Buddhist monks used to be revered by many Khmer people as seen here in the photo.PHNOM PENH, Dec 18, 2008 (AFP) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday said the country's monks should "respect the rule of Buddha" after a series of crimes involving men in orange robes.
"The Buddhist monks have to respect the rule of Buddha and they should not make the religion decline," said Hun Sen in a speech during closing ceremonies for the country's annual Buddhist monk congress.
"If a monk makes a dispute I will not help and I will run away, and the monk should not blame citizens when they lose confidence in Buddhist monks," he added.
Elders at the congress, which began on Wednesday, were concerned that the mostly unregulated clergy was bringing Buddhism into disrepute after a number of monks were charged with robbery, rape and murder during the past year.
Many blamed the problem on "fake monks" who dressed in orange robes to commit crimes.
Minister of cults and religions Min Kihn told reporters a rapid increase in the number of monks was making it difficult to regulate the Buddhist clergy.
Although Buddhism is Cambodia's national religion, only seven Buddhist monks remained in the country in 1979, at the end of the Khmer Rouge regime which outlawed religion and killed some 1.7 million people.
There are now over 55,000 Buddhist monks across the country at some 4,300 pagodas, Min Kihn said.
"The Buddhist monks have to respect the rule of Buddha and they should not make the religion decline," said Hun Sen in a speech during closing ceremonies for the country's annual Buddhist monk congress.
"If a monk makes a dispute I will not help and I will run away, and the monk should not blame citizens when they lose confidence in Buddhist monks," he added.
Elders at the congress, which began on Wednesday, were concerned that the mostly unregulated clergy was bringing Buddhism into disrepute after a number of monks were charged with robbery, rape and murder during the past year.
Many blamed the problem on "fake monks" who dressed in orange robes to commit crimes.
Minister of cults and religions Min Kihn told reporters a rapid increase in the number of monks was making it difficult to regulate the Buddhist clergy.
Although Buddhism is Cambodia's national religion, only seven Buddhist monks remained in the country in 1979, at the end of the Khmer Rouge regime which outlawed religion and killed some 1.7 million people.
There are now over 55,000 Buddhist monks across the country at some 4,300 pagodas, Min Kihn said.
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