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| Venerable Luon Sovath and Kyung-wha Kang UN Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights; |
October 2, 2012
Media Contact:
Jenny Coco Chang
718.783.2000 ext. 316
jcoco@witness.org
GENEVA–October 2, 2012–Buddhist monk Venerable Luon Sovath has been presented the prestigious Martin Ennals Award (MEA) for human rights by 10 internationally-recognized human rights organizations in Geneva today.
Venerable Sovath, who was one of three nominees for the award, was given the MEA for his work in support of Cambodian communities facing forced evictions. His win also brings attention to the importance of addressing global forced evictions often faced by marginalized communities all around the world.
[ award photos ]
“I am so happy to see that Cambodia does have the support of the international community, who can truly help us achieve more rights and freedom, especially for poor communities that are having their homes forcibly taken by the government,” said Venerable Luon Sovath.
The MEA, which is known as the Nobel Prize for Human Rights Defenders, is usually given to individuals who have worked at great risk for human rights. Venerable Sovath has been recognized for his innovative tactics – including the use of video, songs and art – to provide persistent, non-violent leadership for communities facing forced evictions. Because of his dedicated work, he is continually threatened with violence, arrest and defrocking. His peaceful approach as a human rights defender is crucial in mobilizing grassroots communities to demand their rights.
Never seen without his camera, mobile phone or laptop, Venerable Sovath has become known as the “Multimedia Monk” and was nominated for the award by WITNESS along with Freedom House and Civil Rights Defenders back in April.
“For winning the Martin Ennals Award, the Venerable and many communities across Cambodia received international recognition that they do not stand alone. A clear message has been sent to government leaders, businesses and lenders, in Cambodia or in fact anywhere, that they cannot commit human rights abuses in the name of progress and development,” said Ryan Schlief, Program Manager for the Forced Evictions Campaign at WITNESS.
Forced evictions are among the most widespread human rights abuses in the country. They remove families from their homes and lands with little or no notice, and often without compensation or alternative housing plans. In 2009, Venerable Sovath’s own village lost farmland in a dispute, leading to a standoff, in which security forces fired at the unarmed villagers, shooting his brother and nephew.
According to local human rights groups, an estimated 400,000 Cambodians have been affected by forced evictions or land grabs since 2003 in the wake of ostensible development projects, land disputes and illegal land confiscation.
While in Geneva, the Venerable plans to bring greater attention to human rights, forced evictions, land grabbing and the status of human rights defenders in Cambodia. He already participated in the Habitat Forum, organized by Amnesty International and others, where he presented the case of forced evictions at Boeung Kak Lake with a video about the impact of development on Cambodian women at a civil society-led Forced Evictions Tribunal.
Venerable Sovath has been previously recognized by the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and in 2011, he received a Hellman/Hammett Award from Human Rights Watch. In 2010 Venerable Sovath also accepted the WITNESS “See It. Film It. Change It.” Award with WITNESS partner LICADHO.
Released this week, the Venerable was featured in the new WITNESS video, People Before Profit, which documents the world-wide human rights abuses committed by forced evictions and land grabbing.
Additional video interviews of the Venerable Sovath talking about using video to document forced evictions in Cambodia: http://youtu.be/Necx7Q6aV9Y and http://youtu.be/F0bJ52cW-eg.
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About Martin Ennals Award
Created in 1993, the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders is granted annually to someone who has demonstrated an exceptional record of combating human rights violations by courageous and innovative means. The winner of the award is judged through a unique collaboration among ten of the world's leading human rights organizations: Amnesty International; Diakonie Germany; Front Line Defenders; Human Rights First; Human Rights Watch; HURIDOCS; International Commission of Jurists; International Federation of Human Rights; International Service for Human Rights; World Organization Against Torture. www.martinennalsaward.org.
10 comments:
Best gift from haven Earth.to Ven Lourn Sovath. He's the real Khmer Monk this god model Monk democracy freedom defender are deserved the International price and many Thanks from Community democracy world.
Thank you Ven Lourn Sovath.
congratulation!
សង្ឃមិនគោរពវិ័យ គ្រងស្បង់ចីវរព្រះ តែចង់បានអំណាយយសក្ដ័។ ព្រះសង្ឃគួធ្វើនយោបាយទេ? ចឹងបង្កើតគណបក្សសងញឃទៅ?
