AKP Phnom Penh, May 05, 2018 –Different religious beliefs are not an obstacle for national unification and development, stressed Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen at a get-together and solidarity dinner with over 3,000 Christians at Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre, Phnom Penh this evening.
This is the third annual meeting between the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia and Christian community in the country.
Samdech Techo Hun Sen also expressed his pride over the harmonisation of three major religions in Cambodia – Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity, underlining that the Kingdom has neither religious attack nor conflict.
The Royal Government of Cambodia led by the Cambodian People’s Party always provides opportunity and support to all religions and has set clear policy for the religious harmonisation, he affirmed.
The Cambodian leader further called on the Cambodian Christian community to take part with the royal government in maintaining peace, stability, security and order in Cambodia as there is no religious freedom in a war-torn country.
According to the Ministry of Cults and Religious Affairs, there are two groups of Christianity in Cambodia – Catholic and Protestant. Catholicism has some 12,900 followers while Protestantism, about 83,086 followers. Christianity has been present in Cambodia since 1923.
Cambodia is recognised by its religious freedom even though Buddhism is the state religion. 95 percent of the population of about 15 million are Buddhists. Islam has about 300,000 followers, and some 0.25 percent of Cambodian people follow Christianity, animism and so on.
By C. Nika
