Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Khmer Krom leader on a quest for foreign support

13 August 2007
By Mayarith
Radio Free Asia

Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

The leader of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF), who is now on visit in Australia, is on a 21-day mission to seek for support from three main countries who could influence with their intervention into the problems faced by Khmer Krom people currently living in Vietnam.

The 21-day mission led Thach Ngoc Thach, KKF President, to Australia, following a visit to Canada and the USA. Up until this Monday, Thach Ngoc Thach has completed 13-day of traveling.

Thach Ngoc Thach’s quest for help from officials in the three countries started after Khmer Krom Monk Tim Sakhorn was defrocked by force and later sent to jail, the monk was accused of involvement with the KKF.

On Sunday, from Australia, Thach Ngoc Thach said that he expect to obtain positive results from his trips, following the meetings he had with government officials and parliamentarians in the 3 countries be visited.

Thach Ngoc Thach said: “The demand made by Khmer Krom people for the rights to freedom in Kampuchea Krom, for all the losses sustained by Khmer Krom people, I believe that we will obtain positive results. We can see that in Asia, the demands are not coming from just the Khmer Krom people only, other ethnic groups, such as the Montagnards, are also protesting, (there is also the group) in Tibet, in Taiwan, some demands for outright independence, others demand for their autonomy, while others are demanding to decide on their own destiny by themselves. Therefore, I can see that this is a struggle movement which is not undertaken by Khmer Krom people alone, but several other ethnic groups are also making this demand. Therefore, I do not believe that Australia, the US, the UN will ignore the numerous struggle movements around the world. I believe that if our Khmer Krom people are preparing ourselves and get ready to undertake the struggle movement with other ethnic groups around the world, we will also obtain positive results, just like other people also.”

Thach Ngoc Thach declared that there will be additional Khmer Krom demonstrations in Canada, Australia, and the USA, in order to put pressure on Vietnam to stop its violations on the rights of Khmer Krom people living in Vietnam.

The recent announcement of the arrest of Monk Tim Sakhorn by the Vietnamese authority caused a lot of anger among Khmer Krom people.

Former Monk Tim Sakhorn is currently jailed in Vietnam and he is also accused of committing a political crime for his involvement with the KKF in order to legally liberate Kampuchea Krom (from the yoke of Vietnam).

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Go Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach!
All Cambodian will be supporting you and united all at once we will be strong. Please keep up the good work. Your name will be written as Cambodian hero in our history. Jayo! to all KHMER!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

We, Cambodian people, in the mainland support Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach for his efforts to make international community recognizes Khmer Kampuchea Krom and its land. He is a Khmer national hero, not Hun Sen, as declared by Sihanouk last week. Both Sihanouk and Hun Sen are Khmer traitors who killed their own people.

We need to unite together to fight for our freedom and don't let Hanoi to control us. Let's go to the protest site in Washington DC to support Khmer Krom people.

Anonymous said...

Cambodia people, especially students and Buddhist monks, should go on the Cambodia's streets to protest also. We asked Cambodian government to defrock Noun Nget, Tep Vong because of their works serving YOUN's benefits, not cambodian. Then, ask Cambodian and the foreign Embassies in Cambodia help to bring Ven. Tim Sakhorn back to Cambodia and reordain him to be a Cambodian Buddhist monk again.

PLEASE HELP TO FIND JUSTICE FOR VEN.TIM SAKHORN

Anonymous said...

I am against the word"Khmer Krom currently living in Vietnam" that is
the disgusting word phrase. Please re-phrase to "Khmer Krom currently living in Kampuchea Krom, not in Vietnam"in fact Kampuchea Krom has
never been Vietnam territory. That
stupid world map is wrong.It should
mark on that world map as "KAMPUCHEA
KROM".

Anonymous said...

Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach you are a very
courageous leader in Cambodian history. You risk your life for your country, Kampuchea Krom which is under the control of communist
Vietnam and this animal continue daily to persecute Khmer Krom people. Your mission will some day in a short peroid of time be a
victory for all Khmer. I'm as a Khmer nationality, thank you so much for your effort.
Kone Khmer