Ex-comrade Tep Vong, current "devout" Buddhist Great Supreme Patriarch and strong-backer of his ex-comrade Hun Sen, is handsomely compensated for his faithfulness to Cambodia's strongman. At the current standing, the CPP will now control both the Mohanikay and the Dhammayuth Buddhist sects in Cambodia through one of their own, ex-comrade Tep Vong.Thursday, May 25, 2006
Buddhist Head Becomes Great Supreme Patriarch
By Lor Chandara
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Mohanikay Buddhist sect Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong has been elevated to the rare status of Great Supreme Patriarch, likely placing him in charge of Cambodia's second, monarchy-affiliated Dhammayuth sect, Tep Vong's cabinet chief said.
The last time both Buddhists sects, which differ slightly in monastic practice, were united under one head was 150 years ago under Great Supreme Patriarch Nil Teang, scholars said.
As a consequence of the government appointment earlier this month, Tep Vong, who is known for his links to Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling CPP, will now likely give direction to Dhammayuth Supreme Patriarch Bou Kry.
Bou Kry is the longtime spiritual mentor of King Norodom Sihamoni, and the Dhammayuth is the sect more closely identified with Cambodian royalty.
"Samdech Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong has earned the same title as Nil Teang, so it would be best if Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong represents Cambodia alone," Chhoeng Bunchea, cabinet chief to Tep Vong, said Wednesday.
Bou Kry declined to discuss Tep Vong's promotion and the uniting of the different sects, which King Sihamoni signed off on.
"Regarding this issue, I don't understand and I don't know," Bou Kry said of the nearly 4,000 pagodas in Cambodia, about 150 follow the Dhammayuth path, which teaches, among other things, that monks must go barefoot when seeking alms, he said.
Of the 60,000 monks in Cambodia, only a few thousand follow Dhammayuth, including some at Phnom Penh's Wat Botum and Wat Popey, he said.
Retired King Norodom Sihanouk requested the return of the Dhammayuth sect in 1993, after it was abolished by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge. The sect was not permitted under the Hanoi-backed government in Phnom Penh of the 1980s, in which Tep Vong once held a senior government position.
On Friday, Prime Minister Hun Sen will announce that Wat Botum Chief Abbot Non Nget will be appointed Mohanikay's supreme patriarch to replace Tep Vong, Chhoeng Bunchea said.
Buddhist scholar Chin Channa said that any proposal to put the Dhammayuth sect under the Mohanikay sect is "not appropriate."
"If this happened, it must have been politically made only to undermine and downgrade the Dhammayuth and put it under the influence of the CPP," he said. "[They] wanted to take over Dhammayuth for a long time but the time was not right but right now the royalists are declining so it is time."
He added that Tep Vong is a highly political figure. In 1981, Tep Vong was vice-president of the National Assembly.
Former Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker and Buddhist scholar Khem Veasna said that power struggles would disrupt the spirit of Buddhism.
"The best way to maintain peace as it is today is to please keep it the same," he said.
Under the Constitution, both the leaders of the Mohanikay and of the Dhammayuth sects are members of the Throne Council, which selects the King.
Tep Vong could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The last time both Buddhists sects, which differ slightly in monastic practice, were united under one head was 150 years ago under Great Supreme Patriarch Nil Teang, scholars said.
As a consequence of the government appointment earlier this month, Tep Vong, who is known for his links to Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling CPP, will now likely give direction to Dhammayuth Supreme Patriarch Bou Kry.
Bou Kry is the longtime spiritual mentor of King Norodom Sihamoni, and the Dhammayuth is the sect more closely identified with Cambodian royalty.
"Samdech Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong has earned the same title as Nil Teang, so it would be best if Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong represents Cambodia alone," Chhoeng Bunchea, cabinet chief to Tep Vong, said Wednesday.
Bou Kry declined to discuss Tep Vong's promotion and the uniting of the different sects, which King Sihamoni signed off on.
"Regarding this issue, I don't understand and I don't know," Bou Kry said of the nearly 4,000 pagodas in Cambodia, about 150 follow the Dhammayuth path, which teaches, among other things, that monks must go barefoot when seeking alms, he said.
Of the 60,000 monks in Cambodia, only a few thousand follow Dhammayuth, including some at Phnom Penh's Wat Botum and Wat Popey, he said.
Retired King Norodom Sihanouk requested the return of the Dhammayuth sect in 1993, after it was abolished by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge. The sect was not permitted under the Hanoi-backed government in Phnom Penh of the 1980s, in which Tep Vong once held a senior government position.
