Several women in Taoyuan have accused a Cambodian Buddhist monk of sexual assault and using religious teachings for profit.
Instead of remaining celibate and leading an ascetic lifestyle, the monk is married, has two children and lives in a luxury condominium, the women said.
Local Chinese-language media have reported that the man came to Taiwan more than 10 years ago and took on a Chinese moniker as Buddhist master Shih Ching-liang (釋精良) after attending the Yuan Kuang Buddhist College in Taoyuan for three years, during which he learned Chinese.
The victims are all Cambodians married to Taiwanese men.
The Chinese-language Mirror Media magazine and other news outlets have reported that some of the victims knew each other and realized that Shih had taken advantage of their religious belief to pressure or persuade them into having sex with him.
Shih allegedly took advantage of his self-professed monk status and Taiwan’s large segment of Buddhist followers, and had been receiving regular donations.
Shih also conducted sutra chanting sessions at many temples, for which he received about NT$6,000 each, and received higher payments for conducting dharma assemblies.
One of the victims, known as Siao Yun (小雲), said that when she first came to Taiwan she was feeling homesick and was working hard to make a living.
“Then my friend introduced me to this monk from Cambodia and he became my spiritual guide. I made regular donations, which I did not tell my husband. We became closer and he lured me into having sex during a private session, and we had sex many times after that,” she said.
Another Cambodian woman, known only as “Nana,” who is also married, said that she sat down at the temple in devotion and offered donations, then Shih came over and started to grope her thighs.
“I told him to stop and stood up, but he went around me and tried to touch my body, so I pushed him away and ran out,” she said.
Nana said that Buddhist monks have a very high status in Cambodia, as people venerate and support them with donations of food or money.
“However, in Cambodia, the monks live and practice teachings in temples, and they live in celibacy and lead an ascetic lifestyle. They are not supposed to have a wife and kids or live in luxury like Shih,” she said.
“Shih has sexually assaulted many women and he is definitely a fake monk. He is desecrating the Buddhist teachings and exploiting the religion for sex and financial gains. So we as victims have come together to request an investigation into this case,” she said, adding that least 10 women have come forward so far.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese