By Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Original report from Pailin
25 September 2008
Former Khmer Rouge soldiers in Pailin celebrated Pchum Ben in recent days by meditating and praying to former soldiers who died in the war against the Phnom Penh government.
Surrounded by high, forested mountains 400 kilometers from the capital, Pailin was one of the final strongholds of the Khmer Rouge, which fought a 25-year civil war against government troops following its fall in 1979.
Pailin Deputy Governor Keuth Sothea, a former Khmer Rouge fighter, called other former soldiers to attend a ceremony Friday, to meditate for their fallen friends and family.
A giant stupa has been built in Pailin’s largest pagoda, with the remains of many soldiers interred within.
Chea Sovang, who burned five joss sticks at the ceremony Friday, spoke so softly he could scarcely be heard: “I meditate for friends who were with me when we were in the jungle. We had nothing to eat during the war. And I pity them. They had no parents. They had nothing. And they were injured and died in blood.”
Pchum Ben is a 15-day Buddhist ceremony where Cambodians honor the dead by traveling to the pagodas with food and offerings for the spirits. It ends Sept. 30.
An untold number of Cambodian guerrillas and soldiers died in decades of fighting that only ended in 1996.
“They are good believers,” venerable monk Nhim Sothun, chief of the Ratana Sophoan pagoda, said of the former Khmer Rouge. “They come here because they understand well Buddhism, and they have done real meditation.”
Surrounded by high, forested mountains 400 kilometers from the capital, Pailin was one of the final strongholds of the Khmer Rouge, which fought a 25-year civil war against government troops following its fall in 1979.
Pailin Deputy Governor Keuth Sothea, a former Khmer Rouge fighter, called other former soldiers to attend a ceremony Friday, to meditate for their fallen friends and family.
A giant stupa has been built in Pailin’s largest pagoda, with the remains of many soldiers interred within.
Chea Sovang, who burned five joss sticks at the ceremony Friday, spoke so softly he could scarcely be heard: “I meditate for friends who were with me when we were in the jungle. We had nothing to eat during the war. And I pity them. They had no parents. They had nothing. And they were injured and died in blood.”
Pchum Ben is a 15-day Buddhist ceremony where Cambodians honor the dead by traveling to the pagodas with food and offerings for the spirits. It ends Sept. 30.
An untold number of Cambodian guerrillas and soldiers died in decades of fighting that only ended in 1996.
“They are good believers,” venerable monk Nhim Sothun, chief of the Ratana Sophoan pagoda, said of the former Khmer Rouge. “They come here because they understand well Buddhism, and they have done real meditation.”
13 comments:
All these Khmer rouge people they are good for faking.
Buddhism religion it never fit with Khmer rouge.
Khmer rouge killed millions people; for sure, they will go to hell.
You are right. Given another chance, they kill again.
Khmer Rouge killed Cambodian people base communist ideology! May I remind you that Buddhism is form of communism? The Khmer Rouge (Khmer red or Khmer communist) is dead in Cambodia and there is nothing for the Khmer Rouge to fight or to kill for! It is so sad that the Khmer Rouge leaders have to learn the hard way! If the Khmer Rouge were to adopt Buddhism as their communist ideology and Cambodia wouldn’t be so backward to the year of zero!
It is so sad that Buddhism is a dying religion in Cambodia!
Buddhist is dying here because of heavy infidels intrusion.
Thank you PM Hun Sen for getting rid of the brutal Regime that was created by Ah Khmer-Oversea and saved millions and millions of real Khmers from the mass graves.
To 9:13AM
Please don't forget that your PM Hun Xen was a former Khmer Rouge himself! And without the Khmer oversea and Cambodia would still be living under the Vietcong occupation! Now! If your PM Hun Xen saved Cambodian people from the mass graves and how come there are mass graves all over Cambodia?
So much for your logic!
Nope, without Ah Khmer-Oversea, Cambodia will would have been as good as Thailand or Singapore.
Cambodia under the Vietcong occupation could have been like Thailand or Singapore? ahhahhaha! Tell me when the Vietcong withdrew their troop from Cambodia and did Cambodia has anything to brag about? Nothing! Only now that AH HUN XEN want to develop Cambodia?
AH HUN XEN has wasted so much time since he was handpick by the Vietcong leaders to rule over Cambodia! And even today he is still wasting a lot of time and energy in suppressing the opposition party and kicked Cambodian King and Queen out of Cambodia! I don't need to say more!
There are goof in Cambodia who believe Hun Xen has saved them but in fact it was Pen Sovann who led. The goof around here were born yesterday that is what they know.
Thank you XMER Hun Sen and Hanoi for saving Cambodia. 9:13AM, you must do thorough research to skim out who is a real peer or foe. Don't preach bias comment without facts. Ignorance is not bliss.
Well what did I missed? Did you fagots from oversea flew over in a UFO spaceship and zapped the Khmer Rouge and saved all of us or something?
To 8:39PM
Say anything you want Vietcong bitch! In fact, it is your PM Hun Xen who helps the Vietcong to occupy Cambodia for 10 years! One condition is clear which supported by United States, China, and ASEAN especially Thailand that they will continue to support the Khmer Rouge as long as the Vietcong continue to occupy Cambodia!
You wish that your PM Hun Xen can wipe out the Khmer Rouge! ahahhah
To the 8:39 PM goof, you are the oversea as if you did came and save Cambodia!! too much cable TV for you and the only think you know is ah jo hun xen jacked you from behind. Must be one of those prostitute educator who taught to only know about hun xen. oh yeah u r from oversea bitch lol
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