Cambodia News, Prey Veng: A water company delivered food, water and goods to monks at Wat Serei Oudom Pagoda in Prey Veng province on 28 April 2020, as the fear of the spread of the coronavirus has reduced the number of Buddhists who usually bring food and offerings to this remote pagoda.

The goods provided by the donators included water, vegetables, rice, instant noodles, soy sauce, tea, sugar, salt, candles, incense and medicine.

CEO News notes: This good deed, and indeed this article, was totally sponsored by the Cambodian water company, who like to pride themselves on charitable actions. Doing good is good, but being seen to do good is also very important.

Buddhist Monks in Cambodia and Thailand Limit Religious Services Amid Pandemic
By Dipen Barua
Buddhistdoor Global | 2020-05-15 |

With strict stay-at-home orders and social-distancing measures limiting normal social interactions, Buddhist monks in Cambodia and Thailand have adjusted their daily habits and religious activities to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. While many monks are using live-streaming to reach their followers and offer prayers virtually during celebrations such as Vesak, which commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and passing from this world of the historical Buddha, many other religious rites, such as those held for the traditional Lunar New Year, have been scaled back or canceled altogether.

At the time of writing on 15 May, the Cambodian government had reported a total of 122 confirmed COVID-19 infections and no fatalities, while the Thai government had reported 3,018 confirmed infections and 56 deaths.*

In Cambodia, monks maintain social distancing by remaining inside monasteries, also known as pagodas. Laypeople wear face masks when they visit. Sand Somney, a spokesman for Cambodia’s Ministry of Cults and Religion, said people were still allowed to visit pagodas without any limit on numbers, but they were required to maintain a distance of two meters from each other, wear masks, and not linger after making their offerings to the monks.

However, Ven. Try Thaney, a monk and university student at Wat Ounalom, a monastery in Phnom Penh, said he had seen very few people practicing social distance at the pagoda. “Like today, [in] most of the pagodas in Cambodia, monks are sitting near each other and I think maybe because of [fewer] cases in Cambodia,” said Ven. Try, noting that there were only two active COVID-19 cases in the country. “I really hope that COVID-19 will be out of the country soon,” he added.

Ven. Sarin Samnang, a monk at Wat Sompovmeas in Phnom Penh, said he had stopped wearing face masks because no new cases had been announced in Cambodia in weeks, although he acknowledged that a second wave of infections could occur. He admitted that the chief monk of his pagoda had instructed the monks there to wear masks and to continue practicing social distancing.
https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/buddh ... d-pandemic

My wife takes food to the Pagoda around the corner about once a week. Not a tourist place at all.
The old folks without families who live there are in real need as well.
My wife asks what they need the most or what is something they usually do not get.
There are a lot of elderly people around who live off scraps.
I suspect a country that forbids religion could care less about helping monks and the elderly.
It is up to the kindness of the Khmer people and possibly some foreign aid to help the monks and all who seek refuge with them.

BR549 wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 5:02 pm My wife takes food to the Pagoda around the corner about once a week. Not a tourist place at all.
The old folks without families who live there are in real need as well.
My wife asks what they need the most or what is something they usually do not get.
There are a lot of elderly people around who live off scraps.
I suspect a country that forbids religion could care less about helping monks and the elderly.
It is up to the kindness of the Khmer people and possibly some foreign aid to help the monks and all who seek refuge with them.

Which country are you talking about that "forbids" religion ?
The country where the motto is "Nation, Religion, King" and where the king bows to the monks, or some other country ?

Vietnam Buddhist Sangha supports Cambodian Buddhists amid COVID-19
The Executive Councils of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) and the HCM City Buddhist Sangha recently presented 250 million VND (10,800 USD) to Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia Samdech Tep Vong and Buddhist followers in Cambodia to help them cope with difficulties caused by the latest COVID-19 resurgence.
VNA Saturday, May 01, 2021 16:14

Phnom Penh (VNA) - The Executive Councils of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) and the HCM City Buddhist Sangha recently presented 250 million VND (10,800 USD) to Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia Samdech Tep Vong and Buddhist followers in Cambodia to help them cope with difficulties caused by the latest COVID-19 resurgence.

In a letter dated April 27, Vice President and General Secretary of the VBS Executive Council, Venerable Thich Duc Thien expressed his sympathy to Great Supreme Patriarch Samdech Tep Vong over the hardship caused by COVID-19 in the lives of Buddhists in Cambodia.

Entrusted by the VBS, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Vu Quang Minh handed over the aid grant to Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong at Ounalom Pagoda.

Many Buddhist monks are running low on food as the lockdown in Phnom Penh capital and its surrounding city of Takhmao since mid-April prevent them from going out to collect alms while people cannot bring food to pagodas.

Cambodian Prime Minister HE previously instructed local authorities to ensure food supply for places of worship in lockdown areas.

Ambassador Minh on April 29 also delivered 250 million USD in aid from the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to Chairman of the Khmer-Vietnam Association in Cambodia Sim Chy to support the Vietnamese community in the neighbouring country./.
VNA