បទ​សម្ភាសន៍​ជាមួយ​ព្រះ​ភិក្ខុលួន សូវ៉ាត​នៅប្រទេស​អូស្រ្តាលី

==>បទសម្ភាសព្រះតេជព្រះគុណ លួន សាវ៉ាត ដោយវិទ្យុអូស្រ្តាលី 26 Sept. 2011

Summary of the Interview in English

Interviewer: Venerable, what are your purposes in coming to Australia?
Ven. Luon Sovath: My purposes to come to Australia this time is to participate with Khmer Buddhists in Australia during this auspicious Bon Pchum Ben during this Rain Retreat Season as in Cambodia I am expelled from the pagoda by the Supreme Patriarchs and the Chief Monk of Siem Reap because of my activity in engaging with the evicted communities and the victims of land grabbing. Other purpose is to bring petition for the greater support of everyone in requesting the supreme patriarch as well as the chief monk of Siem Reap province to withdraw their orders.

Interviewer: Now, Venerable is arriving Australia, do you plan to travel to other cities as well or just stay in Melbourne?
Ven. Luon Sovath: Yes, I will travel in accordance with the invitation and friendly relationship of the Buddhist friends here.

Interviewer: so Venerable plans to stay in Australia only one month?
Ven.Luon Sovath: Yes

Interviewer: Recently, Venerable has faced many problems because of your engagement with the social activities, could Venerable discuss those issues in details for the audience here?
Ven. Luan Sovath: Truly, it is because my engagement and outreaching to the communities of land grab victims and forced eviction. In reality, it is not my problem, it is the government problem whose people have been suffered. Look at the Australian government, the suffering of the people has been justly dealt. In Cambodia, the suffering of the people have been deeply embedded by the lawless activities, physical violence and bullet shooting.

According to Buddha's teaching, everyone is equal and fully exercising basic rights. If the government followed this teaching, it would have no problem in society at all. Authority at all levels must not abuse their power. When people at the rural areas are facing suffering and violation from the richs, the policemen or authorities must help them. But in contrast, those authorities and policemen beat and shoot at the people.

On behalf of a Buddhist monk, I take no side, no discrimination and no violence. I am undertaking four sublime states of the mind ie. metta (loving-kindness), karuna (compassion), mudita (sympathy) and upekkha (neutrality). But I am not seen by this virtue, contradictorily the authority accused me of violation the rules of Buddhism and joining the political activity. Of course, all these accusations are baseless.

So I would like to appeal to everyone to deeply research on this matter and help to write an appealing letter, petition or other lobbying activities by submitting to the international communities, embassies, Cambodian government and the Buddhist institution etc. to withdraw those orders.

Interviewer: According to the order of Supreme Patriarch Noun Ngeth, it means to force Venerable to stop those activities or to defrock Venerable?
Ven. Luon Sovath: The order is tending to accuse me of political involvement and violation of Buddhist's principles. In reality, the order has clearly distorted my Engaged Buddhism, freedom of speech and rights of social participation. Understand that the order is not the rule or the principle of the Buddha's teaching. It is just a personal decision which is evidently a totalitarian manner to force me to be arrested, defrocked or expelled from the country.

But for me, I will not stop from my Engaged Buddhism. I will stand firmly with those victims in Cambodia. For me, if I am defrocked, I am keenly arrested by the new criminal law to put in jail or convicted by the authority.

I have become a monk in order to seek my personal knowledge, to help the social causes and propagate Buddhism. I am wondering, their accusation tends to stop all those primary intention of how becoming a monk of mine or what?

Buddhists and people nationwide and worldwide have supported me and my original purposes in engaging with the communities and propagating Buddhism.

Interviewer: If Venerable went back to Cambodia, is there any pagada Venerable will go to stay?
Ven. Luon Sovath: In accordance to Buddhism, the actual pagoda is inside our heart, the pagoda outside is just a symbolic one. Lord Buddha played important role in teaching us how important is the pagoda inside ourselves. Buddha traveled from places to places without having proper pagoda to stay. I am a Buddha's student, I must do the same.

Interviewer: Venerable, has you been concerning of personal security and safety?
Ven.Luon Sovath: Every being is afraid of danger and insecurity. I am the same. But my returning back to Cambodia is not feeling in insecure as I have done nothing wrong. Those who are feeling insecure because of their bad deeds and lawless activities.

Interviewer: what is your plans in Cambodia when returning back to Cambodia?
Ven. Luon Sovath: My plan is the same: to learn and practice Buddhism, to outreach to all communities and propagate Buddhism. Those plans are in accordance with principles of Buddhism, universal laws, human rights and freedom of speech.

