Cambodian consulate office, Lowell, Massachusetts.Opposition Worries Over New Consulate
By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
04 May 2009
With the new consulate in Lowell, Massachusetts, open just a week, opposition party supporters in the US said they were concerned the facility would not provide enough services for Cambodians and could be used instead to serve the ruling party.
Un Sokhom, an activist for the Sam Rainsy Party in Lowell, said the consulate was likely going to be used to open doors for businesses that would earn money for the Cambodian People’s Party.
“The establishment of the Cambodian consulate in Lowell is a chance and to open a door to suck the Cambodian and Cambodian-Americans’ money in order to support the ruling party in Cambodia,” he said.
Visa fees for foreign tourists are $20, business visas $25 and fees for pilots and crew $15. No visa fees are collected from diplomats, non-governmental organization staff, children under 12 and returning Cambodians. The consulate also earns money from passports and certificates of birth, marriage and death.
Un Sokhom said the consul-general, Ou Sovann, who was once a member of the Sam Rainsy Party, could be sending information on opposition supporters back to the CPP.
“Sam Rainsy Party activists both new and old are strongly concerned that Ou Sovann, consul-general, could report about people’s biographies who have political leanings to the opposition party in Cambodia, and he could report about Sam Rainsy’s activists activity in America,” he said.
During the run-up and aftermath of last year’s national election, the Sam Rainsy Party saw a raft of supporters declare allegiance to the CPP, which handily won the election.
Ou Sovann said he would work as consul under guidelines from the Cambodian government, and he denied prejudice of people or political parties.
“I don’t discriminate who is who, or any political party, at all, but only need to complete my duties as an official for Cambodian consulate affairs,” he said.
Another Sam Rainsy Party activist in Lowell, Long Chamreun, told VOA Khmer that he supported the establishment of the Cambodian consulate, but he suggested that the Cambodian consul and the Cambodian ambassador in Washington needed to accept protesters’ demands and report them to the Cambodian government.
“It is good because there are many Cambodian people living” in Lowell, he said. “But we have seen so far that in every protest in front of the Cambodian Embassy in Washington, DC, the Cambodian ambassador has never come out to meet the protesters or brought their appeals and demand letters to the Cambodian leader. I think if they dare to report this, the government in Cambodia would withdraw them from their positions in the US. I think to open this consulate is good so that we can do the protests in the future, because we have full freedom for demonstration.”
Sam Rainsy Party’s president for North America, Chea Kimly, told VOA Khmer that his party does not oppose the Lowell consulate or the defection of Ou Sovann, but he wants to see the new consulate work without political discrimination.
“There is nothing wrong if they really serve the people, but we want to see that service without political discrimination and without service only to some individuals or only one specific political party,” he said.
The Lowell consulate opened April 26, and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said at the opening ceremony the government hoped to have another, in Long Beach, Calif., in the near future.
Un Sokhom, an activist for the Sam Rainsy Party in Lowell, said the consulate was likely going to be used to open doors for businesses that would earn money for the Cambodian People’s Party.
“The establishment of the Cambodian consulate in Lowell is a chance and to open a door to suck the Cambodian and Cambodian-Americans’ money in order to support the ruling party in Cambodia,” he said.
Visa fees for foreign tourists are $20, business visas $25 and fees for pilots and crew $15. No visa fees are collected from diplomats, non-governmental organization staff, children under 12 and returning Cambodians. The consulate also earns money from passports and certificates of birth, marriage and death.
Un Sokhom said the consul-general, Ou Sovann, who was once a member of the Sam Rainsy Party, could be sending information on opposition supporters back to the CPP.
“Sam Rainsy Party activists both new and old are strongly concerned that Ou Sovann, consul-general, could report about people’s biographies who have political leanings to the opposition party in Cambodia, and he could report about Sam Rainsy’s activists activity in America,” he said.
During the run-up and aftermath of last year’s national election, the Sam Rainsy Party saw a raft of supporters declare allegiance to the CPP, which handily won the election.
Ou Sovann said he would work as consul under guidelines from the Cambodian government, and he denied prejudice of people or political parties.
“I don’t discriminate who is who, or any political party, at all, but only need to complete my duties as an official for Cambodian consulate affairs,” he said.
Another Sam Rainsy Party activist in Lowell, Long Chamreun, told VOA Khmer that he supported the establishment of the Cambodian consulate, but he suggested that the Cambodian consul and the Cambodian ambassador in Washington needed to accept protesters’ demands and report them to the Cambodian government.
