Additional news coverage of the legal battle over Wat Lao Buddharam in North Carolina. One thing that was not mentioned in the video is the next hearing on April 24, 2008 at MECKLENBURG COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT. See case #49 with LAOTIAN CULTURE CENTER OF NC -VS- WAT LAO BUDDHARAM.
A background of Wat Lao Buddharam based on UNC.edu’s Buddhism in North Carolina Project:
Wat Lao Buddharam was founded in 1989 to serve the growing Laotian population of Charlotte. Besides providing them with access to their traditional Theravadin Buddhist practices and beliefs, it serves like many Asian-American temples as a cultural center, where Old World language and customs can be preserved and transmitted to new generations.
Wat Lao consists of several buildings on about thirty acres of land in suburban Charlotte, with a moderate-sized pond. The land was cleared by the community to make way for the temple compounds. The main temple is a colorful building with a traditional-style roof and serpentine nagas (elemental dragon spirits) leading up to the entrance. Inside the rectangular building there is a large open space for gatherings, with an altar area on one end dominated by a large golden Buddha. The walls are covered with original paintings depicting incidents in the life of the Buddha.
The grounds also include a smaller temple that is used by the monks for meditation, a stage and barbeque area for social gatherings, and a small house where the monks live. The monks’ residence has a receiving room, a kitchen, bedroom, and a small shrine where daily practice takes place. Much of the monks’ time is spent in this room offering prayers and meditating. The grounds are also graced with several beautiful stupas, large statues of the Buddha, and small huts which serve as memorials for deceased loved ones.
Information about the rotation of the monks:
The monks who stay at the temple are all from Laos or Thailand, and live at Wat Lao for a year or more before moving on to another American temple, while others take their place. Thus, the religious leadership of the American Theravadin community slowly rotates around the country, exposing the laity to many teachers and the monks to many ways of American life. Usually from one to three monks are living at Wat Lao at any given time. Their English tends to be minimal, and services are alaways conducted in Laotian, with collective rituals in the Pali language.
I’m not sure why it’s not mentioned but during the kidnapping misunderstanding in 2006, Syma took one of the Lao monks to the bank to take his name out from having any legal authority, but Syma forgot his paper work or essential document and left the monk at the bank, when he came back to the wat without the monk, the American monk that was there called the police and claimed that Syma kidnapped the monk, Syma and his wife was arrested but was out on bond. After that then the legal battle began but the monks knew their legal right, and at least there is one American monk that was, (I’m not sure if he still is) there, the news made it sounds like the monks are ignorant of any legal issues. Through the battle, from what I understand, Syma has accumulated quiet a bit of financial assets in term of rental property, I’m not sure how many houses he has, but quiet a bit. He is the man with glasses, wearing blue shirt.
The arrest was made after a proper police investigation and is not based on any person’s complaint. One part of Laotian Culture Syma is trying to preserve is the loudest pushiest person becomes a dictator. He has used deception for the last 20 years and targeted the people who only read Laotian and presented the site as as temple. Not even having the name of LCCNC on any sign until 2002. Even now the name LCCNC is presented as a side note to the Temple advertisement. Only Syma was arrested, but his wife has been the conduit for receiving much cash and where it went is only speculation at this point. All Laotian culture deals mainly with cash. Syma and company have broken more American laws than they know and are beginning to be exposed.
Syma took the monk to the bank to make the monk give money to Syma and try to make the monk close the Wat Lao Buddharam, Inc. account, over which Syma has no power only wants the cash.
Thanks for the update.
Mr. John, thanks for the information, my dad said the same thing, it’s a sad world that we’re living in.
According to the State of North Carolina
Laotian Culture Center of North Carolina
legally formed on 10/27/1988
Wat Lao Buddharam
legally formed on 12/1/2006
http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/corporations/Agent.aspx?AgentId=5372438
What is happening in Charlotte is very common. It has happened in many parts of the country.
To establish a Lao Buddhist temple in the US, in most cases, a Buddhist monk and a group of supporters are needed. During the early establishment, the power does not seem to be important. The people just want to have a place to worship. Most of the Lao people go to a Buddhist temple just to worship. They don’t care about who or how the temple is run. After the organization is visible as a big $, some people start to think about administrating, most of all, the spending. In many cases they had to turn to the system that they had ignored, the legal system, to solve the problems. In the street, people are spreading rumors. There are mostly “he said” and “she said”.
Who runs a Lao Buddhist temple? Sometime a monk does, but some temples are run by a layman. Instead of calling the real name of a temple, many people would use the name of the most powerful person in that temple, such as “Wat Syma”, Wat Ajarn A or Wat Ajarn B.
This broken system in the Lao temples in the US needs to be fixed ASAP.
In the Symagate, he proclaims his innocence, but continually delays the trial that would prove him guilty or innocence. He turns off the electricity to the house where the victim and other monks live. The judge ordered the victim to give a key to the man who kidnapped him. What planet is Caudill from? Hishonorableanus? Cancelled checks are not “he says, she says”. His brother who was proclaimed a partner in the video is not listed on any of the founding documents. =A family of liars.
What drives a man to come to this lowest point? Since 1988 has he learned nothing at all from any of the monks? MONEY? GREED? POWER? or JUST BECAUSE I Can?
And now we learn the d.a. has allowed reduction in the charges and the d.a. has not followed NC law because he had no meeting with the victim before deciding on disposition of the case. It appears there are many cases in Mecklenburg county being mishandled and an investigation by state police may be in order. The lesson seems to be, “DO WHATEVER YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH!”, Kidnapping? no problem, embezzlement by check without receipts?, not probable cause to investigate. Have a nice day, victims.
