KKF's Thach Ngoc Thach (L) and the two Hochimonks: Non Nget (C) and Tep Vong (R)Thach Ngoc Thach condemns the defrocking of a Khmer Krom monk
01 July 2007
By San Suwith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Overseas Khmer Krom people have condemned that the defrocking by force of a Khmer Kampuchea Krom monk who is the abbot of Phnom Den North pagoda, located in Takeo province. Khmer Krom people consider this action as a violation perpetrated by Cambodian highest-ranking monks to please Vietnam which is oppressing and eliminating the religious freedom of Khmer Kampuchea Krom people.
Thach Ngoc Thach, President of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) in the world, based in the USA, said that he regrets seeing this event. He also accused the two Cambodian Buddhist patriarchs (Patriarch Non Nget and Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong) of collusion with the Vietnamese government.
Thach Ngoc Thach said: “In the name of Khmer Krom people, as well as in the name of the entire KKF, we regret seeing this action taken the two patriarchs: Non Nget and Tep Vong, who issued this letter dated 16 June, and we regret very much to see the distribution in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) of the letter ordering defrocking of Monk [Tim] Sakhorn before its publication in Cambodia. This shows the collusion between the two patriarchs and the Vietnamese government which is working behind the scene to defrock monk Tim Sakhorn. Therefore, on this occasion, I am calling on the king and on prime minister Hun Sen to review this problem again, because this issue is very regrettable for all Khmer Krom people who are living in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) and in Cambodia, as well as for all Cambodian people living around the world.”
The KKF has also brought its complaints about the violation of religious freedom of Khmer Krom monks in Cambodia and in South Vietnam (Kampuchea Krom) to the UN and other human rights organizations, as well as to the US Department of Faith and Religion, and the US State Department.
Thach Ngoc Thach added: “We will work with the UN, in particular with the UN Special Rapporteur on Religious affairs, as well as with human rights organizations in Geneva and The Hague (Netherland), and the UN in New York, this coming Monday. We will contact the Department of Religion and Faith of US government, and the US State Department about this situation, in order to inform them about this highly unfair action taken against Khmer Krom monks who fled Kampuchea Krom (Sotuh Vietnam) to come to Cambodia. But now, it turns out that Cambodia is continuously oppressing Khmer Krom monk. At first, it was the murder of Monk Ieng Sokthoeun, and the cause of the murder cannot be found, and then there was the case of the president of the Khmer Krom association branch in Takeo who had to flee Cambodia and take refuge in Thailand.”
Thach Ngoc Thach, President of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) in the world, based in the USA, said that he regrets seeing this event. He also accused the two Cambodian Buddhist patriarchs (Patriarch Non Nget and Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong) of collusion with the Vietnamese government.
Thach Ngoc Thach said: “In the name of Khmer Krom people, as well as in the name of the entire KKF, we regret seeing this action taken the two patriarchs: Non Nget and Tep Vong, who issued this letter dated 16 June, and we regret very much to see the distribution in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) of the letter ordering defrocking of Monk [Tim] Sakhorn before its publication in Cambodia. This shows the collusion between the two patriarchs and the Vietnamese government which is working behind the scene to defrock monk Tim Sakhorn. Therefore, on this occasion, I am calling on the king and on prime minister Hun Sen to review this problem again, because this issue is very regrettable for all Khmer Krom people who are living in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) and in Cambodia, as well as for all Cambodian people living around the world.”
The KKF has also brought its complaints about the violation of religious freedom of Khmer Krom monks in Cambodia and in South Vietnam (Kampuchea Krom) to the UN and other human rights organizations, as well as to the US Department of Faith and Religion, and the US State Department.
Thach Ngoc Thach added: “We will work with the UN, in particular with the UN Special Rapporteur on Religious affairs, as well as with human rights organizations in Geneva and The Hague (Netherland), and the UN in New York, this coming Monday. We will contact the Department of Religion and Faith of US government, and the US State Department about this situation, in order to inform them about this highly unfair action taken against Khmer Krom monks who fled Kampuchea Krom (Sotuh Vietnam) to come to Cambodia. But now, it turns out that Cambodia is continuously oppressing Khmer Krom monk. At first, it was the murder of Monk Ieng Sokthoeun, and the cause of the murder cannot be found, and then there was the case of the president of the Khmer Krom association branch in Takeo who had to flee Cambodia and take refuge in Thailand.”