“It is good because there are many Cambodian people living” in Lowell, he said. “But we have seen so far that in every protest in front of the Cambodian Embassy in Washington, DC, the Cambodian ambassador has never come out to meet the protesters or brought their appeals and demand letters to the Cambodian leader. I think if they dare to report this, the government in Cambodia would withdraw them from their positions in the US. I think to open this consulate is good so that we can do the protests in the future, because we have full freedom for demonstration.”
Sam Rainsy Party’s president for North America, Chea Kimly, told VOA Khmer that his party does not oppose the Lowell consulate or the defection of Ou Sovann, but he wants to see the new consulate work without political discrimination.
“There is nothing wrong if they really serve the people, but we want to see that service without political discrimination and without service only to some individuals or only one specific political party,” he said.
The Lowell consulate opened April 26, and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said at the opening ceremony the government hoped to have another, in Long Beach, Calif., in the near future.
13 comments:
This is YOUN's surveillance.
This is YOUN's eye.
This is CPP camera.
Oh my we are being watch by this consulate.
KhmerLowell,
It is critical to hear Ou Sovann gave interviewing through VOA that the expenses of the consulate is the burden of himself.
He works part time job with his wife in order to cover all the expenses in this new office?
Is this statement true or manipulative? Ou Sovann has his own word to say, but the world is suspecting his honesty.
Paranoid much? It looks like American trait of paranoid gets to Khmer living in the US from eating all those cheeseburgers and KFC. If you have done nothing wrong, there is nothing to worry who moves in near you. Or have you done something you're guilty and afraid? That is how paranoid starts.
Ou Sovan, the General Consul in Lowell, MA is a back stabber. He used SRP to gained him potical asylum in the US, just to later swith to the CPP that he alledged to intimidate him prior to his coming to the USA. What a shame! The USCIS needs to strip him of his political asylum status!
The USCIS needs to strip him of his political asylum status!
Link: http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_779.html
Let's not too negative about anything...
Ou Sovan is just a Khmer Chochous living in lowell and selling his mind to the CPP.
ស្តាប់គេនិយាយ ពូកអានេះសុទ្ធតែពូកអាក្ត!!! វាគ្នាអីខ្មេះទេ។ ខ្មែរ-អាមេរិកាំង ត្រូវការពូក អាកុងស៊ុលហ្នឹងជួយអីខ្លះ? មានសញ្ជាតិ អាមេរិហើយគឺដូចអាមេរិកហើយ ដល់ពេលចង់ទៅ លេងស្រុកខ្មែរជិះ យន្តហោះទៅលេងទៅ មានទៅត្រូវការកុងស៊ុលហ្នឹងជួយអី។
មានរឿងមួយ ខ្ញុំគិតថាលោក កុងស៊ុលហ្នឹងសមនឹងបំពេញ គឺ កូនខ្មែរដែលអាមេរិក បញ្ជូនត្រលប់ទៅស្រុកខ្មែរវិញ សួមគាត់ជួយមើលផង បើគាត់អាចជួយដោះស្រាយបាន អាហ្នឹងបានហៅថា តំណាងអោយខ្មែរ។
ខ្ញុំគិតថានេះជាទូតរបស់គបក្សប្រជាជន ទើបត្រូវ។
A colletion station for CPP !!!
i think people can see for themselves of what's right and wrong. they don't need any more political bickering from short-sighted individuals. i think american gov't and people are very smart and clever, and they know what is coming and what is good for the USA and american people when they see it, so stop your political rhetoric here. some individuals are no more than a political activist or some sort who are just unhappy about cambodia because they cannot get what they want in cambodia like in the past when they themselves can just do whatever they please or want in cambodia. well, the majority of khmer people and citizens will tell them that cambodia has started anew. things will be different, get used to that, ok! it's no so much "my highway or the highway," anymore, especially in public service. wake-up and see the world as it is bigger than your oyster shell, ok. god bless cambodia and all khmer people and citizens who love peace, stability, prosperity, freedom, etc...
Who is Hor 5 Hong? Check this link:
http://www.samrainsyparty.org/archives/achieve_08/june/hornamhong%27s_%20role_%20Boengtrabek.htm
I love your comment!
CPP is sending all of their little minions to manipulate and brain wash Cambodian Americans through their money and power. Yes, there are numerous of Cambodian Americans who are easily bought by money and fame.
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