Friday, 14 August 2009UNPO
Conference Report: Liberation from the Legacy of Colonialism: An Indigenous Voice for Self-Determination in Asia-Pacific
In May 2009, the KKF held a demonstration in the Place des Nations in Geneva, attended by over 400 people that sought to increase international attention about the repressive policies of Vietnam. The event coincided with the 5th Meeting of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group of the United Nations Human Rights Council, during which Vietnam was up for examination for the very first time. This conference, in Paris on 13 June 2009, the first in a series planned for the next four years, was intended to capitalize on that momentum and initiate a scholarly discussion on the Khmer Krom as a community. The Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation was assisted in the implementation of this conference by the UNPO and the Hawai’i Institute for Human Rights.
The series of conferences intend to address the topic of self-determination in Asia-Pacific, and the plight of the Khmer Krom in particular. This first conference, also the first such event to be held in a Francophone country, focussed on the historical legacy left by colonialism and how modern actions can help overcome that legacy. The interplay between the colonial legacy and human rights was discussed as well as potential steps towards reconciliation and equality. Within this framework, the conference analyzed potential proposals for a path towards peaceful self-determination, with inspiration from the fields of nonviolence, economic justice, political emancipation and international human rights law.
These topics were discussed vividly by speakers, who included Mme. Nelly Roland Iriberry, the Mayor of Villepinte, Mr. Joshua Cooper of the Hawai’i Institute for Human Rights, Mr. To Kim Thong, the Chairman of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation, Mr. Romy Thach, the President of KKF Youth Council, Ms. Lea Chumchay, Mr. Jerome Bouquet-Elkaim, a prominent human-rights lawyer, and Mr. Keyvan Sayar, former UNPO staff member and human rights activist. A statement from the UNPO was also read out on behalf of Mr. Marino Busdachin.
Over 200 Khmer-Krom attended the event, as well as representatives from partner NGOs. The event was covered by Radio Free Asia.
For a copy of the report, please click here.
The series of conferences intend to address the topic of self-determination in Asia-Pacific, and the plight of the Khmer Krom in particular. This first conference, also the first such event to be held in a Francophone country, focussed on the historical legacy left by colonialism and how modern actions can help overcome that legacy. The interplay between the colonial legacy and human rights was discussed as well as potential steps towards reconciliation and equality. Within this framework, the conference analyzed potential proposals for a path towards peaceful self-determination, with inspiration from the fields of nonviolence, economic justice, political emancipation and international human rights law.
These topics were discussed vividly by speakers, who included Mme. Nelly Roland Iriberry, the Mayor of Villepinte, Mr. Joshua Cooper of the Hawai’i Institute for Human Rights, Mr. To Kim Thong, the Chairman of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation, Mr. Romy Thach, the President of KKF Youth Council, Ms. Lea Chumchay, Mr. Jerome Bouquet-Elkaim, a prominent human-rights lawyer, and Mr. Keyvan Sayar, former UNPO staff member and human rights activist. A statement from the UNPO was also read out on behalf of Mr. Marino Busdachin.
Over 200 Khmer-Krom attended the event, as well as representatives from partner NGOs. The event was covered by Radio Free Asia.
For a copy of the report, please click here.
20 comments:
To all my khmer krom brother and sisters, May god be with you and help your people win your freedom as soon as possible! keep up all the good works....
Faith is the key...
to all khmer krom i pray God for you to win what ever you do to our people out from youn so may god be with you and continue to fight with ah youn. thank you for your streng to help protected our land and free from ah youn jong rey.
Vietnamese government must stop abusing khmer krom people! the lands was their lands, and you vietcong/viteminh people robbed, stold from them, and the fucken French is also responsible for given khmer lands away without khmer people agreement!!
French govt must review the case!!
Khmer Kampuchea Krom, please replace the flag in order to be alike the current Kingdom of Cambodia flag. Thank you.
AngkorianMan Krama Man
AngkorianMan Krama Man (10:08AM), your critic is also good.
However, I think, they are trying to get up by themselves.
The Kingdom of Cambodia can't help them because it is under Youn too.
Khmer Krom try to stand up by themself, Khmer Krom Never Ever depend on Khmer Kandal. Khmer Kandal become yuon day by day.
God bless Khmer Krom!
Cambodian government is fully aware that Khmer Krom are just using Khmer Kandal as a toy for their struggle against Vietnam. If Khmer Krom never ever depended on Khmer Kandal, why most Khmer Krom come to live in Cambodia for??
If Khmer Krom wants to get freedom or independent from Vietnam, please don't bring Cambodia into war or cause any trouble inside Cambodia.Just leave Cambodia alone and do whatever Khmer Krom like with Vietnam.
Khmer Kandal no need Khmer Krom but Khmer Krom do need Khmer Kandal.
Cheers.
Khmer Kandal can't speak Khmer language with Vetnamese accent like Khmer Krom at all.
