Some people may not realize it but speak ill of someone including making a
harsh and quick judgement unfairly on someone is unbecoming a buddisht.
Remember, Buddha teaching speak rightly only.
In a poor country like Cambodia, monastery life is a way out of poverty and a
chance for a proper education. In fact, many celebrated Khmer leaders and
scholars owed their career to their days in as a monk. I think not any
Cambodians would be shocked if a monk rejoins his civilian life. Cambodian
buddhists offer money, food to monks in order to receive good karma, blessing.
Should the monks refund the money, foods back if he returns to civilian life.
Would you expect the monk perform a return of good karma, blessing back to
heaven from those people? Give me a break.
Savouth Chea wrote:
Aloha,
As a 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.html
<http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Ecsaloha/officers.html> and http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sophan/
<http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Esophan/>, 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]>
[mailto:[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>] De la part
de Heng Sombat
Envoyé : samedi 9 janvier 2010 21:08
À : [email protected] <mailto:[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
<http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Ecsaloha/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]>
[mailto:[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>] On Behalf
Of sophan
Sent: Friday, January 08, 2010 4:59
To: Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org
<http://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
<http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Ecsaloha/officers.html>
or
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sophan/ <http://www2.hawaii.edu/%7Esophan/>
I am not affiliated with any political parties inside or outside of
Cambodia. I am currently a student of UH, and community facilitator.
My letter to the Phnom Penh Post has fairly articulated to bring
benefits to
all sides especially the collective interests of the nation.
Please re-read my article again and again before you assume to
reply this or
that.
PS: I am an individual of UH's student. I am not representing all
students
in this University including Cambodian students studying there,
like many
other writers who revealed their places such as Phnom Penh,
California or
others, surely not represent everyone there.
Regards,
S.
On Jan 7, 10:33 pm, Heng Sombat <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
> Hello Kararoo,
>
> Your points are very straight and very much appreciated. The
author
> of this letter to Phnom Penh Post has no practical logic or merit
> behind his article. He just wanted his name to be read in Phnom
Penh
Post.
>
> Sam Rainsy's actions in the last 15 years are very questionable. I
> have the opportunity to meet Rainsy when he was the Minister of
> Finance and after he got kicked out of the government. He
knows how
> to use less fortunate people for his personal gain. Just like Koy
> Pech in
the 1971, Lon Nol Era.
> Students died from his actions.
>
> Now let's look at this author character and purpose of his writing
> this article, so we could analyst his intention. I started out by
> contacting my fellow friend (let's call him Sok) at Hawaii
University
> at Manoa Campus to verify who is this Sophan Seng really is.
>
> Here is what I found out.
>
> 1. Sophan was a student at UH and had moved back to Canada since
2009.
> 2. He was a monk from Cambodia via Canada before moved to
Hawaii. On
> top of it, he did served his monk hood properly.
>
> In the body of his article he expressed the wrong doing of the HS
> government, but fail to understand the responsibility of the
Rainsy as MP.
> MP is just a law maker not a law enforcer. What authority does
MP has
> to act as POLICE. Rainsy's action only create division among our
> people, but fail to promote solidarity. His actions only make us
> Khmer
weak.
>
> If you talk about corruption, let's us ash how Rainsy live with
his MP
> salary. Someone is paying for his living cost plus traveling in and
> out of Cambodia whenever he wishes to travel.
>
> I suggest that Sophon think twice before he writes again about
the HS
> government. HS is not perfect, but the best government we had
in the
> last 100 years. We all able to get higher education and freedom to
> express our opinion more than previous governments. Freedom of
speech
> has come a long way. But please keep freedom of speech within
limitation.
>
> Let's look at our previous government: Sihanouk's government
fail.......
> Lon Nol's government fail...... Pol Pot's government fail to year
> ZERO. I guess Sophan wants to live year Zero again.
>
> One more note for Sophon, if you are not with UH or speaking on
> behalf of UH, please do not sign on behalf of UH, because your
article
> to Phnom Penh Post created concern for UH Cambodian Students in
> Hawaii. Not all students in UH approved your statement.
>
> Heng Sombat
> Irvine, Ca
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
[mailto:[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>] On
> Behalf
>
> Of sopha
> Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2010 5:56 AM
> To: Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) -www.cambodia.org
<http://www.cambodia.org>
> Subject: Re: My Letter to the Phnom Penh Post
>
> On Jan 7, 2:28 am, kangaroo <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
> > > Reading your article “Three more sought in removal of post
at Svay
> > > Rieng border” (January 4) broke my heart.
>
> > > The villagers should be congratulated and taken care of by the
> > > government for their courage in publicly claiming their
ownership
> > > of the rice paddies and denouncing the violation of their
> > > territory by Vietnamese authorities who have mismanaged the
> > > process of demarcating the border. Instead, as unbelievable
as it
> > > may sound, these five farmers face a terrifying fate and the
loss
> > > of their status
> as “good” citizens.
>
> > Look at their acts. They have done something on their own hands
> > along with Sam Rainsy. Did they do the right thing?
> > Look at it yourself. A small group of people disagree with border
> > demarkation along with their leader, Sam Rainsy. They acted
> > illegally whether you like it or not. They did a wrong thing.
> > Actually, they did it to demonstarte their disagreement with the
government.
> > Be serious about it. Doing a wrong thing to correct a wrong thing
> > would never work. Sam Rainsy and that small group of people
did just
> > that. Now they are facing their consequences.
> > Oh ask those people this. They did it along with Sam Rainsy in
that
> > village. Now, they all are in trouble including Sam Rainsy.
WHERE IS
> > SAM RAINSY TODAY?
> > How about those people in the group? Where are they today?
>
> It is good to hear from you. Why all Cambodian people have trouble?
>
> > > There have been different interpretations of this story
within the
> > > media, but at the end of the day, no one can deny the truth:
> > > Cambodian people living along the borders with Thailand,
Laos and
> > > Vietnam no longer dare voice their concerns about neighbouring
> > > countries encroaching on their territory and
