Will History Haunt Us Again?

Op-Ed by Anonymous
Posted at http://khmerkrom.org

Our people compatriot must stop the present leader let our country plunging again and again. The Khmer leader must learn our history well before thinking to lead this nation.

Remember Kampuchea Krom? Remember Prey Nokor? A primary example is the Ho Chi Minh.

First, they asked our king to give them the place to train their troops; then ask to stay for safety, and then ask to give, then no tax and so on.

Now, there is something wrong again. WHY does it feel wrong to give over one hundred thousand acres of our sacred land to VN army forces? Think twice and must we have people involved in this matter?

Who else, the VN private companies – another offered land (Dei Sambatean)?

Do Khmer people keep quiet in this case and let the government give away free land to VN?

Do you see all Khmer farmers with no land and also those that are greedy and selfish help their master to take from the poor as well or do they actually think Cambodia already belongs to VN; so just sell it before it is too late for them?

I would like to appeal to all Khmer abroad in the third country – please do not afraid that you cannot go to visit the country or your family; be afraid that we will have no country to visit.

The way Vietnamese took our land (Kampuchea Krom) is just the way they are doing to Cambodia now. It will not be long before, we, Khmer, have no country to visit and also have no country to call our own.

Millions of Khmer people were killed and will continue to get killed no one of them take responsibility – for they are not afraid to give away the very heart and soul of Khmer land and life.

There is something wrong with the concept of “Royalist and Communist together” – look around!!!

We must act now and just one voice, there is no one Khmer smarter than with all Khmers together.

Border of disrespect, violation, and encroachment, unlike what Vietnam promised Cambodia

Vietnam’s violation by encroaching into the White Zone in Ratanakkiri

17 March 2007
By Ratha Visal
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A government official from the Ratanakkiri province reported that Vietnam have violated [the Cambodian territory] by moving its checkpoint post further, deep inside the prohibited white zone, even though the Cambodian border defense authority have asked them to stop this encroachment several times in the past already.

An anonymous provincial official reported that on 10 March 2007, the Vietnamese border troop moved its border checkpoint post approximately 200-meter deep into the white zone. The Vietnamese checkpoint post is now very close to the international border gate between Vietnam and Cambodia, in O’Yadaw district.

Rer Ray, the Ratanakkiri province police chief, confirmed that he received the report above already, and he also sent a report to the provincial authority and the Ministry of Interior to ask for a decision. “This issue has been reported to higher provincial authority and the Ministry of Interior. As for me, I already reported to my superior, I don’t want any delay in this issue.”

The 2005-2006 report from the Ratanakkiri province authority indicated that the Vietnamese side had violated several times into the prohibited white zone located between the Cambodian checkpoint and the Vietnamese checkpoint. In one instance, Vietnam built a post right on top of the location of a [Cambodian] flagpole, it also built roads, fell down trees, paved roads deep inside the prohibited white zone by several hundred meters.

RFA could not contact the Vietnamese embassy on the claim made about because of the weekend.

Nevertheless, Var Kim Hong, the president of the government national border committee, said that he did not receive this report from the provincial authority yet.

He promised to look into this case: “Our people are positioned in all institutions in O’Yadaw, let’s wait and see … there is no report from the Ratanakkiri province yet.”

On 11 February, a group of technical expert in charge of delimiting the border between Cambodia and Vietnam did not completed their mission successfully because of disagreement on border delimitation at the O’Yadaw international border gate, in Ratanakkiri province in Cambodia and Gia Lai province in Vietnam. The delimitation was made so that border posts can be installed in order to facilitate the construction of road 78 linking Ratanakkiri and Vietnam.

Sin Siekny, the border delimitation technical expert, commented: “… There is a small technical problem. It’s difficult for me to answer about this work. We have not completed yet, it’s only after it’s completed that I can provide an answer, we are studying it now.”

During mid-January 2007, there was also a report about the Vietnamese violation with the construction of a concrete bridge inside the prohibited white zone, next to the Sastr and Lom villages, O’Yadaw district. According to an official from the border defense committee, there is not one single plan that will bring to an end the Vietnamese [territory] violations.

Khmer Krom people will continue demonstration against Vietnam

04 March 2007
By Mayarith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The opposition against the Vietnamese authority which recently jailed and defrocked 9 Khmer Krom monks, is still being pursued.

