21 September 2009By Sok Serey Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer
A source claimed that former monk Tim Sakhorn, a native of Kampuchea Krom (currently South Vietnam) who suffered political repressions in the past, currently receives political asylum in Sweden.
Thach Setha, President of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community who is knowledgeable about this issue, told RFA that he recently called Tim Sakhorn in Sweden.
He added: “He left about 3-month ago, the UN provided him the refugee status and he moved to Sweden. At first, he was all by himself. I believe that it is a good thing that the UN understands the plight of those who are fighting, and it is providing them with refugee status, this is a good thing.”
Tim Sakhorn’s family members in Cambodia could not be reached regarding his situation in Sweden, however, Venerable Yoeung Sin, President of the Association of Khmer Kampuchea Krom monks in Cambodia, said: “I received this information way back when he first went there. We regret to see that those who fought and the activists who fought had to suffer. If he can leave to another country, he sets the example for others to take the same path, [but] in the long run, there will be nobody left here.”
The same source indicated that Tim Sakhorn left Thailand to Sweden at the end of June, after he regained his freedom following his release from the Viet jail, and his subsequent return to Cambodia at the beginning of 2009. He came back to offer thanks to his prayers, then he fled to Thailand to seek political refuge from the UNHCR.
Tim Sakhorn was the former abbot of the Phnom Den north pagoda, located in Kirivong district, Takeo province. He was hastily force-defrocked at the end of June 2007, and the Cambodian authority immediately arrested him and handed him over to the Vietnamese authority on that same day. He was subsequently sentenced to 1 year in jail as he was accused of undermining the friendship between Cambodia and Thailand, because as the abbot of the pagoda, Tim Sakhorn used to provide refuge and food to Khmer Krom people who fled [oppressions] from the former Kampuchea Krom territories which are currently occupied by Vietnam.
The US Department of State’s 2007 Human Rights report called Tim Sakhorn’s arrest and sentence a “political threat and persecution.”
Thach Setha, President of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community who is knowledgeable about this issue, told RFA that he recently called Tim Sakhorn in Sweden.
He added: “He left about 3-month ago, the UN provided him the refugee status and he moved to Sweden. At first, he was all by himself. I believe that it is a good thing that the UN understands the plight of those who are fighting, and it is providing them with refugee status, this is a good thing.”
Tim Sakhorn’s family members in Cambodia could not be reached regarding his situation in Sweden, however, Venerable Yoeung Sin, President of the Association of Khmer Kampuchea Krom monks in Cambodia, said: “I received this information way back when he first went there. We regret to see that those who fought and the activists who fought had to suffer. If he can leave to another country, he sets the example for others to take the same path, [but] in the long run, there will be nobody left here.”
The same source indicated that Tim Sakhorn left Thailand to Sweden at the end of June, after he regained his freedom following his release from the Viet jail, and his subsequent return to Cambodia at the beginning of 2009. He came back to offer thanks to his prayers, then he fled to Thailand to seek political refuge from the UNHCR.
Tim Sakhorn was the former abbot of the Phnom Den north pagoda, located in Kirivong district, Takeo province. He was hastily force-defrocked at the end of June 2007, and the Cambodian authority immediately arrested him and handed him over to the Vietnamese authority on that same day. He was subsequently sentenced to 1 year in jail as he was accused of undermining the friendship between Cambodia and Thailand, because as the abbot of the pagoda, Tim Sakhorn used to provide refuge and food to Khmer Krom people who fled [oppressions] from the former Kampuchea Krom territories which are currently occupied by Vietnam.
The US Department of State’s 2007 Human Rights report called Tim Sakhorn’s arrest and sentence a “political threat and persecution.”
3 comments:
my name is heng xoy but mostly xoy never heng so just call me ah xoy
shut the fuck up 8:48am motherfucker go lick Ah hun sen dick .
can you respect your mother 2:48AM! May your mother curse you to joint ah Hok Landy!
Post a Comment