The cycle of sufferings and tears are within us, breakthrough this cycle if we want stop sufferings and tears

Source: Venerable Luon Sovath Blog

Cambodian proverb says "ចុះទឹកក្រពើ ឡើងលើខ្លា Choh Tirk Kropeur, Lerng Leur Klaa or means step down into the water face alligator, climb up to the ground face tiger". This proverb teaches us the "reality" that all Cambodian people especially Cambodian Buddhists must be mindful to accept this truth and search for alternative solutions to eliminate this unfavorable truth. While the 7 Makara Day has been approaching and it is a dividing day for Cambodian politicians and general people, the violence in Borei Keila has been remarkably occurring before this remarkable arrival day. If we do a Dhamma analogy with the Khmer proverb saying above, we can see that the Pol Pot regime is a deadly situation that Cambodian people were drown into the water full of alligator; 7 Makara Day is a deadly situation that Cambodian people were preyed by the tiger. As the matter of fact, the violation on the residential rights in Borei Keila as well as other places entire Cambodia are evidently witnessing the suffering and tears perpetuated by the tiger on the ground? It seems we were drown into the water, Cambodian people were died faster than Cambodian people who are preyed by the ground tiger. 3 years, 8 months and 20 days in the water might not be able to compare the suffering and tears of 33 years facing with the lingering ground tiger. If Cambodian people cannot escape from these two beasts, the suffering and tears are still pending on them.

Buddha taught that "the cycle of suffering is within us, if we cannot break through this cycle, we still experience sufferings and tears".

Vinaya or the rule of laws are important but they must be rightly articulated

Source: Venerable Luon Sovath

Buddha taught his disciples that Vinaya or the rule of law is crucial for justice, peace, unity and advancement. However, Buddha stressed on right view and right understanding to duly implement their duty and obligation of this Vinaya. Whenever, the rule of law or Vinaya was created by a wrong view and wrong understanding, the greedy and the delusive will exploit this rule of law at the expenses of the bottom line people and the society will be inevitably apocalyptic.

Civil society or NGOs are the key player of social development. Civil society is the key actor in social, political and economic development in Cambodia. Civil society is the broker of this nation. In democratic countries, the government and civil society is inseparable and they are legally entitled to collectively work for the nation. They are guaranteed by the national constitution. In communist countries, civil society is strictly prohibited.

In Cambodia, many laws such as fishery laws, deforestion laws and corruption laws have become a tool for political supremacy. With this reality, how could one trust the upcoming civil society laws? This is the emergent question embedded in Cambodian mind and government must ensure that they have built trust for its citizens. If those laws are amended but never implemented or implemented for the greedy and the delusive, it is just a tool for modern political manipulation. We need right Vinaya and right practitioners in Cambodia.

Villagers petition via krama

Chhay Channyda

Wednesday, 21 December 2011

Photo by: Pha Lina

Villagers hold aloft a 230-metre krama yesterday during their protest in front of the National Assembly.

More than 10,000 thumbprints of villagers from communities throughout 24 provinces and cities secured to a 230-metre blue krama was submitted to the National Assembly yesterday as a petition against the passage of three worrying laws.

Before submitting the petition, which weighed 50 kilograms, about 100 villagers from land-dispute communities and villages dependent on fishing and forestry stood alongside civil society representatives while holding the scarf and chanting.

“The citizens wanted the National Assembly to know that they are very concerned over draft laws which restrict their freedom,” Yeng Virak, president of Community Legal Education Center said.

Cambodia’s activist monk fights abuses

‘THE MOST OUTSPOKEN’

Cambodia’s activist monk fights abuses

‘THE MOST OUTSPOKEN’

Sun, 04 September 2011
By Michelle Fitzpatrick
AFP

HIS saffron robe a rare beacon among protesters, Cambodia’s most outspoken monk has been banned from temples and risked arrest for challenging rights abuses — but he vows not to be silenced. “The more they threaten me, the more I stand up for our rights,” said the Venerable Loun Sovath, also known as the “multimedia monk” for filming forced evictions and distributing the footage.

In a country where Buddhist monks are hugely respected but rarely seen standing shoulder to shoulder with those fighting abuses, his peaceful activism has attracted praise from rights groups — and condemnation from authorities. “Seeing a monk amongst the crowd lifts the spirits of people defending their human rights,” the bespectacled holy man said during a recent interview in the capital, where he joined a rally against deforestation.

“Only one of me can make one hundred, 200, 300 people feel strong.” But his tireless campaigning has made the Buddhist hierarchy and the authorities nervous, say observers, who fear for his safety. Police have interrupted his meetings, followed him and cursed at him. He has also been warned that he faces arrest for inciting people to protest.

Religious officials have repeatedly ordered him to stop activities or risk being disrobed for disobeying Buddhist discipline, while senior monks have tried to make him sign a pledge promising to cease his activism, Sovath said. Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director with the international campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW), said the monk’s championing of villagers who have lost land to “rich and well-connected persons” makes him a high-profile target.

HRW is “extremely concerned” that Sovath, 30, could “face reprisals, and perhaps violence, because what he’s doing is really a challenge to the core of Cambodia’s lawless, might-makes-right political culture”, he said. Sovath, who entered the monkhood at the age of 13, became an activist after witnessing a land grab in his own village in March 2009, when police fired at unarmed villagers protesting against the confiscation of their fields.

He captured much of the confrontation on camera and successfully resisted police attempts to confiscate it.

Since then, he has broadened his work to speak up for all victims of social injustice, becoming one of the impoverished nation’s leading human rights defenders — and the only one in orange robes.

Pressure on Sovath has increased in recent months amid what rights groups say is a growing crackdown on freedom of expression.

International rights groups, including Amnesty International, Witness and HRW, recently asked key donor nations to urge the government to stop the threats and intimidation against the monk.

“The ongoing government harassment of Venerable Sovath constitutes a veiled attempt by the Cambodian authorities to silence those who speak out on issues that they deem controversial,” they wrote in a letter.