Ven. Tep Vong, Cambodian Buddhism’s Supreme Patriarch, Dies at 93
Venerable Tep Vong, the senior-most monk of Cambodia’s Buddhist community, has died at the age of 93, according to an announcement by the country’s Ministry of Cults and Religion. Ven. Tep Vong, who had been hospitalized since 6 January, was a major force in the revitalization of Buddhism after the Khmer Rouge sought to wipe out the religion in the late 1970s.
Ven. Tep Vong, whose full title was the Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia, Samdech Preah Akka Maha Sangharajadhipati Tep Vong, was granted the title of Great Supreme Patriarch in 2006. He played a significant role in Cambodia’s religious landscape, overseeing both the Mahanikay and Dhammayut orders of Theravada Buddhism. With approximately 97 per cent of Cambodia’s population adhering to Buddhism, his influence was widespread.
Ven. Tep Vong had maintained a close relationship with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and its leader, Hun Sen, who served as prime minister for 38 years until his resignation last year. He played a crucial role in revitalizing Buddhism in Cambodia following the devastating impact of the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975–79, which saw the attempted eradication of organized religion and resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people, including an estimated five out of every eight Buddhist monks in the country.
