By Phnom Penh Post
- Tuesday, 23 August 2011 15:01, John Anthony
Venerable Loun Sovath (right) welcomes parliamentarian Seang Nam at a pagoda in Siem Reap province’s Chi Kraeng district to celebrate the release of 12 men from prison, some of whom were detained for more than two years, in connection with a land dispute.
A community that gathered yesterday to celebrate the release of farmers who had been jailed for more than two years following a land dispute were told that the monk who led their campaign to free the men had been banned from every pagoda in Siem Reap province.
The written notice from the province’s senior most monk, Venerable Pich San, was distributed ahead of the two-day event, which started on Saturday.
Pich San also banned Venerable Loun Sovath from leading the celebration and said that the monk, who has become famous for blessing communities involved in land disputes, had disobeyed Buddhist values.
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