Ministry of Interior rejects responsibility in the case of Monk Tim Sakhorn10 November 2007
By Kim Pov Sottan Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
On Saturday, following the publication by a Vietnamese newspaper in Can Tho accusing the Cambodian government of deporting Monk Tim Sakhorn and his subsequent sentencing by Vietnam, a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) of the Cambodian government, said that the sentencing of Monk Tim Sakhorn was done by the Vietnamese tribunal, and it is a Vietnamese issue only, it does not involve Cambodia at all.
General Khieu Sopheak, MoI spokesman, said that Monk Tim Sakhorn wrote a letter asking to go live in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) which is his birthplace and the Vietnamese government itself recognizes him as being a Vietnamese citizen.
General Khieu Sopheak said: “The MoI didn’t know, Mr. Tim Sakhorn declared himself to be a Vietnamese citizen, he wrote it with his own hand. I believe that the newspapers, when they write a story, they don’t know the entire story. However, we have a document which says that during his defrocking, he asks to go there (in Vietnam).”
Khieu Sopheak’s rejection was made after the Vietnamese Can Tho newspaper reported on Friday that Monk Tim Sakhorn was deported by the Cambodian government, and he entered Vietnam illegally, this then led to his one-year jail sentence stemming from his opposition to the Vietnamese solidarity policy.
Khieu Sopheak said that the one-year jail sentence handed down to Monk Tim Sakhorn is in fact a leniency offered by Vietnam to Cambodia, after Cambodia worked hard to intervene in the case,
The claim by the Cambodian authority that Monk Tim Sakhorn volunteered to go live in his native village, and the claim made by Vietnam saying that Monk Tim Sakhorn is a Vietnamese citizen, but that he entered Vietnam illegally (even though he is allegedly a Vietnamese citizen), all these claims are nothing but mumbo jumbo which led Monk Tim Sakhorn’s family, and Cambodian organizations and associations to accuse that the action taken against Monk Tim Sakhorn is nothing but a subterfuge used only to sentence Monk Tim Sakhorn.
Elder Tim Thiem, the father of Monk Tim Sakhorn, said that Monk Tm Sakhorn does not have any relative left in Kampuchea Krom any more, so there is no reason form him to return there by himself to be jailed there.
Elder Tim Thiem called the sentencing of Monk Tim Sakhorn, a severe injustice: “… They couldn’t find a real charge against him (Tim Sakhorn). I am his father who took care of him, furthermore, when he was still in school, he was ordained as a monk, I was in charge of all of that, but they create subterfuge like this, so I say that’s the end of it.” When asked if he was present in his son’s trial of not? Elder Tim Thiem said: “No, as I told you, I don’t want anyone to say anything about me, but I see that this is extremely unfair.”
Monk Tim Sakhorn, the former abbot of Phnom Den North pagoda in Takeo province, was sentenced to one year of jail based on the Vietnamese claim that they found several VCDs and magazines which oppose Vietnam, however, the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) rejected this Vietnamese claim.
On that same day, the US-based KKF indicated that it will pursue this case at the International Court of Justice to demand for the release of Tim Sakhorn.
General Khieu Sopheak, MoI spokesman, said that Monk Tim Sakhorn wrote a letter asking to go live in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) which is his birthplace and the Vietnamese government itself recognizes him as being a Vietnamese citizen.
General Khieu Sopheak said: “The MoI didn’t know, Mr. Tim Sakhorn declared himself to be a Vietnamese citizen, he wrote it with his own hand. I believe that the newspapers, when they write a story, they don’t know the entire story. However, we have a document which says that during his defrocking, he asks to go there (in Vietnam).”
Khieu Sopheak’s rejection was made after the Vietnamese Can Tho newspaper reported on Friday that Monk Tim Sakhorn was deported by the Cambodian government, and he entered Vietnam illegally, this then led to his one-year jail sentence stemming from his opposition to the Vietnamese solidarity policy.
Khieu Sopheak said that the one-year jail sentence handed down to Monk Tim Sakhorn is in fact a leniency offered by Vietnam to Cambodia, after Cambodia worked hard to intervene in the case,
The claim by the Cambodian authority that Monk Tim Sakhorn volunteered to go live in his native village, and the claim made by Vietnam saying that Monk Tim Sakhorn is a Vietnamese citizen, but that he entered Vietnam illegally (even though he is allegedly a Vietnamese citizen), all these claims are nothing but mumbo jumbo which led Monk Tim Sakhorn’s family, and Cambodian organizations and associations to accuse that the action taken against Monk Tim Sakhorn is nothing but a subterfuge used only to sentence Monk Tim Sakhorn.
Elder Tim Thiem, the father of Monk Tim Sakhorn, said that Monk Tm Sakhorn does not have any relative left in Kampuchea Krom any more, so there is no reason form him to return there by himself to be jailed there.
Elder Tim Thiem called the sentencing of Monk Tim Sakhorn, a severe injustice: “… They couldn’t find a real charge against him (Tim Sakhorn). I am his father who took care of him, furthermore, when he was still in school, he was ordained as a monk, I was in charge of all of that, but they create subterfuge like this, so I say that’s the end of it.” When asked if he was present in his son’s trial of not? Elder Tim Thiem said: “No, as I told you, I don’t want anyone to say anything about me, but I see that this is extremely unfair.”
Monk Tim Sakhorn, the former abbot of Phnom Den North pagoda in Takeo province, was sentenced to one year of jail based on the Vietnamese claim that they found several VCDs and magazines which oppose Vietnam, however, the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) rejected this Vietnamese claim.
