DPA
Phnom Penh - Around 100 Cambodian Buddhist monks in saffron robes marched on the US embassy in Phnom Penh Friday to protest the alleged arrests of nine of their fellows in Vietnam and voice allegations that Vietnamese authorities were suppressing Buddhism.
The monks were defying a refusal by Cambodian authorities to grant them official permission to march.
They staged a prayer session in front of the embassy while their leaders met with embassy officials to discuss their concerns and deliver a petition demanding the imprisoned monks' release.
Heavily armed police monitored the situation closely but no clashes or violence was reported.
The protesting monks claimed that police in southern Vietnam had recently arrested and disrobed nine ethnic Cambodian Buddhist monks and that the men remained in custody.
'We came to the embassy today to ask for its help,' one of the monks, Hol Pirom, said. 'If Vietnam doesn't release these monks, we will protest again. And again.'
In late February, more than 50 monks staged a similar walk near the Vietnamese embassy.
In the petition issued to journalists and the US embassy, the monks outlined a series of allegations of human rights abuses against ethnic Cambodian Buddhist monks in southern Vietnam.
Besides the nine arrests, these also included interfering with their rights to freely practice the Buddhist religion, detentions, forced de-frockings and disappearances at the hands of Vietnamese security forces.
'Since 1975 when Vietnam followed the socialist regime, Khmer Kampuchea Krom people have always faced fear, threat and spiritual suffering,' the petition alleged.
Kampuchea Krom is the term used for millions of ethnic Cambodians whose land was ceded to Vietnam after the collapse of the French colonial empire in Indochina and who now live under Vietnamese rule.
The Vietnamese government has consistently denied allegations of systematic human rights abuses against the Kampuchea Krom despite consistent reports from human rights and Kampuchea Krom activists.
However some Kampuchea Krom have formed pressure and even militant groups in the past in an attempt to force autonomy from Vietnam. The ethnic minority is closely monitored by both the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments.
The monks were defying a refusal by Cambodian authorities to grant them official permission to march.
They staged a prayer session in front of the embassy while their leaders met with embassy officials to discuss their concerns and deliver a petition demanding the imprisoned monks' release.
Heavily armed police monitored the situation closely but no clashes or violence was reported.
The protesting monks claimed that police in southern Vietnam had recently arrested and disrobed nine ethnic Cambodian Buddhist monks and that the men remained in custody.
'We came to the embassy today to ask for its help,' one of the monks, Hol Pirom, said. 'If Vietnam doesn't release these monks, we will protest again. And again.'
In late February, more than 50 monks staged a similar walk near the Vietnamese embassy.
In the petition issued to journalists and the US embassy, the monks outlined a series of allegations of human rights abuses against ethnic Cambodian Buddhist monks in southern Vietnam.
Besides the nine arrests, these also included interfering with their rights to freely practice the Buddhist religion, detentions, forced de-frockings and disappearances at the hands of Vietnamese security forces.
'Since 1975 when Vietnam followed the socialist regime, Khmer Kampuchea Krom people have always faced fear, threat and spiritual suffering,' the petition alleged.
Kampuchea Krom is the term used for millions of ethnic Cambodians whose land was ceded to Vietnam after the collapse of the French colonial empire in Indochina and who now live under Vietnamese rule.
The Vietnamese government has consistently denied allegations of systematic human rights abuses against the Kampuchea Krom despite consistent reports from human rights and Kampuchea Krom activists.
However some Kampuchea Krom have formed pressure and even militant groups in the past in an attempt to force autonomy from Vietnam. The ethnic minority is closely monitored by both the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments.
5 comments:
The Vietcong will go to hell for what they had done to the Khmer Krom!!!!
How much longer will the Vietcong continue to deny the freedom of the 10 million Khmer Krom?????How much longer????
Fuck the Vietcong!!!!!No peace to the Vietcong!!!
See Pee Pee Khvack Hun, KanaRith Khiv, Hy Long Dog = KhmeRouge Pol Pot, Chea Nuon = Yuon Yiekong
The fucken Vietcong master of AH HUN SEN slave is trying to paint a very bad picture of Cambodian people in general of how savage and uncivilize Cambodian people can be!!!The Vietcong used to say in their history book that Cambodian people are barbarian who needed to be civilized!!!Please don't take my for it and this is the kind of shit that the Vietcong students are learning from their history textbook!!!!This is purely the work of the Vietcong and they will pay!!!!!
Just remember, no matter what you
see, no matter who got killed, ...,
and no matter what Ah Khmer-Yuons
said, say no to all "oil for
weapons" program.
Any motherfucker who blame the victim(Khmer Krom) is a real heartless Vietcong!!!!
For the Vietcong they don't deserve to live in peace!!!!
Post a Comment