Kampong Cham Province: Regional Leaders and Monks Connect During Buddhist Ceremony

Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia – July 30, 2024 – Regional leaders in Kampong Cham Province presented Vassa candles and donations to four prominent Buddhist pagodas in the region. The ceremony took place at Wat Thmey, also known as Wat Thmey, a pagoda with a 66-year history located in Kampong Cham City. Khlout Phon, Chairman of the Provincial Council, and Un Chanda, the Governor of Kampong Cham Province, along with his wife and a number of colleagues, attended the event. They paid their respects to the monks and handed over the donations at Wat Thmey. According to Venerable Sa Vira, the chief monk of Wat Thmey and deputy head of the Kampong বৌদ্ধ Sangha, there are a total of four pagodas in Kampong Cham City. Wat Thmey was initiated in the 1960s by the former head of the provincial Buddhist Sangha, the late Men Thoun. Built on a land area of over 10 hectares, surrounded by lush forests at the time, the pagoda was officially established by royal decree in 1962. Venerable Sa Vira explained that during the civil war under the Pol Pot regime in 1975, the pagoda was temporarily abandoned and left without resident monks. After the country was liberated in 1987, the pagoda reopened and currently houses five monks. In 2002, the late Men Thoun, who led the construction of the pagoda, passed away at the age of 102. Under the leadership of the current chief monk, Venerable Sa Vira, Wat Thmey has seen the construction of various facilities, including monks' residences (Kuti), sermon halls (Sala Chan), and lecture rooms (Sala Dummasephea), with an expenditure exceeding one million dollars. Currently, 144 monks study Buddhist teachings at the pagoda, some of whom have obtained university-level degrees and are serving as civil servants in various capacities, from provincial administration to the Ministry of Interior. Source: CEN Cambodia