On that same day, the US-based KKF indicated that it will pursue this case at the International Court of Justice to demand for the release of Tim Sakhorn.
28 comments:
The Venerable Tim Sokhorn is Khmer. If he is really wrong with his action, he should be sentenced in Cambodia, not in Vietnam.
The statement of Khiev Sopheak is irresponsible.
He is not only irresponsible of why his accused person has been appeared in Veitnam, he also has had trick about the agreeing letter of Tim Sakhorn to go back to VN.
His failing to duty must be fired, sentenced by 20000$US fine and injailed one year because he violated basic rights of civil people.
Cambodian government should stop your lackey policy towards your former boss Vietnam.
Nope, we don't want to waste our tax-dollars on any Vietnamese citizen. Plus, Vietnamese justice system is far more efficient then the stupid westerner justice system that we are using.
All things are a lying alibi. How could the healthy people to believe this argument?
ok ah tmil 9:13PM, i agree with you. I think your mother will be killed by ah kantop hun sen and then you will be accused of raping a dog and you and ah antop hun sen will be send to trial in youn hanoi to get better justice. Athok.
It is very shameful for the Cambodian government that lacks of courage and political wills to protect its own citizen but to handle its own citizen to the foreigner's hands without any due process of law. All the governments around the world, unlike Cambodia, they take care their own people seriously. When their citizens are missing or in a harmful situation, they try to help them by using all means including military action. But our government is too far from our expectation. Mr. Son Chay had used his role and authority as MP to save monk thimsakorn but not successful because the government did not coorperate with him in solving the case, instead telling him not to raise this question. If the parents don't care and prtect the welfare of their own children, what is the kind of this parents?
Bol Bye paprents. That what it is.
Want to turn Cambodian around? We need to look at Mr. Sam Rainsey's Party seriously. They are the one that had brain. They are the one that can figure out what wrong and what is right for our country our people and ultimately ourself as Khmers and it deosn't matter where we are. We need someone that could represent us in a better way and as a better Cambodian.
Ah Vietcong were supposed to leave Cambodia since 1989 and what the hell they are still here, getting thier into very situation in Cambodia is beyond anybody imagination. It just quit unbelievable. It's tim eto take Cambodia back and tell them to go to hell one and for all. Go to vote next year! and vote for a new Government!!! We need to get Mr. Sam Rainsey into the office.
1:24, the only thing that Sam Rainsy knows how to turn around is himself when the fled to France or Canada.
I'm v8,I'd agreed with all the comentator's with 100%this is outrageous!!what would you feels if this had happen to you?your born to be khmer seem useless.
Athok 3:o5AM, how if ah kantop hun sen turn your mother to Praisaw prision ah....?
Nowadays, these monks don't follow the fundamental principles that were set by OUR Lord Buddha, instead elected to do the impossible (politics); yet encounter the inevitability.
CPP
shut the fuck up Ah Tmil khmer's traitor cpp..
chinese cambodian
yet, you CPP, 6:47 AM continue to pretend to be respectful of your NATIONAL RELIGION, buddhism and the monks, stop your hypocrisy - stop your faked independence/nationalism. You are a sold-out/puppet.
It doesn't matter what we are. We only care about jobs, jobs, jobs for our people.
shut the fuck up Ah tmil cpp...pee...pee smel cheap...like shit motherfucker.
8:36 AM: I have to completely concur with you. JOB creation and poverty reduction are our main focus; also, during our robust economy, we are doing everything in our power to protect our national security. That is, should you meddle and endanger our national security, like the monk did, you will end up in the same place.
CPP
To 2:14PM CPP!
Oh really? What about those Thaicong black uniform army and they are violating Cambodian national security all the time and what about the illegal Vietcong who are entering Cambodia all the time and what do you have to say about that?
Do the Thaicong and the Vietcong end up in the same place as Monk Tim Sakhorn? Ahahhahahhahha!
Fool! You know that the CPP has no power and all CPP can do is to kiss the Vietcong arse for putting them in power in the first place! Now go kiss some more arse!
We (CPP) want to see ALL you traitors do more bitting than barking. It won't do you any good!
Again, Australian boy, should you endanger our national security, you'll face draconian incarceration in Prey Sor.
Oh! Please keep barking, you traitor!
CPP
CPP = Cambodian People in Prison = Traitor
We (CPP) will give all Cambodia land to Vietnam soon, and Vietnamese people will kill all of you.
Even if CPP give Cambodia to Vietnam, no one will get kill. Plus, it is still much better than to give Cambodia to Ah westerner trained people who love to put Khmer in mass graves. Vietnam don't do thing like that.
Vietnam = Yuon = international criminal
CPP = traitor of the nation
It's okay to be traitor to nation of another planet such as Kampuchea Krom on Venus.
I dare the CPP clan to give Cambodia to the Vietcong and the faster the better so that the killing can begin! Ahahhahhahah!
Come and get me all of you Vietcong bitch! The last time I heard about any killing was in 1989 and the Vietcong began to withdraw their troop and Cambodia has a few dog left from all the killing! Ahahahhah!
Oh you mean after all these times Cambodia is still belong to Khmer people, and that is why you are not attacking us?
7:41AM!
"We (CPP) will give all Cambodia land to Vietnam soon, and Vietnamese people will kill all of you"
Why should we kill the fucken Vietcong right now because they still looking for their MIA! Ahahha
So stop pretending!
Oh good, 1:06, that means the Vietcong is safe because you can't never finished looking for MIA.
To 3:08PM!
Stop pretending fool! No Khmer people will ever look for the Vietcong MIA in a million years because the B-52s fuck them up real good and only Uncle SAM can tell you that!
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