“The more they stop me, the more I am strong and stand up. Again and again, more and more,” he said.On Saturday, Sovath called on Canadians to support land activists and victims, not just with donations, but also through advocacy and petitions to the Canadian government. Sovath’s message of peaceful action resounded through the audience.“Before, when I was small, I wanted to do something, but I was too scared and I felt alone, so I was discouraged and I lost hope,” said Sarom Om, a Khmer Canadian living in Montreal for 29 years. “If we see someone who stands up, who has confidence, that will help people who want to stand up and help and it will continue like that.”
REPORTED BY
Cambodian monk and human rights activist Venerable Loun Sovath speaks to the Khmer Canadian community at Wat Buddha Sodhara in Montreal. Photo by Heather Stilwell.
REPORTED ON
February 25, 2012
Long ago in the foothills of the Himalayas, a young Prince Siddhartha left the safety of his palace and set off on a journey to overcome suffering. Upon realizing that the root of all suffering was greed, the newly enlightened Buddha dedicated his life to teaching compassion and sympathy to others.
More than 2,500 years later, a Cambodian monk is adding a modern twist to a journey of his own.
Venerable Loun Sovath maintains that Buddhism, human rights, and democracy are intertwined philosophies. He is an outspoken activist, documentary filmmaker, and poet – and earlier this month he boarded a plane to deliver his message of peace to Canada.
“It is very difficult working for human rights and democracy in Cambodia,” said Sovath in Montreal. “I came here because I want Khmer people in solidarity to help each other.”
Sovath is well known among Khmer Canadians, many of whom left Cambodia as early as 1975 to escape the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. Last Saturday at Wat Buddha Sodhara in Saint Laurent, Sovath spoke to Montrealers about Buddhism, human rights issues in Cambodia, and a monk’s role in fighting injustice.
“I’ve never ever seen such an inspirational speech like this,” said event organizer Samnang Chuop. “People can listen to him talk for hours and hours.”
Sovath spoke in particular about corporate land acquisitions and violent forced evictions in Cambodia - an escalating problem as the country rapidly develops.
Few Cambodians have official titles for their land, a legacy of the Khmer Rouge who outlawed land ownership in 1975. As a result, land disputes are common and often result in evictions to make way for urban development or agro-business.
While some of the evicted are compensated, rights groups like Amnesty International continue to document violent evictions and the detainment of protestors, often women and children. On Jan. 26, Cambodian human rights organization LICADHO reported at least five incidents in which armed forces opened fire during protests in the two months prior.
Sovath became personally invested in the land issue after police shot and injured both his brother and nephew during a land dispute in Chi Kreng community, Siem Reap Province in 2009. Four days later he had already produced a documentary on the issue and was using it “to educate the people to know the power of themselves.”
Though his activism is peaceful, Sovath continues to be threatened by government and police officials. Even high-ranking religious officials claim he is violating the monastic code. He is banned from all pagodas and is in danger of being defrocked. Still, Sovath continues his work tirelessly.
“The more they stop me, the more I am strong and stand up. Again and again, more and more,” he said.
On Saturday, Sovath called on Canadians to support land activists and victims, not just with donations, but also through advocacy and petitions to the Canadian government. Sovath’s message of peaceful action resounded through the audience.
“Before, when I was small, I wanted to do something, but I was too scared and I felt alone, so I was discouraged and I lost hope,” said Sarom Om, a Khmer Canadian living in Montreal for 29 years. “If we see someone who stands up, who has confidence, that will help people who want to stand up and help and it will continue like that.”
“I’ve lived in Canada 20 years. I love this country,” said Sok Siven. “I want my Cambodia, my Khmer people, to have a life like me in Canada also.”
Sovath’s Canadian trip will include stays in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Ottawa.
9 comments:
Hopefully, EB (poster of this article) of KI-Media is not the same EB of "When the War Was Over"!!!
Ven. Luon savath,
Your good deeds and heroic acts will live forever !!
Thank You for your courage to stand up against injustice.
This injustice in Cambodia is so special because it was created mostly by Vietnam and if let it alone will lead to Cambodia's disappearance from the world map.
You are undoubtedly our Khmer hero.
Best wishes and good luck to you !!
ប្រយ័ត្ន ខុស វិន័យ ព្រះសង្ឈ លោកតា ក្បាល
ត្រង៉ោល!!!
ដល់អឺរ៉ុបសន្សំបច្ច័យបានច្រើនកុំបំភ្លេចអ្នកជួយ
ផងណា ពីព្រោះការរកស៊ីហ៊ុនគ្នាត្រូវគោរពសន្យា
កុំដល់ត្រើយសើយគួថដាក់
ឯណាទៅសាមគ្គីភាពរវាងខ្មែរនិងខ្មែរនោះ?
អ្នកស្នេហាជាតិឡើងមកកាត់ជាពីរបីកំណាត់។
នេះឬខ្មែររស់នៅបរទេស?
