KHMERS KAMPUCHEA-KROM FEDERATION
Asia – Australia – Europe – North America
P.O.Box 193
Pennsauken, NJ 08110, U.S.A
Email: thach.thach@khmerkrom.org - http://www.khmerkrom.org
Asia – Australia – Europe – North America
P.O.Box 193
Pennsauken, NJ 08110, U.S.A
Email: thach.thach@khmerkrom.org - http://www.khmerkrom.org
Office of the President
No. 152/KKF/M/2007
Vietnam: Violations of Indigenous Khmer Krom Land Rights
PRESS RELEASE: 14 December 2007
Pennsauken, NJ, USA
According to Radio Free Asia (RFA) broadcasted in Khmer (5:30 PM on 12/14/2007) and in Vietnamese (6:30AM on 12/15/2007), there are hundreds of the Indigenous Khmer-Krom farmers gathering in front of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam office located at 210 Vo Thi Sau, Phuong 7, Quan 3, TP HCM to demand the Vietnamese authorities return their confiscated farmlands.
Some of the farmers have claimed that they have filed complaints for decades and today receive no compensation or satisfactory results from the Vietnamese officials. The Indigenous Khmer-Krom farmers have been sleeping on the streets in front of the National Assembly since Friday night (Vietnam local time).
For many of the protestors, it was a long way for them to travel from their villages to Prey Nokor (Ho Chi Minh City) because the Vietnamese authorities tried to stop them from going to file the complaints at the office of the National Assembly. This is the third time that they have been forced to go to Prey Nokor. The Vietnam authority has promised to solve the issues, but did not take any follow up actions causing yet another peaceful protest to be conducted at this moment.
Instead of returning the confiscated farmlands to the Indigenous Khmer-Krom farmers, the Vietnam authorities are accusing those innocent Khmer-Krom farmers for disturbing the Vietnamese society. Protestors have claimed that Vietnamese authorities are threatening to arrest them if they do not return back to their villages immediately.
Testifying via RFA, a female Khmer-Krom farmer has appealed to international organizations, especially the United Nations to help them because they felt that they had no rights to live on their ancestral lands. They are farmers and yet all of their lands are confiscated. For centuries, the rich fertile lands of the Mekong Delta have been an essential element for the survival of the Khmer Krom people, providing plentiful food and water. Since Vietnam’s occupation of their lands, however, hundreds of thousands are finding themselves homeless and further entrenched in poverty.
Highly frustrated with Vietnam false promises, the protesters have said via RFA that they are willing to be killed if that was what takes for Vietnamese authorities to return their rightful land. Unwilling to comprise to the wishes of the protestors, Vietnam authorities are using intimidation tactics by sending the Vietnamese soldiers to the villages of the Khmer-Krom farmers to threaten their families.
On behalf of the Indigenous Khmer-Krom voiceless farmers, we seek your help in an international cooperation to urge Vietnam to respect the Human Rights of the Khmer-Krom people, especially the right to own their ancestral lands. Since Vietnam signed the recent adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on September 13, 2007, it should show respect and implement the Article 26 of the Declaration “Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories.”
If Vietnam did in fact take serious consideration into the land confiscation issues and implements appropriate and necessary policies, protests would not be a common occurrence. The protestors are not attempting to disturb the Vietnamese society as alleged by the Vietnamese authorities. The Khmer-Krom farmers are merely use a human rights instrument to bring to the surface a hidden problem that is a massive obstacle hindering them from living a fulfilled life as embedded in the Vietnamese constitution, international declarations and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Respectfully Yours,
Thach Ngoc Thach
President of Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation
Some of the farmers have claimed that they have filed complaints for decades and today receive no compensation or satisfactory results from the Vietnamese officials. The Indigenous Khmer-Krom farmers have been sleeping on the streets in front of the National Assembly since Friday night (Vietnam local time).
For many of the protestors, it was a long way for them to travel from their villages to Prey Nokor (Ho Chi Minh City) because the Vietnamese authorities tried to stop them from going to file the complaints at the office of the National Assembly. This is the third time that they have been forced to go to Prey Nokor. The Vietnam authority has promised to solve the issues, but did not take any follow up actions causing yet another peaceful protest to be conducted at this moment.
Instead of returning the confiscated farmlands to the Indigenous Khmer-Krom farmers, the Vietnam authorities are accusing those innocent Khmer-Krom farmers for disturbing the Vietnamese society. Protestors have claimed that Vietnamese authorities are threatening to arrest them if they do not return back to their villages immediately.
Testifying via RFA, a female Khmer-Krom farmer has appealed to international organizations, especially the United Nations to help them because they felt that they had no rights to live on their ancestral lands. They are farmers and yet all of their lands are confiscated. For centuries, the rich fertile lands of the Mekong Delta have been an essential element for the survival of the Khmer Krom people, providing plentiful food and water. Since Vietnam’s occupation of their lands, however, hundreds of thousands are finding themselves homeless and further entrenched in poverty.
Highly frustrated with Vietnam false promises, the protesters have said via RFA that they are willing to be killed if that was what takes for Vietnamese authorities to return their rightful land. Unwilling to comprise to the wishes of the protestors, Vietnam authorities are using intimidation tactics by sending the Vietnamese soldiers to the villages of the Khmer-Krom farmers to threaten their families.
