Original report from Washington
24 September 2008
Cambodians living in the US who have seen loved ones deported under a continuing US policy say the US and Cambodian governments must compensate the families and ensure good living conditions for those sent back.
Since mid-2002, the US has followed a policy to send non-citizens convicted of crimes back to Cambodia, following time served time in US detention.
Yi Sam’s husband was one of them. A resident of Lowell, Mass., with two young daughters, Yi Sam said her husband, Khis Pross, is being punished twice for his crimes. The deportation policy was inhumane and unjust, she said. Both daughters cry day and night and have difficulty eating and sleeping, she said.
“Before, my husband always helped pay the cost of living,” she said. “But now I have no one to help me with this.”
The deportation policy was “a kind of racism,” she said. “They kick them out like kicking dogs and cats.”
Another Lowell resident, Mao Sophann, said the deportation policy had brought much hardship to separated families, as returnees find it difficult to find work in Cambodia.
“They separate or break from their families,” he said. “It is terrible, and the children and wives are still here.”
“The Cambodian and American governments should compensate them, take care of their livelihoods and provide enough education to the deportee’s family,” he added.
Senior government advisor Om Yintieng said the Cambodian government had little choice but to accept the deportations.
“If we don’t accept them, [the US] will close issuing visas to Cambodian people who want to go to America,” he said. “What can we do? Do you think we are so stupid with this? Don’t you know that our Khmer people have difficulty with that?”
Dimple Rana is an advocacy leader with the group Deport Diaspora, in Lowell. She said immigration judges in the US do not allow Cambodian immigrants facing deportation to review their cases.
“People who have gone in front of immigration, they have no justice, and they have no due process,” she said. “Their cases are not reviewed. The judges can’t look at their cases and say, ‘OK, this person has children who are US citizens, this person has a wife or husband who is a US citizen, this person, this person has not committed a crime for many years, this person is a tax-payer in the United States.’ All these factors, the immigration judges don’t have the right to look at.”
John Johnson, a US Embassy spokesman in Phnom Penh, said the US funds a local organization to help deportees learn to read and write Khmer and helps make the adjustment of deportees “as smooth as possible.”
Since mid-2002, the US has followed a policy to send non-citizens convicted of crimes back to Cambodia, following time served time in US detention.
Yi Sam’s husband was one of them. A resident of Lowell, Mass., with two young daughters, Yi Sam said her husband, Khis Pross, is being punished twice for his crimes. The deportation policy was inhumane and unjust, she said. Both daughters cry day and night and have difficulty eating and sleeping, she said.
“Before, my husband always helped pay the cost of living,” she said. “But now I have no one to help me with this.”
The deportation policy was “a kind of racism,” she said. “They kick them out like kicking dogs and cats.”
Another Lowell resident, Mao Sophann, said the deportation policy had brought much hardship to separated families, as returnees find it difficult to find work in Cambodia.
“They separate or break from their families,” he said. “It is terrible, and the children and wives are still here.”
“The Cambodian and American governments should compensate them, take care of their livelihoods and provide enough education to the deportee’s family,” he added.
Senior government advisor Om Yintieng said the Cambodian government had little choice but to accept the deportations.
“If we don’t accept them, [the US] will close issuing visas to Cambodian people who want to go to America,” he said. “What can we do? Do you think we are so stupid with this? Don’t you know that our Khmer people have difficulty with that?”
Dimple Rana is an advocacy leader with the group Deport Diaspora, in Lowell. She said immigration judges in the US do not allow Cambodian immigrants facing deportation to review their cases.
“People who have gone in front of immigration, they have no justice, and they have no due process,” she said. “Their cases are not reviewed. The judges can’t look at their cases and say, ‘OK, this person has children who are US citizens, this person has a wife or husband who is a US citizen, this person, this person has not committed a crime for many years, this person is a tax-payer in the United States.’ All these factors, the immigration judges don’t have the right to look at.”
John Johnson, a US Embassy spokesman in Phnom Penh, said the US funds a local organization to help deportees learn to read and write Khmer and helps make the adjustment of deportees “as smooth as possible.”
21 comments:
That shouldn't a problem. You commit the crime must do the time and deserve to send back to Cambodia to live with lawless government.
If you put your foot in the victim family's shoe...no punishment is enough for jackass like these criminals been deported,
To the lady.If you can't pay the bill just join your husband in Cambodia.America doesn't need a scumbags here.
i am not condoning criminals. i feel for those families affecte by this. the US Govt. should have leverage for those hadn't commit crime for a long period of time and had change of atitude. those one should have a second chance. should it be the Human Rights the America had preached to China it should practice?
The question is that deportees shall known better of their status in US - non-resident status is subject to play by the law of immigration, where good character and legal process. If one decide to break the law then this is what they are down to.
The gentleman mentioned in this article has been long enough in US, shall at the time acquire US citizen - mean of protecting himself under the law "No US citzen shall be deported, extradite or face court in other country".
How can they know better when the US education system is failing. Everything is fake.
These Cambodian deportees are paying penalty twice for their crime! This is double jeopardy!
Oh well! SO much justice in the world!
what a bunch of crock for asking for COMPENSATION. I hope the families get no compensation. If they do, it's sending the message "hey commit a crime, and we'll reimburse you for it."
I feel sorry for the family, but not the deportees.
They think they have it bad by getting deported? Well, tell that to the Khmer people who never had a chance to come to the States (and have the opportunity do something with their lives, like what the deportees could have done) and are still living in extreme poverty. The deportees wasted their chance here.
Go to Cambodia, I bet you the average deportee is living the lifestyle of a rock-star in Phnom Penh. Instead of riding in beat up Daelim motos or lower quality stuff, these guys have the nicer ride.
Oh, you know why it's difficult for them to find work? It's because they've thrown away the Khmer Language for hood language. Some still dress like they're rappers off of Source Mag and BET music videos. Instead of being thought of as Khmers, you can imagine the natives Khmer might even mistaken them for doing a good job of black-facing.
This is not discount the deportees who are doing amazing stuff for Cambodia or who have turned their life around due to being deported.
Oh shut the fuck up, Ah Jkout (7:34). You blame everything on the people. It is your stupid US government who failed to educated these people. Many of them can't even fill out job application. Who are you trying to kid, motherfucker?
hey anonymous at 7:42, you sound like the typical uneducated Khmer yourself. Needing to resort of calling people motherfucker? Well, bring your mom over and I'll fuck her in front of you. This is a cheap shot to your motha, but you asked for it. I'll do her good since Pol Pot forgot to back then.
Ok, back to myself again. Sorry for offending your mom in that manner, but before you blame the American government for failing the deportees, ask yourself, "how come the average law abiding Khmer-American aren't in the category of uneducated? How come the average Khmer isn't waiting to get deported? What stopped them from getting their US Citizenship? If my 80 yr old Grandma can pass that exam by correctly answering the colors of the flags are red, white, and blue, why can't others out there do the same? You must be the type of person who likes to blame the government for everything. It's called taking responsibility for your own actions. Do the deportees a favor: if you pity them, then donate some money to their family.
By the way, I'm waiting for your mom, or better yet your sister. me sooo hornyy!!! Please send me some packages of Number 1, I'm waiting...licky lick. LOL.
5:06.
What do you know about Double Jeopardy? That means if you have been tried by the court of law once, you will not be tried again. It has nothing to do with serious punishment. Stupid!!
What the fuck are you talking, stupid (8:43)? Where did you get the idea that the average Khmer-American is educated? Most of them can't fill out job application. Most of them work in a low life manufacture or Viet supermarket. Most of them into drug and gangs....
Are you out of your mind?
It's not only Khmers being deported-it's all of those who came and obatained a "Legal Permanent Residence" status who have committed an "aggravated felony" under the Federal standards for that term. Minor crimes can result in deportation proceedings. However, there is due process where it is up to the government to prove up an "aggraved felony". It is important to have a defense lawyer who does deportation defense.
The only real solution is to change the immigration law in this area. The other thing that could be done is for the RGC to halt accepting deportees from the U.S. which is probably not going to happen now that the US has resumed direct aid to the RGC. i.e. trucks, KR trial money.
9:37 AM
Did you know that there far more viet deportees in than Khmer, they are the pawns of the Chinese gang. So yes you are really out of your mind.
