20 November 2007By Kim Pov Sottan
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
The Cambodian Parliament delegation did not meet with former Monk Tim Sakhorn during its one week visit to South Vietnam. The main goal of the visit was to seek for the immediate release of Monk Tim Sakhorn.
At his arrival in the afternoon of Monday, Son Chhay, the leader of the Cambodian Parliament delegation, expressed his extreme disappointment. However, a representative of the central committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) promised that he will push for the release of Monk Tim Sakhorn and 5 other Khmer Krom monks in the near future.
Son Chhay said: “When we arrived there, they (the Vietnamese) change everything, claiming that the jail cannot be entered and they need time to organize for the meeting etc… Therefore, we see that they change their mind right away, they turn an agreement into a refusal, I am very disappointed with this. However, Son Song Son promised me that he will find a way to lessen the sentence (handed down to Monk Tim Sakhorn) because the Vietnamese tribunal has two occasions, each year, to issue pardon or lessen the sentence.”
During its visit, the 8-member delegation of the National Assembly committee for foreign affairs met with the Vietnamese Assembly president. During the meeting on the cooperation between the two countries, the Cambodian delegation demanded for a resolution on the Yali Dam issue which affects the livelihood of Cambodian people in the northeast of Cambodia.
The Cambodian delegation claimed that even though it wanted to visit a number Cambodian pagodas located in Preah Trapeang and Khleang provinces, the visits were diverted to other pagodas organized by the Vietnamese authority. Nevertheless, the Cambodian delegation noted the extreme hardship suffered by Khmer Krom people living there, and at the end, Son Song Son, a member of VCP central committee and vice-chairman of the southwest zone, discussed about the release of Monk Tim Sakhorn and the guarantee of the rights of Khmer Krom people.
Regarding the demands for the release of Khmer Krom monks during the Cambodian Parliament delegation visit, Venerable Thach Bin added: “We cannot remain idle. We only have to depend on the International community to demand and pressure Vietnam to urgently pardon Venerable Tim Sakhorn and the other 5 (Khmer Krom) monks in the near future. Next month, there will be a meeting in Geneva to raise the issue of Human Rights violations in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam).”
This is the very first official delegation undertaken by the Cambodian Parliament delegation to the former land of Kampuchea Krom in the past 30-year. This visit will pave the way for relatives of Monk Tim Sakhorn to visit him in the near future.
At his arrival in the afternoon of Monday, Son Chhay, the leader of the Cambodian Parliament delegation, expressed his extreme disappointment. However, a representative of the central committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) promised that he will push for the release of Monk Tim Sakhorn and 5 other Khmer Krom monks in the near future.
Son Chhay said: “When we arrived there, they (the Vietnamese) change everything, claiming that the jail cannot be entered and they need time to organize for the meeting etc… Therefore, we see that they change their mind right away, they turn an agreement into a refusal, I am very disappointed with this. However, Son Song Son promised me that he will find a way to lessen the sentence (handed down to Monk Tim Sakhorn) because the Vietnamese tribunal has two occasions, each year, to issue pardon or lessen the sentence.”
During its visit, the 8-member delegation of the National Assembly committee for foreign affairs met with the Vietnamese Assembly president. During the meeting on the cooperation between the two countries, the Cambodian delegation demanded for a resolution on the Yali Dam issue which affects the livelihood of Cambodian people in the northeast of Cambodia.
The Cambodian delegation claimed that even though it wanted to visit a number Cambodian pagodas located in Preah Trapeang and Khleang provinces, the visits were diverted to other pagodas organized by the Vietnamese authority. Nevertheless, the Cambodian delegation noted the extreme hardship suffered by Khmer Krom people living there, and at the end, Son Song Son, a member of VCP central committee and vice-chairman of the southwest zone, discussed about the release of Monk Tim Sakhorn and the guarantee of the rights of Khmer Krom people.
Regarding the demands for the release of Khmer Krom monks during the Cambodian Parliament delegation visit, Venerable Thach Bin added: “We cannot remain idle. We only have to depend on the International community to demand and pressure Vietnam to urgently pardon Venerable Tim Sakhorn and the other 5 (Khmer Krom) monks in the near future. Next month, there will be a meeting in Geneva to raise the issue of Human Rights violations in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam).”
This is the very first official delegation undertaken by the Cambodian Parliament delegation to the former land of Kampuchea Krom in the past 30-year. This visit will pave the way for relatives of Monk Tim Sakhorn to visit him in the near future.
