Thursday, 24 May 2012
By Khouth Sophak Chakrya
Phnom Penh Post
Luon Savath
speaks to reporters during a demonstration at Boeung Kak lake earlier
this week. Photograph: Meng Kimlong/Phnom Penh Post
Senior members of the monastic community this morning were involved in
detaining Buddhist monk Loun Savath, an award-winning human rights
activist, after he took photos of protesting Boeung Kak lake villagers
outside Phnom Penh municipal court.
Monks, police and
unidentified plain-clothed men forced him into a Land Cruiser and
ushered him away from the scene as more than 60 protesters, flanked by
about 100 police, called for the release of 13 Boeung Kak women who
where being questioned inside.
The monks would not comment on why
they had detained Venerable Loun Savath, who was banned from all
pagodas in Phnom Penh last year by Supreme Patriarch Nun Nget.
Venerable
Loun Savath was driven to Wat Botum, where police and officials from
the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Cults and Religion
barricaded him inside, sealing off entries so even pagoda boys could not
enter.
A Ministry of Cults and Religion official said it was unclear whether the supreme patriarch has grounds to defrock the monk.
“[Venerable Loun Savath] is being held here, and after [the supreme patriarch] has finished lunch, he will decide what to do.”
The 13 Boeung Kak women arrested on Tuesday are yet to be charged.
To contact the reporter on this story: Khouth Sophak Chakrya at sophakchakrya.khouth@phnompenhpost.com
With assistance from Bridget Di Certo
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