The mother of Monk Heng Bun Chhom is seen praying in front of her son's body. Inset: a recent photo of Monk Heng Bun Chhom (Photo: Chan Thet, Koh Santepheap)05 September 2007
By Or Phearith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
The body of a monk was discovered in a temple in Koh Samrong commune, Kompong Siem district, Kompong cham province, in the morning of 05 September 2007.
Sen Sok, the Koh Samrong commune chief, who went to the incident location since early morning with a group of police officers, indicated the name of the monk is Heng Bun Chhom, he was 24-year-old. His burnt body was discovered in the pagoda temple. He was found sitting in a meditation position, inside the temple with all the doors closed. No one know the cause of the death, but based on a police investigation and based on the clarifications provided by 4 other monks in the pagoda, Sen Sok believes that this is a suicide case.
Sen Sok said: “He reaches a point where he self-immolated, based on what we observe at the incident location. There was a Tripitaka book, a cigarette lighter, and a pillow. He was burnt, but he didn’t twitch because he was found in a (meditation) sitting position on the mat, in the same place, and his body was all shrunk. We can’t find any (gasoline) container, it could be that it was completely burnt. Based on observation, this does not look like a murder.”
According to clarifications from witnesses, and the claim made by the commune chief, before the incident took place, on 04 September, at noon time, Monk Heng Bun Chhom went inside the temple, holding a tape player containing a preaching cassette by Buth Savong (a Buddhist preacher in Cambodia). A few hours later, he came back out of the temple.
Based on an eyewitness, at 8:00 PM, the monk went back inside the temple through a window because he forgot to bring the temple key with him. The next morning, his burnt body was discovered while still in a meditation sitting position in the middle of the temple.
After investigating the incident location, the police officers and the commune chief went to look inside the monk’s room. There, they found a 2-page letter in which the monk talked about his self-immolation in dedication to Buddhism. He called on Buddhist followers to rejoice about the sacrifice of his body in the pagoda, he said that his action expresses his happiness and faith on Buddhism.
The abbot of the Samrith Pichey pagoda, indicated over the phone that Monk Heng Bun Chhom was a very gentle monk, and since the start of the monk retreat season, he only talked about death and about dharma. The abbot thinks that Monk Heng Bun Chhom could have become mentally affected after his dharma learning.
The abbot said: “He used to talk about dharma, and he used to preach to other younger monks. He talked long ago about this (self-immolation), ever since the beginning of the monk retreat season. I believe, like the other Buddhist followers, that he (Monk Heng Bun Chhom) studied about the Tripitaka, therefore I believe that he came up with a mental problem.”
Even with all the claims above, Nuon Samin, the provincial police commissioner, indicated that he will provide the reason after the police completes its investigation into this case.
Monk Heng Bun Chhom was born on 01 September 1984 in Prek village, Mien commune, Prey Chho district, Kompong Cham province.
Sen Sok, the Koh Samrong commune chief, who went to the incident location since early morning with a group of police officers, indicated the name of the monk is Heng Bun Chhom, he was 24-year-old. His burnt body was discovered in the pagoda temple. He was found sitting in a meditation position, inside the temple with all the doors closed. No one know the cause of the death, but based on a police investigation and based on the clarifications provided by 4 other monks in the pagoda, Sen Sok believes that this is a suicide case.
Sen Sok said: “He reaches a point where he self-immolated, based on what we observe at the incident location. There was a Tripitaka book, a cigarette lighter, and a pillow. He was burnt, but he didn’t twitch because he was found in a (meditation) sitting position on the mat, in the same place, and his body was all shrunk. We can’t find any (gasoline) container, it could be that it was completely burnt. Based on observation, this does not look like a murder.”
According to clarifications from witnesses, and the claim made by the commune chief, before the incident took place, on 04 September, at noon time, Monk Heng Bun Chhom went inside the temple, holding a tape player containing a preaching cassette by Buth Savong (a Buddhist preacher in Cambodia). A few hours later, he came back out of the temple.
Based on an eyewitness, at 8:00 PM, the monk went back inside the temple through a window because he forgot to bring the temple key with him. The next morning, his burnt body was discovered while still in a meditation sitting position in the middle of the temple.
After investigating the incident location, the police officers and the commune chief went to look inside the monk’s room. There, they found a 2-page letter in which the monk talked about his self-immolation in dedication to Buddhism. He called on Buddhist followers to rejoice about the sacrifice of his body in the pagoda, he said that his action expresses his happiness and faith on Buddhism.
The abbot of the Samrith Pichey pagoda, indicated over the phone that Monk Heng Bun Chhom was a very gentle monk, and since the start of the monk retreat season, he only talked about death and about dharma. The abbot thinks that Monk Heng Bun Chhom could have become mentally affected after his dharma learning.
The abbot said: “He used to talk about dharma, and he used to preach to other younger monks. He talked long ago about this (self-immolation), ever since the beginning of the monk retreat season. I believe, like the other Buddhist followers, that he (Monk Heng Bun Chhom) studied about the Tripitaka, therefore I believe that he came up with a mental problem.”
Even with all the claims above, Nuon Samin, the provincial police commissioner, indicated that he will provide the reason after the police completes its investigation into this case.
Monk Heng Bun Chhom was born on 01 September 1984 in Prek village, Mien commune, Prey Chho district, Kompong Cham province.
