CAMBODIA: “O Khmer euy Khmer, chous ach knong srae”

Op-Ed: Sophoan Seng Blog

Khmer expatriate Sophoan Seng, a master’s degree holder in political science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, currently Director of KEEN Investment Groups LTD and president of the Khmer Youth Association of Alberta, acknowledges that many people in Cambodia endorse the “filled stomach and stability” theory for different reasons.

“However,” Seng, a former Buddhist monk in Siemreap for more than a decade, writes, “Buddhists who have learned and experienced deep understanding of Buddha’s teachings, see that the highest goal of Buddhism is ‘liberty’, not the ‘four necessities’,” i.e., food, shelter, clothing, medicine.


His ideas are similar to those of another former monk, Heng Monychenda, who holds a master’s degree from Harvard and heads the nonprofit group, Buddhism for Development. Seng points to Buddha’s teaching that “liberty” or “Nama,” — referring to a person’s mind or spirit — and the “four necessities,” or “Rupa,” — referring to body or physical appearances — must be equalized and balanced. As Monychenda explains, “Nama-Rupa” means that mind and matter must go together. “Mind affects matter and matter affects the mind,” i.e., spiritual and economic development should not be separated into two separate realms, he says.

CAMBODIA: “O Khmer euy Khmer, chous ach knong srae” – ឱខ្មែរអើយខ្មែរ! ជុះអាចម៏ក្នុងស្រែ

An article by Dr. Gaffar Peang-Meth published by the Asian Human Rights Commission

Something is changing within the Khmer nation.

Those storied Khmer characteristics – the broad smile; the gentle, peaceful compassionate nature – and the centuries-old traditions of “korup, bamreur, karpier, smoh trang” — “respect, serve, defend, be loyal (to leaders)” — passed down through generations seem to be taking a new course.

Protesters spell the word “Aphivath” or “Development” with their shoes (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

A photo floating on the Internet shows Khmer villagers–from youth to middle age–standing barefoot under the hot sun as their colorful sandals are arranged in an empty lot nearby to make up the Khmer word “Aphivath,” or “Development.” Their symbolic protest is directed at Khmer leaders and at those around the world who are sympathetic to the disenfranchisement of the poor in contemporary Cambodia.

Photos and videos of government abuse of citizens’ rights and of citizens’ responses have inundated the Internet. Some postings inform and educate. I recommend recent postings on the Website of Radio Free Asia (February 1, “More Arrests Follow Land Clash“).

The emerge of engaged Buddhist monks in Cambodia

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.

In case of Cambodia, the ravaged war has not discouraged Cambodian Buddhist monks from engaging with the communities and society. Many Buddhist-based organizations are stationing importantly on improving livelihood of the destitute people. 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.

Currently, at the notorious land grab and forced eviction of Beoung Kok Lake in the heart of Phnom Penh city, Ven. Sing Tonly has firmly stood in front of the gun men of servants of the rich and the powerful. His surveillance stemmed from the injustice in society and the land concession lasting 99 years in the scrupulous contract between the government and the tycoons as well as the foreign business owners. According to his word, the concession period of 99 years is to murder the Cambodian nation.

Ven. Sing Tonly has emerged as another Buddhist monk who has seen the land concession is not justifiable for the development. The forced eviction happened by those land concessions are not a rational for development in Cambodia, but he has seen it as the excuse to plunder this nation and it can lead to the extinction of this nation in the future.

 For more information, please listen to his interviewing with the Khmer Post below:

Social engagment of Preah Krou Luon Sovath by Licadhocanada

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.