ភិក្ខុលួន សូវ៉ាត ព្រះសង្ឃខ្មែរមួយអង្គដែលបាននិមន្តមកដល់ប្រទេសអូស្រ្តាលី កាលពីថ្ងៃសុក្រ បានមានសង្ឃដីកាថា ព្រះអង្គ​ពុំ​ដែល​បាន​ប្រព្រឹត្ត​អ្វីដែលប្រាកចាកធម៌វិន័យព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាឬក៏ច្បាប់ជាតិ និងអន្តរជាតិនោះទេ ទោះបីជា​មានការ​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់​ពី​សម្ដេច​សង្ឃ នន្ទ ង៉ែត កាល​ពីប៉ុន្មាន​ខែកន្លងទៅនេះថា ព្រះតេជគុណ​បានប្រព្រឹត្ត​ល្មើស​ធម៌វិន័យ​របស់​ព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាក្ដី។

ភិក្ខុលួន សូវ៉ាត​បានមានថេរដីកាថា ក្រៅ​អំពី​ការ​ចូល​រួម​ពិធី​បុណ្យ​ភ្ជុំបិណ្ឌ​ជាមួយ​នឹង​ពុទ្ធបរិស័ទ​ខ្មែរ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​អូស្រ្តាលី ព្រះអង្គ​ក៏​ឆ្លៀត​​ឱកាសនេះ ប្រមែ​​ប្រមូល​​ការ​គាំទ្រ​​ពី​សំណាក់​ពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​ដែល​ស្រឡាញ់​យុត្តិធម៌​ផងដែរ​ដើម្បី​ធ្វើជា​ញត្តិជូន​ដល់​ស្ថាប័ន​​អន្ដរជាតិ​នានា។

មួយរយៈនេះ ព្រះតេជគុណបានជួបប្រទះនឹងបញ្ហាមួយចំនួនជាមួយនឹងអាជ្ញាធរដោយសារសកម្មភាពរបស់ព្រះអង្គនៅក្នុងសង្គម រហូត​​ដល់​មាន​សង្ឃ​សម្រេច​ចេញ​ដោយ​សម្ដេច​សង្ឃ​មហា​និកាយ ហាម​ប្រាម​​មិន​ឲ្យ​​វត្ត​អារាម​​នៅ​​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​​ទទួល​យក​​ព្រះ​តេជគុណ​លួន សូវ៉ាត​ឲ្យ​គង់​នៅ​ក្នុង​វត្ត​ឡើយ៕

(ប៊ុន ឡឺវីសីដា)

Video Footages highlighting Preah Krou Loun Sovath

New Film for Amnesty International



Cause of the Progress on the Movie Trail

The Cause of Progress Film Trailer from Little Ease Films on Vimeo.

ផ្តិតមេដៃ៥លាននាក់គាំទ្រព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាខ្មែរ

 ការជួយផ្តិតមេដៃនិងសញេ្ញគាំទ្រញតិ្តនេះគឺជាការជួយរក្សាព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាខ្មែរ អោយមានកេរិ៍្តឈ្មោះល្អនៅលើឆាកអន្តរជាតិនិងរក្សាវប្បធម៌ជួយគ្នាទៅវិញទៅមក របស់ព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាយើង។ វីរសមណៈក្នុងព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនារបស់យើងមានដូច ជាអាចារ្យស្វា អាចារ្យពោធិកំបោរ អាចារ្យហែម ចៀវ សមេ្តចជួន ណាត អាចារ្យប៉ាង ខាត់ អាចារ្យខៀវ ជុំ ជាដើម្សុទ្ធសឹងតែបានធ្វើតួនាទីយ៉ាងសំខាន់ក្នុងការចូលរួមជាមួយ សហគមន៍និង ជួយជនរងគ្រោះកម្ពុជា។

