CAMBODIA: BUDDHIST NATIONALISM AND THE 27 JULY ELECTIONS

Some 86% of Cambodians are Buddhist and just 1% are Christian. Only around 2,000 of Cambodia's then 12,000 Christians survived the Killing Fields of the late 1970s. In the past decade of peace and freedom, the Church has grown phenomenally and brought great healing to many suffering Cambodians. The Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia (EFC) estimates that today there are around 130,000 Christians, meeting in approximately 2,000 small churches scattered throughout the country. Many former Khmer Rouge, including some once greatly feared senior generals, have become Christians and now serve the Lord as missionaries across Cambodia. God is doing amazing works of healing and transformation in people's hearts.

Over the past 9 months, Cambodia's various political rivals have been competing for the backing of the influential Buddhist clergy in the run up to the 27 July 2003 elections. Late last year Buddhist groups in Prey Krang and Pichirath protested against the Christian presence in their villages. This was the first time Cambodia had seen such an anti-Christian demonstration. The group behind the protests in Prey Krang labelled Jesus, 'Pol Pot Number Two', and urged people to 'stand up in solidarity to topple the Pol Pot group' so as 'not to betray their own nation and their own religion'. The protests were instigated by the opposition Sam Rainsy Party after local Christians expressed support for the ruling Cambodian People's Party. This appalling disinformation is unconscionable Buddhist nationalism for political gain.

Buddhist nationalism has been on the rise in Cambodia in recent years. In Nov 2002, the Cambodian Independent Teachers' Association (CITA)

recommended that all references to 'God' be removed from school textbooks.

CITA maintains such references are unconstitutional as Cambodia's constitution states that Buddhism is the state religion. They even said that God 'is a medicine that is poisoning students and will lead to social unrest'. In February 2003 Cambodia's ministry of cults and religious affairs issued a directive to ban all Christian proselytising.

On Sun 13 July a mob of some 100 Buddhists ransacked the Christian church in Kok Pring during a Sunday mass, destroying the cross at the altar, breaking windows, and throwing Bibles into puddles of water. Several worshippers were injured, though police stopped the mob from razing the church. The vandals accused the Christians of having contempt for the Buddhist community. As the church is near the border with Vietnam, it is suspected the Christians were predominantly Vietnamese Montagnards and that Cambodian Buddhist nationalism and racial issues were both factors in the attack.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:

* Cambodians will treasure their harmony and resist provocation from politicians seeking to exploit the rising religious nationalism across Asia.

* God will bless Cambodia with continued freedom and openness, appointing leaders who will govern fairly, protecting harmony and religious liberty. 'Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity.' 1 Timothy 2:2

* God will thwart any attempts to provoke unrest, particularly during the period around the Sunday 27 July elections.

* Cambodian Christians, foreign Christian mission and aid workers, and the Vietnamese Montagnards (who have fled to Cambodia from persecution in Vietnam) will be protected by God from religious attacks.

* the Holy Spirit will continue to empower Cambodian pastors, evangelists, church planters and all witnessing believers, with words of eternal life and healing.

From a World Vision memo.