By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Over 400 protesting villagers in Battambang province's Ek Phnom district Tuesday blocked an attempt to demolish a more than 100-year-old pagoda and replace it with a new one.
Villager representative Kuth Saveiy claimed that the protestors successfully blocked sledgehammer-wielding construction workers from getting access to the pagoda.
"We protected the pagoda because we want to preserve our ancestor's place of worship," he said.
Kuth Saveiy said that Doul Phok, a Khmer-American from New Orleans, had announced his intention to knock down the old pagoda and erect a brand new structure in its place.
But Kuth Saveiy claimed that Douk Phok's real aim was not to give Prek Norint commune a new pagoda, but to steal any artifacts found buried beneath the aging temple.
"They want to knock down the pagoda because they want to loot the treasures that were buried underground," Kuth Saveiy said.
He added that it was a common belief among villagers that gold and ancient tools were buried in the pagoda's foundation.
Villagers would prefer that the old temple simply be renovated, or that the new pagoda be built nearby, he said.
"Oknha Doul Phok from the US is the only one that wants to build a new pagoda on the same site," he added.
Doul Phok, who claims to have spent $4 million building 10 pagodas across Cambodia, said that despite the protests he would continue with plans to replace the old pagoda with a brand-new $140,000 structure.
"I will not stop because I already have the money," he said by telephone, adding that the funds for the temple came from donors in Australia, the US and New Zealand.
Doul Phok claimed that the new pagoda has to be built on the same site because there is not enough land to build it at a different location. He denied that he had any interest in uncovering valuables buried in the old temple's foundations.
"I am not awful like those people said," he added. "I flew across the ocean to build this pagoda. I have a conscience."
District police chief Ches Sameth said that Doul Phok had sought proper permission from the authorities before constructing the new pagoda.
But Hang Soth, technical director of the Ministry of Culture's culture department, said that it would be illegal to destroy the old building.
"We must preserve the pagoda," he said. "It is a crime to destroy the current building."
Villager representative Kuth Saveiy claimed that the protestors successfully blocked sledgehammer-wielding construction workers from getting access to the pagoda.
"We protected the pagoda because we want to preserve our ancestor's place of worship," he said.
Kuth Saveiy said that Doul Phok, a Khmer-American from New Orleans, had announced his intention to knock down the old pagoda and erect a brand new structure in its place.
But Kuth Saveiy claimed that Douk Phok's real aim was not to give Prek Norint commune a new pagoda, but to steal any artifacts found buried beneath the aging temple.
"They want to knock down the pagoda because they want to loot the treasures that were buried underground," Kuth Saveiy said.
He added that it was a common belief among villagers that gold and ancient tools were buried in the pagoda's foundation.
Villagers would prefer that the old temple simply be renovated, or that the new pagoda be built nearby, he said.
"Oknha Doul Phok from the US is the only one that wants to build a new pagoda on the same site," he added.
Doul Phok, who claims to have spent $4 million building 10 pagodas across Cambodia, said that despite the protests he would continue with plans to replace the old pagoda with a brand-new $140,000 structure.
"I will not stop because I already have the money," he said by telephone, adding that the funds for the temple came from donors in Australia, the US and New Zealand.
Doul Phok claimed that the new pagoda has to be built on the same site because there is not enough land to build it at a different location. He denied that he had any interest in uncovering valuables buried in the old temple's foundations.
"I am not awful like those people said," he added. "I flew across the ocean to build this pagoda. I have a conscience."
District police chief Ches Sameth said that Doul Phok had sought proper permission from the authorities before constructing the new pagoda.
But Hang Soth, technical director of the Ministry of Culture's culture department, said that it would be illegal to destroy the old building.
"We must preserve the pagoda," he said. "It is a crime to destroy the current building."
8 comments:
I urge those who have donated money to this Oknha to give him a talk about his "conscience". He might conscientiously believe that destroying the over-hundred years old temple is the right thing to do, just as he paid a very good sum of money to obtain the "Oknha" title, the villagers who he wants to build the temple for and the authority should be the ultimate decision maker on this matter.
How wd he feel if someone dig up his grandparents, parents graves and replaced by a new grave for homeless ppl?
So what if you have US money?Maybe he has been away for too long to understand NO.
Oknha should compromise with need of the villagers, after all the building is for them to use adn I am all donors from oversea are donated in good faith and intention to help the villager and would not prefer to dictate the way they wanted.
