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The Prey Nokor News
On the web at http://preynokornews.blogspot.com
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Then-Venerable Tim Sakhorn before he was defrockedTim Sakhorn is a native of Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) from Motr Choukr province, located next to Takeo province in Cambodia.
During his childhood, he lived under constant clashes between the Khmer Rouge soldiers and the Vietnamese (Yuon) army when Cambodia was then known as Democratic Kampuchea (DK) and Kampuchea Krom was and is under the colonialist boot of the Vietnamese Communist Party. Tim Sakhorn’s life was filled with threats, evacuations, housing and land confiscations from both the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese armies along the border. He was also a victim of the Khmer Rouge who evacuated him from Motr Chrouk and brought over to Phnom Den village, Takeo province. Later on, while living in Phnom Den, he took the vow and became a Buddhist monk. He always helped and provided refuge to Khmer Krom people who fled their arrest in Kampuchea Krom to come to live in Cambodia. Later on, then-Venerable Tim Sakhorn was defrocked by a group of monk and government officials, and he was sent to be jailed in Kampuchea Krom after he was charged with undermining the friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Tim Sakhorn talking with a RFA reporter after he was released from the Yuon jail
Following his one year jail term, and one year of house arrest, the Yuon authority allowed him to come and visit his family who lives in Phnom Den village, Takeo province, Cambodia. In his village in Cambodia, the Cambodian authority refused to provide him with a Cambodian identity card, and he de-facto lost all his rights as a Cambodian citizen. He subsequently fled to Thailand where he requested asylum from the UNHCR. Following a two-month residence in Thailand, a third country accepted to provide him asylum and he is now living there.
Mr. Tim Sakhorn (aka TimKhorn, Chau Khorn and Nom Sokhoeun) was born in 1968 in Andong Tor village (An Binh in Vietnamese), Po commune (Ba Truc in Vietnamese), Svay Tong district, Motr Chrouk province.
Evacuation from Motr Chrouk to Takeo province
In 1978, Khmer Rouge soldiers of the DK regime attacked Svay Tong district, Motr Choruk province with the aim of liberating Kampuchea Krom lands.
The war that broke up between the KR soldiers and the communist Vietnamese army along the border in Motr Chrouk and Takeo provinces led to many deaths among Khmer Krom people. During that war, a number of Khmer Krom families which the KR considered as being Cambodians were evacuated to live in Kirivong district, Takeo province. Tim Sakhorn’s family was among those Khmer Krom victim families who were evacuated by the KR.
Following the end of the war, the Vietnamese government displayed the heads of Khmer Krom people who were killed in Svay Tong district(1) in a museum, and they told the Vietnamese people and the international community that these were in fact heads of Vietnamese killed by the KR soldiers.
Religious vow in Motr Chrouk province
In 1990, he returned back to Kampuchea Krom and he took the Buddhist religion vow to become a monk in Wat Phnom Pi Pagoda, Svay Tong district, Motr Choruk province. By the end of 1990, he took residence at Wat Phnom Den North Pagoda, Kiriving district, Takeo province, Cambodia.
Abbot of the Wat Phnom Den North Pagoda
In 1993, after a 3-year of residence in Wat Phnom Den North Pagoda, then-Venerable Tim Sakhorn was nominated by the pagoda members and Tep Vong, the Cambodian Buddhis patriarch, as the abbot of that pagoda. He occupied this position until the day he was forced to defrock.
Force-defrocked for undermining the friendship between Cambodia and Vietnam
On 30 June 2007, the Cambodian Buddhist clergy led by Tep Vong, Long Kim Leang, Noy Chreuk, Am Lim Heng and Sao Chanthol, in cooperation with Chies Om, the abbot of Wat Seihak Ratanaram and Buddhist monk chief for the province of Takeo province, forced then-Venerable Tim Sakhorn to defrock and they sent him over to Vietnam to be jailed in Motr Chrouk province after accusing him of undermining the friendship between Cambodia and Vietnam.
