A village chief in Kompong Thom province has begun collecting signatures on a petition to remove the opposition-aligned head monk of his local pagoda, whom he has accused of embezzling the pagoda’s money.
Kheang Khean, the chief of Krachab village in Stung Sen city’s Achar Leak commune, said Thursday that chief monk Ann Mony of Wat Krachab pagoda stands accused by villagers of pilfering money placed under his purview.
“The villagers are unhappy with the chief monk, since [he] has been misleading the pagoda, taking its money and not developing the pagoda,” he said, explaining that villagers had demanded the petition be circulated.
“This is not politically motivated,” Mr. Khean insisted. “We are not discriminating…even though he joined in marches with the CNRP.”
The village chief said he had collected 377 thumbprints and said the petition would soon be forwarded to provincial authorities.
Ann Mony denied he had ever misappropriated funds, and said that the petition was in response to his attendance at protests in Phnom Penh.
“I have not done anything like this, since all the money goes to the Achar [a Buddhist lay priest], and he just needs to ask me before he decides to use it,” he said.
“They just want to get rid of me since I have participated in CNRP marches. They were not happy when they saw me march with the CNRP—they said monks should not be involved in politics.”
Sok Peng Seng, a provincial CNRP official, said that the opposition party would investigate the case.
“Some villagers have given their thumbprints without knowing the reason they are collecting them,” he said.
