Religions’ Role in Social Development Should Not Be Overlooked, Hun Sen Says
The prime minister made this remark on April 8 as he spoke to 1,500 achars. Photo: Prime Minister Hun Sen / Facebook
- By Meng Seavmey
- April 9, 2023 4:51 PM
PHNOM PENH — A country’s leader cannot neglect the role that religions play, and religions must be linked to the state, Prime Minister Hun Sen said.
The prime minister made this remark on April 8 as he spoke to 1,500 achars—the lay people who help Buddhist monks manage pagodas and who preside over ceremonies, being ritual specialists.
“All religions always teach people to do good deeds, which helps the state manage society,” Hun Sen said. “If people in a society commit many bad deeds, the state will also face difficulties.
“This is why we have to integrate Buddhism and other religions with the state leading, as religions help develop a society,” he added.
The human resources in religions also contribute to the social development of a country, which is why leaders should not overlook or neglect that aspect when they lead their countries, Hun Sen stressed.
The prime minister then denied the viewpoint according to which believing in a religion was the reason for a country’s poverty.
“Religion is not the reason they are poor,” Hun Sen said. “It’s just your perspective, and you can hold on to it and be an atheist.”
Leading a country and religions are connected because the state receives benefits from Buddhism and the other religions, and vice versa, the prime minister said.
According to the statistics on Buddhist pagodas in Cambodia, there currently are 5,133 pagodas and 68,976 monks across the country.
