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.
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.
