22 Feb 2007 By Keo Pech Metta Radio Free Asia Translated from Khmer by Socheata Buddhist Khmer Krom people as well as the administrators of the Serey Ta Sek pagoda, located in Chrauy Nho district, Khleang province (Soc Trang in Vietnamese), Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam), sent a petition the religious clergy and the Vietnamese authority not to defrock 2 Buddhist monks from the Serey Ta Sek pagoda. Those who signed the petition believed that the 2 monks have not done anything wrong against Buddhist law to earn such defrocking. A monk from Kampuchea Krom who declined to give his name and who is acting as a representative of the Serey Ta Sek pagoda assembly, told RFA by phone that according to Buddhist customs, a monk can be defrocked only if he contravene Buddhist law. However, in the case of the 2 monks from Serey Ta Sek pagoda, they are only suspected of leading a demonstration participated by 200 student-monks so that they can go out to beg for their alms on 08 Feb 2007. Source: KI MEDIA
