Cameron Wells and Tharum Bun
The Phnom Penh Post
POLICE in Boeung Tumpun commune have forwarded to their superiors information about a group of ethnic Khmer Krom who say they are fleeing persecution in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, and a representative of the group said Monday that he was planning to meet today with the commune chief to discuss their plight.
Members of the group – deported on December 5 from Thailand after a failed asylum bid – have been seeking formal recognition of their citizenship since arriving in the Kingdom, but are poor and reportedly running out of food.
The deportees’ status has been uncertain since their arrival, despite repeated requests to the Ministry of Interior and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to formally recognise their citizenship.
Boeung Tumpun commune police officer Tep Bora said the basic identifying information, collected on January 14, was to be sent to Meanchey district police on Monday.
“Last time we got all the information about the group, and now it is being submitted to the police chief to process the legal documents for them,” Tep Bora said.
“We’re doing our work as they requested.”
Five of the original group of 24 have returned to Thailand so far this month in a second bid to gain asylum there, having lost confidence in Cambodia’s ability to help them, group representative Thach Soong said.
Last week, Thach Soong issued a public appeal to Surya Subedi, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, asking him for assistance in ensuring they receive formal permission to settle in the Kingdom permanently.
A sub-decree signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen in December stipulated that the processing of asylum seekers would become the sole responsibility of the government.
Thach Soong said police briefly visited members of the group on January 22, marking the second time the deportees have been met by the authorities this month.
“We were checked in on briefly by commune police [officer] Taing Sopha last Friday, but I don’t know exactly what this visit was about,” Thach Soong said. “He left quickly after seeing us; there was no talk.”
Without identity cards, Thach Soong said, the deportees, who have been receiving aid from a local NGO, will remain unable to rent property, attend school or seek medical care at hospitals.
In advance of today’s meeting with Thach Soong, Boeung Tumpun commune chief Sous Sarin said Monday that only local police had the authority to give the deportees the documents they need to remain in Cambodia legally.
A Human Rights Watch report released last week reiterated concerns about the government’s processing of Khmer Krom who flee Vietnam and seek refuge in Cambodia.
“While the Cambodian government stated that it considers Khmer Krom (ethnic Khmers from southern Vietnam) who move to Cambodia from Vietnam to be Cambodian citizens, authorities routinely failed to provide protection in the form of political asylum, let alone full citizen’s rights, to many Khmer Krom living in Cambodia,” the report said.
Members of the group – deported on December 5 from Thailand after a failed asylum bid – have been seeking formal recognition of their citizenship since arriving in the Kingdom, but are poor and reportedly running out of food.
The deportees’ status has been uncertain since their arrival, despite repeated requests to the Ministry of Interior and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to formally recognise their citizenship.
Boeung Tumpun commune police officer Tep Bora said the basic identifying information, collected on January 14, was to be sent to Meanchey district police on Monday.
“Last time we got all the information about the group, and now it is being submitted to the police chief to process the legal documents for them,” Tep Bora said.
“We’re doing our work as they requested.”
Five of the original group of 24 have returned to Thailand so far this month in a second bid to gain asylum there, having lost confidence in Cambodia’s ability to help them, group representative Thach Soong said.
Last week, Thach Soong issued a public appeal to Surya Subedi, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, asking him for assistance in ensuring they receive formal permission to settle in the Kingdom permanently.
A sub-decree signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen in December stipulated that the processing of asylum seekers would become the sole responsibility of the government.
Thach Soong said police briefly visited members of the group on January 22, marking the second time the deportees have been met by the authorities this month.
“We were checked in on briefly by commune police [officer] Taing Sopha last Friday, but I don’t know exactly what this visit was about,” Thach Soong said. “He left quickly after seeing us; there was no talk.”
Without identity cards, Thach Soong said, the deportees, who have been receiving aid from a local NGO, will remain unable to rent property, attend school or seek medical care at hospitals.
