The Buddhist community recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Annual Cambodian Buddhist Sangha Congress in Springvale South.
Thirty monks from Cambodia, USA, Canada, India and Sri Lanka gathered in Springvale to mark the event as a symbol of unity and gratitude according to the venerable Sudhep Nan, Abbot from the Wat Buddharangsi.
“These gathering honours our elders, strengthens our spiritual foundations, and inspires future generations to uphold compassion, wisdom, and harmony in society.”
Organised by the Cambodian Buddhist Monk Council of Australia and New Zealand (CABMCANZ) from 9 to 11 January, the event marked three decades of spiritual leadership, cultural preservation, and community service across Australia and New Zealand.
The event was celebrated through collective prayers, meditation sessions, dharma teachings and internal spiritual dialogues among senior monks with a total of 50 monks attended the temple.
The Springvale South temple, Wat Buddharangsi a significant cultural and spiritual landmark within Greater Dandenong.
An active community member also affiliated with the CBMCANZ and a migration agent, Thayhorn Yim recently visited the Pursat province in Cambodia along with the president from the monk councils in Australia to provide crucial humanitarian and financial aid to the displaced people from alongside the Thai-Cambodia border.
A significant amount of $10,000 was raised by Australian communities to assist the impacted Cambodians, many of whom had to flee their homes from alongside the border due to the ongoing conflict with nothing or very little.
“Our role is to respond immediately with food, basic necessities, and moral support,” Mr Yim says.
“I went as close as possible that they allow, where the refugees are sheltered.
“We need international community to apply pressure otherwise Cambodians can’t carry on living under the aggressors like this.“
He says the monk council will continue to focus on humanitarian missions to Cambodia.
Aids were also distributed in provinces of Kompong Thom, Siem Reap and Preah Vihear.
Thailand and Cambodia have a history of border disputes however recently conflict began in May last year.
Both sides accuse each other of breaking the peace deals.
A large Thai and Cambodian population reside in City of Greater Dandenong with many having connections to the countries, as the recent conflict reopened wounds from the 1980s.
Last year, councillor Melinda Yim shared her family’s story with Star Journal.
Her uncle, Mr Yim, previously shared how the rcenbt conflict “activated the painful memories” from his time at the Khao-I-Dang (KID) camp in the 1980s.
He himself migrated to Australia as a refugee in the 1980’s to flee the genocide and now he fears for his family members, who are also scared of the unstable situation.
