This walk of 350 monks, nuns and lay people had begun 17 days and 350 kilometres earlier at Ankor Wat, the ancient temple complex in Siem Reap province. The Dhamma Yietra crossed several war-torn provinces before entering the capital. One week later, June 4-6, the coalition organized a three day Peace Festival before the final results of the election were announced. Similar to the walk, again, the festival consisted of silent meditations for peace and ceremonies of offerings to monks, at various key points in the city to congratulate the Cambodian people on the successful elections, and usher in the light of a new peaceful era. The Buddhist principle of equanimity, of remaining calm, was encouraged for losers as well as winners.
Hatred is appeased by love.
On the final day of the festival about one thousand people gathered at the Independence Monument in central Phnom Penh. They gathered to listen to the words of Maha Ghosananda, Cambodian Supreme Patriarch of Buddhism and leader of the Dhamma Yietra, and sat in silent meditation, despite a rain shower. Afterwards, the crowd, joined by thousands along the way, paraded a boat made of banana leaves to the river front, where they launched it into the Tonle Sap river, symbolically sending off all the violence and hatred of the past 2O years. People piled money into the boat before it was launched as a symbol of ridding themselves of their own greed, hatred and delusion. Tirelessly, the coalition's committee met again the next day to plan the following event.