ចាប់ពីពេលផ្សឹកនិងការធើ្វទណ្ឌកម្មព្រះគ្រូទឹម សាខន និងការវាយដំយ៉ាងអមនុស្ស ធម៌ទៅលើព្រះ សង្ឃនៅមុខស្ថានទូតវៀតណាមដោយកំឡាំងប្រដាប់អាវុធ ឥឡូវវាកំពុងកើតមាន ទៅលើព្រះគ្រូ លួនសុវ៉ាត់ ដែលសកម្មភាពនិងកិច្ចការរបស់ព្រះអង្គគឺមិនមានអ្វីក្រៅអំពីជួយ ឈឺឆ្អាលដល់ជន រងគ្រោះដែលត្រូវគេរឹបអូសយកដីធ្លីនិងជំលៀសចេញពីលំនៅស្ថាន។ សាច់ញាតិ របស់ព្រះអង្គ ត្រូវបានទទួលរងគ្រោះនិងចាប់ដាក់ពន្ធនាគារពីព្រោះការយំទាមទារចង់បានដីធ្វើស្រែ របស់ពួកគេត្រ ឡប់មកវិញ។ យ៉ាងណាក៏ដោយ ការចូលរួមធ្វើសេចក្តីល្អរបស់ព្រះអង្គមិនត្រូវបាន រដ្ឋនិងក្រុម របស់គេមើលឃើញឡើយ។ ផ្ទុយទៅវិញ មេដឹកនាំគណសង្ឃមួយចំនួនបានគាបសង្កត់ បង្ខំព្រះ អង្គអោយចាក ចេញពីវត្តដែលជាជំរកសំរាប់ព្រះសង្ឃកសាងឡើងដោយសទ្ធាពុទ្ធបរិស័ទ ព្រមទាំងទូ ដាក់សៀវភៅ និងស្បង់ចីពរក៏ត្រូវបញ្ជាអោយរុះរើចេញទាំងអស់ដែរ។ ឥឡូវព្រះគ្រូលួន សាវ៉ាត់បាន ក្លាយជាព្រះសង្ឃ ដែលគ្មានវត្តសំរាប់ជ្រកនៅក្នុងព្រះវស្សាដែលជាពុទ្ធបញ្ញតិ្តអោយព្រះសង្ឃគ្រប់អង្គស្នាក់ នៅមួយកនែ្លង អោយគ្រប់បីខែ។


ការបញ្ចូលព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាជាសាសនារបស់រដ្ឋមានន័យថារដ្ឋជួយឧបត្ថម្ភព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាឬ បំផ្លាញព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនា? ចុះហេតុអ្វីមេដឹកនាំសង្ឃមួយចំនួនត្រូងស្ថិតក្រោមការអភិសេករបស់ មេដឹកនាំលោកីយ៍? មេដឹកនាំលោកីយ៍ទាំងនោះមានសីលនិងការលះបង់ជាងព្រះសង្ឃឬ? ហេតុអ្វីបានជាមេដឹកនាំលោកីយ៍ដាក់ឋានះ ខ្លួនឯងខ្ពស់ជាព្រះសង្ឃអ្នកមានសីលហើយយកស្ថាប័នជាសង្ឃជាឧបករណ៍នយោបាយ?

នៅកម្ពុជា មានតែព្រះសង្ឃល្មោភបុណ្យសក្តិមួយចំនួនតូចប៉ុណ្ណោះដែលមិនបានបដិបតិ្តធម៌ បានត្រឹមត្រូវ ហើយត្រូវបានអភិសេកដោយមេដឹកនាំលោកីយ៍ ដែលជាអ្នកគ្មានសីលប្រាំនៅ ក្នុងចិត្តទាល់តែសោះ។ ឥឡូវឃើញកាន់តែច្បាស់ថា ព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាដែលជាសាសនារបស់រដ្ឋ ធើ្វតាមគ្រប់យ៉ាងតាមបញ្ជារបស់បក្សកាន់អំណាច។

ភស្តុតាច្បាស់ក្រឡែត គឺបក្សកាន់អំណាចកំពុងធើ្វអោយព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាខ្មែរមានភាពអាប់អួរ ជាខ្លាំង។


 យើងជាពុទ្ធបរិស័ទដែលប្រកាន់ខ្ជាប់នូវព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាថាជាទីពឹងផ្លូវចិត្តនិងជីវិតស្ងប់សុខរបស់យើង យើងត្រូវធ្វើតួនាទីការពារព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនា

យើងតំណាងអោយព្រះសង្ឃទាំង៦ម៉ឺនអង្គដែលកំពុងគង់នៅក្នុងវត្តជាង៤ពាន់វត្ត បានមើលឃើញ បទបញ្ជាថ្មីៗនេះរបស់មេដឹកនាំសង្ឃជាន់ខ្ពស់ចំពោះបុគ្គលព្រះគ្រូលួន សាវ៉ាត់ ថាជាការមិនគោរព ដល់គោលធម៌សំខាន់ៗរបស់ព្រះពុទ្ធ និងតួនាទីរបស់ព្រះសង្ឃចំពោះសហគមន៍ ហើយបទបញ្ជា នេះបានកំពុងគំរាមគំហែងព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនាខ្មែរទូទាំងប្រទេស