In advance of today’s meeting with Thach Soong, Boeung Tumpun commune chief Sous Sarin said Monday that only local police had the authority to give the deportees the documents they need to remain in Cambodia legally.
A Human Rights Watch report released last week reiterated concerns about the government’s processing of Khmer Krom who flee Vietnam and seek refuge in Cambodia.
“While the Cambodian government stated that it considers Khmer Krom (ethnic Khmers from southern Vietnam) who move to Cambodia from Vietnam to be Cambodian citizens, authorities routinely failed to provide protection in the form of political asylum, let alone full citizen’s rights, to many Khmer Krom living in Cambodia,” the report said.
5 comments:
Cambodian government don't reconize Khmer Krom or Khmer. They only honored Youn.
All Xmer has the legal rights to vote in Cambodia but not all Khmer.
We all know Hun Sen government. They are afraid to give Khmer Krom a green signal in order to satisfy YOUN.
Monk Tim Sakhorn case led shadow of scare. But Monk Tim Sakhorn and these innocent Khmer Krom is different... and I think they should be OK to stay in Cambodia because they are Khmer by law.
Monk Tim Sakhorn of course he is Khmer living in Cambodia territory more than 10 year. But in the case, he was involving with Khmer Krom movement which cause YOUN concern...
But the only thing I really upset about is... those Khmer Krom must be provided food for them at least. I heard about Hor Nam Hong will learn Khmer Krom situation in Kampuchekrom territory... and coorperat with YOUN ambassador in Phnom Pehn...but it is so quiet...
ជាច្រើនទសវត្សរ៍មកហើយ ខ្ញុំមិន
យល់នូវការរើសអើងនេះទេ ។ គេ
តែងហៅខ្មែរក្រោមដែលពូកែរកស៊ី
ធ្វើការដូចជានៅបាត់ដំបងជាដើមថា«ពួកកនអ៊េង»មកដល់សម័យ
ក្រហមមានកម្មាភិបាលខ្លះគ្រាន់តែ
ឮបងប្អូនខ្មែរក្រោមនិយាយក៏គេ
មិនពេញចិត្តដែរ ។បើតាមខ្ញុំយល់
(ខ្ញុំជាអ្នកខេត្តខាងត្បូង)តាំងពី
សម័យសង្គមរាស្ត្រនិយម ដែល
មានអ្នកតស៊ូគឺលោកសឺងង៉ុកថាញ់
ខ្មែរកម្ពុជាក្រោមហើយត្រូវស្ដេច
ជេរប្រទេចសព្វបែបយ៉ាង ទាំង
អ្នកដែលស្ដេចយកទៅចងបាញ់
ក៏សុទ្ធតែមកពីកម្ពុជាក្រោមដែរ
ម៉្លោះហើយឲ្យតែកម្ពុជាក្រោមគឺ
ខ្មែរកណ្ដាលខ្លះទុកជាយួន
តាមសំនៀងភាសា ហើយសឹងថា
ចាត់ទុកជាសាសន៍មួយផ្សេង។
តើកាលណាទើបខ្មែរយល់ បើសព្វ
ថ្ងៃអ្នកដឹកនាំក៏ខ្ញុំយួន ដែរនោះ ?។
នេះជាមធ្យោបាយបំបាត់ពូជអ្នក
តស៊ូ ដើម្បីវាតទី ។
បរាជ័យពួកក្បត់ជាតិខ្មែរ!
ជយោ ខ្មែរទាំងបីរួមគ្នាជាធ្លុង
មួយគឺ ខ្មែរលើ ខ្មែរកណ្ដាល ខ្មែរ
ក្រោម !។
Just another example for you of the supposed great relations between Vietnam and Cambodia prior to colonialization by westerners.
This matter, i have to scold UNHRC in Cambodia, they did not and do not play their roll to rescue our poor Khmer Krom - i am doubtful on their mission, what are they doing??, or all of them are two-eyed blind??
Shit UNHCR!!
Att
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