Interview with Thach Ngoc Thach on Monk Tim Sakhorn’s case08 October 2007
By Sary Roth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
The representative of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) in the world was very deceived when he learnt about the content of Hun Sen’s clarification letter send to Hero-King Norodom Sihanouk, regarding the case of Monk Tim Sakhorn.
Thach Ngoc Thach said that the action taken by the Cambodian government was done to preserve the personal friendship between a gang of people who control power and have influence on the government, and Vietnam. It was not done to preserve the wellbeing of Cambodian citizens, nor was it done to preserve the territorial integrity of Cambodia.
The following is the interview of Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach, the executive director of KKF in the world. The interview was conducted by Mrs. Sary Roth of RFA.
Sary Roth (RFA): What do you think about the letter sent by Hun Sen to Preah Karuna (Norodom Sihanouk) in which he accused Monk Tim Sakhorn of being a Khmer Kampuchea Krom citizen, and he (Hun Sen) said that he does not accept to resolve the case of Monk Tim Sakhorn. What is your reaction to Hun Sen’s letter?
Thach Ngoc Thach (KKF): Regarding the letter that prime minister Hun Sen sent in reply to Samdech the Hero-King, I think that it is an issue which is out of timing, first of all. Secondly, this letter is nothing more than an excuse letter for the Yuons. The Yuon government wants to show that Cambodians are having problems with each others, rather than showing that this is a problem with the Vietnamese government.
From here on, I believe that the prime minister, just like all our Cambodian compatriots in the world, we are concerned of losing our lands more than we care about losing our friendship with the Yuons,. Therefore, (the reason provided in Hun Sen’s letter) is completely opposite to the worries of the people who are concerned about losing our lands.
Therefore, we see that the government does not pay attention of the people’s concerns, they do not care about the territorial issue, in this sense, I really regret (seeing this). At the same time, I am asking all Cambodian people in the world, to push the government to think about the concerns of the people, to think more about the territorial issue rather than the Khmer-Yuon friendship. As I told you at the beginning, this letter is merely an excuse for the Yuon government only.
RFA: In the case of Mr. Tim Sakhorn, what do you plan to do next?
KKF: Regarding the problem of Venerable Tim Sakhorn, I am confident that the Youn government will release him in the future, as I told you before, because the Yuon government does not want to see any International pressure imposed on them, that is why they came to visit in Cambodia, to talk with the Cambodian government, in order to show that this is an internal dispute in Cambodia only. As we have seen in the past, the Yuon government from all eras, they are always looking for a mean to create disputes among Khmer people, so that when these problems arise, they remain inside Cambodia.
From here on, we will push the Yuon government to resolve not only the case of Venerable Tim Sakhorn, but in the future, we don’t want to see the Cambodian government arresting its own citizens and deport them, and hand them over to the Yuon government anymore.
We see that the Yuon government is violating the territorial integrity of Cambodia, the Cambodian government must remember that the Yuon government never respect the friendship they talk about, it they really respect the friendship (between Cambodia and Vietnam), they wouldn’t create the case of Venerable Tim Sakhorn, and they wouldn’t take him and put him jail in Vietnam.
From now on, the Yuon government must be pressured by the International community, and we are pushing the US, the UN on this issue. In 2009, the Yuon government will face the UN regarding human rights issue, and its violation of human rights in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam).
Thach Ngoc Thach said that the action taken by the Cambodian government was done to preserve the personal friendship between a gang of people who control power and have influence on the government, and Vietnam. It was not done to preserve the wellbeing of Cambodian citizens, nor was it done to preserve the territorial integrity of Cambodia.
The following is the interview of Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach, the executive director of KKF in the world. The interview was conducted by Mrs. Sary Roth of RFA.
Sary Roth (RFA): What do you think about the letter sent by Hun Sen to Preah Karuna (Norodom Sihanouk) in which he accused Monk Tim Sakhorn of being a Khmer Kampuchea Krom citizen, and he (Hun Sen) said that he does not accept to resolve the case of Monk Tim Sakhorn. What is your reaction to Hun Sen’s letter?
Thach Ngoc Thach (KKF): Regarding the letter that prime minister Hun Sen sent in reply to Samdech the Hero-King, I think that it is an issue which is out of timing, first of all. Secondly, this letter is nothing more than an excuse letter for the Yuons. The Yuon government wants to show that Cambodians are having problems with each others, rather than showing that this is a problem with the Vietnamese government.
From here on, I believe that the prime minister, just like all our Cambodian compatriots in the world, we are concerned of losing our lands more than we care about losing our friendship with the Yuons,. Therefore, (the reason provided in Hun Sen’s letter) is completely opposite to the worries of the people who are concerned about losing our lands.
Therefore, we see that the government does not pay attention of the people’s concerns, they do not care about the territorial issue, in this sense, I really regret (seeing this). At the same time, I am asking all Cambodian people in the world, to push the government to think about the concerns of the people, to think more about the territorial issue rather than the Khmer-Yuon friendship. As I told you at the beginning, this letter is merely an excuse for the Yuon government only.
RFA: In the case of Mr. Tim Sakhorn, what do you plan to do next?
KKF: Regarding the problem of Venerable Tim Sakhorn, I am confident that the Youn government will release him in the future, as I told you before, because the Yuon government does not want to see any International pressure imposed on them, that is why they came to visit in Cambodia, to talk with the Cambodian government, in order to show that this is an internal dispute in Cambodia only. As we have seen in the past, the Yuon government from all eras, they are always looking for a mean to create disputes among Khmer people, so that when these problems arise, they remain inside Cambodia.
From here on, we will push the Yuon government to resolve not only the case of Venerable Tim Sakhorn, but in the future, we don’t want to see the Cambodian government arresting its own citizens and deport them, and hand them over to the Yuon government anymore.
We see that the Yuon government is violating the territorial integrity of Cambodia, the Cambodian government must remember that the Yuon government never respect the friendship they talk about, it they really respect the friendship (between Cambodia and Vietnam), they wouldn’t create the case of Venerable Tim Sakhorn, and they wouldn’t take him and put him jail in Vietnam.
From now on, the Yuon government must be pressured by the International community, and we are pushing the US, the UN on this issue. In 2009, the Yuon government will face the UN regarding human rights issue, and its violation of human rights in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam).