យើងជាពុទ្ធបរិស័ទនិងមិត្តរួមមនុស្សជាតិទួទាំងពិភពលោក សូមរួមគ្នាថ្កោលទោសចំពោះបទបញ្ជា របស់មេដឹកនាំសង្ឃមួយចំនួននោះ ចំពោះការគំរាមគំហែងទៅលើព្រះគ្រូលួន សាវ៉ាត់ គឺជាការរំលោភ បំពានលើសិទ្ធិមនុស្ស បំបិទសិទ្ធិការបញ្ចេញមតិនិងសិទ្ធិចូលរួមក្នុងសង្គម បង្កើតសេចក្តីភ័យខ្លាចក្នុង ចំណោមព្រះសង្ឃទាំងឡាយ និងមិនផ្តល់តំលៃក្នុងការចូលរួមអភិវឌ្ឍន៍សហគមន៍របស់ព្រះភិក្ខុសង្ឃ។

យើងចុះហត្ថលេខាខាងក្រោមនេះដើម្បីការពារព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនា ដើម្បីបជ្ឈប់បទបញ្ជាដែលគួរអោយ ស្អប់ខ្ពើមពីថ្នាក់ដឹកនាំសង្ឃមួយចំនួននោះ និងដើម្បីការពារមិនអោយបទបញ្ជានោះកើតមានជាថ្មីម្តងទៀត។

5 million supporters of Khmer Buddhism

Your engagement in this petition will help our Khmer Buddhism reserve good reputation at the international arena and preserve our Buddhist culture of serving the people. Our hero Buddhist monks such as Acha Sva, Acha Po Kombo, Acha Hiem Chiev, Somdech Chuon Nath, Acha Pang Khat, Acha Kiev Chum etc. played important roles in engaging with the communities and the Cambodian victims.

Since the defrocking and persecution of Venerable Preah Krou Tim Sakhorn, and the inhumanely beating of the Buddhist monks in front of Vietnamese embassy by the arm forces, it is presently happening on Venerable Preah Krou Loun Sovath whose activities and works are not something else but engaging with the victims of land grabs and forced evictions. His siblings and relatives have been injured and jailed because of their cry for the returning back of their farm land. Thus, his goodness engagement is not seen by the state and their associates, the few top leaders of Buddhist Sangha have pressured on him, forcing him to leave from pagoda which is the shelter for Buddhist monks built by the generosity of the Buddhist followers, including his storage of personal books and saffron robes has been unethically ordered to remove. Now, Venerable Loun Sovath is pagoda-less during this Rain Retreat Season (Chol Preah Vosa) which all monks must take vow to stay within the pagoda for three months.

Cambodia Buddhism as the state religion here means to support Buddhism or to destroy Buddhism? Why the few top leaders of Buddhist Sangha must be under the consecration of secular leader? The state leader are obtaining higher virtue and sacrifice than Buddhist monks? Why the state leaders are positioning higher than Buddhist monks and politicizing the Buddhist Sangha?

In Cambodia, only greedy  monks like those few top leaders who are not duly practicing the Dhamma are consecrated by secular leader who have no Five Precepts in heart at all. Now, it comes to the realization that Buddhism as the state religion must follow all political orders of the ruling party.

Evidently, the ruling party is ruining Khmer Buddhism.



Venerable Loun Sovath is Evicted from Wat Onaloum from Little Ease Films on Vimeo.

We are the Buddhists who have adhered to Buddhism as our spiritual refuge and peaceful life, we obligate to protect Buddhism

We are on behalf of 60,000 Khmer Buddhist monks who are staying in more than 4,000 pagodas have seen the latest orders of Buddhist top leaders towards individual Venerable Preah Krou Luon Sovath is a disrespecting to the core teaching of Lord Buddha and the obligation of Buddhist monks in engaging with communities. Those orders are ruining Khmer Buddhism nationwide 

We are Buddhists and friends of humanity around the world jointly condemn the orders of those few top Buddhist leaders towards Venerable Preah Krou Luon Sovath as violating on human rights, distorting individual freedom of speech and social participation, breeding fear among Buddhist monks, and disregarding the social and community engagement of Buddhist monks


We are undersigning here to protect Buddhism, to stop such disgraceful orders of Buddhist top leaders, and to prevent such orders not to be occurred in the future.

