Mendicant monk faced arrest when he was invited to receive alms by Boeung Kak residents: Life under the "Thmil" regime

Synopsis: A mendicant monk faced arrest by security guards working for the Shukaku Inc. which belongs to Lao Meng Khin, a crony of Hun Xen, and by the Daun Penh authority. The unfortunate monk was begging alms when he entered Boeung Kak Lake by coincidence. At that time, several hundreds of villagers were commemorating the death of a police officer who committed suicide after losing his land to forced eviction. The villagers then asked the monk to bless and chant for the soul of the deceased police officer when security force for the Shukaku Inc. called the Daun Penh authority to take care of the monk. The monk was warned for his usual Buddhist action. Villagers said that the warning issued to a practicing monk is tantamount to a return to the Khmer Rouge regime all over again.

Hun Xen's thmil regime tried to arrest Ven. Nuon Savath, a land activist

Hun Xen's hochimonk (R) tried to arrest Ven. Nuon Savath in Siem Reap

RFA reported on 26 March 2011 that Hun Xen's atheist regime attempted to arrest Venn. Nuon Savath, accusing him of behaving in a non-Buddhist manner. In reply to this accusation, Ven. Nuon Savath said that he did nothing against the Buddhist rule, all that he did was to watch and tape the protest of Beoung Kak Lake residents. This is not the first time that Hun Xen's dictatorial regime tried to arrest Ven. Nuon Savath. In the past, it attempted to arrest Ven. Nuon Savath once in Siem Reap after the Buddhist monk gave moral support to his villagers who were protesting in front of the Siem Reap provincial court. Several of Chi Kreng villagers (in Siem Reap district where Ven. Nuon Savath came from) were shots point blank by the cops when they protested against a land-grabbing in their village. Several of those who were shot were relatives of Ven. Nuon Savath. The recent action by the Hun Xen's regime shows once again that it will take all possible measures to silence land activists, whether they are monks or not.

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$10,000 offer to tear down a pagoda from the "Thmil" Heng Kamtech Wat Co.

Villagers snub $10,000 offer for pagoda

Friday, 27 August 2010
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

KANDAL province villagers involved in a land dispute with a prominent development company say they cannot accept an offer of US$10,000 in exchange for tearing down a cherished pagoda.

In an article published yesterday in the Nokor Wat Daily newspaper, the head of the Heng Development Company is quoted as offering the villagers $10,000 in compensation for destroying the pagoda. Company director Sieng Chanheng owns Nokor Wat Daily.

“All people who know they have done wrong have to move from that land,” Sieng Chanheng was quoted as saying in the newspaper. “The company will provide $10,000 after they have torn down the pagoda.”

Sieng Chanheng could not be reached for comment yesterday.

But villagers and members of the local pagoda committee say the offer is unacceptable.

Kong San, a member of the Tuol Tamork pagoda committee, said villagers would never agree to tear down the pagoda. They want to keep the temple for devout Buddhists, Kong San said.

“Even if they offer us a million dollars, we will not agree,” he said.

The dispute involves 2,676 families in seven communes of Kandal Stung district who say they have lived and farmed on more than 1,000 hectares of the land since 1986. Company representatives, on the other hand, say they bought the land in 1996 for commercial rice cultivation. The villagers say they have been given until August 30 – Monday – to clear off the land.

“We are ready if the company comes to tear down the pagoda,” said Chea Hy, a representative of the villagers.

Rights advocates say the villagers have been treated unfairly in this case.

Men Makara, a coordinator with local rights group Adhoc, said the company needs to find a resolution for all the villagers and not just the pagoda.

“Villagers need the company to find a resolution for them in all communes that are affected, not only the pagoda,” Men Makara said. “It is an injustice for them when the company talks only about the pagoda.”

"Don't use monks to joke": Warning from Hun Sen, an atheist Khmer Rouge commander

Hochimonk Non Nget, Cambodia's new censor

Cambodian PM: Culture products portraying monks' life must be approved first by authorities

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Any play, movie or musical featuring monks must from now on be screened and approved by the Ministry of Cults and Religions and leader of a Buddhist sect before it can be broadcast on television, national media on Monday quoted Prime Minister Hun Sen as saying.

The premier called on all TV stations, private and public, to seek permission from the ministry and Non Nget, the supreme patriarch of the dominant Mohanikaya sect, before presenting shows with actors depicting monks, said English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily.

"I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the producers of any form of rock opera, movie and drama that involve actors acting as monks. They must have permission from Non Nget and the Ministry of Cults and Religions," he told the inauguration ceremony of a pagoda here on Sunday.

"Don't use monks to joke," he added.

Hun Sen's comments came following a controversy over the rock opera "Where Elephants Weep," which told a story involving two reckless young monks.

Some Buddhist monks were outraged by the show's Dec. 25 broadcast on CTN and demanded it be banned.