Monks among Meak Bochea Day celebrants at Preah Reach Trop mountain in Kandal province on February 19. Hong Menea
The Siem Reap Department of Cult and Religion on Tuesday called on provincial authorities to assist with clamping down on fundraising by Buddhists for religious causes in public, saying the practice could affect people’s perceptions of the faith.
Ministry of Cult and Religion spokesman Seng Somony told The Post that the ministry and monk committees at all levels have requested authorities to prevent such public activities as some people use Buddhism for personal gain.
“I asked the authority to help prevent this type of activity because it could affect people’s faith in Buddhism. We won’t punish offenders – we will merely discipline them and ask them to agree not to do so anymore,” Somony said.
Somony said in addition to preventing public fundraising, the ministry and monk committees had a duty to prevent all activities that could impact Buddhism’s place in society.
Khim Sorn, the chief monk of Phnom Penh Municipality, told The Post on Tuesday that he had asked authorities to intervene in public fundraising because Buddha had never instructed people to do so.
“I’ve encountered fundraising activities before, even here in Phnom Penh. Our authorities called me as well, and I told them to advise them [those involved in the fundraising activities] to stop."
“If they want to raise money, they can go to a pagoda or other appropriate location, because doing so in public disrupts social order,” he said.
A letter issued on Monday by Siem Reap Department of Cult and Religion director Van Bunna urged Siem Reap town and district governors to cooperate and stop public fundraising activities by monks and other ill-intended people wanting to use religion as a business.
The letter said the department had previously tried to prevent a number of monks, pagoda committees, laymen, nuns and other ill-intended people from using metal containers or pedestals to collect money for religious activities at restaurants, local markets and other public areas in the province.
The department also aimed to stop people from using loudspeakers in vehicles to broadcast fundraisers for pagodas and other Buddhist activities.
Prevention was largely unsuccessful due to limited department officials. To boost success in prevention operations, Bunna has sought the cooperation of government officials and provincial authorities.
