By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
On 24 October, opposition leader Sam Rainsy accused the Chantrea district authority, Svay Rieng province, of banning the opposition party from holding a Kathen procession to Wat Ang Romdenh pagoda, located along the border between Cambodia and Vietnam. The Kathen is planned for 25 October and threats and directives were issued to monks and the pagoda laymen ordering them not to receive this Kathen.
However, the local authority claimed that this accusation is not true.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy told RFA that the banning is a serious discrimination.
Sam Rainsy said: “The SRP organized a Kathen, there will be prayers held on the 24th and on the 25th, there will be a procession leading to a pagoda in Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province. The local authority threatened the monks and the pagoda members, telling them not to accept Sam Rainsy’s Kathen. This action is absolutely not proper because we are Buddhist, we go to the pagoda, we hold religious ceremony, we organize the Kathen and there is no party distinction. Politics is one thing, religion is another, and as the rights for all the people, we can organize religious events any time, anywhere, whoever wants to join, they can do so.”
Sam Rainsy indicated that he will hold the Kathen procession as planned on 25 Otober.
Kim Mao, the Samrong commune chief in Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province, indicated that the local authority allowed the holding of this Kathen: “They already authorized it! They just hold a religious celebration!”
Sok Serey: So there will be no ban?
Kim Mao: Yes, yes.
The Chantrea district governor indicated that the accusation above differs from the truth. The authority recently authorized the Kathen celebration: “We give them the authorization already!”
Sok Serey: But, I heard that there were threats against the monks, telling them not to receive this SRP Kathen, is it true?
Chantrea district governor: It’s not. I signed the authorization already! I signed it the other day.
Nget Nara, a facilitator for the Adhoc human rights group, said that the local situation is tense.
Nget Nara said: “It is tight in this province. The situation is tight because in this situation, they [local authority] do not understand the value of Buddhism. They only understand their own political bias and their own party bias. When I went to teach the community and the people, I saw that a number of local officials are very tight, they are very tight against this teaching.”
The SRP plans to organize a Kathen procession on Sunday 25 October. The SRP office indicated that 26 SRP MPs, Senators and numerous SRP activists will join the procession.
However, the local authority claimed that this accusation is not true.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy told RFA that the banning is a serious discrimination.
Sam Rainsy said: “The SRP organized a Kathen, there will be prayers held on the 24th and on the 25th, there will be a procession leading to a pagoda in Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province. The local authority threatened the monks and the pagoda members, telling them not to accept Sam Rainsy’s Kathen. This action is absolutely not proper because we are Buddhist, we go to the pagoda, we hold religious ceremony, we organize the Kathen and there is no party distinction. Politics is one thing, religion is another, and as the rights for all the people, we can organize religious events any time, anywhere, whoever wants to join, they can do so.”
Sam Rainsy indicated that he will hold the Kathen procession as planned on 25 Otober.
Kim Mao, the Samrong commune chief in Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province, indicated that the local authority allowed the holding of this Kathen: “They already authorized it! They just hold a religious celebration!”
Sok Serey: So there will be no ban?
Kim Mao: Yes, yes.
The Chantrea district governor indicated that the accusation above differs from the truth. The authority recently authorized the Kathen celebration: “We give them the authorization already!”
Sok Serey: But, I heard that there were threats against the monks, telling them not to receive this SRP Kathen, is it true?
Chantrea district governor: It’s not. I signed the authorization already! I signed it the other day.
Nget Nara, a facilitator for the Adhoc human rights group, said that the local situation is tense.
Nget Nara said: “It is tight in this province. The situation is tight because in this situation, they [local authority] do not understand the value of Buddhism. They only understand their own political bias and their own party bias. When I went to teach the community and the people, I saw that a number of local officials are very tight, they are very tight against this teaching.”
The SRP plans to organize a Kathen procession on Sunday 25 October. The SRP office indicated that 26 SRP MPs, Senators and numerous SRP activists will join the procession.
3 comments:
Viet Cong has no Kathen.
When Sihanouk let enter Vietcong in Cambodia in 1970,I saw all were destroyed,bridge,temple without monk,corpse in all rivers without any Justice,.....
Please ECCC bring back all viet cong to Hanoi,make like UNTAC rapartriate all khmer from Khao I Dang into khmer land.
Please hurry up!
The world know well that Communist Sihanouk,Ho Chi Minh,Mao who killed 2 451 621 innocent khmer.
Kathen holiday is for Khmer who believe in Buddhist religion and for somebody to oppose it, those people are not Khmer. Svay Rieng people can organize this holiday anywhere within their province boundary with no fear of outsider intimidation.
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