Khmer Krom is very good in talking but really weak in action.
I hope you not device khmerkrom and khmer living in Cambodia, we all khmer!, but we born in different place.
Khmerkrom is not weak at all, we represent ourself to the world, before no body know who is Khmerkrom?, but now the world recognize who we are.
We fight for our Freedom, we not fight with khmer, and we all the same blood,if you not excepted then you are maybe Youn people too.
Khmerkrom is Khmer people our Flag is represent for Khmerkrom like or not we are not change the Flag.
Khmerkrom never stop defence ourself until Youn's understand and stop abuse khmerkrom.
Please stop toture khmerkrom, and you have to look back to Cambodia now, what happening to our coutry Youn government take control the coutry, Youn's alow to have job, business,but not khmer poope people.
One day Khmer Kandal's destiny will be just like Khmer Krom, and only at that time Khmer feel how hard life would be, under foreign intimidation.
Khmer Kandal somedays become youn and they will taste the youn oppression soon. Khmer Krom were forgotten and abandoned since Jay Jatha II. So, it is time for Khmer Krom to Liberate and declare self independance, Honor and Freedom and if any FUTURE CONFLICT may not applied to Khmer Kandal.
Please, Khmer Kandal step aside from this political arena; and keep peace with your viet's boss!
To have a flag at all is a positive start at this point in time for the KK people. Remember there were North Vietnam and South Vietnam under different flags until 30 April 1975, and there were 2 German flags prior to the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
National struggle for self-determination of this nature may take decades, and reclaiming what once was Khmer territory might be an uphill struggle considering the predominence of the Vietnamese population vis a vis the ethic Khmers there who have been systematically subjected to an alien cultural assimilation for almost a hundred years. From what I have seen recently, not even palm trees are allowed to stand inside Vietnamese territory, no doubt, out of fear these natural emblems of Khmer world and culture will provide focal point for Khmer natinalism inside the Mekong Delta and Cambodia alike. Therefore, to have Angkor Wat on the KK flag itself at this juncture would be counterproductive at best.
Perhaps, the ordeal that the KK people have endured will never be fully appreciated by their brethren elsewhere. Unlike the ethnic Khmers in Thailand, the Vietnamese and the Khmers do not share cultural affinity or practise Theravada Buddhism; the Vietnamese being a Sino race whereas the Khmers and the Siamese have overwhelmingly been cast by the great Indo influences.
In any event, the prospects for all peoples in this post-colonial Indo-China would look much better in a democratic context.
Authoritarianism breeds discontent which could only be physically driven underground or suppressed temporarily, but never fully dislodged, of which the KK issue is very much a reminder.
MP
Khmers never forget:
Youns Yiekcong bury Khmer alive, burns Khmer alive inside chongruk srov in "Teuk Khmao, KampuChea Krom"
www.khmer-heroes.blogspot.com/
May the God hear the cry of my beloved people Khmer Krom and grant them their dream of self determination. May the God break the oppressive hands on all humanity. May the God bless all the good hearted Khmers. God bless you all who offer good words in this forum. Thank you.
Khmer Krom will be independent soon in this near future. With my prediction, they will have their independent in 2012.
Bravo Khmer Krom!!
Keep up the good work!!
Since Khmer Krom were forgotten and abandoned by Khmer Kandal, at this time Khmer Krom will not looks up to Khmer Kandal for any help, not a red penny! and Please Khmer Kandal don't use Khmer Krom as your political tools or to gain your party face; we wont allow you to use us as Sihanouk used you at "Maquis".
Khmer Krom, Khmer Kandal, Khmer Loeu, Khmer Overseas all belong to the same race. We share the same faith and stand for each other.. Today technology brings us closer together to fight the enemies. The geographical locations can no longer weaken and keep us apart. Instead, our diverse knowledges and wisdoms from different parts of the world will serve to strengthen our capability to defeat the enemies. Long live and victory to the Khmer Nation!
My beloved KK compatriots:
This is not just a KK struggle. It is a struggle for all Khmers, and rest assured that every Khmer everywhere is proud to be part of the struggle.
6:09AM you are Ah Khmer imposter and there is Ah youn who so scare of the Khmer Krom Flag.
Bad things will happen to you as you have done bad to the others.
Did your parents and Grandparents ever tell you, in 1930-1952 your evil youn had kill our Khmer weman and Childens, burn Khmer men alive?
Did your parents ever tell you why the whole world came to Bomb and poured orang Juice on your stupid heads? Have you F-Blood Suckers ever ask why?
Next time you F-blood sucker will become Shark meats.
You F-people Created Hell every where you go!
Hello Cambodians,
You may want to read the Vietnamese Petition. It says "Save Vietnam from China's Expansionism".
Shouldn't you Cambodians do the same? You should write petition and say "Save Cambodia from Vietnam's Expansionism".
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-vietnam.html
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