I read this article in Cambodge Soir, and noticed it wasn't up on KI Media, so I translated it and put it up on my blog. Usually KI Media has translations up before I even knew that an article existed. If you want to post it on KI Media, please feel free to use this translation. If not, that's fine too -- I just want to save you guys some work just in case. Thanks for maintaining a great blog!
Ly Arun
Controversy over the Rock Opera "Where Elephants Weep"
A monk calls for a ban on the distribution of the TV show and demands public apologies from the writers and actors.
The Supreme Patriarch Non Gneth got hot under the collar while watching the rock opera "Where Elephants Weep" this past December 25 on the CTN television channel. He made it known in a message addressed December 30 to the Ministry of Cults and Religions, which he forwarded to the Ministries of Culture and of Information. According to him, this work touches "on religious precepts" because the actors that play the roles of monks singing and dancing are a little too "delinquent" for his taste. Other grounds for this monk's wrath include the words uttered by one of the characters, "a monk wants a woman," and the fact that a monk had watched a woman from a hiding place. Accordingly, he calls simply and purely for a total ban on its broadcast and asks the actors who play the roles of monks and the opera producers to offer public apologies.
From the Ministry of Culture's office, one source points to a possible "confusion," saying more specifically "that no decision has yet been made." Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information, has for his part asked his counterpart in the Ministry of Culture not to ban future performances of the opera, but only its broadcasting on Cambodian television. The minister, who sees no need to be too "purist," believes that through this show "the quality of Khmer art will be recognized" overseas.
In response to this controversy, the musical composer of "Where Elephants Weep," Him Sophy, himself Buddhist, would like all to understand that this opera completely serves Buddhism, because if the characters of the monks run into trouble, it's because they didn't listen to their temple abbot. And to wonder, "if you say that this opera is against Buddhism, then why not say that the local newspapers that publish articles about monks who rape women are also against Buddhism?"
17 comments:
That's a huge problem to Cambodia & its People have the ruling Group of Uneducated people,the PM & Sangha.
It's so sad how to see the ignorant's views of those group.
Bravo Lauk Him Sophy !
I would like to take my hat off for your compose of the show : " Where Elephant Weep ".
Pls keep up your noble acts and forget the ignorants.
You & your mighty team have bring Khmer=Culture into World Class.
Well done and all the best !!!
May Lord Buddha bless you all.
Who care about "Elephant Weep".
The main problems of our Cambodia are:
- Hun Sen/CPP/VN puppet are still in the government.
- Vietnameses illegal are everywhere in Cambodia (millions of them).
- Koh Tral has lost to VN and other small islands.
Khmer people are still very poor, except all th CPP gangs only that are very ric.
Think about that my compatriotes.
Ah tomato pickers must be stopped from bringing evil into our holly soil.
The Opera didn't hurt Buddhism. Please Long Nget and Tep Vong it's' none of your Business.
For me Religion is not important and I don't acre too much about it. Even Top Monks are hypocrite men who pretend to be Buddhists.
We don't care about how important it is to tomato pickers. We only care about how important religion is to Khmer people and monks.
Dear All, Buddhist is not a show, Buddhist is not an entertaiment, Buddhist is not commercialable, Buddhist is morally correct for all human kind as a peaceful Religion. Any performence is should not affect Buddhist principle fondamental.
I need to make a point between the new paper published an imoral Buddhist Monk raped a woman is completly distinct from the Buddhist Monk in the Opera show.
One, is telling a bad Buddist Monk has commited a crime, wich is the public must disrobe the Monk then chasing him away from Monkhood(is not a Buddhist monk).
Second,is telling the Buddhist monk doing as a usual pratices,(in Opera show)that is a totally wrong to the Buddhist pratices. You, pro- ducer should have to think twice or specification is needed. We as Khmer respectful to Buddhist religion don't want to see a curnning culprits nor a cadre of people to confuse the word opinions who do not know enough about this religion. We do know ourselves, ther're some bad Monks pretending within Buddhist but don't makes it wrong; the buddhist always guide human kind to peaceful way where the serenity is !,( Bad monk has commited crime is not the Buddist religion).
PL.K
We just say the personal, one is bad we say person but not the all
These so-called Buddhist patriarchs are living in the Stone Age. Buddhism is a tolerant religion. Artistic expressions should be tolerated. These senior monks should be sent to be re-educated in the modern world, from a western institution, I mean.
Well, I try not post comment about it but I can't keep myself from writing.
What ashame! 9h56... You start up with look people down already. Tomato picker OR not who care. If you do not like the show at what points, please bring it up. I mean, we all have the right to speak out... The word "Tomato Picker" is not point... Let me remind that this tomato picker who you think he is can bring something that Cambodian culture is known... can you do that like him, OR even better than him before you even say the word "Tomato Picker"... I am done with you here!!!
Now, this is Opera... You can't really appreciate the value in it because it is require minimum education!!! Again this is OPERA... Lots of people react with the monks who sing... THIS is wrong according to buddhist!!! let's say it is... but it is in the OPERA! How about high ranking monk with Lexus, body guard, high class celphone, can only sleep in air cond villa... Anybody dare to say this is wrong? nobody... because even monks have his political side... and if you reject to stay in neutral... your pagoda will never develop!!!
How about that? For those who reject the SHOW...