It is about time to soften each side for the common purpose, rather than being extreme and increase the hateness and tenssion in the Society, which is not in the interest Cambodian as we have more serious problems that need unity
Oknha should compromise with need of the villagers, after all the building is for them to use adn I am all donors from oversea are donated in good faith and intention to help the villager and would not prefer to dictate the way they wanted.
It is about time to soften each side for the common purpose, rather than being extreme and increase the hateness and tenssion in the Society, which is not in the interest Cambodian as we have more serious problems that need unity
HI KI-MEDIA AND ALL !
AFTER ONE WEEK OF TENSE AND RUDE DISCUSSION BETWEEN " THE PATRIOT & OWN SHADOW", OUR SURVEY CAME TO A FINAL CONCLUSION AS FOLLOWS:
1- ON KI-MEDIA PROFESSIONALISM OF CREATING AND REPORTING ABOUT POLITICS IN CAMBODIA:
-(i)FIRSTLY, YOUR REPORTS ARE RELEVANT AND CONFORM WHAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN IN THE PRESS ABOUT CAMBODIA POLITICS. THAT IS GOOD FOR ALL OF US KHMER LIVING INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE MOTHERLAND.
-(ii)IN YOUR TITLE IN ORANGE, YOU INTENDED TO SHOW YOUR POLITICAL PARTY' S CHOICE. IT IS NOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE FREEDOM OF BELIEF AND IT IS YOUR POLITICAL RIGHT TO SUPORT MR. SAM RAINSY' S PARTY.
-(iii) IN ORDER TO BE MORE PROFESSIONAL IN THE NET, IS KI-MEDIA LOOKING FOR A NEW DIRECTION?
2- ON KI-MEDIA READERS AND SUPPORTERS:
(i) WE CONCLUDED THAT MOST OF THE READERS AND SUPPORTERS LIVE ABROAD:US, AUSTRALIA, CANADA ETC...
(ii) DURING OUR ONE WEEK SURVEY, WE USED STRONG LANGUAGES AND WE APOLOGY IF WE MAY OFFENCE BUT IT WAS PURELY INTEND TO TEST THE WATER AND GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION AND CULTURE OF ALL OF US.
(iii) THE SURVEY SHOWS THERE ARE TWO CATEGORIES OF READERS:
- THE FIRST GROUP OF READERS ARE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR COMMENTS, VERY POLITE AND BALANCED VIEWS: THEY ARE CULTIVATED AND EDUCATED... BRAVO!
THEIR VIEWS COULD BE AS A LESSON FOR ALL AND THE SAKE OF THE COUNTRY. THEY ARE BRAVE AND PATRIOTIC. CAMBODIA IS PROUD OF THEM!!!!
- THE SECOND GROUP OF READERS ARE MORE OR LESS PATHETIC ABOUT GIVING COMMENTS ABOUT POLITICS IN CAMBODIA: TOO MUCH PASSION OF HATE BECAUSE OF POLITICS AND NOT ENOUGH MATURITY, EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURE. THEY MUST LEARN ABOUT THE SOCIAL WAY OF BEING A RESPECTABLE KHMER WITH OUR OWN WAY OF SAVOIR-VIVRE, OF COURTESY AND KINDNESS. PLEASE TRY TO FORGET ABOUT THE NEGATIVE ASPECT OF LIFE ABROAD AND GET MORE IN CONTACT WITH THE PREACHING AND LEARNING OF BUDDHISM. YOU WILL BE MORE RESPECTFUL BY YOUR OWN ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY.
IN CONCLUSION, WE AGAIN APOLOGY FOR THE ONE WEEK SURVEY THAT WE CONCLUDED RIGHT NOW.
LONG LIVE TO CAMBODIA AND CAMBODIAN LIVING INSIDE OR OUTSIDE!
STRONG LINKS AND BONDS OF SOLIDARITY BETWEEN KHMER AND KHMER!
MUTUAL RESPECT FOR THE SAKE OF THE MOTHERLAND!
THANK YOU FOR READING US! PLEASE FEEL FREE TO AGREE OR DISAGREE, OR TO INSULT. THIS IS JUST A SURVEY!!!!!!!
right guess and good survey for you, did you know that only 5% of cambodian in country have access to net??? where the hell can local read about what KI posted.... you should survey the country poverty life too.
I think Doul Phok got his conscience messed up. It sounds like he is one of those old fart who pretend to know something and interested in blowing things up for his own image.
I am from the U.S and I do not support this man.
He is just a jerk. He stared by calling people A pleu , second class citizen,no degree ,uneducated etc....He is a real bastard.
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