On Saturday, more than 30 Khmer Krom people and monks met at a Khmer Krom pagoda in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, to plan for more opposition against Vietnam, and to seek help and intervention from the International community.

A Khmer Krom monk who led the demonstration in the USA to oppose the jailing and defrocking of 9 monks in Kampcuhea Krom (current south Vietnam), issued a plea on Saturday to demand for intervention from the International community to help 200 other Khmer Krom monks who are prevented from going out from their pagoda to beg for their daily alms.

Monk Thach Birong made the call during a meeting of Khmer Krom monks and Khmer Krom people at a Khmer Krom pagoda in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Monk Thach Birong said: “We are asking the International community, foreign embassies, and in particular, the USA and the United Nations commission for Human Rights and Religious Freedom, to pay attention and to help intervene urgently. Otherwise, 200 [Khmer Krom] monks who have been already threatened will be defrocked one after another soon.”

Human Rights Watch (HRW) officials told RFA on Saturday that they have observed the successive demonstrations held by Khmer Krom people in the world in the last few days, HRW is conducting its own investigation on the accusations made.

A report indicated that Trinh Ba Cam, the Viet ambassador in Cambodia, denied all the accusations made against Vietnam.

During this week, several demonstrations against Vietnam which jailed and defrocked 9 Khmer Krom monks in Kampuchea Krom, were held in several locations both inside and outside of Cambodia.

On Friday, Duong Vanny, a demonstrator from Virginia state, USA, who participated in the demonstration held in front of the Viet liaison office in Washington DC, said that Vietnam must abide by International law to protect human rights and religious belief.

Duong Vanny said: “The Vietnamese government must resolve the issue for Khmer [Krom] people, fairly and according to the UN law stipulated in Article 13/132 regarding the original people of the land. The Viet government does not respect Khmer Krom rights.”

Demonstrations held overseas are also aimed at demanding justice for a Khmer Krom monk who died recently in Cambodia.

Monk Eang Sok Thoeun who participated in demonstrations in Vietnam and who also participated in the 27 Feb demonstration in front of the Viet embassy in Phnom Penh, was said to commit suicide [by the police], however, doubts are raised about the cause of the death because of the number of markings found on his slit throat.

In spite of denials by Khmer and VN gov'ts, maritime borders are discussed during Triet's visit; Sihamoni to visit Hanoi next year

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2007
Triet’s Cambodia visit important to bilateral ties
The Saigon Times Daily (USA)

Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun sen witness the signing of a deal between Vietnamese and Combodian companies at the business forum in Phnom Penh yesterday

“The Cambodian people have always been grateful to the Vietnamese people’s valuable assistance, especially the help of Vietnamese volunteers” - Hun Sen, a man installed in power by the occupying communist Vietnamese army

(SGT-HCMC) Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet’s first visit to Cambodia is described as important since it will pave the way for the two countries to develop multifaceted cooperation.

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni said at a meeting with President Triet in Phnom Penh on Tuesday that the three-day visit, which ends today, was an important event as it would open a new stage of development of bilateral cooperation.

They shared a common view of strengthening and developing the relationship between the two neighboring countries, agreeing that the traditional friendship between the two countries was invaluable.

It is contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, the Vietnam News Agency reports.

President Triet reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of respect and willingness to develop its relations with neighboring countries, including Cambodia, and expressed his gratitude to the Cambodian King and his royal family, the government and people of Cambodia for their support to the Vietnamese people.

King Sihamoni accepted President Triet’s invitation to visit Vietnam next year.

President Triet also held separate talks with Senate President Chea Sim, National Assembly Chairman Heng Samrin and Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The Cambodian leaders spoke highly of President Triet’s visit, saying this showed the two countries’ determination to foster their comprehensive cooperation.

They appreciated the coordinated settlement of land border issues in the past and affirmed to go on with demarcation in order to complete the planting of land border markers by 2008, and toward delineating the two countries’ water areas with the aim of building a common borderline of peace and long-lasting stability.

The Cambodian leaders thanked Vietnam’s Party, State, Government and people for assisting the Cambodians to escape from genocide as well as helping reconstruct the country.

“The Cambodian people have always been grateful to the Vietnamese people’s valuable assistance, especially the help of Vietnamese volunteers,” Prime Minister Hun Sen said.

