PHNOM PENH – King Norodom Sihamoni on December 8 issued a royal decree appointing Supreme Patriarch Non Ngeth as the Great Supreme Patriarch, the highest leadership position in Cambodian Buddhism.

Venerable Non Ngeth, a senior figure in the influential Maha Nikaya order, had been serving as acting Great Supreme Patriarch since the passing of Venerable Tep Vong in February. The King also promoted four other monks to the top leadership body overseeing Buddhist affairs in the country.

Venerable Non Ngeth, a 100-year-old monk who was among the first group of seven re-ordained in 1980, rose through the ranks to become the Supreme Patriarch in 2006.

The 1980 re-ordination of the seven monks symbolized the rebirth of Buddhism in Cambodia after the devastating Khmer Rouge regime which systematically destroyed Buddhist institutions and persecuted monks, leading to a near-total collapse of the religion.

Recently, the King appointed Venerable Om Lim Heng as the new Supreme Patriarch of the Maha Nikaya order. Venerables Noy Chroek, Moung Ra, and Khim Sorn were also promoted to key leadership roles within the order's Sangha Council.

Venerable Lim Heng previously served as first deputy head of the Council, Venerable Noy Chroek, the second and Venerable Moung Ra, the third. Venerable Khim Sorn is head of secretariat of the Council.

Cambodia is home to 5,146 monasteries, with 4,876 affiliated with the Maha Nikaya and 272 with the Dhamma Yuthika Nikaya—the second order of Cambodian Buddhism. The country has 71,174 monks. Of these, 68,659 belong to the Maha Nikaya sect, and 2,520 belong to the Dhamma Yuthika Nikaya sect.

Supreme Patriarch Bour Kry is currently the head of Dhamma Yuthika Nikaya.