Hochimonks (from left to right): Tep Vong, Long Kim Leang and Sao Chanthol
Prior to his defrocking, Buddhist patriarch Non Nget of Cambodia issued a letter both in Vietnamese and in Khmer dated 16 June 2007, asking Tep Vong to arrest then-Venerable Tim Sakhorn and force-defrock him. In this letter, Non Nget accused then-Venerable Tim Sakhorn of “not abiding Buddhist rules, of undermining the national-international solidarity – in particular that between Cambodia and Vietnam – of using the pagoda to serve as a headquarter for propaganda movement, and these actions affected the rule and the decency of Buddhism(2).” After reviewing this letter, Tep Vong of Cambodia agreed to these statements and signed it on 17 June 2007.
After the letter was stamped by the two Cambodian patriarchs above, the Vietnamese government took this letter to announce in public to the Khmer Krom people living in Motr Chrouk province, letting them know in advance about the upcoming event and also to threaten and discourage Khmer Krom people, as well as then-Venerable Tim Sakhorn about their plan to defrock the latter.
3-month-8-day disappearance; Reappearance in the Vietnamese court dock
On 08 November 2007, the Vietnamese people’s court sentenced Tim Sakhorn to 12-month of jail term. He was charged with undermining the Yuon-Khmer friendship, following his force-defrocking in Wat Seihak Ratanaram Pagoda, located in Takeo province, by Cambodian authorities and monk officials. He was subsequently sent to be jailed in the Yuon prison, and he disappeared for 3-month-8-day. During his absence, nobody knew if he was dead or alive.
Former monk Tim Sakhorn during his court hearing in Motr Chrouk province
On 30 June 2008, the Yuon authority in Motr Chrouk province issued Tim Sakhorn a Vietnamese identification card, and they provided him with a Vietnamese-sounding name of Tim Sà Khon, born in 1968 in An Bình village, Ba Chùc commune, Svay Tong (Tri Tôn) district, Motr Chrouk province, a follower of Buddhism of Khmer origin.
On 31 June 2008, he was released from the Vietnamese jail but he was placed under house arrest.
On 31 March 2009, the Yuon authority issued Tim Sakhorn a border crossing pass.
On 04 April 2009, the Cambodian border gate in Takeo province granted Tim Sakhorn a 15-day visa to cross over to Cambodia – between 04 and 17 April – so that he can participate in the religious funeral ceremony for his mother who died in 2001.
On 14 April 2009, Tim Sakhorn fled to Thailand where he requested political asylum from the UNHCR in Bangkok. He was forced to flee Cambodia also because the Cambodian government refused to provide him a Cambodian identification card.
Travel to a third country
After receiving the refugee status from the UNHCR in Bangkok, Thailand, on 04 July 2009, Tim Sakhorn was safely sent by the UNHCR to live in Sweden.
“I now live in safety in Sweden because of the help and interventions provided national and international organizations all over the world, in particular, the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) allowed me to have a second life. I was subjected to hardship, I was arrested and there was no hope for me to stay alive back then. I believe that my fate would not be different from that of Venerable Eang Sok Thoeun. I would be killed in extreme atrocity [like Eang Sok Thoeun],” Tim Sakhorn said form Sweden.
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Notes:
(1) Svay Tong in Motr Chrouk province is a district where numerous Khmer Krom people live. That was why during the clashes between the KR and Yuon army, the majority of the people killed were Khmer Krom people.
(2) Tim Sakhorn’s defrocking request letter by patriarch Non Nget.
During his childhood, he lived under constant clashes between the Khmer Rouge soldiers and the Vietnamese (Yuon) army when Cambodia was then known as Democratic Kampuchea (DK) and Kampuchea Krom was and is under the colonialist boot of the Vietnamese Communist Party. Tim Sakhorn’s life was filled with threats, evacuations, housing and land confiscations from both the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese armies along the border. He was also a victim of the Khmer Rouge who evacuated him from Motr Chrouk and brought over to Phnom Den village, Takeo province. Later on, while living in Phnom Den, he took the vow and became a Buddhist monk. He always helped and provided refuge to Khmer Krom people who fled their arrest in Kampuchea Krom to come to live in Cambodia. Later on, then-Venerable Tim Sakhorn was defrocked by a group of monk and government officials, and he was sent to be jailed in Kampuchea Krom after he was charged with undermining the friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Tim Sakhorn talking with a RFA reporter after he was released from the Yuon jailFollowing his one year jail term, and one year of house arrest, the Yuon authority allowed him to come and visit his family who lives in Phnom Den village, Takeo province, Cambodia. In his village in Cambodia, the Cambodian authority refused to provide him with a Cambodian identity card, and he de-facto lost all his rights as a Cambodian citizen. He subsequently fled to Thailand where he requested asylum from the UNHCR. Following a two-month residence in Thailand, a third country accepted to provide him asylum and he is now living there.
