Kassie Neou

In discussing the relationship between Buddhism and human rights, I would
first like to explain the central place and resilient nature of Buddhism within
Cambodian culture and history. This focus has remained true, despite the
savage destruction of the Khmer Rouge years ( 1975-1979). When they
seized power, the Khmer Rouge made every effort to eliminate Buddhism.
All Buddhist temples were closed, some were destroyed, while still others
served as prisons, torture chambers, and even pigsties. Statues of the
Buddha were shattered. Of about 65,000 Buddhist monks in Cambodia
before the war, only about 3,000 survived. The rest were executed, or died
of starvation and disease aggravated by conditions in forced-labor camps.

But the Buddhist ideal never left the hearts of the people, especially
country folk. Today we see a great revival of Buddhism in Cambodia. From
the 3,000 monks who survived, we now have about 47,000. As one survivor
of the Khmer Rouge years told an interviewer, "They could only destroy the
outward signs of our religion, not our deeply held inner beliefs." Therefore,
we must understand that Buddhism in Cambodia is deeply embedded in the
culture and strikes a deep chord within people's hearts and minds.

Buddhist teachings provide us with rich indigenous lessons on human
rights and non-violence that can be drawn upon when discussing these
concepts. The Buddhist canon contains many references to what we now
call human rights. Although the phrasing may be different from modern
human rights terminology or political theory, the concepts remain the same.
The Buddha taught kindness, compassion, and respect for human beings
and other living things. He counseled nonviolence. He forbade killing, and
instead called upon people to develop kind and compassionate social
perspectives. He instructed people to abstain from stealing and cheating,
and to respect the rights and property of others.

Buddhist scriptures outlined political rights. ² Citizens had the right to
participate in the political life of their state. In fact, citizens' participation
was actively encouraged. The scriptures called for public assemblies and
referenda in order to reach decisions within communities. In addition,

-302-