May 03, 2006
Phnom Penh (ANTARA News) - Cambodia's first Buddhist monk to re-enter the religion after the fall of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime has been elevated to the kingdom's highest position in the religion by King Norodom Sihamoni, according to letters released Wednesday.
The Mahanikaya Buddhist sect leader, Most Venerable Tep Vong, had previously held an equal position at the head of Cambodia's national religion of Buddhism with the Dhamayut Buddhist sect leader, Most Venerable Bou Kry. The pair are regarded as the nation's foremost Buddhist masters.
In a letter released Wednesday, Prime Minister Hun Sen congratulated Tep Vong on his new appointment to a title which translates roughly as "Great Monarch Chief Monk", saying he had "sacrificed everything to Buddhism and Khmer society" and lauding his work in ensuring the stability of Buddhism in Cambodia, DPA reported.
King Sihamoni issued the decree to promote Tep Vong on April 29, according to documents made available to the media Wednesday.
Tep Vong is recognised as the first Buddhist to rejoin the monkhood in 1979, almost immediately after Vietnamese-backed troops overthrew the Khmer Rouge's bloody Democratic Kampuchea regime.
The nation's other Buddhist master, Bou Kry, returned to Cambodia with former king, Norodom Sihanouk, in around 1992 after the Paris Peace Accord was signed in 1991.
Religion was abolished by the Khmer Rouge when it took power in 1975 and thousands of Buddhist monks are numbered amongst the up to two million Cambodians who died of starvation, disease, overwork, torture and execution under that regime.
Today, an estimated 95 percent of the Cambodian population again call themselves Buddhists, and Buddhism is the national religion.
The Mahanikaya Buddhist sect leader, Most Venerable Tep Vong, had previously held an equal position at the head of Cambodia's national religion of Buddhism with the Dhamayut Buddhist sect leader, Most Venerable Bou Kry. The pair are regarded as the nation's foremost Buddhist masters.
In a letter released Wednesday, Prime Minister Hun Sen congratulated Tep Vong on his new appointment to a title which translates roughly as "Great Monarch Chief Monk", saying he had "sacrificed everything to Buddhism and Khmer society" and lauding his work in ensuring the stability of Buddhism in Cambodia, DPA reported.
King Sihamoni issued the decree to promote Tep Vong on April 29, according to documents made available to the media Wednesday.
Tep Vong is recognised as the first Buddhist to rejoin the monkhood in 1979, almost immediately after Vietnamese-backed troops overthrew the Khmer Rouge's bloody Democratic Kampuchea regime.
The nation's other Buddhist master, Bou Kry, returned to Cambodia with former king, Norodom Sihanouk, in around 1992 after the Paris Peace Accord was signed in 1991.
Religion was abolished by the Khmer Rouge when it took power in 1975 and thousands of Buddhist monks are numbered amongst the up to two million Cambodians who died of starvation, disease, overwork, torture and execution under that regime.
Today, an estimated 95 percent of the Cambodian population again call themselves Buddhists, and Buddhism is the national religion.
8 comments:
Can he preach?
Sorry for the Cambodian buddhists, you have to leave with it.
when will the Cambodians be lead by knowledge in all ways of life?
Bad example,same religion has to lordy master in one samll country.
Relgion is not needed democracy.
Retire Tep Vong and raise Bou Kry to Archprocheapithot magutess.
People say more heads is better than one head but exactly the body of religion is only one Buddha teaching.Why two heads? Is this Royalty cult?
one heads, many legs, many armes;it can be an insect. Two heads? it is not even a bug, it is a freak
Eh! Kmeng Wat
don't you know tha we have big two secs of buddhis in your country?
they have more than two now. there a sec from master country of aa Sraokey.
They are changing our hight value religion to woodo cult.
Hi, everybody know Tep Vong??? I know Tep Vong very well. 1979-1980 Tep Vong has been establish as a Phikhu by Vietnamese wear long hand rop ( Yuon Pak aov dai thom). Tep Vong's Master is Vietnamese mahayana monk (Uppachea of Tep Vong is Yuon). I show with my own eyes in time that Tep Vong take monkhood. Tep Vong spoke Vietnamese to thank to his Uppachea on that time " Cam on thay ". Tep Vong know nothing about Budhist Teaching.
It is nothing wrong in one country with two same religious masters. Many countries in the world do, even in Muslim dominant countries: fundamentalism ant less restricted m Muslim. In Wetern countries where dominated by Christenity, there are many masters in the same religion: Protestant, Catholic, Advantist 7 days, and more. They even bare their member to contact or attend other Churches. In some stage, they prevent their prevented their sons and daughter to marry other branch of the same religion, eg. Chatolic and Protestant.
The problem in Cambodia is Tep Vong himself. He has very limited knowledge in Buddhism. But because he belongs to CPP (Central committee member)the promotion is not a problem. Furthermore, he is not working for Buddhism, but for his own greed and CPP. One funny fact is he always carry the Buddhist official seal in his bag wherever he goes, because hea afraid that some one would steal it.
Hi all, I didn't know Tep Vong is one of KR camrade until last month. He has a good name, but no brain. Most of Cambodia leaders has no high degree except HS has 3 PhD. Most people lives abroad earns BS (boss shit), MS (more shit), PhD (People hungry for Dollar)in their own life time, but HS is smart man, barely reads, write in Khmer earns PhD. He can tell only to children and old Khmer people in rural areas, but don't fool us. We know right/wrong, good/bad, shit or cake. No wonder Tep Vong gets promoted. Do you know in the palace now has two CPP members to see the king movement, one is Tep Vong and the other is the old guy who takes care the king, what's his name? I can't recall.
I'd told you so!.. you all don't seem to get it.. this is call thmeirl mean sasna, the religions just to menipulated to khmers, the UN and the world that's all..eeyore!!
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