What does his personal affair have anything to do with what we discuss here? Are you trying to say that he should not do anything with Cambodians as long as he has done something that people don't like? Let us say that people have given him money intending to advance his religious endeavor, and he did not do what he said. He went to get married and returned etc..... It sounds like that that money had conditions. You can bring a civil lawsuit against him if he didn't abide by the condition. As far as we can see, he didn't have any conditions attached to the money. So it comes to the freedom. He can do whatever he wants. You may not like it. Yet, that's what he wants. That's called freedom.
On Jan 9, 3:31 pm, Savouth Chea <[email protected]> wrote: > Aloha, > > As aWhat does his personal matter have anything to do with what we d resident > of Hawaii, which Sophan Seng claims he represents, I wanted to > share my observations, thoughts, and also questions about his motives. > Unfortunately, I didn't like what I saw of him, and I only foresee further > disruption. > > Sophan Seng came to Hawaii to further his education back in 2006. The first > time he set foot in Hawaii, I introduced him to some Cambodian community > members since he was a Khmer new to the island. Some knew his background > from the past and had their opinions (good but mostly bad), but I tried not > to take people's word for it. As months progressed, however, I came to see > that the warnings I had heard were true. First, he used the Buddhist > religion to advance himself rather than becoming a monk selflessly in > dedication to Buddha. How do I know this? While attending the University > of Hawaii, he lived in a co-educational dormitory. One may think this is > not a big deal nowadays, but should a monk put himself in the company and > living quarters of females? Is this appropriate? He often flirted with > young female members of our community and made inappropriate comments - > causing some of our youth and their parents to become very upset! He was > affiliated with a so-called ‘temple’ in Hawaii, and performed Buddhist > ceremonies. That was reasonable because he was a monk, right? But in 2009, > he visited Cambodia from Hawaii, ostensibly still a monk, but came back to > the United States only a couple of months later with a wife! Prior to his > trip back to Cambodia, he told members of the community in Hawaii that he > was going there to represent and gain support for the temple and the > Buddhist religion. The ‘temple committee’ gave him $400, and some > individual people also gave him money, since he was a monk and/or student. > Poor him, right? When he came back with a wife, people were shocked. Did > he care? Apparently not. He did not attempt to explain himself nor > apologize for using the monies to go back to Cambodia to get married. No, > he used religion for personal gain. Sad but true. > > To people that do not know him, Sophan Seng represents himself as a > ‘community facilitator.’ To be a facilitator, ideally one has to be > neutral, or at least try to maintain neutrality. Instead, he openly > expresses his opinion about Cambodian politics. In fact, even as a monk, > whose studies are supposed to focus on learning and internalizing Buddhist > principles and the path to peace, he chose to pursue a degree in *political > science*. Most if not all of the articles he has written to the Phnom Penh > Post (PPP) discuss politics. At the close of each of his articles, he > signed "Sophan Seng, University Hawaii at Manoa, United States," or > "Cambodian Students of Aloha" (the University's student organization). > This might indicate that his opinions echo those of other Khmer at the > University of Hawaii. They do not. Again, he is not representing the > university, Khmer in Hawaii, or the United States of America. He used these > closures to make himself look good with outside parties. Not all Khmer in > Hawaii (or elsewhere in the United States) agree with him. > > In his previous correspondence, Sophan stated, “If you want to know me more, > go to these links.” The links he > provided,http://www2.hawaii.edu/~csaloha/officers.htmlandhttp://www2.hawaii.edu/~sophan/, > are links that were self-created -- using > the university- related resources (originally created for the use of the > student group as a whole) for personal gain, again. Was the information he > put on the site approved by the majority of the students in the > organization? Has anyone else affiliated with the CSAloha used this site > for personal boasting? No. Not even the founders, myself or Mr. Chanthoeun > To, ever considered using this site to toot our own horns. The purpose of > CSAloha, ‘…does not represent any political or religious ideologies both > on/off campus.’ Yet he used the university-based name/group to send > articles about politics to PPP and other media. Like Mr. Heng Sombat > mentioned in his email, ‘He just wanted his name to be read in Phnom Penh > Post.’ > > Most of the articles he wrote to the PPP from Hawaii attacked the current > Cambodian government and sided with opposition political parties. Hmmm . . > . Sophan, when you were in Cambodia, did you write any articles to the PPP? > Or did you simply enjoy yourself there and then come back to the safety of > the U.S. to criticize Cambodia? Why attack the government of your own > country? Do you just use your country for personal gain as well? Samdech > Hun Sen has been a Prime Minister for years. He lives in Cambodia most of > his life, unlike Mr. Sam Rainsy. When problems arise in the country, > Samdech Hun Sen is still there. How about Mr. Sam Rainsy? He leaves the > country when problems come up. Then, his students and his followers pay > the price since they can’t leave the country like him. Now, I am not > affiliated with any political party in Cambodia. I am simply noting that > you only support a given official or bureaucrat when it suits you. Perhaps > it is easier to get an American scholarship if you are attacking a socialist > country leader rather than supporting him? Sophan, why try to divide the > country instead of uniting it? Are you using your Canadian and US bases to > get asylum to live abroad permanently?? > > Your articles to the PPP do not help the current issues in Cambodia; > instead, you are dividing the government and her people. Before you decide > to sound off your opinion again, you should take a look at yourself in the > mirror again and think about whether you are helping Cambodia with your > words and actions, or, by pretending to be some sort of expert from the > safety of your current North American address, making things worse for the > people of our motherland. > > Savouth Chea > > Honolulu, Hawaii > > > > > -----Message d'origine----- > > De : [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] De la part > > de Heng Sombat > > Envoyé : samedi 9 janvier 2010 21:08 > > À : [email protected] > > Objet : RE: My Letter to the Phnom Penh Post > > > Sophan, > > > The CSALOHA website is very outdated > > (http://www2.hawaii.edu/~csaloha/officers.html). I do not think any of > > the > > information on the site are correct. You need to update it or take the site > > down. False information via internet or posted on the internet is also a > > crime. > > > Per my information with the East West Center, you are no longer a student > > there. Plus you have sent many articles about Cambodian-Canadian's > > activities which only proof that you are currently residing in Canada. > > > There is not much to read into your article. Your intention is not to help > > Cambodia or her people. Question: Have you even hold a job that produced > > normal income and paid income-tax since you live here, US or Canada? If > > not, you have no idea what is democracy is. So please do not preach > > democracy to others. From your resume, you have been a professional > > student > > and monk most of your adult life. > > > Per my conversation with my friend Sok in Hawaii, your short term in Hawaii > > during your monk hood was fulfill with sins. Let me relate (one issue) to > > you and to our audience that wish to know more about you, since you wanted > > others to know about you as well. Correct me if my information is > > incorrect, but I have no doubt about what I am about to share. > > > During your study at University of Hawaii you were living in a co-ed > > University housing that was provided by East West Center (funded by > > American > > tax payers). This mean that you were sharing your domicile with young > > college girls. This alone violated Buddhism practice already. Most of the > > young girls in these days covered their body with less and less garments, > > especially when they are in their domiciles. I will stop here on this issue > > and let you and the audience of CAMDIS takes it from here. > > > I have more to share, if you want me to go on! Trust me. > > > Here is my suggestion. Stop attacking and putting down Cambodian people > > and > > her government via Phnom Penh Post. Posting article via Phnom Post will be > > read by mostly foreigners, in Phnom Penh and aboard, your article will only > > stack more mud on the Cambodian people. This government is not perfect. > > If > > you care, let's help Cambodian people by helping the government to improve > > their mean and way of doing government businesses. Let's start with > > solidarity first. Solidarity is the most effective way to consolidate > > power > > and fight the enemy of all kinds; foreign and domestic. Keep in mind > > that > > democracy does not happen overnight. It took US and Canada over 200 years > > for their democracies and still not 100% perfect. Do not forget that your > > well being here in US or Canada is the result of the current government > > policy. > > > Here I go again......You must learn how to give back, not just take. Or > > giving back is not what you believe in? Stop taking from an little old > > lady > > like the one you did in Hawaii. She gave you so much of what she had; she > > had to collect cans and saved portion of her SS incomes to contribute to > > your Buddhism preach, because she trusted you as a true monk. > > > I am going to stop here and hoping that you are able to start giving back > > with your heart. > > > Heng Sombat > > Irvine, Ca > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf > > Of sophan > > Sent: Friday, January 08, 2010 4:59 > > To: Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) -www.cambodia.org > > Subject: Re: My Letter to the Phnom Penh Post > > > Hi Heng Sombat and Kangkaroo; > > > Some info you claimed is correct, but major of them is wrong about me. > > If you want to know me more, go to these links. > > >http://www2.hawaii.edu/~csaloha/officers.html > > or > >http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sophan/ > > > I am not affiliated with any political parties inside or outside of > > Cambodia. I am currently a student of UH, and > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
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