About Watt Samaki

Watt Samaki (Khmer Buddhist Temple) serves as the heart of the Khmer community in Maine and the center for religious ceremonies, funerals, blessings, and the celebration cultural holidays such a Pchum Ben, bon Kathin, and Khmer New Year. Tucked away in the rural parts of Buxton, Maine, the temple is surrounded by forests and farmland, similar to many temples in Cambodia where nature and the environment is an important part of Buddhist practices and faith.

វត្តសាមគ្គី (Watt Samaki), translates to Unity/Solidarity Temple

Pronunciation: wôt səm-AH-gkē

A brief History:

How Khmer folk’s journey to

building a community in Maine

1975 – 1994: the Khmer Rouge Genocide of Cambodia sent more than 150,000 Khmer people over to America seeking refuge from the devastation of their once beloved thriving homeland.
** About 2 million Cambodians died as a result of the Khmer Rouge regime occupation of Cambodia, between 1975-1979.
1984: about 800 Khmer folks settled in the Portland area and established a non-profit organization, calling it the Watt Samaki.
The Khmer Elders in the community were able to purchase and turn a small two-story house into a place of worship, where the Khmer community could gather and celebrate their culture.
They had hoped to create a safe space to recover their lost heritage (after the brutality of what the war had stripped from them). They wanted to build up their culture and have something to share and pass down to the next generations to come.
August 1993: the Portland Police reported vandalism to the Buddhist center, where electronics were stolen and a disturbing hateful message written on the wall: “Dirty Asian, Chink, Go home”. Pirun Sen, the community leader (at the time), tirelessly worked to protect his Khmer community.
** this news story can be referenced in the Pluralism Project Archive (at Harvard.edu)
2007: with the shame, fear, and possibilities of more hate-crimes against their community, they hoped that retreating into more rural parts of Maine would offer them privacy and peace. Therefore, leading them to find their current location in Buxton, ME.
Navan L. was voted into leading Watt Samaki, as board President, in the relocation to Buxton.
A few years later, Lyna S. and Meng Y. became permanent volunteers to help Navan care for the maintenance of the temple building and property care.
2021: Post Pandemic year, ignorant folks have shown to exist no matter where the temple community goes and cause trouble. Tension arises with some accusations over temple use of the land and violations against certain property codes, that applied to Watt Samaki but somehow didn’t apply to other similar places of worship, in the Buxton area.
Judge Eric Mehnert, who presides over the Nation’s Criminal and Civil Courts as well as the Nation’s Wellness Court, was able to assist Watt Samaki through these troubling accusations.
2023: the non-profit organization called Khmer Maine (led by Marpheen Chann) connected and in partnership hopes to help relocate Watt Samaki to a more welcoming safer location, while also finding opportunities to connect with various other diverse communities in the Portland and Cumberland county area.
Watt Samaki expand their board and gathered several new members to help with the growing interest for attending the temple and building up their Khmer community.
2025:‍ ‍Savy K., was voted into Board Secretary position, is hoping to assist the Elder temple community to broaden for change in more diverse connections and navigating the plans for the temple’s new venture into the Westbrook land project.

In the efforts to expand our “History” section, collecting old images, and stories about Watt Samaki please feel free to contact and share your personal and family connections to the temple’s history. We would love to display our collective journeys throughout the years.