Biography
Mr. Tim Sakhorn (aka TimKhorn, Chau Khorn and Nom Sokhoeun) was born in 1968 in Andong Tor village (An Binh in Vietnamese), Po commune (Ba Truc in Vietnamese), Svay Tong district, Motr Chrouk province.
Evacuation from Motr Chrouk to Takeo province
In 1978, Khmer Rouge soldiers of the DK regime attacked Svay Tong district, Motr Choruk province with the aim of liberating Kampuchea Krom lands.
The war that broke up between the KR soldiers and the communist Vietnamese army along the border in Motr Chrouk and Takeo provinces led to many deaths among Khmer Krom people. During that war, a number of Khmer Krom families which the KR considered as being Cambodians were evacuated to live in Kirivong district, Takeo province. Tim Sakhorn’s family was among those Khmer Krom victim families who were evacuated by the KR.
Following the end of the war, the Vietnamese government displayed the heads of Khmer Krom people who were killed in Svay Tong district(1) in a museum, and they told the Vietnamese people and the international community that these were in fact heads of Vietnamese killed by the KR soldiers.
Religious vow in Motr Chrouk province
In 1990, he returned back to Kampuchea Krom and he took the Buddhist religion vow to become a monk in Wat Phnom Pi Pagoda, Svay Tong district, Motr Choruk province. By the end of 1990, he took residence at Wat Phnom Den North Pagoda, Kiriving district, Takeo province, Cambodia.
Abbot of the Wat Phnom Den North Pagoda
In 1993, after a 3-year of residence in Wat Phnom Den North Pagoda, then-Venerable Tim Sakhorn was nominated by the pagoda members and Tep Vong, the Cambodian Buddhis patriarch, as the abbot of that pagoda. He occupied this position until the day he was forced to defrock.
Force-defrocked for undermining the friendship between Cambodia and Vietnam
On 30 June 2007, the Cambodian Buddhist clergy led by Tep Vong, Long Kim Leang, Noy Chreuk, Am Lim Heng and Sao Chanthol, in cooperation with Chies Om, the abbot of Wat Seihak Ratanaram and Buddhist monk chief for the province of Takeo province, forced then-Venerable Tim Sakhorn to defrock and they sent him over to Vietnam to be jailed in Motr Chrouk province after accusing him of undermining the friendship between Cambodia and Vietnam.
Hochimonks (from left to right): Tep Vong, Long Kim Leang and Sao ChantholAfter the letter was stamped by the two Cambodian patriarchs above, the Vietnamese government took this letter to announce in public to the Khmer Krom people living in Motr Chrouk province, letting them know in advance about the upcoming event and also to threaten and discourage Khmer Krom people, as well as then-Venerable Tim Sakhorn about their plan to defrock the latter.
3-month-8-day disappearance; Reappearance in the Vietnamese court dock
On 08 November 2007, the Vietnamese people’s court sentenced Tim Sakhorn to 12-month of jail term. He was charged with undermining the Yuon-Khmer friendship, following his force-defrocking in Wat Seihak Ratanaram Pagoda, located in Takeo province, by Cambodian authorities and monk officials. He was subsequently sent to be jailed in the Yuon prison, and he disappeared for 3-month-8-day. During his absence, nobody knew if he was dead or alive.
Former monk Tim Sakhorn during his court hearing in Motr Chrouk provinceOn 30 June 2008, the Yuon authority in Motr Chrouk province issued Tim Sakhorn a Vietnamese identification card, and they provided him with a Vietnamese-sounding name of Tim Sà Khon, born in 1968 in An Bình village, Ba Chùc commune, Svay Tong (Tri Tôn) district, Motr Chrouk province, a follower of Buddhism of Khmer origin.
On 31 June 2008, he was released from the Vietnamese jail but he was placed under house arrest.
