Ambassador of United States
US Embassy, No. 1 Street 96,
Sangkat Wat Phnom
Phnom Penh.
August 7, 2009
Ref: SC4- 029 /09
Dear Excellency,
I am writing this letter to congratulate you on your admirable efforts in helping Cambodia to develop as a strong nation in accordance with democratic principles. I sadly, also must raise some concerns over complaints I received about the performance of consular officers at the Visa Service Section of the Embassy.
There has been for quite some time now, certainly since I was the Chair of Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, numerous complaints about consular officers at the Visa Service Section lacking clear ethical and professional guidelines, resulting in officers abusing their position of power, mishandling applications, treating Cambodians disrespectfully and misjudging what were often genuine applicants, at interviews, for fake applicants. Recent complaints have led me to write this letter to you in the hope that I could find some answers that will enable me to give back to the Cambodian people, confidence in your visa application process and above all the very democratic principles on which we hope to rebuild Cambodia on.
As you are well aware, Cambodians have suffered greatly because of war, the killing fields and foreign invasion, forcing many Cambodians to flee their country. Many resettled in the USA but had to leave behind family members. As a result many Cambodians seek out their loved ones and therefore apply for visas to the USA. Many of these applicants have to endure humiliation and great stress only in many cases to have their genuine applications rejected. I was told about one case of an old lady who was inconsolably distraught after having her application rejected three times for a visa to visit her daughter who was to undergo a serious medical operation. More recently I have heard of a number of students who applied for study visas only to be shouted at and accused of being liars which has left these young people with a negative impression of the USA government as being aggressive and only serving those with money and influence. I myself was recently involved in the case of a mother whom I had tried unsuccessfully to obtain a visa for so that she could attend the funeral of her daughter who died unexpectedly and bring her ashes back to Cambodia, which was again, cruelly rejected.
I believe that your officers are not intentionally behaving with cruel intent but have perhaps become frustrated with the system themselves which deals with fake and genuine applicants alike and that this has caused them to take these additional hard line measures that has perhaps created this misunderstanding. Mr Greg Lawless, the First Secretary at your Embassy, promised to help by arranging a meeting between myself and your consular officers, but I believe it is important to ensure that you also are aware of the issues, and especially, because I have always admired your ability to put things into perspective with your good intentions.
So it is with great regret that I must advise you on this matter. I hope that the Embassy can find a positive resolution to enable Cambodian people to access visa applications without the need for the current heavy-handed approach taken by frustrated consular officers who too often must base their decision on a quick 10 minute interview. The potential to destroy people’s hopes and human needs is too great to risk using such a subjective and flawed process. Please if you could personally make the time to address this issue I would greatly appreciate it.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Yours sincerely
MP Son Chhay
Party Whip of SRP
Former Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee
CC:
There has been for quite some time now, certainly since I was the Chair of Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, numerous complaints about consular officers at the Visa Service Section lacking clear ethical and professional guidelines, resulting in officers abusing their position of power, mishandling applications, treating Cambodians disrespectfully and misjudging what were often genuine applicants, at interviews, for fake applicants. Recent complaints have led me to write this letter to you in the hope that I could find some answers that will enable me to give back to the Cambodian people, confidence in your visa application process and above all the very democratic principles on which we hope to rebuild Cambodia on.
As you are well aware, Cambodians have suffered greatly because of war, the killing fields and foreign invasion, forcing many Cambodians to flee their country. Many resettled in the USA but had to leave behind family members. As a result many Cambodians seek out their loved ones and therefore apply for visas to the USA. Many of these applicants have to endure humiliation and great stress only in many cases to have their genuine applications rejected. I was told about one case of an old lady who was inconsolably distraught after having her application rejected three times for a visa to visit her daughter who was to undergo a serious medical operation. More recently I have heard of a number of students who applied for study visas only to be shouted at and accused of being liars which has left these young people with a negative impression of the USA government as being aggressive and only serving those with money and influence. I myself was recently involved in the case of a mother whom I had tried unsuccessfully to obtain a visa for so that she could attend the funeral of her daughter who died unexpectedly and bring her ashes back to Cambodia, which was again, cruelly rejected.
I believe that your officers are not intentionally behaving with cruel intent but have perhaps become frustrated with the system themselves which deals with fake and genuine applicants alike and that this has caused them to take these additional hard line measures that has perhaps created this misunderstanding. Mr Greg Lawless, the First Secretary at your Embassy, promised to help by arranging a meeting between myself and your consular officers, but I believe it is important to ensure that you also are aware of the issues, and especially, because I have always admired your ability to put things into perspective with your good intentions.
So it is with great regret that I must advise you on this matter. I hope that the Embassy can find a positive resolution to enable Cambodian people to access visa applications without the need for the current heavy-handed approach taken by frustrated consular officers who too often must base their decision on a quick 10 minute interview. The potential to destroy people’s hopes and human needs is too great to risk using such a subjective and flawed process. Please if you could personally make the time to address this issue I would greatly appreciate it.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Yours sincerely
MP Son Chhay
Party Whip of SRP
Former Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee
CC:
- Mr. Greg Lawless
- US States Department
13 comments:
Those US Officials have learned bad behavior from Some Khmer Officials and used it against Khmer People. They think that all Khmer are bad people. That is why they treat Khmer as animals. Those US Officals can be considerate even if they disagree with the Khmer applicants' documents presentation to them. Khmer are human and they deserve respect from all people. I hope those US Officials behave and act like educated and civilized people.