On behalf of the Indigenous Khmer-Krom voiceless farmers, we seek your help in an international cooperation to urge Vietnam to respect the Human Rights of the Khmer-Krom people, especially the right to own their ancestral lands. Since Vietnam signed the recent adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on September 13, 2007, it should show respect and implement the Article 26 of the Declaration “Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories.”
If Vietnam did in fact take serious consideration into the land confiscation issues and implements appropriate and necessary policies, protests would not be a common occurrence. The protestors are not attempting to disturb the Vietnamese society as alleged by the Vietnamese authorities. The Khmer-Krom farmers are merely use a human rights instrument to bring to the surface a hidden problem that is a massive obstacle hindering them from living a fulfilled life as embedded in the Vietnamese constitution, international declarations and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Respectfully Yours,
Thach Ngoc Thach
President of Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation
3 comments:
This is how ah Youn eliminate the Khmer Krom race. Khmer Krom will not have anything to eat eventually they will end up begging just the poor Khmer in Phnom Penh. Ah Youn is expanding that policy to Cambodia everyday.
Chheam Khmer
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Current Cambodia-Vietnam Relations (Part III)
Current Hun Sen's cruel reaction to Yash Ghai signified terrible future for Cambodians. Under Hun Sen's leadership, Cambodia is moving to become Vietnam's Indochina Federation member faster and faster. Few below considering facts should be useful for you all.
* 1. Hun Sen has denounced United Nations about its recognition of Khmer Rouge government is unusual. The original purpose of UN to recognize Khmer Rouge regime during 19 century is essential because the Vietnamese invasion in Cambodia and Khmer Rouge's brutality was two different things. UN considered KR brutality is worse, but Vietnamese invasion in Cambodia is the worst, especially the illegality of Vietnam that spread their troops throughout Cambodia land.
Question: What is Hun Sen's stand point of view about these two controversial issues? - Brutality of KR is ended, but Vietnamese influence is still overwhelming in Cambodia.
* 2. Now, Japanese government's role in Indochina is critical for Cambodians. Japanese has planned their aids not to providing solely to Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam, but Japanese government plans to aid as joint development project including Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. We surely know that Japan needs to counterbalance with China in this region, but what is worse for Cambodia is the fastest of becoming a legal member of Indochina Federation.
Question: Has Hun Sen government used their capacity to monitor all those development projects with Vietnam? - In case of current Triangle and Land Concession to Vietnamese authority is well informed by Cambodian experts.
* 3. According to 2008 Calendar of Cambodia, we can see that the government recognizes January 7 day as the national memorable day that Cambodia can escape from KR brutality, but government has intentionally erased October 23 day in the national day calendar from commemorating. Significance of these two national days are both important that government has to value them. However, October 23 is considered as the second independent day for Cambodians from foreign invader (first independent day is from French which is still celebrated).
Question: Why Hun Sen's government neglect to commemorate Paris Peace Agreement day? - Khmer Rouge brutality is ended, but why Hun Sen's leadership is keeping January 7 as the memorable day. Now, the influences of Vietnam is still huge in Cambodia?
* 4. Hun Sen's leadership in the future is important for us to comprehend that: from current possibility, Hun Sen will change Cambodia to boost in economic development by neglecting human rights, freedom and democracy development. Currently, international aids have concerned only economic growth especially the competitive aids from Japan and China that those aids don't focus on building real democracy in Cambodia. The tendency that Hun Sen government is moving now truly copies from China and Vietnam that they see these two countries' economic growth as their model.
Question: Which one is more important between democracy and economy? - Both are important, but why Hun Sen's leadership is turning to Vietnamese style?
* 5. Current trial of Khmer Rouge will enable nothing better for future Cambodia because it is politicized by government since the beginning. As we can understand, Hun Sen's leadership will not hesitate to try Khmer Rouge leaders because this trial is absolutely benefiting his party (CPP). However, it is not benefiting to CPP only, it is also benefiting to foreign country who came to liberate Cambodians from KR brutality. Psychologically, more trial is loud through the media, the Cambodian peoples have more favors and loves to the CPP as well as Hun Sen. And the legality of invasion is coming near. Recently, Hun Sen cursed the UN's special envoy Yash Ghai as well as UN itself is the intention to dismiss Paris Peace Agreement and UN's presence in 1993. He accuses UN that didn't come to intervene KR during brutality and why now comes to Cambodia and criticize about human rights violation? - This accusation is baseless because during the KR period the world was fully chaotic.
Question: Does KR trial can improve Cambodia justice system? According to current government's attitude towards human rights report in Cambodia, is it fertile for creating the rule of law state? - KR is the best tool for Vietnam to achieve their Indochina Federation in current transitional politics of Cambodia under Hun Sen's Leadership.
* Notes: Hun Sen and his government's current policy doesn't only violate their treaty with UN about human rights, but also violate Cambodian national constitution. Hun Sen and his government has gradually violated Cambodian national constitution.
KY
Thank you KY for your long meaning full comment.Hun sen,sihanouk and cpp betrayed our ancestors.They sell land to vietnam for their family's gain by letting vietnam civil clothes soldiers stay in our land.hun sen,sihanouk are the traitors,they wrapped their head to the power but soon when vietnam take over Cambodia who they can wrap to.
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