Khmer Krom people and monks are protesting in front of the Vietnamese liaison office in Washington DC on 02 March 2007. (Photo: Mayarith, RFA)03 March 2007
By Mayarith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
About 70 Khmer Krom people and Khmer Krom monks coming from several states in the US, held a peaceful demonstration on 02 March in front of the Vietnamese liaison office in Washington DC.
The demonstrators chanted: “Long life Buddhism! Long life Khmer Krom! Khmer Krom people must get justice,” in front of the liaison office of the Vietnamese embassy in Washington DC to protest the action taken by the Viet authority in defrocking 9 Khmer Krom monks recently.
Khmer Krom monks who participated in the demonstration said: “… If the Hanoi communist regime does not provide justice for the defrocked monks, and if it continues to violate the rights of Buddhist religious belief in Kampuchea Krom, Khmer Krom people around the world will contact embassies and interfaith groups. In Australia yesterday, there was a demonstration held, and the demonstrators met with US and German embassies personnel. Right now, Dr. Adamson in charge of religious affairs of the US State Department is working on a legislative draft demanding a number of rights. There will surely be justice for Khmer Krom in the future.”
Another demonstration is planned to protest and demand justice for the recent death of a Khmer Krom monk. According to report, Monk Eang Sok Thoeun who participated in demonstrations against Vietnam in the past, and who recently participated in a demonstration in front of the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh on 27 Feb, was found dead. Police ruled it as a suicide, but there are suspicions that the death was an assassination because of the number of markings on his slit throat.
Monk Thach Birong from California, who led the demonstration in Washington DC, said that he is certain, the death of monk Eang Sok Theoun is not a suicide: “I am very worried, and I sincerely regret about this Khmer Krom monk who died in Cambodia. I am certain that this is linked to the rise of monks to demand justice…”
Another demonstrator, Mrs. Sin Theanith, the representative of Khmer Kampuchea Krom women group of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) from Pennsylvania state, demanded on Friday that the Viet authority reinstates defrocked monks: “We are coming here today to demand that the Viet stop the defrocking of our monks, and they must reinstate those monks who have been defrocked.”
The Washington DC demonstration followed another Khmer Krom demonstration held in Australia and Cambodia to express the same demand on the Viet government
The demonstration organizers said that next week, another demonstration will be held in California, whereas the one in Canada win be held on 12 March.
The demonstrators chanted: “Long life Buddhism! Long life Khmer Krom! Khmer Krom people must get justice,” in front of the liaison office of the Vietnamese embassy in Washington DC to protest the action taken by the Viet authority in defrocking 9 Khmer Krom monks recently.
Khmer Krom monks who participated in the demonstration said: “… If the Hanoi communist regime does not provide justice for the defrocked monks, and if it continues to violate the rights of Buddhist religious belief in Kampuchea Krom, Khmer Krom people around the world will contact embassies and interfaith groups. In Australia yesterday, there was a demonstration held, and the demonstrators met with US and German embassies personnel. Right now, Dr. Adamson in charge of religious affairs of the US State Department is working on a legislative draft demanding a number of rights. There will surely be justice for Khmer Krom in the future.”
Another demonstration is planned to protest and demand justice for the recent death of a Khmer Krom monk. According to report, Monk Eang Sok Thoeun who participated in demonstrations against Vietnam in the past, and who recently participated in a demonstration in front of the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh on 27 Feb, was found dead. Police ruled it as a suicide, but there are suspicions that the death was an assassination because of the number of markings on his slit throat.
Monk Thach Birong from California, who led the demonstration in Washington DC, said that he is certain, the death of monk Eang Sok Theoun is not a suicide: “I am very worried, and I sincerely regret about this Khmer Krom monk who died in Cambodia. I am certain that this is linked to the rise of monks to demand justice…”
Another demonstrator, Mrs. Sin Theanith, the representative of Khmer Kampuchea Krom women group of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) from Pennsylvania state, demanded on Friday that the Viet authority reinstates defrocked monks: “We are coming here today to demand that the Viet stop the defrocking of our monks, and they must reinstate those monks who have been defrocked.”
The Washington DC demonstration followed another Khmer Krom demonstration held in Australia and Cambodia to express the same demand on the Viet government
The demonstration organizers said that next week, another demonstration will be held in California, whereas the one in Canada win be held on 12 March.
1 comment:
Here we go this is the way to do.
Bati
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