Cambodians in France [and the surrounding area] met to understand Cambodia’s social problems

14 March 2010
By Moeung Tum
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Hundreds citizens of Cambodian origin living in France met to discuss and seek to understand the major social problems face by Cambodia, as well as trying to help peacefully resolve these issues from afar.

The topic of the meeting is “Seeking the Truth to Defend our Territorial Integrity” and it was held at Wat Buddharaingsey Pagoda on Saturday 13 March 2010, in Lyon, about 500-km south of Paris, France.

Chhit Samlot, the organizer of the event, talked to RFA over the phone about the meeting: “The goal of the meeting is to seek the truth. We want to know about the truth in Cambodia, in particular about oru territorial integrity. We are lucky that Mr. Sam Rainsy, a Cambodian MP, met with Cambodian villagers in [Wat Ang] Romdenh pagoda who were victimized. Sam Rainsy was a live witness, that is why we invited him to explain about the truth. At the same time, we are also lucky to have Mr. Sean Pengse who is an expert and who knows very well about geography, history and maps, to come to explain to us so that we all unite our force to protect our territorial integrity. For this, we all need to understand clearly. This is our goal to set up this meeting.”

The organizers also indicated that two other guests of honor were also invited to explain Cambodia’s social problems: Mr. Thach Vien, President of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation (KKF) in Europe, and Mr. Sok Sophat, SRP President in France. About 200 people attended the meeting.

Chhit Samlot said: “It’s not just people from Lyon or Rhone-Alp region who attended the meeting, there are also people from Austria, Switzerland, as well as from Mulhouse, from Tour, Marseille, Montpelier as well.”

Click here to listen to the audio program in Khmer

12 Khmer Krom Associations ask to meet Hun Sen

29 April 2007
By Sophorn
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

12 Khmer Krom Associations plan to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen to report to him on the difficulties faced by Khmer Kampuchea-Krom both inside Cambodia properly and those in Vietnam.

Thach Sang, President of the Friends of Khmer Kampuchea-Krom, said that his association and a number of other Khmer Krom Associations will send a letter to Hun Sen to request a meeting so they can report to him about the actual living condition that the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom people are currently facing, as well as their bleak living condition and the violations they suffer.

Thach Sang said: “We want his advice because the situation of Khmer Krom people is so bleak. We face death, violations of our right. We want to meet him personally about a monk who was found dead. They wouldn’t even allow us to hold a religious ceremony for him, or do anything else for him. We are worried. The reason we want to meet him is to report to the prime minister about the problems of Khmer Krom people who are facing losses, fear, and threats.”

Monk Yoeung Sin, President the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Association, told RFA on Sunday that the 12 Khmer Krom Associations will send a letter to Prime Minster Hun Sen on Monday, to request a meeting with Hun Sen.

Monk Yoeung Sin said: “Never before an association plans to meet him, even if they met him, it was a private meeting only. We never planned on agreeing with each other like now, all our brothers and sisters have agreed to send Prime Minister Hun Sen a letter to request for a meeting.”

There is no reaction from the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) on this plan to meet with Hun Sen.

The 12 Khmer Krom Associations plan to request the meeting with Hun Sen, following the defeat they sustained when they asked Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly, to raise the rights of Khmer Krom people with Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam Assembly chairman. Heng Samrin told news agencies on 24 April that this is the internal affair of another country: “The issue of Kampuchea Krom monks is their internal affair, not Cambodia’s, we don’t interfere in the internal affair of another country.”

Recently, peaceful demonstrations were held in several countries, such as the USA, Australia, France, and Cambodia. The demonstrations were held by monks and people who are native of Kampuchea Krom, to oppose the Vietnamese authority’s defrocking of about 16 Khmer Krom monks, and the jailing of another 5 monks who were demanding for their Buddhist religious freedom practice according to Cambodian custom.

CPP official confirms meeting between Sam Rainsy and Sok An

17 April 2007
By Phan Sophat
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

One CPP official said today that the meeting between opposition leader Sam Rainsy and Vice-Prime Minister Sok An, a high-ranking CPP official, was not held in the names of their respective parties.

This confirmation was made following the meeting between Sam Rainsy and Sok An at the office of the council of ministers last week.

Khieu Kanharith, CPP spokesman, said that the meeting was not between party representatives as requested by the Sam Rainsy Party.

Khieu Kanharith said: “In summary, if there were threats, first of all the court is there, and second, if there are other issues, then there is Sar Kheng (the Minister of Interior). But there could not be a meeting held between the two political parties, because the problems involve governance, for other problems, a meeting can be held with Sok An, but this does not mean that there is a meeting between SRP and CPP.”

Recently, SRP requested a meeting between high-ranking CPP and SRP officials to resolve the accusations leveled by the opposition SRP party that threats were made against SRP activists at the local level, starting from before the commune election and still persisting now.

Sam Rainsy told RFA about the essence of his meeting with Sok An that: “I am concerned because they (CPP members) are creating problems with SRP members following the commune election, and even those (SRP members) who have been elected as commune chiefs and commune councilors still face threats from CPP members and from the local authority currently. They threaten [SRP members], they bring to court fictitious charges to pressure SRP members. I believe that a discussion must be held, I am afraid that the high-ranking [CPP officials] are not aware about the local situation, they did not know about the pressure applied [against SRP members]. Therefore, the country leaders must take responsibility to intervene to end the pressure and the threats made against SRP members.”

However, Sam Rainsy also said that Sok An did not make any clear commitment in these issues.