Monks feeling policed
During a small press conference yesterday, the founder of the Independent Monk Network said about 30 police officers came to Wat Botum two nights in one week, asking to search the premises for “bad men” who may be hiding there. The visits occurred on the nights of October 9 and 14, But Butenh, the monk network’s founder, said. On both occasions, uniformed and plainclothes officers came to the pagoda after 8pm, and left without searching the site. … Shows of force by authorities have become a common method of pressuring monks to keep a lid on political dissent in their ranks, according to Butenh. …
Sean Teehan and Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/monks-feeling-policed