បញ្ហាដែលកើតមានពីរធំៗ និងដែលបានចុះផ្សាយដោយ KI គឺរឿង Khmer Opera នេះ និងគំនូររបស់ REAHU បានធ្វើឲ្យខ្ញុំចាប់អារម្មណ៍ពីពាក្យថា Open Mind ក្នុងទស្សនៈរបស់ជនជាតិខ្មែរនៅបរទេស ។
ចំពោះលោកអ្នកនិពន្ធរឿងខ្មែរអូប៉េរ៉ា តើគាត់យករឿងទុំទាវមកសម្ដែងតែម្ដង រឹគាត់បានកែច្នៃរឿងទុំទាវចាស់ រឺមួយគាត់និពន្ធរឿងនេះថ្មីទាំងស្រុង? ក្នុងរឿងទុំទាវ នេនទុំមិនបានរួមសង្វាសជាមួយនាងទាវមុនពេលដែលខ្លួនលាចាកសិក្ខាបទនោះទេ តែរឿងខ្មែរអូប៉េរ៉ាខុសពីនេះ ហើយដែលជាចំនុចរសើបមួយក្នុងចំនោមចំនុចជាច្រើនដែលព្រះសង្ឃបានប្ដឹង ។ មួយវិញទៀត បើរឿងនេះជារឿងនិពន្ធថ្មី ខ្ញុំអាចនិយាយបានថា អ្នកនិពន្ធមិនបានគិតឲ្យបានដិតដល់ និងប្រហែលជាចង់ធ្វើឲ្យប៉ះទង្គិចចំពោះសតិអារម្មណ៍អ្នកកនា់ព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនា រឺចង់បន្តុះបង្អាប់ព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាតែម្ដង ។ មានប្រធានបទជាច្រើនដែលអ្នកនិពន្ធគួរតែលើកមកសម្ដែង ហើយដែលមិនប៉ះពាល់ដល់សាសនា ។ ក៏ដូចគ្នានេះផងដែរ REAHUម្ដេចក៏លើកយករូបអប្សរាមកច្នៃប្រឌិតតាមការស្រម៉ៃរបស់ខ្លួន ឲ្យក្លាយជារូបមួយប្រកបដោយភាពស្រើបស្រាលទៅវិញ ដែលហាក់ដូចជាចង់លើកកម្ពស់អំពើអាណាចារក្នុងសង្គម? ខ្ញុំទទួលស្គាល់ថាគំនូររបស់លោករាហ៊ូមួយចំនួនគឺត្រូវបានគូវប្រកបដោយទឹកដៃល្អណាស់។
រួមមកវិញ មានខ្មែរនៅបរទេសជាច្រើនណាស់ តាមរយៈ KIនេះ បានទាមទារឲ្យខ្មែរបើកទូលាយគំនិតរបស់ខ្លួន(Open mind)។ ជាយោបល់របស់ខ្ញុំ សព្វថ្ងៃប្រជាជនខ្មែរមានសិទ្ធិទទួល (Access) បានព័ត៌មានច្រើនណាស់បើប្រៀបធៀបជាមួយប្រទេសជិតខាង ដូចជាវៀតណាម ចិន ហើយក៏ប្រហែលជាថៃថងដែរ ។ ការបើកទូលាយគំនិតប្រភេទនេះ ប្រហែលជានាំទៅរកមហន្តរាយនៃវប្បធម៌ខ្មែរ ។ លោកព្រហ្ម ម៉ាញបានស្ដីបន្ទោសកូនគាត់ថា បំផ្លាញតាំងពីនៅអាមេរិច រហូតមកដល់ស្រុកខ្មែរ តាមបំផ្លាញទៀត !!!http://www.kohsantepheapdaily.com.kh/khmer/manh06_01.htm
Ah Donut makers, tomato pickers, potato diggers, ..., must all be banned from entering Cambodia to protect the Khmer culture.
Of course they're Donut Makers,Tomato pickers and Potato diggers but they poure a few hundred million dollars every year into Cambodia=Economy.
Don't U know the rulers now were from
" Kruop Ampil Dors Chanh Pi Arch Ko."
The Tamarind seed has been grown from
Ox-Dung.
I support the film producer, this story really reflex the reality of our society, I mean the monk or Sangha. I really see many monk do many bad actities and act very like a laymen.
I live close to picture painter house who do business with Wat or pagoda, they family realy complaint aobut bad monk attitude, nearly every pagoda ask for commission otherwise they will not get project to do. At night time the monk come to ask their worker for clothes go out to dance, the monk act like gangster..... and some pagoda had mistress....
Let see what happen next to our monk in our society?
SC
hey what those monkeys in the wat do every night if there is on elephant show? Watching concert on ctn? Oh the time who was the dam monkey donate an actress for her petit accident the show just reflect a few volation that monkeys do in the wat.
i'd say shut the fuck up monkeys. Buddha bless all good monks "those who do not watch tv at night, not enjoy live concert".
You get the picture right buddha said "Calm down"
SC 4:31pm We, the Buddhist beleivers are not mute nor deaft. We are disccussing right now is about the fact which is not the fake; the buddhist religion is a morally correct, this Opera displayed is, picturing a bad induvidual Buddist monk as regular Buddhist pratices, this is a totally wrong, at least producer specified. You are a younger generation might speculated some Ho CHI...'s monks who are perpetrated inside Cambodian sociaety, these monks are order by Hanoy Gv't, they have a specific mission to accomplish, to destroy Khmer back bonne such a,( Buddhist religion) as you might alrteady seen in Khmer Kampucher Krom). If you want to know for sure just ask the monk's pasport from Kampuchea Krom How VGV'T said in the religion specify box ??? then you will aware of it. From time to time in Cambodia there're all kind of monks that we have ever known before, this kind of monk you're talking about don't you ???, don't make it wrong, that is not Buddist young man!, Buddhist von't ever disapear from Cambodian mentality.
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