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Tortures
Executions
Massacres
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Overwork to Death
Slavery
Rapes
Human Abuses
Assault and Battery
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leader of the Free Trade Union
Attempted Assassinations on Chea Vichea and Sam Rainsy
Attempted Murders on Chea Vichea and Sam Rainsy
Executed members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders members and activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Killings
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and others military official on board.
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Remove Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Under Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed all of these crimes above within Hun Sen Khmer Rouge government have ever been brought to justice.
UNDER AGE CHILD SEX
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed under age child sex.
Svay Sitha is a senior government official from Cambodian People's Party.
Svay Sitha had a sexual relationship with Tat Marina, she was only 16 years old.
Source: Human Rights Watch
ACID ATTACK ON TAT MARINA
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed acid attack.
"On December 5, 1999, Tat Marina, age 16, was severely disfigured in an acid attack in Phnom Penh. The attack was allegedly committed by Khun Sophal, the wife of a senior government official, Svay Sitha, because she was angry her husband had a sexual relationship with Tat Marina. Neither Khun Sophal nor those suspected of being her accomplices in the attack were brought to justice. Intense media publicity compelled the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Khun Sophal for attempted murder, but the police claimed that they could not locate her, although journalists reported that she was living at home as usual."
Source: Human Rights Watch
TORTURE AND MURDER ON PRAK SITHA WHILE IN CUSTODY BY MISNISTRY OF INTERIOR OFFICIAL
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed torture and murder.
"On the night of January 16, 2003, a street youth named Prak Sitha was beaten to death at the Ministry of Interior (MOI) headquarters after he was arrested and detained by off-duty MOI officers on suspicion of theft. His body - bearing numerous injuries to the head, torso, arms, and legs - was dumped at a Phnom Penh pagoda the following morning by ministry officers, in violation of police regulations regarding deaths in custody. No criminal charges were filed in connection with this death. In December 2004, the case was cited by the UN secretary-general's special representative for human rights in Cambodia - who stated that Prak Sitha died at the ministry "following beatings by a known police officer" - as an example of a "consistent and continuing pattern of impunity" in Cambodia."
Source: Human Rights Watch
PUT SAMPHORS WAS SHOT DEAD BY MEAN SOKCHEA, A RCAF MAJOR WORKING IN BRIGADE 70.
Hun Sen's personal Bodyguards Unit (Brigade 70) is a terrorist organization.
Hing Bunheang is a March 30, 1997 Grenade Attack suspect identified by the FBI.
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed murder, again.
"On September 4, 2008, Mean Sokchea, a RCAF major working in Brigade 70, shot dead 21-year-old waitress Put Samphors at a restaurant in Kandal province. Mean Sokchea, in a drunken stupor, fired his gun and apparently mistakenly hit Put Samphors in the stomach. She was taken to a hospital but later died of her wounds. Mean Sokchea was detained by the police overnight but was then released, allegedly after intervention by Hing Bun Heang. Put Samphor's family received US$2,700 from Mean Sokchea, and the police told them that their daughter was shot while authorities were chasing robbers."
Source: Human Rights Watch
this official letter should be sufficient to call the attention of the ambassador to rectify any situation by action of the embassy staff. all it takes is an explanation to why the visa officer is doing what they did. i'm sure there's a method to everything they do, so we just have to understand why they are doing what they are doing; that's all.
You Damm American. you think every single person in the world including Cambodia really want to live in your country. You better stop giving VISA service to Cambodia people rather than intimidating and acting rudely to our Khmer people. we are human. we have same right. not just you are strong country and you just act what you want to weak country. you always you are democratic country and some of your people never what it mean. democratic to only your people and treat other people like a dog...damm it!
American is so arrogant,no 1 in the world ?
Today Uncle Sam is the biggest debtor of China.23 trillion in debts.
The Cambodian government does not treat its citizen well. This is why the american can do the same to cambodian. The american government does everything for the well-being of american people. We have seen the intervention of US president to the cases of american journalists detained in Iran and North Korean recently.
But we have never heard a word from our Prime Minister reacting to the case of hundred of Khmer detained in Thailand.
any case of bias, perhaps? not all apples are bad, you. i learned in college that people who tend to stereotype a certain race or group of people are usually very ignorant themselves. and according to lord buddha wise teaching: "ignorance is the root of all evil". no stereotyping khmer please because not all khmer are bad people, you know! that's why they say only charge those who are found guilty, not his children or family involve, ok! individual only, not guilty by association, ok! thank you!
Dear Madam Ambassador,
Americans must be fair to everybody. Do not treat Khmers so badly like now.
If you give a Cambodians an American Visa, please take money from the holder.
If you do not give them a heavenly visa why you take their money?
A reciprocal issue needed be now because our Embassy in Washington DC or else where never do like you do here. If we do not give you visa we do not touch your money. It is very fair for all.
Please do not so greedy because you are a big country in the world. Why you suck the blood of the poor by taking money without giving anything to them?
Pease please please delete your law on this visa process.
Please accept my highest respect.
Great job MP Son Chhay.
Please keep us posted after the meeting at the US embassy.
I hope there are some improvement afterward.
Lowell, MA
USA
I love hearing this petition.It does happen for several years.
Great job H.E Mr.Son Chhay. I am proud of you to raise this issue with US Embassy.
I wish to read the response letter from HE. Ms. Ambassador on KI.
I was very disappointed with the US Visa Service Section and this feeling can not erase from my mind. The consular officer has rejected my visa application to attend the graduation of my MBA in Alabama. Graduation is the most important, it is once in a life time. I still remember he (Consular officer) said to me that, Don't come here again.....so sad...
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