Buddhist Monk Sex Tape: Cambodians React to Video

Sex tapes are nothing new in this day and age, and most of us can probably name at least one celebrity we know skyrocketed to fame with the help of a sex tape. But the latest sex tape is offering up some unwanted fame. There is a video circulating the internet of a two members of Lowell, Massachusetts Cambodian community, one of who is a Buddhist monk having sex. Supposedly, the video shows the Venerable Nhem Kimteng engaging in sexual relations with Maya Men n the Trairatanaram Temple in North Chelmsford, Mass.

Understandably, the Cambodian community of Lowell has had visceral reactions to this scandal. First and foremost, Buddhist monks take a vow of celibacy and the community finds it disgraceful that Kimteng would break an oath so nonchalantly. The vow of celibacy is taken very seriously, as devout Buddhists would consider any contact with women to fall under the umbrella of sexual relations.

On the other hand, many stipulate that this is private business and it does not concern them. One member of the community, Saravy Men (not related) expressed, “I don’t believe it. But if it did happen, that is between the two people. It is not between the temple, the monk and others in the community.” As the video purportedly uploaded to YouTube was removed and the verification of Kimteng and Men as the actors in the sex tape was done independently by The Sun there is still a great deal of controversy concerning the legitimacy of the tape.

The emergence of the sex tape has brought to light other controversies surrounding the construction of a new temple and community center on whose executive committee Kimteng and Men both sat. There are renewed concerns about the lack of financial transparency in a project that is costing $10 million. In protest of the growing scandal surrounding this temple project, about 50 people demonstrated in front of another Cambodian temple during their New Year’s celebration expressing their indignation of the careless acts of Kimteng and anger that the funds for this temple are being misappropriated.

Some claims even accusing the committee of allocating money for the new temple to buy a house for Maya Men, though John Boumil, the lawyer for Men and the Community of Khmer Buddhist Monks vehemently denies this. As new controversies surface, the Cambodian community is becoming increasingly divided on how to maintain the status and unity of their community.