Unfortunately you have many people posting on this site who have a vested interest in this action and whom are trying to take control of the Laotian Culture Center away from the proper board of directors through aggressive means in an attempt to control the 10 acre property. I might add that many of the instigators are not even Laotian, but are Americans…Mr. John. Regretably, Mr. John seems to have a personal vendeta again Syma and has engaged in an unjustified smear campaign which will likely come back to him one day.
It is very true that Syma has played a large role in our temple through the years, but only in a positive way. He bought the property on which the temple was built and donated it to the organization. He has been president of the organization for most years, not only because the members continue to vote him in, but because no other person has stepped-up wanting to take on the responsibility of being president.
Basically, the dispute boiled down to a few monks, one of whom was an American and of no Laotian descent, over extending their welcome, creating their own organization, naming that organization the same name as what the temple was called so as to deceive the worshipers. Holding their own services and collecting dues on the property of the Laotian Culture Center but soley for the monetary benefit of their newly formed organization. This was all tried out in court over a three day trial and the Judge was able to see through the defendant’s scheme. They are bitter now because they thought they would get control of the 10 acre parcel for free through their aggressive and illegal tactics.
Similarly, they filed a bogus kidnapping charge against Syma which the State of North Carolina clearly saw for what it was and dismissed the charge. Now the defendants believe that there are all these people out to hurt them, the system is not protecting them, etc… Well, the only thing that hurts is the truth and that is something they are not capable of disclosing or discussing.
The defendants, including the so called monks, have harmed our temple and hurt our people. They physically assaulted Syma and two other members in their bullish attempt for control. They them turned around and filed false reports with the police department in an attempt to turn the story around. They even stole the video camera Syma had which would have disclosed the truth. Our community has been torn apart by the acts and lies of a few monks and greedy people.
Don’t believe everything you read here…, yes I agreed, and the evil doers will get what is coming to him…sooner than you think, the Lao people in the community know and are aware of what is going on, they are not ignorance.
Your name is “don’t believe anything you read here”?.
Mr. John has an aversion to both “lying and stealing” and if NC law enforcement could be found, Syma would be behind bars. If you can refute any statement I have made, show me the documents! I can show you the recorded transfer of LCC property from the LCC name into Sang Khom Inthanonh’s name without any legally required transfer of money into LCC accounts. Even now Mr. Syma is making illegal modifications or renovations to the property. His teflon jacket is wearing thin and soon his vulnerable hide will be exposed.
As stated before, Syma only used the “name” Wat Lao Buddharam for his deception. It was only legally formed as Wat Lao Buddharam in 2006 after an election by the congregation. If there is any Buddhist monk who will have a service for Syma, let’s advertise the occasion, and please show the monk’s credentials. The local devout Buddhists will certainly be surprised as the national Buddhist leaders who’ve visited have stated their support for the Wat, not for Syma.
Your facts are wrong as your comprehension of English is lacking. The arrest document states the “complainant” was a police officer, not the monk or the witnesses. I have copies of cancelled checks to cash, to Sommouth, Syma’s wife for almost $15,000 a year. Receipts have not been shown to validate a reason for her to receive that money, even tho’ written requests have been made as legally required. The court district in which Syma operates has been filled with “dropped charges” against “most wanted” felons with no reasons given to the public. Maybe they all just say “I’ll rat on the Asian gangs if you let me go”?
You made no mention of the day Syma, his lawyer and a group of about 20 people from 10 cars blocked the driveway, threatened the monks if they didn’t leave, then broke up the plumbing, toilets, etc. in the kuti, while the non-English speaking monks got no protection from the responding police who failed miserably to properly perform their duty.
Buc Pi-phop Syma only kicked the monks out because he found out they had a bank account, this piece of crap made them go to the bank close the account and give him the money. Take this from somebody who personally talked to the monks. Syma now changed the name of the temple and is now calling monks in Laos to come there, so all Lao people know when you see Syma spit in his face because he is a disgrace. People from Charlotte now come here to High Point to pray, its sad but this is also a guy who doesn’t work and trying to make money from people who thanh money to the monks not Syma. he is just a flat out piece of crap there is more but fact of the matter is this guy is going to hell!
The courts have ruled in May 2009 that Syma must obey the LCC bylaws and cannot (on his on desire,) deny membership to people who meet the requirements. He still pays the lawyer large sums of money in the belief he is in a lawless country where he can bribe his way. The lawyers love him! They are taking every dime he can find. I want to know what wonderful story he told his family about the $50,000 paid for one expansion project that was lost, and the other $20,000 lost downpayment on the steel building that he was too stupid to finish purchase of, and store on the property until he could get the permit. His parents have denied every having a son.
2010 update. SYMA no longer has a lawyer as he has not paid them, nor has he followed their advice. He hasn’t spoken with his lawyers for 5 months. When the deputies serve him, I’d like to know the English interpretation of what he finally says. IT’S OVER for you, SY MA!
Syma is getting “closer to the light”. When he showed his face on the property to attend “his meeting” the court appointed receiver ordered his armed security guard off the property. When Syma said “he work for me, he must stay” the police were called. Syma wisely told “his man” to leave. Now we hear Syma “need you to join, pay dues, and help pay my lawyer”. Yeah, that will likely NOT be happening, oh, he’s building his “insanity case”. for the upcoming embezzling trials.