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| The venerable monk Loun Souvath sits with residents of the Boeung Kak lake area during a demonstration outside City Hall earlier this month in Phnom Penh. Loun Souvath has been forced into hiding. (Photo by: Will Baxter) |
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post
A monk at Wat Ounalom in Phnom Penh on Monday fled the pagoda out of fear of arrest by authorities for his participation in protests held by Boeung Kak lakeside residents and villagers embroiled in a land dispute in Chi Kraeng commune.
The venerable Luon Savath, ordained in 1990, went into hiding after returning from a protest in front of City Hall at the weekend, he said yesterday, adding that police have threatened him with arrest on four previous occasions over his involvement in protests.
“The authorities have not only warned me that they would arrest me, but have tried to get me defrocked by calling me a fake monk who violates Buddhist rules of conduct,” he said.
Luon Savath said that a police truck followed him back to the pagoda on Sunday and that he saw police stationed near the pagoda before fleeing in a car driven by staff at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“I am not involved with Boeung Kak villagers. I do not make problems. I was just observing the protest to find justice for the people,” he said.
Touch Naruth, chief of Phnom Penh Municipal Police, declined to comment yesterday. Chuon Narin, head of the municipal penal police department, said he did not know anything about the issue.
However, Phon Davy, director of the municipal cults and religions department, said that Luon Savath had not only joined with Boeung Kak lake protesters but others at Wat Botum and in Siem Reap.
“That monk has violated the rules to such an extent that the Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia Tep Vong issued a warning letter to ban all monks from joining protests,” he said yesterday.
Am Sam Ath, a technical supervisor for local rights group Licadho, said Luon Savath has only monitored villager protests to encourage them and blessed them for good luck.
“Targeting him is a serious violation of human rights,” Am Sam Ath said.
13 comments:
This is perfect example that vietcong did not enter cambodia in term of LIBERATION, but INVASION.
Cause they never left cambodia.
Liberation would be short term, like iraq, American troops have a timeline for withdrawal.
Vietcong, after 30 years, still in cambodia. Is that the meaning of friendship, and liberation?
Khmer monk is our khmer leader
Buddha est le maître de l'univers
Communist Sihanouk,Ho Chiminh and Mao must stop destroying Cambodia.
2 451 456 were killed,that's enough!
Come on dear people joint our khmer monk.
"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world."Lord Buddha.
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
Kon Kmeng Naek Srae
Ven. Luon Savath should lead a Cambodian Saffron Revolution. Can all monks in Cambodia start this revolution?
Come on dear people,it's time to wake up!
"If you get a prudent companion who is fit to live with you,who behaves well ,and is wise,you should live with him joyfully and mindfully over coming all dangers."Lord Buddha.
"SaChé-Lak-Phéthak,Ni Pataing Saha-yaing...........Manau-Sakti-ma"
Please Khmer people, stand together to protect and around our Monk who is our most hero, our Buddha lord!
um thueng un i am didov
Sound like the story from Khmer Krome but it happens right here in Cambodia.
If you fight for your freedom/ rights, don't back down because your life was threaten. Don't follow Sam Rainsey's footsteps, run and hide.
Monk or no Monk, you all should stand up and fight and don't back down, "Die with freedom is better than live as slave" remember people die everyday, if you fight for your freedom and die today you your kids, grdkids, greatgrandkids will have their freedom because you have fought for their freedom, you will be remembered as "Hero."
When! state controle religion!
Uneducated teach sclolars!
Ah Kwack lead the good two eyes!!!!
What's a fucking jock!!!!
I support every comment made here. This shows that most Khmers still love each other. Please keep this momentum up and continue to encourage our people to not let off the pressure. Tep Vong is not on the Khmer side. He issued an order to prevent monks from supporting Khmer victims. He is using his power of a Supreme Patriarch of monks to smother other monks and all Khmers who are just trying to survive with a bit more dignity.
Tep Vong is in co-hoot with Yuon trying to destroy Khmer religion and morale. He could not see that our people are being treat less than animals. Look at the inhumane acts being committed on our Khmer poor. For decades now, we the Khmer poor are left to fend for ourselves. Our supreme leaders never care to protect us except hurting us and taking every thing away from us.
Folks, please remember the land they are taking away from our Khmer poor belongs to all Khmers, not the few at the top. The billions of US dollars that these top leaders have belong to our people. They steal from us. This money will be taken away from them when we could topple them, just like the US is now freezing 33 billions US dollars that Moama Gadhafi has stolen from the Libyan people.
Time is coming. We must stick together. The truth and good deed will prevail. We will see a new, liberal, and glorious Kampuchea in our lifetime.
Love and Peace.
Damaged Soul.
There are no monks,there is no religion ;there is no religion ,
there is no nation.
Monks have to lead Khmer people to
rise up against Hun Sen and Vietnam
in Cambodia.But many monks in Hun Sen regime are Vietminh and Vietcong,
they never care about Khmer people.
The monk who sits here is so brave.
He risks his life to protect Boeung Kok Lake people.
May God Buddha bless Boeung Kok people and Luon Savath.
These people lives are precious than gold and diamond.
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