Congregants vote for nine new board members of Wat Vipassanaram in Long Beach on Friday. A court challenge to an election a year ago framed a yearlong dispute over leadership of the Cambodian Buddhist temple. More than 400 temple members were expected to vote. (Stephen Carr/Staff Photographer)01/23/2009
By Greg Mellen Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram (California, USA)
LONG BEACH - Despite a gloomy forecast, cold weather and rainfall, for the second time in a year about 400 congregants of a Cambodian Buddhist temple showed up to cast ballots in an attempt to find leadership at the embattled temple.
Friday's election, for all nine spots on the temple's board of directors, was ordered by Superior Court Judge Joseph Di Loreto, who has been overseeing a yearlong legal battle between the long-standing board of directors at Wat Vipassanaram and a dissident group of congregants supported by the monks.
Although temple bylaws allow only three members to be elected to the board in any year, Di Loreto said the existing board members had so abrogated their responsibilities that all nine seats should be put up.
The temple was open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. to give working templegoers time to vote. Ballots were being counted late Friday night and results should be in Sunday's Press-Telegram.
The candidates are Yin Ath, Chhan Aun, Nhror Aun, Bryant Ben, Kosal Chhum, Kea Him, Amphan Keo, Elizabeth Keo, John Kong, Alex Lim, Siu Chheng Lim, Anthony Ly, Chou Ngim Ly, Sonly Muy, Teang Neth, Sovannara Nou, Chhakry Oun, Mum Pel, Teang Pream, Larry Sar, Hack Sok, Darin Sun, Sophal Um, Praseur Vann.
Twenty-four congregants were nominated and placed on the ballot, including monk Aun, in an apparent violation of the temple bylaws. Typically monks, especially in the conservative Theravada school of Buddhism practiced at Wat Vipassanaram, eschew politics and secular matters. Aun was the only monk to accept nomination to the board.
A last-minute appeal by the existing board of directors for an injunction to stop the election failed when the Second District Appellate Court denied the petition.
While the election was being staged on one side of the wat complex, Siphann Tith, executive director of the current board, and his supporters sat on the other.
Tith said he sent a letter to the dissidents saying an election wouldn't be allowed on temple property, but relented when the congregants arrived.
"As long as they don't cause problems," Tith said, he wouldn't contest the staging of the event.
"I'm not going to have a confrontation, there has already been too many," Tith said.
Regardless of Friday's results, the existing board of directors is appealing Di Loreto's authority and rulings. None of the current board members is on the ballot, and Tith says he will not recognize the results.
The dissidents say when Di Loreto approves the election results they will assume control of governance of the temple and its assets, which are currently being handled by a court-appointed receiver.
"It feels good, finally," said board candidate Ly, one of the original leaders of the group contesting the current board of directors. "We'll just follow the judge's orders and everything should be OK."
Ben, another board candidate, was eager for the results to come in Friday afternoon.
"As soon as the judge approves, we're going to take action right away," Ben said.
"We're going to clean up this mess," said Sar.
In January 2008, in similar weather, members of the wat showed up in big numbers to oust the existing board of directors in the first election in more than a decade.
At the time, members of the board asked that the election be postponed until March. They had been in the process of rewriting bylaws since June to conform to California law and said they needed to finish the job to provide a fair and legitimate election.
Members of the existing board accused outsiders of trying to hijack the election and control of the temple assets by orchestrating a large influx of temple members with no real connection to the wat.
No members of the board were listed as candidates in the 2008 election and the board did not recognize the vote.
The two sides have been in court ever since.
The year-long legal struggle for control of Wat Vipassanaram, which owns several properties and had $4 million in assets before the legal wranglings began, has been a tumultuous experience.
Along the way:
"If it's raining, a lawsuit will follow," he said with a laugh.
greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291
Friday's election, for all nine spots on the temple's board of directors, was ordered by Superior Court Judge Joseph Di Loreto, who has been overseeing a yearlong legal battle between the long-standing board of directors at Wat Vipassanaram and a dissident group of congregants supported by the monks.
