Public Forum with Sam Rainsy, Kem Sokha, Mu Sochua - Virginia, Wednesday, Aug 8

PUBLIC FORUM

Falls Church, Virginia

Cambodian Americans for Human Rights and Democracy (CAHRAD) cordially invite you to meet Mr. Sam Rainsy, Mr. Kem Sokha and Mrs. Mu Sochua of the newly formed Cambodian Democratic Movement for National Rescue as they tour the United States and Canada to talk about their newly formed movement and their plan to merge the Sam Rainsy Party and Human Rights Party.

Date & Time:

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Reception

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Updates, Questions & Answers

Dinner: $25 per person

Location: Harvest Moon Restaurant, 7260 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22042

Please RSVP by 5 pm on Tuesday, August 7, as spaces are limited, by contacting one of the following: info@CAHRAD.org http://www.CAHRAD.org

For further information, please contact one of the following people:
Mrs. Rany Lusinsky (703) 723-4273
Mrs. Marie Chea (703) 327-4104
Mr. Tung Yap (703) 675-3997
Mr. Mong Heng (703) 256-3295
Mr. Hean Yuth (703) 201-6248
Mr. Saunora Prom (703) 802-4750
Mr. Yan Yuth (703) 967-9919
Mr. Vibol Tan (703) 745-7020

Internatio​nal Human Rights Day - CAHRAD Press Release

Press Release

December 10, 2011

Today, December 10th, is the International Human Rights Day. It is the 63rd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The United Nations General Assembly adopted it on December 10, 1948. Cambodian Americans for Human Rights and Democracy (CAHRAD), which is a non-profit, non-political organization, observes and celebrates this important day, which is a very meaningful day for Cambodian people. This year marks 20th year anniversary of the Paris Peace Accord sponsored by the United Nations. The Accord signed by 19 countries, pledged to guarantee and respect Cambodia Peace, Independence, Territorial Integrity, Sovereignty, Human Rights and Democracy and to prevent the return of the suffering and misery from regime such as the Khmer Rouge.

The General Assembly proclaimed that this Universal Declaration of Human Rights "as a common standard of achievement for all peoples of all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration in mind, shall strive by teaching and educating to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under jurisdiction. The Declaration consists of 30 articles".

Each member State pledged to respect and abide by these 30 articles in which comprise of "all beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights to...everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person, the right to own a property alone, freedom of thought, freedom of opinion and expression, hold opinion without interference, freedom of peaceful assembly and association ….…"

On September, 2010, Professor Surya P. Subedi, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Cambodia expressed concerns over freedom of expression, issues related to land and housing rights and the narrowing of political space for members of the opposition parties. Recently, the victims of shelter destruction and land grabbing in Phnom-Penh city, such as Boeng Kak and Borey Keila and other remote villages, have demonstrated in seeking for justice and rights to their property, whose have encountered police brutalities and abuses.

Cambodian Americans for Human Rights and Democracy would like to appeal to the Cambodian Government, a party that had signed the Accord and as a member State of the United Nations, to exercise and apply the 30 articles of the Charter and the terms and conditions of the Accord so that the Cambodian citizen can experience dignity, equality, justice and freedom- the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration.

Mong Heng

President, Cambodian Americans for Human Rights and Democracy

Email: mong@CAHRAD.org

Website: www.CAHRAD.org

Cambodian National Conference - Friday & Saturday, October 21-22, 2011, Washington, DC Area [-20th Anniversary of the Paris Peace Agreements]

For more information:

http://www.cahrad.org/cahrad/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=120&Itemid=40

International Human Rights Day - CAHRAD Media Release

International Human Rights Day

CAHRAD Media Release
December 10, 2009

“Cambodia’s constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression and association, both of which are fundamental to a vibrant democracy,” “Without this freedom the goal of justice becomes an illusion.”

We at CAHRAD join in solidarity with our compatriots around the world and Cambodia’s citizens in their enduring struggle for basic freedoms, human rights, social justice and human dignity. We call upon the United Nations and international donors to use their influence to exercise pressure upon the Cambodian government to respect basic the human rights of its citizens including their rights to own property and earn a decent living, freedom of assembly and expression, and social justice.

“Justice must be accessible to all Cambodian citizens including the poor and marginalized, and the law must be applied fairly to all including the rich and powerful,” “Cambodia’s courts have been failing to provide justice to numerous victims of human rights abuses on a daily basis, real reforms of the courts, to strengthen their independence and professional and to eliminate corruption, are desperately needed.”

The continued corruption of the Cambodian government has been robbing the Cambodian people of resources that are needed for the development of Cambodia that is not at the expense of the poor. CAHRAD supports the Community Legal Education Center (CLEC) in that “There must be an end to forced evictions, and there must be government policies which ensure and enable participation and rights to information, expression and movement for everyone.”
Poor people all over Cambodia have been losing their land to rich and powerful Cambodians and foreigners who are well-connected land-grabbers operating with impunity because of collusion by the government and its police and armed forces, and the weakness of the judicial system. The corrupt Cambodian government must also stop ceding and selling Cambodia’s land and resources to foreigners and its neighbors, and use the proceeds from exploitation of its resources for the betterment of common Cambodian citizens. Government policies “have subverted the essential principles of democracy and due process, deprive people of their economic resources and means of livelihood and denied them their dignity."

CAHRAD calls upon the Cambodian government to cease the muzzling of free speech, the pervasive corruption, the participation of government officials directly or indirectly in their involvement in human trafficking, and its continued violations of human rights.

Cambodian Americans for Human Rights and Democracy (CAHRAD)
"Democracy, Freedom and Justice for All"

Email: info@CAHRAD.org
Website: http://www.CAHRAD.org

Cambodians in the US plan to demonstrate in front of the White House

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

17 September 2007
By Sam Borin
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Leaders of the Cambodian community in the USA, along with the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) plans to hold a demonstration and a vigil in front of the White House, the office of the US President, on Friday 21 September.

Tum Boran, a member of the steering committee of the United Cambodian International Council (UCIC) said that members of the Cambodian community from various US States, including Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC, plan to gather for a demonstration starting from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Friday 21 September. Then, starting from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM a vigil will be also held in front of the White House to pray for the safety of Venerable Tim Sakhorn, the former Abbot of Phnom Den Pagoda, and to call on the Vietnamese government to stop its religious discrimination against Khmer Krom people.

Tum Boran said: “The vigil and the prayer are conducted for two purposes: (1) to pray for the safety of (former Monk) Tim Sakhorn, and (2) may this vigil brings the Vietnamese government to release (former Monk) Tim Sakhorn from jail, and ordaining him back as a Buddhist monk again. In particular, (we want) the Vietnamese and the Cambodian governments recognize human rights and stop violating it, and (we are calling) for the Vietnamese government to stop its religious discrimination against Khmer (Krom) people who are Buddhists.”

The demonstration and the vigil information are jointly organized by the Cambodian Americans for Human Rights and Democracy (CAHRAD), the United Cambodian International Council (UCIC), the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF), the Coalition For A Free Cambodia (CCFC) and O'Bon Studio.