On 31 March 2009, the Yuon authority issued Tim Sakhorn a border crossing pass.
On 04 April 2009, the Cambodian border gate in Takeo province granted Tim Sakhorn a 15-day visa to cross over to Cambodia – between 04 and 17 April – so that he can participate in the religious funeral ceremony for his mother who died in 2001.
On 14 April 2009, Tim Sakhorn fled to Thailand where he requested political asylum from the UNHCR in Bangkok. He was forced to flee Cambodia also because the Cambodian government refused to provide him a Cambodian identification card.
Travel to a third country
After receiving the refugee status from the UNHCR in Bangkok, Thailand, on 04 July 2009, Tim Sakhorn was safely sent by the UNHCR to live in Sweden.
“I now live in safety in Sweden because of the help and interventions provided national and international organizations all over the world, in particular, the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) allowed me to have a second life. I was subjected to hardship, I was arrested and there was no hope for me to stay alive back then. I believe that my fate would not be different from that of Venerable Eang Sok Thoeun. I would be killed in extreme atrocity [like Eang Sok Thoeun],” Tim Sakhorn said form Sweden.
-------
Notes:
(1) Svay Tong in Motr Chrouk province is a district where numerous Khmer Krom people live. That was why during the clashes between the KR and Yuon army, the majority of the people killed were Khmer Krom people.
(2) Tim Sakhorn’s defrocking request letter by patriarch Non Nget.
15 comments:
Again nothing can hide under the sun forever. The truth is starting to come out little by little to the people. The people shall not let these betray monks and CPP go free.
Tim Sakhorn worth to be respect then the three monkeys above.
This was the way of the politic protest of the Khmer Krom.
Is the middle monkey still live in Sanjose? I might be wrong but I heard that most of the committee members of that wat were Republicain from Lon Nol regime. so how come they allow this monkey communist stays and eat at that wat?
I think it is a new style of Prey Nokor team such as some Khmer Krom who persuade Tim Sakhorn to work their politics. Now they insist him to be a Monk and they use this way to lobby Tim Sakhorn.
10:45am,
The monkey that you are referring to stayed in wat khmer krom .The republican have nothing to do with it.
Khmer must read their history...
www.khmer-heroes.blogspot.com/
www.khmer-heroes.blogspot.com/
Please have respects to our brother and sisters khmer kampuchea krom, khmer muslim, khmer surins, all khmer around the world, they are our family....
Khmers must united, and fight off our enemy Siams/Youns....instead!
www.khmer-heroes.blogspot.com/
11:41 AM
It was not only the idea of all Khmer and not only the Prey Nokor Team.
Yes we understood the circumstance of the politic situation. It is the right way to go and now we Khmer use our right.
What else you will say ?
សូមបងប្អូនខ្មែរនៅជុំវិញពិភពលោក ពិសេសខ្មែរនៅទីក្រុងសាន់ហូស្សេ នាំគ្នាធ្វើមហាបាតុកម្មនៅមុខវត្តខ្មែរសាន់ហូស្សេ ដើម្បីបណ្តេញអាឆ្កែឡុង គឹម លាង បំរើនយោបាយយួន អោយទៅនៅហាណូយវិញ គឺកុំអោយវានៅវត្តខ្មែរទៀត វាជាមនុស្សជនដៃដល់ចាប់ព្រះតេជគុណ ទឹម សាខន ផ្សឹក រួចបញ្ជូនអោយយួនដាក់គុក, តើគណៈកម្មការវត្តខ្មែរសាន់ហូស្សេសព្វថ្ងៃ បំរើផលប្រយោជន៍ខ្មែរ ឬយួនហាណូយ ពីព្រោះសព្វថ្ងៃ កំពុងតែបិទបាំង អា ឡុង គឹម លាង បំរើនយោបាយយួនដាច់ថ្លៃ???? យើងត្រូវតែរៀបចំរៀបមហាបាតុកម្ម បណ្តេញអា ឆ្កែ ឡុង គឹម លាង ទៅហាណូយវិញ ជាបន្ទាន់ !!!!!!!
