"I accept to die with my saffron robe, I will not allow the authority to arrest and disrobed me as I have done nothing wrong in the Buddhist Vinaya. By this order, I cannot travel or escape to stay in any temple in the country, I must stay in this temple and accept to die in this place as a monkhood".Listen the report by RFA today (audio embedded here),
Ven. Keoun Ravy is 26 years old, he confirmed in the radio interview that "I accept to die in my saffron robe, I will not allow the authority to arrest and disrobed me as I have done nothing wrong in the Buddhist Vinaya. By this order, I cannot travel or escape to stay in any temple in the country, I must stay in this temple and accept to die in this place as a monkhood".This is just a re-posting again from this link: http://luonsovath.blogspot.com/2011/10/latest-update-of-ven-preah-krou-luon.html#comments But we posted only the comments of Dhammaduta. I think Hanzze will not be minded.Dear Hanzze;
The journey of Venerable Preah Krou Luon Sovath for the defending of human rights in Cambodia has not been smooth and easy, but thing has kept his socially engaged Buddhist value moving and alive is from his internal strength and the supportive mindset of everyone. So please, continue to give him support as much as you can.Venerable Preah Krou Luon Sovath has been in Cambodia after his long journey for the international campaign for the respect of human rights in Cambodia. Buddha and human rights is the same. Nonetheless, Buddha also valued and respected the rights of animal and nature as well.
ពន្លឺអាស៊ីទ្វីបជាឈ្មោះនៃសៀវភៅពុទ្ធប្បវត្តិ ដែលរៀបរៀងឡើងដោយ Sir Edwin Arnold នៅឆ្នាំ ១៨៧៩ នៅសេចក្តីផ្តើមនៃសៀវភៅពន្លឺអាស៊ីទ្វីបនោះយើងបាន សង្កេតឃើញ ហេតុការណ៍ជម្លោះមួយដែលកើតឡើងរវាង ទេវទត្តកុមារនិងសិទ្ធត្ថកុមារទាក់ ទងនឹងសត្វហង្ស ទេវទត្តកុមារជាអ្នកបាញ់សត្វហង្ស ឯសិទ្ធត្ថកុមារជាអ្នកជួយសត្វហង្ស ជម្លោះដណ្តើមកម្មសិទ្ធិលើសត្វហង្សបានកើតឡើងរវាងអ្នកបាញ់និងអ្នកជួយ ទាំងទេវទត្តកុមារទាំងសិទ្ធត្ថកុមារជជែកយកឈ្នះតែរៀងៗខ្លួនថា ខ្លួនគឺជាម្ចាស់លើសត្វហង្ស
The next morning, Sovath woke at 4 a.m. He snuck quietly out of his pagoda, undetected by police, and slipped into the village. He went door-to-door, waking each family, until he had assembled a group of over 50 citizens - the elderly, the young, even pregnant women and children. They set out across the rice fields in the direction of the main road.
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| Courtesy of the 8th Conference of Vesak of the UNs Day |
No. If you desire to behave like the ordinary people, behave like ordinary people, (so) it will not affect on the Viniya, the religion. If you (threat intoned) lead them to do so, disrobe first before you get involve with them, so it can be called you help them to seek justice. You (threat intoned) make religion damaged in among those people and you are called seeking justice?. The status of the monk are different from the status of the lay people. Go to live with those people, go (threat), no one prohibit that in accordance with the right of belief, but using the monk status is illegal, those supporters (threat intoned) are also illegal. (Unofficial translation by Pheak)
A violent land dispute left four men in hospital and twelve in jail. Luon Sovath swapped his paintbrush for a camera after his family were shot. Video is a source of information, and information is a community's power. And become a human rights defender and video activist.
The problem of people and the path of Buddha are not different. Buddha's role was that of a man who saved people. So we need to follow the peaceful path of the Buddha. He has been threaten of defrocking, eviction and arrest.
Authority: this law prohibits you to participate in any activity that can destroy our religion. And religion belongs to the government. You can come to visit the villagers but you cannot lead them to protest.
I want to verify with the villagers. Everyone, did I gather and lead you to protest? No he does not. Did I lead you to protest? No, you don't. So you can see that I didn't lead them here to protest.
What is the problem brother? We are not going to stop until you meet with the head monk. I have to ask you to get out of the car to meet the head of the monks. Come on. What you are doing is wrong. We warned you but you do not listen to us. Get out. Drag him out.
They shot my relatives and they want to harm and to arrest the monk too. This is such an injustice. They arrested our villagers and now they want to arrest our monk too. This is unfair.
Please you cannot arrest the monk. They said they are not going to arrest him.
They have not been able to successfully defrock me. So they are finding other methods, like forced eviction. My room which I have lived in for 20 years as a monk has been taken. But I will struggle to get justice for people, for society and for myself.
The Cause of Progress - Loun Sovath Teaser Trailer from Little Ease Films on Vimeo.
Hence, Venerable Preah Krou Luon Sovath has witnessed with land grab and intimidating from the rich and authority since 2005 in his birth place. He has risen up to involve with the suffered people in the expect to lead a better change for them. As a monk, his weapon is the compassionate devotion and the use of non-violence mean for the sake of human beings.Words of Lord Buddha have encouraged Buddhist monks to wander near and far to preach the Dhamma beautiful on both the beginning and the ending in the purpose of bringing most benefits to the unfortunates, the poor, the weak and the human kind. World's religions have shared similar characteristic as those religious men are responsible for correct understanding of the teaching, implement the teaching accordingly, and outreach their compassion to all directions of the world. Buddhist engaged monks have carried out this mission worldwide since the Buddha was alive and the tasks have been continuing nowadays.
Buddhism teaches that we all come to this world naked, when we die, we will not take anything with us with the exception of the sins and good deeds that we perform. Therefore, true Buddhist believers should not fight each others to fulfill our greed.