ការជួយសង្គ្រោះជាតិ សាសនា ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ
មិនខុសវិន័យ ឬ ត្រូវអាបត្តិទេ។
ព្រះសង្ឃខ្មែររាប់សែនអង្គក្នុងប្រទេសខ្មែរ ឥតហ៊ានងើបព្រះកេស ធ្វើដូចព្រះតេជគុណ
លួន សាវ៉ាតទេ។
ព្រះសង្ឃរាប់រយអង្គមកបរទេសសុំលុយសម្រាប់
ផ្ទាល់ខ្លួន តែលួន សាវ៉ាតជួយរាស្ត្រខ្មែរគ្រប់ទី
កន្លែងនៅស្រុកខ្មែរ។សូមបើកភ្នែកឲ្យធំៗ ត្រចៀក
ឲ្យធំៗ ហើយចិត្តឲ្យទូលាយផងទៅ។
បើជួយហើយទារសំណង កុំជួយប្រសើរជាង
ទុកឲ្យខ្មែរស្លាប់អស់ បាត់បង់ប្រទេសជាតិ។
ការធ្វើអំពើល្អដល់គេ និង គេធ្វើអំពើអាក្រក់
ចំពោះខ្លួន ត្រូវតែបំភ្លេចចោល។ កុំហត់ទឹក
សំឡឹងកាក។
សូមឲ្យព្រះអង្គ លួន សាវ៉ាត មានជោគជ័យ
ទីកន្លែងនៅស្រុកខ្មែរ និង នៅបរទេស។
សូមឲ្យខ្មែរមានសាមគ្គីភាពរវាងខ្មែរនិងខ្មែរ។
អង្គការលើដែលជាក្រុមឃាដករជីវិតខ្មែរប្រមាណបី
លាននាក់បានបន្សល់ទុកនៅផ្លែផ្កាគឺរាជនិងរដ្ឋអំណាចខ្មែរសព្វថ្ងៃនេះ។
អាស្រ៍យហេតុដូច្នេះហើយទើបបានជាសាលាក្តីខ្មែរក្រហមត្រូវបានពួកវារំខានយកជើងរាទឹកគ្រប់ពេលដើម្បីលាក់ការពិតលាក់ឈ្មោះលាក់មុខមាត់ក្រុមពួកវាដែលជាឃាដករប្រឆាំងមនុស្សជាតិ។
ដើម្បីសង្រ្គោះជាតិខ្មែរឲ្យរុងរឿងមានយុត្តិធម៌បានសុខសន្តិភាពពិតប្រាកដគឺត្រូវតែមានអគ្គមគ្គុទេសខ្មែរថ្មីដែលដុះចេញអំពីខ្មែររងគ្រោះគឺផ្ទុយអំពីរាជ
និងរដ្ឋអំណាចសព្វថ្ងៃដែលដុះចេញអំពីអង្គការ
លើខ្មែរក្រហម។
ប៉ារីស៍ព្រឹកថ្ងៃទី២៦កុម្ភៈ២០១២
អក្សរភាសាខ្មែរ
7:15 AM n 7:31 AMខុសវិន័យ
សាមគ្គីភាពរវាងខ្មែរនិងខ្មែរ មិនខុសវិន័យ ឬ ត្រូវអាបត្តិទេ ។
សូមឲ្យព្រះតេជគុណ លួន សាវ៉ាត មានជោគជ័យ
នៅស្រុកខ្មែរ និង នៅបរទេស។
ខុសវិន័យសម្រាប់ ...........yuon CPP
មិនខុសវិន័យសម្រាប់
...........ប្រទេសជាតិខ្មែរ
Correction :
7:15 AM n 7:31 AM
សាមគ្គីភាពរវាងខ្មែរនិងខ្មែរ មិនខុសវិន័យ ឬ ត្រូវអាបត្តិទេ ។
សូមឲ្យព្រះតេជគុណ លួន សាវ៉ាត មានជោគជ័យ
នៅស្រុកខ្មែរ និង នៅបរទេស។
ខុសវិន័យសម្រាប់ ...........yuon CPP
មិនខុសវិន័យសម្រាប់...........ប្រទេសជាតិខ្មែរ
អង្គការលើដែលជាក្រុមឃាដករជីវិតខ្មែរប្រមាណបី
លាននាក់បានបន្សល់ទុកនៅផ្លែផ្កាគឺរាជនិងរដ្ឋអំណាចខ្មែរសព្វថ្ងៃនេះ។
អាស្រ៍យហេតុដូច្នេះហើយទើបបានជាសាលាក្តី
ខ្មែរក្រហមត្រូវបានពួកវារំខានយកជើងរាទឹក
គ្រប់ពេលដើម្បីលាក់ការពិតលាក់ឈ្មោះ លាក់មុខមាត់ក្រុមពួកវាដែលជាឃាដករ ប្រឆាំងមនុស្សជាតិ។
ដើម្បីសង្រ្គោះជាតិខ្មែរឲ្យរុងរឿងមានយុត្តិធម៌ បានសុខសន្តិភាពពិតប្រាកដ គឺត្រូវតែមានអគ្គមគ្គុទេសខ្មែរថ្មីដែលដុះចេញអំពីខ្មែររងគ្រោះគឺផ្ទុយអំពី រាជនិងរដ្ឋអំណាចសព្វថ្ងៃដែលដុះចេញអំពី អង្គការលើខ្មែរក្រហម។
ប៉ារីស៍ព្រឹកថ្ងៃទី២៦កុម្ភៈ២០១២
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