លោកឲ្យយោបល់ខាងលើខ្ញុំ បើល្ងង់យ៉ាងនេះ
សូមលោកទៅមុជទឹកត្រឡោកឲ្យស្លាប់ទៅ។
សូមលោកមេត្តាទៅបើកមើលត្រៃបីតកផងទៅ។
ព្រះតេជព្រះគុណ លួន សាវ៉ាតបានធ្វើត្រឹមត្រូវ
តាមវិន័យសង្ឃហើយ៕ សូម្បីអង្ការជាន់ខ្ពស់
ពិភពលោកទទួលស្គាល់ព្រះអង្គ។
បើខ្លួនល្ងង់ កុំចង់ធ្វើចេះ។
8:48 AM
This Monk defends the poor people, the hopeless and helpless.
He is a reformer with a full compassion for others who are helpless and hopeless. Unlike him the old type of monks are lazy grabbing food from the poor people's mouths who work hard to put food on the table.
What he's received is not money nor it is rank as you accused him, it is a recognition by the world community for his work his perseverance his sufferings among the hopeless and helpless who cannot speak up to defend themselves.
In Buddhas' times (many Buddhas of Indoa) most of them believed to be wealthy and royal family members. They became Buddhas they went to preach, and they worried nothing about food or about the poor, their family members provided for them while they're meditating to Nirvana.
This Monk is poor and he has Compassion, he spoke for the hopeless and helpless.
I don't think your Buddhas would blame this monk's good work for the hopeless & helpless whose voice cannot be heard and whose land/homes are being destroyed by the Mafia Hun Sen & his men.
You are so jealous with this monk, because you and none of your criminals CPP ever received any recognition from the world community.
All traitors will be in hell, that is a guarentee as 'the wicked will be doomed'. After all, we all are khmers and should never be used to kill each other. If khmer doesn't love khmer, no one in the world will. Therefore, if you have khmer blood in you, you would do anything for our nation. We have to stand up and look around and see, who is interfering with our internal affair? e.g. almost all of our polical leaders are 'EX-KR'. Their aim is to exterminate khmers. So, what can we do? Well, keep on telling the international community that we are not independent and that we are being controlled by other nations and we need total rescue e.g from the EU and UN to help us e.g how they did it to Syria and Iraq etc. Aonther approach is to ask both Viets and Chinese to help us, by allowing to run our country with our way of life and not taking advantage of us and our downfall. Every country needs to be independent with state savereignty and we don't want foreigners' manipulation in the name of helping, because there two kings of help 1) to help to rebuild with an honest way and 2) to help to destroy in a tricky way. E.g if you are to build like roads, housings, university, sewage system, cleaning water for drinking/cooking etc is good but if you are to give financcial support only to benefit the corrupt officials then you are helping to kill innocent khmers and also to help them gain more power which mean you are helping to create more evils and therefore, you are as good as an evil itself.
9:57 AM
Your wishes or my wishes or all people' wishes others we hate in hell, the wishes are not in our hands or our time or our power, we have no power. It's Our Fate/destiny that leads us to where we will be.
Right now our poor people and our unarmed people (opposition) and ourselves are in real hell.
We ought to wish for us to be freed instead of cursing them.
“I am so happy to see that Cambodia does have the support of the international community, who can truly help us achieve more rights and freedom, especially for poor communities that are having their homes forcibly taken by the government,” said Venerable Luon Sovath.
Ven Loun Sovath, you are an honest man, a buddhist, and a proud Khmer. We Khmer are proud of you. Please teach us to help those who suffer.
The worst monk ad most politically, financially corrupt is, Ah Parachik Tep Vong.
SAhe should defrock and joint the CPP full time as politician, not wearing a monk robe.
ជន៨.៤៨អេអឹម តាមមើលទៅ លោកឯងមិនមែន
មិនចេះទេ នេះមកពីលោកចេះជ្រុលដល់វាបែក
ឆ្វេងក៏ក្លាយទៅជាវិកលចារិក ព្រមទាំងមិនដឹងខ្លួន
លោកថាជាទមិឡទៀតផង៕
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