Announcement and Banning Letter from the Chief Monk of Siem Reap Province

Appealing Letter for Financial Support from Preah Krou Loun Sovath

Requesting Letter to the Local Authority for Freedom Celebration

Enforcing Letter from Chief Monk of Siem Reap Province to Ban Preah Krou Loun Sovath from Sheltering in any Pagoda in this Privince

Venerable Loun Sovath and the Politics of Compassion

Nathaniel Adams | June 29, 2011

Recently Venerable Non Ngeth, Supreme Patriarch of the Mahanikaya branch of Cambodian Buddhism, issued a directive stating that pagodas in the country are no longer permitted to host one Venerable Loun Sovath. This pagoda ban is the latest admonition for the 31-year-old monk, who has been involved in advocacy for victims of forced evictions and land-grabbing over the last several years. Originally from Siem Reap’s Chi Kraeng commune, Ven. Sovath became outspoken on land rights issues after members of his community were detained in the midst of an on-going land dispute in which 175 families were being forcibly relocated. Intending to draw great attention to such issues, Ven. Sovath has attended protests over other notable land disputes in the country.

In Boeng Kak lake in Phnom Penh, he joined protests against the displacement of 4,000 families as a result of a joint project between a Chinese developer and a ruling party senator. And in Prey Lang, where over 40,000 hectares of old growth forest have been granted in a private concession to a Vietnamese rubber corporation, and 27 mineral exploration permits have also been issued, Ven. Sovath was there to protest as well. He has been threatened with arrest at several demonstrations and due to the pagoda ban, he is now somewhat of a pariah, being ferried between various safe houses in the country.

In his recent directive Ven. Non Ngeth stated that Ven. Loun Sovath “has been involved in politics … he joined protests with villagers and has gone everywhere with human rights activists, which is an abuse of Buddha’s rules.” Human rights groups, on the other hand, have pointed to the fact that the monastic code Vinaya does not explicitly prohibit social activism and have claimed that Ven. Non Ngeth’s comments were themselves politically motivated, since certainly it is no secret that the senior leadership of the Cambodian sangha has close ties to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. This episode raises a number of important questions about the role of a monk in the temporal world of development. Namely, when does the practice of compassion become a political act? During the course of our exploration into the social engagement of Buddhist actors, we’ve heard many monks state that “sharing compassion” is a major motivation for their work in the community. As one of the two main qualities required to achieve enlightenment (the other being wisdom), compassion is central to Buddhist practice. The idea is that by selflessly acting on behalf of others whenever and wherever suffering occurs, this begins to free one from the false notion of the individual self and the individual other. On a similar note, several monks suggested that there is a practical imperative for a monk to work on behalf of their community, as it was impossible to separate the wellbeing of a monk from the wellbeing of his community. As one monk put it rather succinctly, “if they starve, we starve."

Preah Krou Loun Sovath: the Human Rights Defender

Witness video about Human Rights Defenders, featuring the venerable Loun Sovath.


Witness video training LICADHO staff and the venerable Loun Sovath.


Video by LICADHO featuring the venerable Loun Sovath.


Video by the UNHCHR feature Human Rights Defenders from around the world, including the venerable Loun Sovath.

ព្រះ​ភិក្ខុ លួន សាវ៉ាត ចេញ​ពី​វត្ត

Social engagment of Preah Krou Luon Sovath by Licadhocanada

Human Rights Defender part 1 to part 4 by Jendhamuni

Cambodian monk defies his superiors to document and oppose land grabs

Friday, September 16, 2011

Cambodian monk defies his superiors to document and oppose land grabs

Ven Sovath Luon: leading struggle of poor farmers

Friday, September 16, 2011
CÍAN NIHILL
The Irish Times

According to Luon, the Buddhist hierarchy in Cambodia has been corrupted by close ties to power and no longer works for the good of ordinary people.

FRONT LINE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS: GOING AGAINST centuries of tradition, Buddhist monks across Cambodia have been ordered by their superiors not to give food or shelter to the Venerable Sovath Luon, whose only crime has been to stand up against brutal land seizures.

Known in some quarters as “The Multimedia Monk” for his use of video to catch human rights violations, Luon has risked defrocking and police brutality by documenting and often leading the struggle of poor farmers in his community.

Luon spoke passionately while at the Front Line Dublin Platform about what he sees as rampant corruption around him.

His activism started after he witnessed a land grab in his village in 2009, when police fired at unarmed villagers protesting against the confiscation of their fields. Land seizures are common in Cambodia, where large tracts are being sold, often to foreign investors, for logging, agriculture, mining, tourism and fisheries, displacing thousands of people.