On Friday, Prime Minister Hun Sen will announce that Wat Botum Chief Abbot Non Nget will be appointed Mohanikay's supreme patriarch to replace Tep Vong, Chhoeng Bunchea said.
Buddhist scholar Chin Channa said that any proposal to put the Dhammayuth sect under the Mohanikay sect is "not appropriate."
"If this happened, it must have been politically made only to undermine and downgrade the Dhammayuth and put it under the influence of the CPP," he said. "[They] wanted to take over Dhammayuth for a long time but the time was not right but right now the royalists are declining so it is time."
He added that Tep Vong is a highly political figure. In 1981, Tep Vong was vice-president of the National Assembly.
Former Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker and Buddhist scholar Khem Veasna said that power struggles would disrupt the spirit of Buddhism.
"The best way to maintain peace as it is today is to please keep it the same," he said.
Under the Constitution, both the leaders of the Mohanikay and of the Dhammayuth sects are members of the Throne Council, which selects the King.
Tep Vong could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
14 comments:
Tep Vong is potilician not buddhist monk but communist monk!!
He has no knowledge of Buddhist Dhamma, following the monks who surrounds him
Not to be surprised by this CPP's political plot. It is the same as the Hanoi's political move. The Hanoi regime is trying very hard to try and contain the United Buddhist Church of Vietnam, by put it under the control of the government. The Hanoi regime has imprisoned so many Vietamese and Khmer Krom Buddhist leaders right now, due to their resistance to State's control.
Unfortunately, Tep Vong and his CPP have successfuly infiltrated the Cambodian Buddhist institutions ahead of any body, and now Khmers are realizing it.
Tep Vong is a monk only to infiltrate our Khmer religious institutions and nothing more. God Buddha will punish Tep Vong darely, because Tep Vong uses Buddhism as a weapon to kill Khmer race.
Khmer Krom Observer
The Vietcong use politic,economic, and religion to kill Khmer people with the help of AH HUN SEN and AH TEP VONG!
I am just waiting for the United Nations court and the 2008 election! Thereafter! Raise hell for all these bastards and bitches!
Buddhism has been predicted to exist for 5oo0 years That is the longest religion on earth.
With 60,000 mouths to feed in various degrees of confort, is the highest taxes for all. If Vietnam has done something, because they are scared and Cambodia is not. It's people are so sure 0of a plce in paradise. By the time the 5000 is over, the whole land of Cambodian Bhuddist people would be gon too.
I woulrd like to tell you all that Tep Vong has know knowledge on Buddha Dhama but drinking acolhol. I still remember after the liberation, as buddist leader, Tep Vong, Heng Samrin, Cheasim, drank sra saw ( acohol) together at Wat near unalom stupa. TYes they are close comerades. This tep vong has no goodness but evil.
Am I right that this Tep Vong man is the one advisor to King Sihamoni?
...And that why our helpless new & inexperience King signed the boder treaty?
reconize a person not by his dress but by what he praech!
Tep Vong ( is his real name?) Ah Chep is not Buddish Monk!!!!!!
He Is Ho Chi Monk,or Evil Monk.
Reconize the Evil Monk and their followers Cambodian!!!!!!!!!! And you will be free some day!!!!!!
AH TEP VONG is a monkey in recarnation! This monkey was borned to serve the Vietcong!
they were not monkeys, they were (PRAIT)or paracite. ah PROUNE
Religion should not mix with state and politic Ah Chamkout!in the first place.
Ah Viet Cong is tryig to have Cambodian buddish to start a sivil war start by religion cause so it will stop the khmerrouge trail.
Sehacmony you should think befor your name is ruine with the viet1
Stand for your country at least, we know that you are Hindo!
I told you so.. before we used to call Thmeirl ot sasna, but now it is going to be Thmeirl mean sasna, but they still Thmeirl. And i don't wanted to go this way, or otherwise i got no respect of my true buddhit religion, and please don't go for that!!
be nostalgic of Cambodia that a Thmeirl ot sasna (Tep Vong) became Buddhist Great Supreme Patriarch
Monk Tep Vong dosen't deserve this title in Cambodia. He has nothing to match with our former great patriarch Samdech Chuonnat. We are very disappointed to see this ignorant monk was appointed as the Buddhist great patriarch. We have a lot of good and merit monks to be chosen. Tep Vong will go to hell because he mispractice our Buddhism.
Ah jong kourt tep vong, he's not a monks ..he's just the cpp insider, so what out if you are the innocent khmers!..eeyore1
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