President Triet hailed the signing of a supplementary treaty regarding the 1985 border demarcation treaty and the planting of the first border marker at Ba Vet-Moc Bai as events of significant importance in the two countries’ histories, and called for concerted efforts to complete the border marker planting on time.

Yesterday he attended a Cambodia-Vietnam business forum in Phnom Penh, with about 300 businesses from the two countries taking part.

What VN could never fathom: friendly neighborliness comes from mutual respect not from imposing occupation and illegal border treaties

February 27, 2007

Promoting Vietnam-Cambodia friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive co-operation

Nhan Dan Editorial (Hanoi)

State President Nguyen Minh Triet today, February 27, left for Cambodia to begin an official visit at the invitation of the Cambodian King, Norodom Sihamoni.

This is the second foreign visit and the first Cambodian visit by President Triet since he was elected President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The visit is taking place at a time when people in Vietnam and Cambodia are entering the new year 2007 with stronger spirit and determination to successfully implement socio-economic development targets and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

Following the fruitful visits to Vietnam by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni in March 2006 and to Cambodia by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in December 2006, this visit by President Triet reaffirms the fact that the Parties, States and people in the two countries attach great importance to continuously developing good neighbourliness and comprehensive co-operation.

The visit reflects the determination of leaders and people in the two countries to further strengthen their relations to serve their own interest and to make a contribution to peace, stability and development in the region and the world as a whole, thus helping to raise the two nations' international prestige.

Visiting Cambodia in the early days of New Year 2007, President Triet extends the Vietnamese people's close sentiments to the Cambodian people. The Vietnamese people highly value the great achievements made by the Cambodian people in recent times which have highlighted an image of a Cambodia as a country of dynamic development

The Vietnamese people are glad to witness the positive changes in Vietnamese-Cambodian friendship. The exchange of visits is of great significance for the promotion of bilateral ties in the 21st century under the motto "Good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive co-operation and long-term stability" so as to serve national construction and development in each nation.

In 2006, the two sides exchanged 106 visits at different levels and joined many meetings such as the eighth session of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on economics, culture, science and technological co-operation; the third meeting on co-operation and development between border provinces from Vietnam and Cambodia held in Long Xuyen, An Giang in December 2006; the inauguration of a marker at the Moc Bai-Ba Vet international border gate in September 2006 and two other markers at the border gates in Vietnam's southern Tay Ninh province and Cambodia's Kompong Cham province in September 2006; and the meeting among the prime ministers from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos held in Da Lat in December 2006. These events helped boost bilateral relations.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Cambodia has steadily increased over recent years, making an average growth of 40% per year and reaching US $900 million in 2006 as compared to US $180 million in 2000. The two counties have agreed to take a number of measures to accelerate co-operation in economics and trade in order to reach the target of US $2 billion in two-way trade by 2010. The two sides have also paid attention to co-operation in the areas of education, energy, electricity, health care and transportation. Co-operation between localities in two countries has developed positively, contributing to consolidating the traditional friendship and comprehensive co-operation.

Vietnam and Cambodia have closely co-ordinated and supported each other at international forums. The active participation and effective contributions made by the two countries in the framework of regional and multilateral co-operation have helped promote the co-operation process within ASEAN, the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) co-operation projects, the Mekong Sub-region and the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle and others. These activities affirmed the higher role and prestige of the two countries in the region and the world.

The Vietnamese people take this opportunity to thank Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, the Royal Family, Government and people for their valuable support given to Vietnam during the previous struggle for national independence as well as the on-going renovation process.

May the Cambodian people record greater achievements in their national construction and defence. May the visit by President Nguyen Minh Triet be crowned with success, thus marking a new development in the Vietnam-Cambodia traditional friendship and comprehensive co-operation for happiness and prosperity in each nation and for peace, stability, stability and progress of nations in the region and the world as a whole.

VN forced 3 Khmer Krom monks to defrock

26 Feb 2007
By Ros Sokhit
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

The Vietnamese authority forced 3 Khmer Krom monks to defrock last Saturday, and accused them of acting as leaders in a demonstration against the communist regime.

Monk Thach Bin, a representative of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) in Cambodia, told RFA on Wednesday that the 3 monks forced to defrock are: Monks Kim Moeun, Thach Deur, and Thach Svieng Hea. The three monks reside in a pagoda in Khleang province (Soc Trang in Vietnamese), in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam).

