Buddhist monks, seen here in August 2007, pray in Phnom Penh to demand the release of fellow monk Tim SakhornHANOI (AFP) — Human Rights Watch called on communist Vietnam Thursday to lift any restrictions on the liberty of an activist Buddhist monk who disappeared on the day he was released from prison last week.
Tim Sakhorn, an activist for the Khmer Krom ethnic Cambodian minority of southern Vietnam, was freed Saturday, but his whereabouts were unknown since he was last seen together with government officials, the rights group said.
"While his release from prison is welcome, as a peaceful activist and human rights defender, Tim Sakhorn should never have been imprisoned in the first place," said Brad Adams, Asia director of the New York-based group.
The rights group said it feared Sakhorn may be under house arrest and police surveillance, like other dissident monks in Vietnam.
Vietnam-born Sakhorn, 40, had lived in Cambodia since 1978, when his family fled border fighting between Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese forces, and became a Cambodian citizen and, 17 years ago, a Buddhist monk.
He had sheltered Khmer Krom asylum seekers from Vietnam at his pagoda and was a member for the US-based Khmers Kampuchea Krom Federation, which campaigns for the minority's religious freedoms and land rights.
In February 2007, Buddhist monks and farmers in Cambodia noisily protested against a visit by Vietnam's President Nguyen Minh Triet, claiming Hanoi was repressing ethnic Cambodians in southern Mekong delta areas.
The region, home to about 10 million ethnic Cambodians, was made part of Vietnam during the French colonial reign but remains a source of tension between Hanoi and Khmer nationalists who want it returned to Cambodia.
On June 30 last year Cambodian authorities defrocked Sakhorn for "harming the solidarity" between Cambodia and Vietnam and arrested and deported him.
Vietnam jailed him in November for "undermining national unity."
Sakhorn was released on June 28 and, dressed in civilian clothes, escorted to his An Giang province birthplace, where officials reportedly offered him land and a house as an incentive to remain in Vietnam, HRW said.
However, hours later, according to villagers, government officials escorted Sakhorn away, reportedly to Ho Chi Minh City, said the group.
"He should be able to travel freely and to meet his friends and family members in private," Adams said. "And the Cambodian government should publicly confirm that he is free to return to Cambodia, where he is a citizen."
Anti-Vietnamese sentiment remains strong in Cambodia, fuelled by resentment over Vietnam's past territorial expansions and Vietnam's 1978 invasion that ousted Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime and started a decade-long occupation.
Tim Sakhorn, an activist for the Khmer Krom ethnic Cambodian minority of southern Vietnam, was freed Saturday, but his whereabouts were unknown since he was last seen together with government officials, the rights group said.
"While his release from prison is welcome, as a peaceful activist and human rights defender, Tim Sakhorn should never have been imprisoned in the first place," said Brad Adams, Asia director of the New York-based group.
The rights group said it feared Sakhorn may be under house arrest and police surveillance, like other dissident monks in Vietnam.
Vietnam-born Sakhorn, 40, had lived in Cambodia since 1978, when his family fled border fighting between Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese forces, and became a Cambodian citizen and, 17 years ago, a Buddhist monk.
He had sheltered Khmer Krom asylum seekers from Vietnam at his pagoda and was a member for the US-based Khmers Kampuchea Krom Federation, which campaigns for the minority's religious freedoms and land rights.
In February 2007, Buddhist monks and farmers in Cambodia noisily protested against a visit by Vietnam's President Nguyen Minh Triet, claiming Hanoi was repressing ethnic Cambodians in southern Mekong delta areas.
The region, home to about 10 million ethnic Cambodians, was made part of Vietnam during the French colonial reign but remains a source of tension between Hanoi and Khmer nationalists who want it returned to Cambodia.
On June 30 last year Cambodian authorities defrocked Sakhorn for "harming the solidarity" between Cambodia and Vietnam and arrested and deported him.
Vietnam jailed him in November for "undermining national unity."
Sakhorn was released on June 28 and, dressed in civilian clothes, escorted to his An Giang province birthplace, where officials reportedly offered him land and a house as an incentive to remain in Vietnam, HRW said.
However, hours later, according to villagers, government officials escorted Sakhorn away, reportedly to Ho Chi Minh City, said the group.
"He should be able to travel freely and to meet his friends and family members in private," Adams said. "And the Cambodian government should publicly confirm that he is free to return to Cambodia, where he is a citizen."
Anti-Vietnamese sentiment remains strong in Cambodia, fuelled by resentment over Vietnam's past territorial expansions and Vietnam's 1978 invasion that ousted Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime and started a decade-long occupation.
19 comments:
No problem, so long they can prove that they are not spies and politicians. Vietnam has nothing against Buddhist monks.
Spies to do what ah? Just want to live as humans, spies inside your mother' skirt between her legs, k?
Yiss ah, learn to make some sense. k?
Mate 11;05 PM. I am dying to see these Khmer Krom can take Vietnam to the world court. Why cannot they do it? I just want to see how world court works in this 21th century. Because the facts South Vietnam belongs to them.
I heard Vietnam created its own KK exile government, so where is the real one?
Spies to divide Vietnam into millions bits and pieces, stupid (11:10).
Be careful kk monks,AH khmen are not nice to you anymore. Let's join khmer issan now.
No, the Khmer-Issan don't need spies either.
Oh lord ! where can they go ?.
To the US.
No definitely not.They have no room for them anymore.
Are you kidding me? the US got plenty of land, but more importantly, they are looking for good spies to help fight terrorist. Thus, it is a win-win situation. It's like having one hand washing the other if you know what I mean.
I can see why Khmers defeated by enemies. Too many healthy men become monks and they don't want to work to help the country.
Poor country like Cambodia should not allow to have too many monks and many temples. Cambodia should have more schools and more jobs.
9:30am ! They were not healthy before they become monks,but after eat and sleep and doing nothing about a year they become fat.
Okay, but maybe fat Monk is alright, but we need to keep a close eye on KKF agent monk. They are not as fat as good monk is. Those agents had lost some weight from sweating and worried about getting caught by Yuon.
Shut the fuck azzhole 1:20AM.
With million soldiers why God damn Youn are still scared of spies like Monk Tim Sokhorn?
When are Youn gonna stop going crazy? LOL LOL 85 million Youn scared of one Khmer monk.
Shitt. LOL LOL.
12:37, the best people to answer your question will be the CIA. They are always concerned with spy intrusion into the US, especially after 911.
Oh yeah. Next time all Monks Youn or Lao or Khmer or Thai, or tibet monks will wear suicide bombs. LOL LOL LOL.
Get your head from paranoid asshole 802PM, you are going to turn the shit Vietnam into an upside down like in North Korea.
Monks have good rules and they don't do spying stuff like Muslim fanatic, OK shithead?
Yiss ah.. scared of one Khmer Monk? Ha Hahah...LOL LOL.
The monk Tim Sakhorn just wanted his people in SVN to be treated as huamn beings, and why cannot ah Youn provide it to them?
Wrong, the only people who will be suicide bomber will be Ah Khmer-Youn.
But please, ho ahead, we even supply you with the bombs.
Buddhist don't carry suicide bombs ah cong cho 116AM, only ah Youn black teeths like you.
Yes make bombs then blow up yourself ah do mae cong cho.
If they really love their country and people, why don't these healthy Monks go to school and get good jobs? Good jobs will give them money to help their poor people from the poverty.
Khmer Buddhists and Monks are no good for Cambodia anymore, because more than 80% are fake Monks and fake Buddhists.
Defrock those healthy Young Monks and let them work to help the country and the people.
Post a Comment