Wednesday November 2, 1994
(Originally in Au Lac Language)
The "Supreme Master Ching Hai Day" was celebrated by the disciples of the International Supreme Master Ching Hai Meditation Associations in Sydney, on Sunday the 23th of October 1994 at the meditation center in Cabramatta.
World renowned, the Supreme Master Ching Hai has dedicated Her whole life to spiritual and humanitarian endeavors. For example, She has especially helped the Vietnamese refugees who are still being detained in refugee camps in Hong Kong, as well as those in the other camps throughout southeast Asia. Recently, She was globally recognized when She received the "World Spiritual Leadership Award". She has also received many other awards, honoring Her efforts in promoting world peace and in elevating the spirituality of mankind.
On the 25th of October, 1993 in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Supreme Master Ching Hai was awarded an honorary American citizenship, and a bronze bust of the Master was made in Her honor by the U.S. government in Hawaii, and placed in a public park there, to be revered by everyone. Also during this ceremony, the U.S. government in Hawaii declared the 25th of October to be the "Supreme Master Ching Hai Day". Now, every year, the meditation centers of the International Supreme Master Ching Hai Meditation Associations around the world celebrate the "Supreme Master Ching Hai Day" to show their appreciation toward this enlightened Master who has given them enlightenment.
With the same idea of giving due recognition, the International Supreme Master Ching Hai Meditation Associations in Sydney celebrated the "Supreme Master Ching Hai Day" on 23th of October at the meditation center in Cabramatta. The celebration officially opened at noon, with the participation of about 250 people, including friends and relatives of the fellow initiates.
The celebration included:
- Playing videos of the activities of the Supreme Master Ching Hai helping the Vietnamese refugees, as well as Her activities in spreading the Truth.
- An interesting spiritual program: "Picking the Flowers of Enlightenment". This was a unique draw with the ten winning prizes to be distributed at the end of the celebration.
- Between the two above programs was an entertainment show, performed by the Sydney meditation center entertainment group.
The film shown was entitled "The Unbearable Pain of Vietnamese Refugees". The first part of the film showed some of the Supreme Master Ching Hai's activities in spreading the Quan Yin Method, prepared by the Vien Thao TV program on an U.S. television network. The commentator on the program was Mai Han. The next part of the film showed the activities of the four-day retreat in Hawaii and the three-day retreat in Chicago, collected by the meditation center in Sydney. The entire film was in both Vietnamese and English. The guests watched the thirty minute film with great interest.
The most interesting and exciting program of the celebration, which carried profound spiritual meaning, was "Picking the Flowers of Enlightenment". Twenty-five numbers were drown by chance from 250 tickets. Every chosen person came up to choose his own "flower of enlightenment" from the green trees placed in the middle of the room. During the draw, Master's aphorisms, which were written on each "flower of enlightenment", were read aloud both in English and in Vietnamese for everyone to contemplate. This happy time won a warm response from the guests; rounds of applause resounded whenever a number was read. The celebration ended after the gifts were distributed to the ten winners.
The entertainment show was excellent; most outstanding were the solo and group singing performances and the solo zither performance, by fellow practitioners. The most special songs were those composed by the Chinese fellow practitioners, "We Are The Supreme Masters" and "Tears Of The Holy Mother". In addition, there were some lovely folk and love songs that depicted aspects of one's homeland and characteristics of the people, for example "Full Moon Festival", "Rain Drops On The Green Leaves", "Knowing The Origin", etc...
The celebration ended at 3:30 the same day. An appetizing, unique and pure vegetarian meal was enjoyed by everyone in an atmosphere of joy, friendliness and love of the fellow initiates.
The celebration gave all in attendance a peaceful time and spiritual comfort. On the way home, beautiful and lively impressions of the "Supreme Master Ching Hai Day" activities, which were organized by the practitioners of the Sydney Meditation Center, still remained vividly in everyone's hearts.
Published on November 21, 1994
(Originally in Cambodian)
None of the Vietnamese in Cambodia will forcibly be repatriated to their homeland if they comply with the conditions in the Immigration Laws. Of those Vietnamese living illegally in Cambodia, in the future, not another one will be repatriated.
Mr. Klauk Boudy, Chief Cabinet Minister of the Interior said that discrimination and repatriation of the Vietnamese should not be adopted even though they entered Cambodia illegally. He also emphatically criticized the idea of repatriating all of Vietnamese from Cambodia, by saying that this is the wrong point of view, this could be a danger to Cambodia.
Immigration Laws are not created to get revenge, but they are there to provide all illegal Vietnamese and foreigners the opportunity to live legally in Cambodia. There are approximately 100,000 Vietnamese and 60,000 Chinese actually living in Cambodia, said his excellency Sar Kheng Co, Minister of the Interior. But this figure is not accepted by everyone, because no doubt, there are a lot more Vietnamese now than in the past years.
The Immigration Laws were promulgated by the National Assembly on the 26th of August and generally enacted on the 22nd of September of this year. Presently the Ministry of Interior is working very intensively on different sub decrees in order to make them effective and fair in practical use.
By the end of this year, they are expected to be completed, along with the Nationality Laws. Mr Boudy told "Rasmey Kampuchea" that it is necessary to present three of the seven sub decrees in order to process these Immigration Laws and put them into action. Mr. Boudy believes that some foreigners are living legally in Cambodia. The ones who are illegals have the right to ask for permanent resident cards. All illegal foreigners must report themselves to the authorities in order to get permission to live in Cambodia.
The foreigners who live legally in Cambodia do not need to get a Khmer identity card, because they will automatically become a Khmer National after a period of 5 years according to the Nationality Laws.
Mr. Boudy has emphasized that the first step in carrying out the Immigration Laws, is that a notice will be given to all foreigners to report themselves to the authorities even if they are living illegally in Cambodia.
We are going to discuss check points on the borders with the neighboring countries, like Thailand, Laos, Vietnam. After we have designated where the check points will be, all foreigners who enter Cambodia not through the designated check points will be considered illegals and should be repatriated.
All foreigners who want to enter Cambodia should carry a passport and obtain an entry visa from the Cambodian Embassy or Consulate in their country. They also need to pay all the required Immigration Law fees, including airport tax, and provide a criminal record certificate from their country.
Translated by:
TED NGOY - President of the Cambodian Business Association