Tuesday, 14 April 2009 Written by Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post
KHMER Krom activist Tim Sakhorn was ordained again as a monk at a pagoda in Battambang on Friday and has now fled to Thailand where he is seeking refugee status, according to Sann Sang, the deputy director of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community.
"Now, it is up to the UNHCR [the UN High Commissioner for Refugees] to determine if he has the right to stay in Thailand," he said.
He added that Tim Sakhorn would be willing to leave for another country if necessary.
The 41-year-old monk was arrested in June 2007 by Cambodian police and defrocked before being extradited to Vietnam.
But after imprisoning Tim Sakhorn for a year and then keeping him under house arrest, Vietnam allowed him to visit Cambodia, which issued him a visa until April 17.
Even though Tim Sakhorn has said he just wants to live with his family and tend his farm in Cambodia, he did not feel the Cambodian authorities were protecting him, according to Ang Chanrith, the executive director of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Human Rights Organisation.
"When he was arrested, the [Cambodian] government did not take action to protect him, so he has lost confidence in the government," Ang Chanrith said last week.
Christophe Peschoux, the country representative of the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, could not confirm that the monk had fled to Thailand.
"If he went to Thailand, it's because he feels unsafe in his own country," Peschoux said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CHRISTOPHER SHAY
"Now, it is up to the UNHCR [the UN High Commissioner for Refugees] to determine if he has the right to stay in Thailand," he said.
He added that Tim Sakhorn would be willing to leave for another country if necessary.
The 41-year-old monk was arrested in June 2007 by Cambodian police and defrocked before being extradited to Vietnam.
But after imprisoning Tim Sakhorn for a year and then keeping him under house arrest, Vietnam allowed him to visit Cambodia, which issued him a visa until April 17.
Even though Tim Sakhorn has said he just wants to live with his family and tend his farm in Cambodia, he did not feel the Cambodian authorities were protecting him, according to Ang Chanrith, the executive director of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Human Rights Organisation.
"When he was arrested, the [Cambodian] government did not take action to protect him, so he has lost confidence in the government," Ang Chanrith said last week.
Christophe Peschoux, the country representative of the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, could not confirm that the monk had fled to Thailand.
"If he went to Thailand, it's because he feels unsafe in his own country," Peschoux said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CHRISTOPHER SHAY
11 comments:
Khmer Krom have suffered a lot. Thanks to all our heroes that have been sacrificed for our Khmer Krom motherland. Soon we will be there get our independent. Don't worry, the Greece have been under the Turks for +400 years and they managed to freed themselves. We will be declared independent in the near future. First was East Timores, second was the Kosovo (Kosovar) then third will be our turn. Khmer Krom hoping to get our independent soon.
Respect from me Khmer in PP,
Yes, go Khmer Krom!!!!
We will be there as a nation!!
Ah Hun Xen's goverment not only unprotected its citizens BUT help commite crime against the citizens, to please the motherfucker communist Vietname!
And ah Hun Xen corrupted every thing in the country from school children to a suppose head of the religion!
Excellent Khmer in PP. I hope all Khmers have the same attitude as yours – the winning attitude. Never give up. We will reunite with our Khmer Krom and Khmer Leur brothers and sisters, and rebuild the Khmer empire again like our ancestors did.
America is a choice for monk Tim Sakhorn to go because there many Khmer Krom people here to help him escape the Evils.
I feel pretty bad how HUN SEN can't protect his citizen. How on earth we we have a leader forgot about its own citizen?
Khmer Leader needs to have a better view on protecting his/her citizen.
Khmer Mchas Srok,
It would be great, when Phikuh Tim Sakhorn able to move to the US. Phikuh Tim Sakhon will be able to work for the interest of all Khmers and Cambodia.
Cambodian Temple in Greensboro, NC is badly needed someone like him to replace a Thai Monk there.
This is such a petty that Khmer government can't even protect its citizen inside Cambodia!
Khmer people have become second citizen within their own country under AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave mother fucker!
no wandering hun shit cpp is Youn, that's why he never cares khmer citizens
All khmer people know that hun sen works for his hanoi boss. so he's a coward when it comes to protecting and defending khmer people. He will work for viet even when he's in hell.
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