How Young Cambodians See Religious Practice

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By:
- Chhuon Kongieng
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January 21, 2025, 7:15 PM
PHNOM PENH – Buddhism has a significant influence on Cambodians’ daily lives and is recognized in the Constitution as the national religion.
Nevertheless, experts agree that social and technological advancements have led to a decline in religious practices, particularly among younger people.
It’s a sensitive subject that some are not willing to talk about. One student said privately that few of her university friends went to the pagoda though her former high school friends used to go with their parents or sweetheart.
Others were willing to speak about their varying degrees of religious engagement.
Kosal Sereykanya, Pheng Sa Ea and Him Imrorn were born between 1997 and 2012, known as Gen Z.
Him Imrorn, 24, a Muslim from Pursat province, wearing traditional Muslim attire. Photo provided
Pheng Sa Ea, 21, originally from Siem Reap province and now a fourth-year law student at Western University, is a Christian. She acknowledged that her generation's religious practices and beliefs are not as strong as those of her parents’ or grandparents’ generations.
“When I was young, in terms of spiritual beliefs, when children were sick, they might have gone to ask for forgiveness from spiritual ancestors who had passed away,” Sa Ea said.
“Now, we go to the hospital when we’re sick. We don’t believe as strongly as they did.”
Sereykanya, 21, is a fourth-year student in Media and Communication at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. As a Buddhist, she occasionally participates in festivals with family and friends.
“In Khmer New Year, my family and friends and I usually go to the pagoda to offer food to the monks, pray to past ancestors, and even pay gratitude to my benefactors,” she said.
Him Imrorn, 24, a Muslim from Pursat province, is a project coordinator at the STEM Education Organization for Cambodia. He said his religious practice is not weaker than his parents' generation. Instead, he has a better opportunity to learn religious practice than they did because his parents had been through war.
"It's not a general statement, but based on my observations of this younger generation, the majority has learned about religious practices and adheres to religious discipline well,” he said.
“Some of the religious practices are different from the traditional Muslim practices in the past because they follow religious discipline from a young age.”
Imrorn pointed to the lack of discrimination and to the significant freedom of religion, citing things Muslim people can do. For example, Muslim women are allowed to wear headscarves (hijabs) in public and private schools.
According to Boston University’s 2020 World Religion Database, 85.4 percent of the Cambodian population is Buddhist, 4.3 percent ethnic religionist, 2.8 percent Christian, 2.4 percent Chinese folk-religionist, 3 percent atheist or agnostic, and 1.9 percent Muslim.
Religious preservation and social connection
Each of them practices their religious discipline with different purposes and motivations. They want to preserve their religion, create social connections and improve their knowledge of religion.
Born in Phnom Penh, Kanya usually goes to a pagoda in the city or Kandal province. She said she learned from her parents that doing so can remind her of a clear mind. It is also a source of happy moments because she can meet up with relatives and friends and ask how they are doing.
Kanya is motivated by her parents’ advice that following religion can educate the mind and heart. She said it is a tradition passed down from generation to generation.
“I am a Buddhist who might not be as strong as my parents, but in terms of preserving religion and gaining knowledge from it to go on to the next generation,” she said.
Sa Ea said being able to read the Bible made her learn more about God and feel connected. She has installed the Bible on her phone to notify her of some verses of the day, encouraging her to be aware of reading the Bible when using her phone.
Knowledge about the religion
Imrorn said his motivation to practice his religious discipline frequently is knowledge of religion. It is the root cause of his spiritual practices because belief comes from believing, and believing comes from the knowledge of religion. A deeper understanding of religion is more meaningful than merely following others without comprehension.
“Nowadays, additional explaining in a scientific way, like fasting, can help people’s health. This knowledge and advantage is one of my motives. The second motive is having people as a unite of the Islamic religion.
“Before, they only saw the Muslim practice of Khmer Islam in Cambodia.
“With social media, they see Muslim practices from other countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and others that have the Islamic religion, and Muslims there all practice the same.
“These motivate them to continue the Muslim practice well, although Islam isn’t the government religion in Cambodia, and Muslims are the minority,” he said.
Pheng Sa Ea, 21, a Christian originally from Siem Reap province and now a fourth-year law student at Western University. Photo provided
Limited free time and the desire for relaxation
All three face similar challenges related to limited free time, as many younger people prefer to use their free time to relax after a busy workday or take vacations during the holidays.
