Monday, 28 May 2012
By May Titthara
Phnom Penh Post
The Venerable
Loun Savath was detained by police, monks and unidentified plain-clothed
men on Thursday in the capital after he took photos of protesting
Boeung Kak lake villagers. Photograph: Meng Kimlong/Phnom Penh Post
Activist monk Loun Savath yesterday decried an “agreement” he
thumbprinted in the presence of Supreme Patriarch Nun Nget on Thursday,
claiming he was forced to comply under duress.
Speaking from a
safe place yesterday, the “multimedia monk” said a group, including the
municipal chief monk and the minister of Cults and Religions, had
threatened to defrock him if he did not agree to stay away from all
protests.
“Any forced agreement is not an agreement, because it
is against my will,” Loun Savath said, adding he wanted the authorities
to give such instructions through transparent legal proceedings.
Loun
Savath was violently forced into a car outside Phnom Penh municipal
court on Thursday morning and detained at Wat Botum for about 10 hours,
where many senior monks met with him, including the Supreme Patriarch.
A video of his violent abduction has received almost 25,000 views on YouTube since Thursday.
Police and ministry officials barricaded Wat Botum and blocked entry for anyone who did not produce a pagoda residence card.
The
human rights award winner said while he was detained, he was surrounded
by authorities and threatened with being defrocked unless he
thumbprinted the agreement.
The handwritten agreement, obtained
by the Post yesterday, was attached to a letter addressed to the
Minister of Justice Ang Vong Vathana from Phnom Penh municipal court
signed by judge Duch Kim Sorn, who had ordered an investigation into
Loun Savath’s activities on charges of incitement.
However, Loun Savath said despite the potential legal action, he would never leave Cambodia or leave its problems behind.
“I
cannot open my eyes or ears without hearing the call for justice from
the people,” he said. “If there are calls, I will continue to join in
monitoring people’s activity and social activity.”
Yesterday, Loun Savath uploaded his own video of his violent detention outside the municipal court.
Wearing
a special pair of glasses fitted with a video recorder, the monk filmed his entire arrest, including his transport to Wat Botum.
A
voice, outside of his view is recorded as saying: “Oh Venerable, you
make it so difficult. If you make it easy, it’s finished. Let others do
politics.”
To contact the reporter on this story: May Titthara at titthara.may@phnompenhpost.com
6 comments:
He with his dark glacess, looks like a really real playboy not a good venerable.
Perhap the person who wrote the comment were the real playboy. I think Ven. Loun Savath is Cambodia Mahatma Ganhdi.
His dark glasses is not for fashion, but it is a hidden camera. Just read the article then you will know. I also think he is the Mahatma Gandhi of Cambodia.
Justice is will prevail if many of us keep on fighting for justice.Justice for all,opportunity for all will never be happened if many of us closed our eyes ignore refused to joint the fight.Fighting for evictees is fighting for all khmers innocence that got evicted unjust.
These unjustificaction is only happened when you are not Cpp's clans or when you are poor live from hands to mouth,its hell to be poor in Cambodia these days they(Cpp) walked all over you they destroyed your homes put your families in jail they grab your land and sold to its association (its henchmen) using its pig's laws to force you out without regard/inhumane....
This regime is the worse greedy regime ever record in Khmer's history,Historian please record all these evil acted by this cruel regime so that the next generation to read.
Kmenh watt
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