The Vietnamese authority released 4 monks among the 9 monks arrested by the Vietnamese authority last Friday.

However, the other 5 monks are still being jailed [by the Viet authority]: “I am informing you that up to now, the Viet authority has released 4 monks.”

Recently, two organizations: the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Human Rights Defense, and the KKF call on the Cambodian government to intervene with the Vietnamese authority to put to an end the arrest of Khmer Krom monks, and forcing them to defrock.

Mu Sochua, SRP Secretary-General, said that the action taken by the Viet authority is a serious violation on the religious freedom which is protected by international conventions.

Mu Sochua said: “The SRP condemns the violation of the rights of Buddhist Kampuchea Krom monks, and SRP respects and recognizes our Khmer Kampuchea Krom brothers and sisters as Cambodians who are victims of religious persecutions perpetrated against our Monks.”

Up to now, RFA could not contact the Vietnamese authority for clarification on this issue. In the past, the Cambodian authority used to say that it would not ignore this issue.

Frequently, Khmer Kampuchea Krom associations and Khmer Kampuchea Krom people have accused the Vietnamese authority of violating their rights and freedom of expression and religious belief.

VN authority blatant violation of Khmer Krom monks rights

Vietnam persist on defrocking 2 Khmer Krom monks

20 Feb 2007
By Kim Pov Sottan
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

"If they want to defrock me, let them defrock me inside the pagoda; if they want to shoot and kill me, let them shoot and kill me as a monk; if they want to jail me, let them jail me as a monk. If they want to defrock me, I absolutely refuse."
- Khmer Krom monk Kim Mean, threatened to be defrocked by the VN authority

A source from Phnom Penh affiliated with the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) in the world, claimed that the Vietnamese authority is persisting on defrocking two Khmer Krom monks on Tuesday. The Vietnamese accuses the two of demonstrating against the Vietnamese authority.

Monk Thach Binh, an assistant for the KKF, indicated that the Khmer Krom monks involved are 22-year-old monk Kim Mean, and 27-year-old monk Thach Duoc, the two are fourth-year students attending Buddhist teaching at Khleang pagoda, Khleang province (Soc Trang in Vietnamese), Kampuchea Krom (current South Veitnam).

Contacted by phone in Kampuchea Krom, monk Kim Mean said that the Vietnamese authority removed his name from the Buddhist teaching school in Khleang pagoda, and forced him to return to Serey Ta Sek pagoda, Chrauy Nho district, where he was first ordained, so that he can be defrocked: “They (Viet authority) forced me to return to Serey Ta Sek pagoda, but I refused. If they want to defrock me, let them defrock me inside the pagoda; if they want to shoot and kill me, let them shoot and kill me as a monk; if they want to jail me, let them jail me as a monk. If they want to defrock me, I absolutely refuse.”

Monk Thach Duoc added: “They do not allow my older brother to study Buddhism. They came and tied him up, they have legal and stamped papers, and earlier today, the Viet authority along with some religious officials, came to my pagoda, they arrested and tied up my older brother in Serey Ta Sek pagoda.”

Monk Thach Binh said the 2 monks are accused by the Viet authority of acting as leaders during the 08 Feb demonstration. On that day, the Viet authority prevented 200 monks from Khleang province (Soc Trang) from getting out of the pagoda to beg for alms, the 2 accused monks were the ones who protested the Viet authority, asking them to abide by the law.

Monk Thach Thon who works with the Viet authority, and is the deputy Buddhist monk chief in Khleang province, declined to provide a comment to RFA.

Monk Thach Binh of the KKF condemns the defrocking attempt on the 2 Khmer Krom monks, saying that this is a blatant violation of the law: “It is totally against the law, against the Viet constitution, against the monk rites and customs. The Viet constitution states that Vietnamese people has the right to worship their religious belief, it’s on page 67, article 30 of the Viet constitution which talks about the rights to speech… Secondly, the two monks did not do anything serious to earn their defrocking.”

Lately, several protests against the Viet authority were held by Khmer Krom people and Khmer Krom monks. These protests were held to demand back the land the Viet authority illegally expropriated from Khmer Krom people. Khmer Krom people are also demanding for freedom, and the respect of their culture and religion.