Although temple bylaws allow only three members to be elected to the board in any year, Di Loreto said the existing board members had so abrogated their responsibilities that all nine seats should be put up.
The temple was open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. to give working templegoers time to vote. Ballots were being counted late Friday night and results should be in Sunday's Press-Telegram.
The candidates are Yin Ath, Chhan Aun, Nhror Aun, Bryant Ben, Kosal Chhum, Kea Him, Amphan Keo, Elizabeth Keo, John Kong, Alex Lim, Siu Chheng Lim, Anthony Ly, Chou Ngim Ly, Sonly Muy, Teang Neth, Sovannara Nou, Chhakry Oun, Mum Pel, Teang Pream, Larry Sar, Hack Sok, Darin Sun, Sophal Um, Praseur Vann.
Twenty-four congregants were nominated and placed on the ballot, including monk Aun, in an apparent violation of the temple bylaws. Typically monks, especially in the conservative Theravada school of Buddhism practiced at Wat Vipassanaram, eschew politics and secular matters. Aun was the only monk to accept nomination to the board.
A last-minute appeal by the existing board of directors for an injunction to stop the election failed when the Second District Appellate Court denied the petition.
While the election was being staged on one side of the wat complex, Siphann Tith, executive director of the current board, and his supporters sat on the other.
Tith said he sent a letter to the dissidents saying an election wouldn't be allowed on temple property, but relented when the congregants arrived.
"As long as they don't cause problems," Tith said, he wouldn't contest the staging of the event.
"I'm not going to have a confrontation, there has already been too many," Tith said.
Regardless of Friday's results, the existing board of directors is appealing Di Loreto's authority and rulings. None of the current board members is on the ballot, and Tith says he will not recognize the results.
The dissidents say when Di Loreto approves the election results they will assume control of governance of the temple and its assets, which are currently being handled by a court-appointed receiver.
"It feels good, finally," said board candidate Ly, one of the original leaders of the group contesting the current board of directors. "We'll just follow the judge's orders and everything should be OK."
Ben, another board candidate, was eager for the results to come in Friday afternoon.
"As soon as the judge approves, we're going to take action right away," Ben said.
"We're going to clean up this mess," said Sar.
In January 2008, in similar weather, members of the wat showed up in big numbers to oust the existing board of directors in the first election in more than a decade.
At the time, members of the board asked that the election be postponed until March. They had been in the process of rewriting bylaws since June to conform to California law and said they needed to finish the job to provide a fair and legitimate election.
Members of the existing board accused outsiders of trying to hijack the election and control of the temple assets by orchestrating a large influx of temple members with no real connection to the wat.
No members of the board were listed as candidates in the 2008 election and the board did not recognize the vote.
The two sides have been in court ever since.
The year-long legal struggle for control of Wat Vipassanaram, which owns several properties and had $4 million in assets before the legal wranglings began, has been a tumultuous experience.
Along the way:
- The existing board of directors tried to dissolve the board and reform it as a separate entity.
- The court appointed a receiver because of fears of absconding of temple funds.
- The executive director was jailed for contempt of court for refusing to turn over financial records to the receiver.
- The temple had a brief relationship with a Gnostic church in Orange run by John Ramirez, aka Johnny Rhondo, who was implicated in a Texas insurance fraud scheme in 2002.
"If it's raining, a lawsuit will follow," he said with a laugh.
greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291
21 comments:
Please learn not only khmer is Buddhism but other people in this planet.
Communist HO and Mao and Taliban and Al-Quaïda Who destroyed Buddha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D-z6sTs3pU
No, Communist HO and Mao and Taliban and Al-Quaïda only destroy Fake Buddha made by Ah potato-digger oversea.
Thank you all for helping to preserve Buddha name.
Khmer in Long Beach are Fighting to get position as Temple's Board Owner (TBO). They live in the lowest lives on the planet, they took Temple as their BIZ for a daily living and supplement of their Wealfare and Food Stamps.
Y? No Richer San & Sothear San.
