Tim Sakhorn, the former abbot of Phnom Den North pagoda (Photo: Mundulkeo, RFA)Tuesday, April 7, 2009
By Ouk Sav Borey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
On Tuesday 07 April 2009, the Cambodian ministry of Interior (MoI) indicated that Tim Sakhorn, the former abbot of the Phnom Den North pagoda, can live in Cambodia if he wanted to.
Khieu Sopheak, MoI spokesman, told RFA that the Cambodian Constitution stipulates that Khmer Kampuchea Krom are Cambodian citizen, therefore, citizen Tim Sakhorn has the right to live in Cambodia.
Khieu Sopheak confirmed that: “If he lives within the kingdom of Cambodia, under the Cambodian Constitution, he is a Cambodian citizen.”
Khieu’s Sopheak made this claim after Tim Sakhorn was released from the Viet jail, and he was allowed by the Vietnamese to attend a Cambodian ceremony in Ta Loeung village, Phnom Den commune, Kiriving district, Takeo province, with his father and relatives to commemorate his mother’s death during the Cambodian New Year.
On Tuesday, Tim Sakhorn could not be reached to find out whether he wants to live in Cambodia or in Vietnam. Tim Ban, Tim Sakhorn’s younger brother, indicated that Tim Sakhorn went to visit relatives and he has not returned home yet.
However, in a recent interview with RFA, Tim Sakhorn said: “I am very scared when I came to Cambodia. I am more scared than when I was in Vietnam, I am scared about my personal safety.”
Tim Theang, Tim Sakhorn’s father who now lives In Ta Loeung village, claimed that he wants Tim Sakhorn, his son, to come and live with him in Cambodia.
Tim Theang said: “He (Tim Sakhorn) wants (to live in Cambodia) also. I asked all organizations, all levels of the government, the UN etc… to help resolve this issue. If my son can come back (to live in Cambodia), I would be very happy because I am old now.”
Regarding Tim Sakhorn’s issue, Chan Saveth, an official for the Adhoc human rights organization, said: “Based on the information (received), we think that Tim Sakhorn seems to be very concerned about his personal safety.”
Tim Sakhorn, the former abbot of Phnom Den North pagoda, was hastily defrocked by force by the Cambodian authority. He was then sent over to be jailed in Vietnam for a 1-year duration. He was accused of fomenting the breakup of the solidarity between Cambodia and Vietnam in 2007.
During his stay in jail in Vietnam, he was visited by Cambodian parliamentarians and following the intense criticism from the UN Human Rights commission, Tim Sakhorn was subsequently released. However, one human rights official claimed that he was still under close surveillance by the Vietnamese.
Khieu Sopheak, MoI spokesman, told RFA that the Cambodian Constitution stipulates that Khmer Kampuchea Krom are Cambodian citizen, therefore, citizen Tim Sakhorn has the right to live in Cambodia.
Khieu Sopheak confirmed that: “If he lives within the kingdom of Cambodia, under the Cambodian Constitution, he is a Cambodian citizen.”
Khieu’s Sopheak made this claim after Tim Sakhorn was released from the Viet jail, and he was allowed by the Vietnamese to attend a Cambodian ceremony in Ta Loeung village, Phnom Den commune, Kiriving district, Takeo province, with his father and relatives to commemorate his mother’s death during the Cambodian New Year.
On Tuesday, Tim Sakhorn could not be reached to find out whether he wants to live in Cambodia or in Vietnam. Tim Ban, Tim Sakhorn’s younger brother, indicated that Tim Sakhorn went to visit relatives and he has not returned home yet.
However, in a recent interview with RFA, Tim Sakhorn said: “I am very scared when I came to Cambodia. I am more scared than when I was in Vietnam, I am scared about my personal safety.”
Tim Theang, Tim Sakhorn’s father who now lives In Ta Loeung village, claimed that he wants Tim Sakhorn, his son, to come and live with him in Cambodia.
Tim Theang said: “He (Tim Sakhorn) wants (to live in Cambodia) also. I asked all organizations, all levels of the government, the UN etc… to help resolve this issue. If my son can come back (to live in Cambodia), I would be very happy because I am old now.”
Regarding Tim Sakhorn’s issue, Chan Saveth, an official for the Adhoc human rights organization, said: “Based on the information (received), we think that Tim Sakhorn seems to be very concerned about his personal safety.”
Tim Sakhorn, the former abbot of Phnom Den North pagoda, was hastily defrocked by force by the Cambodian authority. He was then sent over to be jailed in Vietnam for a 1-year duration. He was accused of fomenting the breakup of the solidarity between Cambodia and Vietnam in 2007.
During his stay in jail in Vietnam, he was visited by Cambodian parliamentarians and following the intense criticism from the UN Human Rights commission, Tim Sakhorn was subsequently released. However, one human rights official claimed that he was still under close surveillance by the Vietnamese.
13 comments:
Enfin pour une fois samdach HUN SEN a fait quelque chose de bien Merci merci c'est parce que BUndith TIM SAKKORN a fait un bout de chemin en tant que saveak Preah SAMANAK KODAM
Great the Khmer Krom are the citizen of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Will all Khmers now live in the former Khmer Empire "Khmer in Southern part near the Malaysian border and the former Kingdom of Khmer Monn, Khmer Champa be able to live free in the Kingdom of Cambodia ?
you blog is very interesting to read ..
Congratulation Sakhorn for your freedom in this time.
To make sure that Sakhorn is safe, he should be protected by UNHCR or ask for political asylum in Western countries.
Why in a Western countries or UNHCR ?
Mr. Tim Sakhorn is a Khmer citizen and Cambodia is his home and home of all Khmers.
Tim Sakhorn is not safe. Stop posting these pictures. All these people can not protect him or his family.
Tim Sakhorn was a monk khmer.he is not communist and he prayed Buddha for Peace,we people khmer we love him.
Mother fucker traitor including Ah tep Vong will strike by lightning soon!
You motherfuckers Viet slave will joint ah Tay Houng Hok Landy and ah Ho Chiminh goat face motherfucker!
prinson will no wall for all Cambodian under ah Taiy Houng Hun Xen!
And you mother fucker who worship ah evil Hochi monk Tep Vong will rote in hell!!!!!
if the guy ask for asylum in the name of political humanitarian, cambodia should be able to help with this. let's be civilized for a change. this is obviously a crisis for this man, so it makes sense to let him live freely in cambodia. hello! it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out! have some love and compassion for your fellow human being. god bless cambodia.
1:20am The guy we are lalking about was Khmer Buddhist Monk and was arested by the fucking Vietnamese goat face to be imprison in Vietname the fucking hell of the fucking Communist motherfucker!
May ah Hun Xen and goones die as Taiy Houng!
cambodia rule by Ah thmil hun sen .he dosen't protect khmer citizens .ah thmil You'slave alway protect Youn ppls.
To 5:40pm, why western countries or UNHCR? That because, there is no trust for a governement that sent their very own citizen to prison in a foreign country. We know how rotten they are. All they care about is their own powerful plates. Everybody else can just go to tell. Look at everyone else that got murder in a broad day light in Cambodia. What did they do? Nothing. Oh well! that what they say and move on. Thanks God those old fart judges and lawyers about to drop dead on their own.
hun sen regime dosen't serve khmer ppls.look at hun sen history where he come from? he was brainwashed by Youn communist
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