Kanya noted that the younger generation prioritizes their studies and work. They tend to go out with friends rather than engage in religious practices during holidays.
Sa Ea said she usually reads the Christian Bible twice or three times, either in the morning or at night. However, after moving to Phnom Penh for further studies, she noticed a gap in her religious practice and felt less connected to God than when in Siem Reap.
“As a Christian, I believe in Jesus and always went to worship at the church, celebrating major festivals like Christmas every year when I was in Siem Reap,” she said.
“But since I moved to Phnom Penh for my studies, I’ve only been able to celebrate Christmas two out of the four years
Imrorn said his busy schedule of studying at university and working has made it difficult for him to practice some traditional customs, but he maintains his religious practices.
He participates in religious festivals, such as Eid al-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice) and Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.
Every Friday, he prays at the mosque, as do other Muslims who have reached the age of maturity and meet the necessary conditions. On regular days, he prays and engages in religious studies at home and at work, which has a designated prayer space.
However, providing a dedicated prayer area can be challenging for some workplaces with only one Muslim employee. He encourages Muslims to pray in any comfortable space during their free time.
Social changes that drive modern distractions
Chhort Bunthang, a philosophy and social affairs expert from the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said in modern times, influences of alcohol, drugs, social media, materialism, and contemporary lifestyles easily distract young people from engaging deeply with religion.
“Many people today seem less devoted or unclear in their beliefs than previous generations. They might not have a deep sense of dedication or commitment to any specific religion as long as religions provide good guidance on concepts like virtue, sin, and what is right or wrong,” said Bunthang.
Khath Bunthorn, a researcher at the Center for Governance and Inclusive Society, Cambodia Development Resource Institute, and author of “History of Buddhism in Indonesia: Past and Present" in Khmer language, agreed that religious importance has declined in the lives of many Cambodians.
“It is, in fact, social changes that have driven a shift in religions’ role, in which people rely less on religions compared to the past,” Bunthorn said.
He said that historically, religions have played a more significant role, highlighting Buddhism's contribution to Cambodian society, especially during the colonial period, as an educational center for cultural preservation, a place where individuals could cultivate a sense of nationalism, and a place where social cohesion and harmony could be promoted.
In the 1990s, as the country found peace, there were no places for Cambodians to gather and enjoy besides pagodas. This is why the role of religions like Buddhism was so significant.
“It indicated people depended almost entirely on pagodas,” he said, adding that now it is no longer the religions but the state providing such services, which could satisfy people’s demands.
Kosal Sereykanya, 21, from Phnom Penh, goes to the pagoda with her relatives during the Pchum Ben Festival. Photo provided
Chhat Sochhet, spokesperson at the Ministry of Religion and Cults, said that young people nowadays have better religious practice and knowledge but did not explicitly address the decline in spiritual importance.
When addressing Buddhism specifically, Sochhet highlighted the increasing number of pagodas and schools where monks offer lessons, indicating a rise in religious practices.
“The practice of Buddhism in this generation has grown because there are more pagodas and monks, and many young Buddhists also go to the pagoda,” he said.
Sochhet noted that Buddhist studies are shared through education at all levels, online teaching, and the growing presence of performances and teachings on social media, which are now faster and more engaging.
Religions adapt in an increasingly materialistic world
Khath Bunthorn said that as Cambodia undergoes rapid social and economic changes fueled by technological advancements and materialism, new challenges arise, causing more individuals to become trapped in a delusional world marked by material excess, insatiable desires, and greed.
Although the role of religion in people's daily lives may gradually diminish, its crucial impact in helping individuals deal with materialistic obsession may not end.
“Keeping growing materialism in mind, religions like Buddhism should also re-emerge and play a greater role in educating people’s minds,” Bunthorn said.
“All religions can adapt their roles according to changes and help people address growing passion and greed. Ignoring these trends can result in a rise in immoral actions committed by individuals."
This is why Bunthorn suggested that religious institutions should play a greater role in educating people’s minds and promoting meditation.
“We can leverage the role of religions to support our communities. It is about learning to control our feelings and minds,” he said.
Bunthang said that while religions can expand their role to educate people, religious practices should be modified and innovated to adapt to changes and remain relevant.
He said it is not just about having young people go to pagods and offering monks food during festivals. It is about how they are involved in Buddhist teachings and learn from other faiths.
“Doing so will be beneficial for our society at large,” he said.