Hey, 12:33AM,
King of the Devil temporarily sent you to planet earth becuase you weepingly entreated him. You promised that you would never be arroagant and rude like an ill-bred boy again. Now you completely forgot your promises; remember, King of Devil will come to drag you back to hell after Khmer New Year's day!
12:59AM,
No, it's not like you claim. They are trying to kill some leeches that want to suck the blood of those old people who have contributed to keep their religion survive for their traditional practice. If they don't fight real hard like this, those leeches, old and young, will suck it all. I think by the end of the day, some leeches would be caught and stretched with sharp sticks piercing through at both ends under the hot sun.
Richer San & Sothear San are licking and try to breaking from Associations in L.B to have khmer turn 180 degrees to support CPP.
I agree. They are the Hun Sen's lickspittles ( puok lit komhak).
Richer San & Sothear San are "CHAI's" of Sok An.
Ahaha.. fighting for the head of the Temple (pagoda). We are so ashame to know that some khmer ppl living abroad still have a dispute over the position. It's seem not a [change]. Please work together, please help each other, please support each other, please... I hope everyone fighting for the head not for their OWN benefits.
AUS Khmer-Student
It's a lot easier to just sit back and relax and let the Thai run the show.
It's funny to see Ah corrupted potato diggers try to run their own show. How long do you think it going to last until someone end up bing incarcerated as usual?
Did you two monkeys, 4:06PM and 6:03PM know anything about this temple dispute? If you don't just shut up and stay silent. I have told you many times that God give you one mouth and two ears because He wants you to listen more than to talk. Human beings everywhere sometimes engaged in arguments, or fightings; it's unavoidable. Old and young Cambodians here absolutely do not need Thais to run anything for them. They are all grown up and decent enough to handle their own problems. This election was held for the purpose of getting rid off some leeches that have sucked the blood of the innocent old and young Cambodian Buhhdists who have contributed all along for the sake of keeping their
religion alive for their traditional practice. So, if you don't the matter, just stay silent, or you cannot, because you were born to cocky and arrogant like Hun Sen. If you were, you can jump in to help your leech-friend, because some of them are Hun Sen''s arse kissers.
correction you don't the matter=
you don't know the matter
No, shut the fuck up Ah Hypocrite potato digger. We've heard enough of your stupid excuses. So stop bragging. We all know you don't got any brain to run shit.
10:53PM,
just as I told you earlier: once I report about your evil and immoral conduct to the King of the Hell, he will soon furiously hunt you down and drag you back to hell and never realse you to planet earth for millions of your lifetimes, you ill-bred kid!
correction: reals=release
Wrong, Ah potato digger (11:45), once you got to hell, you aint coming back, motherfucker!
Khmer people is greedy and thirty for money. Just one small temple they fight for the seat. Old director doesn't want to step down because of money and fame. The same thing as Hun Sen does to Cambodia. He wants to be PM for the rest of his life even his death in the near future. Shame on Khmers in that temple.
The same as Wat Khmer Willow, I felt a shame for the head monk, Kong Chheang, has a girl friend and now dare to come back to become a head monk. We should vote down this monk out of the temple too. Since this temple opened the door, only $80,000 left in the account. Where are all the donations?. I don't have any respect to this monk anymore. He is Hun Sen puppet and CPP supporter. He is a communist who works for Hun Sen like Sihanouk.
Maryland temple doesn't allow monk to hold money. The monk money will be controlled by the director. They don't allow to drive a car like Kong Chheang who owns Mercedez and his subordinates who owns car for themself.
Shame, shame
All races of people are greedy.
It's OK for you not to have respect for Kung Chhean, so don't I. I even don't have respect for Tep Vong, either. But if you declare that you have no respect for all Buddhist monks, I think, you go too far; nonetheless, it's still OK if you are a Christian. I am a Buddhist; I have great respect for some highly disciplined Buddhist monks, and I do not respect for those Buddhist monks who drive their car around to buy Karaoke dvds. I'm a very opened-minded person: I claim myself as a Buddhism believer, but I watch some church pastors like Joel Osteen, Joice Meyer, Dr. Richard, and Dr. Wayne Dyer, etc., every week, because their teachings are good, too.
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