Schedule for worldwide Khmer Krom demonstrations

In response to the appeal by Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach, President of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF), Khmer Krom around the world are gathering in force to once again protest for the release of Venerable Tim Sakhorn after Vietnamese officials claim that he was entering Vietnam illegally.

Known for changing their stories at will, the Vietnamese government official is now accusing Venerable Tim Sakhorn for undermining the relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia.

The protests will be held this week in Cambodia, Canada, USA and Australia to name a few countries.

Please see below for the details of the protests in each country/ state:

In the USA

When:
Friday, August 17th, 2007

Time:
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Where:
Royal Embassy of Cambodia
4530 16th, Street NW
Washington, DC 20011
Tel.: 202.26.7742 and Fax: 202.726.8381

Additional information:
For any question or information please contact Lok Mannrinh - 856.655.0449/email: mannrinh@gmail.com or Lenny: vokk@comcast.net; fax: 856.853.1503

In Australia

When:
Thursday, August 16th, 2007

Time:
12:00pm

Where:
Parliament house in Canberra

In France

When:
Sunday, August 19, 2007

Time:
2 :00 PM

Where:
Trocadero Esplanade, Paris

In Canada and Cambodia

To be announced

Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation threatens to hold demonstrations worldwide

17 July 2007
By Kim Pov Sottan Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On Tuesday, the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation in the world (KKF) threatened to hold demonstrations around the world one more time if the Cambodian authority does not return back the former abbot of the Phnom Den pagoda in the next two weeks.

Thach Kong, a KKF representative, claimed that the KKF will send a complaint to the world tribunal, as well as holding demonstrations in France, the USA, Canada, and Australia to demand that the Cambodian authority return back the former abbot of the Phnom Den pagoda.

Thach Kong said: “In this demand, we request, … regarding the past arrest of Monk Tim Sakhorn, that the office of the supreme patriarch – because even the government does not know for sure about this issue – and the supreme patriarch to help provide a clarification because the case of Monk Tim Sakhorn is not a joke. The discouragement of the nationalism spirit of Khmer Krom monks who demand their freedom rights which do not affect the Royal government of Cambodia, and, especially, it was not done to dishonor the Vietnamese government either.”

This threat was directed to supreme patriarch Tep Vong, at a time when the whereabouts of Monk Tim Sakhorn is completely left in the dark, following his defrocking by the Cambodian authority at the end of June.

Following the defrocking, Khieu Sopheak, spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, claimed that Monk Tim Sakhorn was deported to Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) based on the monk’s request. The Cambodian community considers the action taken by the Cambodian government as forcing Monk Tim Sakhorn to be imprisoned in Vietnam.

On the same day, Tep Vong refused to comment by saying that he does not care about the demonstration threat. “It’s over, it’s over, thank you very much. Whatever they (Khmer Krom) want to do, it’s their problem, they are not part our family.”

Since the disappearance of Monk Tim Sakhorn, national and international human rights defender groups did a search to find the monk, but so far no information has transpired.

Ny Chariya, an investigator of the Adhoc human rights defense organization, blamed this action as a gross violation of human rights and the government must bear responsibility on this issue. “It’s a gross (violation), and we are concerned and very scared when a man was arrested and then he disappeared like this. No one knows where he is, only the communists and the socialists are taking such action. But for a democratic and law-abiding country, this action is not acceptable.”

Last week, former monarch Norodom Sihanouk requested Hun Sen’s intervention in the case of Monk Tim Sakhorn, but so far there is no reply from Hun Sen yet.