13.Monk

Monks, pagodas near Cambodia's Angkor Wat can stay, senior official says - Associated Press, Saturday, June 22, 2002Several hundred monks and nuns living in Buddhist pagodas near Angkor Wat are no threat to tourists and should be allowed to stay, a senior official at the world famous tourist attraction said Saturday.Local officials have complained that some of the monks and nuns harass tourists, and the authorities also claim they could potentially loot the ancient sites.But Bun Narith, director of the Apsara Authority - the government agency that oversees Angkor Wat temple complex, said the allegations were unfounded. He said the presence of the monks and nuns enhances the experience of tourists visiting the dozens of 9th-14th century Buddhist and Hindu temples surrounding the quaint town of Siem Reap in northern Cambodia.....There are about a dozen functioning Buddhist pagodas among the ruins of the ancient Angkor temple complex, Apsara Authority officials say. Two are more than 60 years old and four are recognized by U.N. conservationists, Bun Narith said....