I prefer Khmer country to belong to Youn than the chiness for they are the one behind the killing field. One question to ask where do the mines, bombs, tanks, other amunistions or artileries come from? They were all made from china off cause. The Chiness said to the king " if you want to be king forever, you must eliminate all the intellectual people starting from babies in craddle of these families (roots of it)", Most khmer people still have evidences to prove it and it is speading around the secret agents that Chiness were behind the killing field. Chairman Moa Se Tong's Dictatorship passed onto this mad King of Sihanock! This stupit king on the other hand didn't care of no one but himself, not even his own children! most of his children have had to live without their father as their father was too busy having sex with all other virgins girls being offered to him free from all around the world because he was a king! a king who only know how to steal from poor innocent khmer people! and then being brain washed by him and his party that he is the God of God and King of King. He committed alot of crimes against humanity. His dead will be judged by millions including the nobel soul of the monk who taught him right from wrong ended up murdered by him. Now his son is sitting on the thrown continuing like chiness dictatorship once said "do as I say and you will be king forever". So, Khmer people, you must wake up now before history repeat itself. stop his blood line to continue for God sake and stop fighting each other.
11:49 am,
You should come to san jose to see that monkey monk still lives in the khmer temple. He has the power more than the abbot of that temple now.
Shamed on the people who always say that "I am a peacemaker and don't belong to any party" but they now support the Monkey 7th January.
Let's report to INS and Homeland security about this monkey monk so he should be returned to live in Hanoi.
I don't like useless Cambodian Kings (both the father and the son), but I dont think that the Killing fields had something to do with the Chinese behind it. Even KR followed the Chinese's communist ideology, but they don't stupid to kill their own people. If you look at China from 1975-1979, there were not lots of killing the innocent chinese. It had when the Chinese communist just took over China during the 50.
Why Chinese government had to ask KR to kill Cambodian? It had no reason behind that... But Vietnam did. They want to control Cambodia so they must kill all Cambodian intellectuals. China is too far away to implement that police, but Vietnam does. After Vietnamese communist took over the whole Vietnam, they didnot want to make friend with China because they have a huge debt that they have to pay back to China. Thus, they went to make friend with Soviet Union. But, when Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1979, Vietnam didnot even inform Soviet Union. Ask Stephen Morris, he can point you to his book.
The issue of Cambodia will be solved if the current Cambodian government is not under the control of Vietnam and make Cambodia to be a real independent country.
Vietnam is too smart to kiss ass the big countries. But, the bad guy never have a good karma. Whatever Vietnam lies to China and the world, they cannot lie over and over again. Vietnam and Cambodia have a good friendship, but Vietnam keeps encroaching on Cambodia's territory and control the Cambodian's government. This is a friendship that Vietnam wants to impose on Cambodian.
Vietnam set the demarcation on Cambodia territory and when SRP found it, they god mad and even let the speaker of the foreign affair speak up to condemn the SRP's act. But why don't they talk about their illegal act putting the demarcation on Cambodia territory. The blind people may not see it, but the one eye strong man don't even see it, that is very sad for Cambodia.
យើងទាំងអស់គ្នា ជាជនជាតិខ្មែរ នៅទីក្រុងសាន់ហូស្សេ ត្រូវតែនាំគ្នាធ្វើបាតុកម្ម ដើម្បីបណ្តេញ អាលោកសង្ឃ ៧មករា ឡុង គឹម លាង ទៅយួនភ្លាមៗ ពីព្រោះអាឡុង គឹម លាង ធ្វើការបំរើអោយយួនក្រុងហាណូយ។ តើបងប្អូនខ្មែរស្នេហាជាតិ និងគោរពព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនា ឈរឱបដៃមើល ឬសម្ងំទុកអោយ អាលោកសង្ឃ ៧មករា ឡុង គឹម លាង នៅក្នុងវត្តខ្មែរសាន់ហូស្សេ ជារៀងហូតឬយ៉ាងណា???? តើគណៈកម្មការវត្តខ្មែរសាន់ហូស្សេ ឆ្កួតលីលា ឬក៏បង្កើតវត្តដើម្បីបំរើយួនហាណូយ?? តើគណៈបក្សប្រឆាំងនៅសាន់ហូស្សេសព្វថ្ងៃ ទៅងាប់ឯណាអស់???
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