Dear Editor,

I am concerned about an article in the Post , page 7, issue June 25 - July 8,

1999 entitled "Wats going wrong: monks off the path" written by Mr Chea

Sotheacheath.

Yes, I agree with the wrongdoing of some of them, that, being monks, their characters

and practices must be changed - sexual activity, murder, heroin trafficking,

fake monks, participating in riots, wearing flip-flops during the collection of alms

and so on.

They have shared their knowledge, Buddhist principles 5 and 8 to Cambodian Buddhist

followers and others, showing the good way in theory and practice in every-day living.

In the monastery of Moha Montrei of Phnom Penh, is Samdech Mongkol Tep Veachar Um

Sum, one of the compositors of Tripitaka.

In the Pol Pot regime, even though there was no religion and no monks existed, some

cadres still had faithful hearts towards Buddhism. For example, at that time a senior

cadre wanted to destroy the three-storey temple of Unalom Pagoda, saying that this

temple marked the existence of Buddhism, but his junior cadres replied: "Comrade,

if we maintain this structure at least we have the place to store something like

manure," and that senior cadres agreed. As we see, this temple still exists.

My opinion is not so controversial to the article earlier mentioned, but only to

express the feeling of many Cambodian Buddhist followers.

Dr Seng Ly Chuong

Deputy Director, Provincial Health Department, Kratie.