It's amazing that this stupid viet (9:37 AM) is boasting his viet fellows. Especially when the viet are known to be criminals in North America.
Come on tep wong don't have a too high esteem of yourself, we know the truth.
Anonymous @ 9:37--there you go again, you have an illogical argument--so you need to resort to using the F word. Tough lil girl you are, right.
Your argument does not make sense. Now you see to be generalizing that Khmers in America are uneducated and work factory jobs. Maybe you need to make new friends and meet Khmers who are pursuing graduate degrees or have PhDs, Masters, and JDs etc and doing something with their lives. Why are you discounting your own Khmer people (unless the other posters are right, and you are indeed a Vietnamese)?
I suppose the "Most of them" you are referring to are your family members, friends, and yourself.
I pity you for cleaning bathrooms at your local Westminster/Vietnamese grocery store.
Ok, are you going to make your usual rebuttal "what the fuck are you talking about" barking like a dog assertions?
Oh, by the way, where is your mom and sister? I'm still waiting for them. LOL.
9:55, the Viet population is much larger than Ah Khmer-American. So what if they got a few more bad lemons? It doesn't mean shit. If you do the math, you'll know it.
They deport everybody who isn't a U.S. citizen, and committed a felony or other higher offense. To do so, the person's country of origin must accept deportees. Whether through coercions, rewards, or what not, the Cambodian government had decided to accept deportees. If they didn't, the U.S. would not be able to deport them. But that's beside the point.
If the Khmer American community wants to battle this law, they must form an organization that will educate people to become U.S. citizens. The process is very easy, but for those who do not know, there are numerous immigration expert and Khmer lawyers throughout Lowell and Long Beach. Non U.S. citizens have no political power, because they can not vote. Any group that can not vote is at the mercy of the government.
In addition, many Khmer citizens do not bother to vote, let alone form a political pact that will defend the rights of Cambodian Americans. There is no one in Washington that can lobby for the rights of Cambodian Americans. Why? Because Cam-Americans in general are non political. This is a huge mistake, but then again, not a lot of them are outrage at the thought of former offenders being sent back to Cambodia.
VN up until recently has not allowed deportees but I heard recently that they have agreed to allow those convicted after i.e. 2005 to be deported.
"What do you know about Double Jeopardy? That means if you have been tried by the court of law once, you will not be tried again. It has nothing to do with serious punishment. Stupid!!"
9:21 AM
= You called me stupid? How about I called you a stupid fool! If these deportees serve time for the crime already and who make the decision to deport them in the first place? If not the court or the INS and who is it? I believe when a person commit crime and serve time for the crime and they should be allowed to go free but to deport a person to break up the family member is inhumane!
Here are some of the crimes that can get a person deported!
- Domestic violence, stalking, and child abuse is deportable!
- Drug abusers and addicts are deportable!
- Multiple criminal convictions are deportable!
- Aggravated felony is deportable
- Crimes of moral turpitude are deportable!
People have been known to get deported for urinate in public!
IT IS THE FEW ILL MINDED BLACK HEARTED INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK FOR THE U.S. GVOERNMENT THAT HAVE NO CONCERN OF HUMAN SUFFERING. WHAT BENEFIT TO THE SOCIETY BY MAKING OTHERS SUFFER WHEN A FAMILY MEMBER IS BEING SNATCHED AWAY? IT IS THESE DAMN STUPID GUYS/GALES THAT BRING CURSE TO THIS SOCIETY AND NOW WE WITNESS A SHARP ECONOMIC FALL THAT MAY NOT GET BACK UP. THESE STUPID LOCAL POLICY MAKERS SHOULD GO TO HELL. I DESPISE THEM GREATLY. THE STUPID WHO THINK NOT WHAT IS BETTER FOR THE GREATER PICTURE BUT ACT CHILDISHLY AND CAUSE MORE FARM THAN HEALING. WHY ARE SUCH STUPID INDIVIDUALS GIVEN PRIVILEGE TO DECIDE TO DO HARM TO OTHER INNOCENTS? WHY? WHY? DOWN WITH THE STUPID. THEY AND THEIR FAMILIES SHOULD SUFFER AS WELL.
Hey, stop asking stupid question. You made those convicts, you fix them, alright, and stop send us your dirty laundry, idiot!
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