Newly re-ordained monk Tim Sakhorn, middle, drops by VOA Khmer while on a visit in the US last week. (Photo: by Lenny)Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Friday, 07 May 2010
“We want to see the Vietnamese government recognize that Khmer Krom land belongs to Cambodia.”Advocates for ethnic Khmers from Vietnam met with US State Department officials this week in an effort to improve human rights and religious freedoms there. The delegation included three Khmer monks who had spent about one year in jail each in Vietnam, in what they say is religious persecution.
Khmers from southern Vietnam, land often referred to in Cambodia as Kampuchea Krom, or “Lower Cambodia,” say Vietnamese authorities continue to suppress their rights, including land seizures and a lack of access to education. Kampuchea Krom, in the Mekong Delta region, was ceded to Vietnam by the French in 1949.
“We want to see the Vietnamese government recognize that Khmer Krom land belongs to Cambodia,” said Thach Ngoc Thach, president of the Khmer Kampucha Krom Federation, who met with State Department officials on Tuesday. “Vietnam has to apologize to the Cambodian people for the persecution of Khmer Krom people.”
The State Department meeting included officials that work with Vietnam, Cambodia and refugees, he said, and particularly focused on helping Khmer Krom find asylum once they flee Vietnam. The Cambodian government has said it will grant citizenship to any Khmer Krom, but that has not always happened, leading some to flee to Thailand in search of asylum.
Also attending the meeting were Tim Sakhorn, a former Khmer Krom monk who was defrocked by Cambodian Buddhists in 2007 and expelled to Vietnam, and monks Dinh Tol and Kim Moul. All three spent time in Vietnamese prisons that year but have since been granted asylum status. They were each re-ordained in the US last week.
“I came to the US this time to submit documents and be present as a live witness to US officials,” Tim Sakhorn told VOA Khmer after the meeting.
Vietnamese and State Department officials declined to comment on Tuesday’s meeting.
12 comments:
Please, remind the US that KKROMS died by the thousands fighting alongside the US forces. They owe you a debt of gratitude. You don't owe them anything.
Those three monks are the witness. Tells the world that Youn are oppression on our KKrom compatriots.
If you want to know how cruelty the Viet are just ask John Mccain.
Why are you called Khmer Krom as ethnic and not INDIGENOUS!
Are you Khmer?
We're all shall be united against the aggressor, Youn Vietcong. If we united among Khmer krom, we will claim back our motherland back. Don't expect Sihanouk do the job. He is working for Youn.
Congratulation to all three monks who have now freedom to practice buddhism and let your voice heard around the world. Now you can say what you want without fear of Vietcong.
The old King used to be a pawn of China. Now we have another HUN SEN being a pawn of China. What's wrong with the Cambodian leadership? The OLD king declare Cambodia is a neutral country but he associated with the North Vietnamese communist to fight the US supporting the South. Now we have another Cambodian HUN SEN supporting China communist against the US policy advocate human right around the world. Hun Sen trust the two big BOSS ( CHINA AND VIETNAM ) to back him up if a super power country want to throw him out. Let's call more than a few millions Khmers to rise up and stand up ourself to remove him from power and later we need support from the UN and super power countries after he's being out of power. This is the only HOPE to kick a dictatorship of Cambodian ruler out.
Hun Sen never and careless about our Khmers Krom. Well, we all Khmers and supporting each other. Hopefully, Khmers inside and outside will united to kick HUN SEN's regime out of power one of these day.
There's a of big KHMER and KHMER KROM flags along Anaheim street here in Long Beach.
ខ្ញុំក្នាថ្វាយបង្គំព្រះតេជគុណ ទឹម សាខន អំពីចម្ងាយ ខ្ញុំក្នាសូមចូលរួមអបអរសាទរ ចំពោះការសាងផ្នូសឡើងវិញ។ ដូច្នេះសូមព្រះអង្គជួយអញ្ជើញទៅក្រុងសាន់ហូសេ្ស ដើម្បីបកស្រាយអំពីជនប្រលាក់ឈាម ឆ្កែបំរើយួនដាច់ថ្លៃ ឡុង គឹម លាង ចំពោះករណីការចាប់ដោះស្បង់ចីវររបស់ព្រះអង្គ រួចបញ្ជូនទៅឱ្យអាជ្ញាធរយួនដាក់គុកយ៉ាងអយុត្តិធម៌ ពីព្រោះ អាឆ្កែ ឡុង គឹម លាង កំពុងលាកខ្លួននៅវត្តខ្មែរសាន់ហូស្សេ ក្រោមការគាំពារពីប្រធានវត្ត។ សូមបងប្អូនអ្នកស្នេហាជាតិទាំងអស់ បានជ្រាបជាដំណឹង យើងជាអ្នកស្នេហាជាតិពិតប្រាកដមិនអាចទុកឱ្យជនបាតដៃប្រលាក់ឈាមលាក់ខ្លួននៅអាមេរិកបានទៀតទេ យើងត្រូវត្រូវបញ្ជូនវាទៅក្រុងហាណូយជាបន្ទាន់!!!! ឆ្កៃបំរើយួន ឡុង គឹម លាង !
i agree about comment ,we need to send monk lim kim leng to go back to ha noi.
I heard that idiot traitor Kim Leng been living in Sanjose, Ca. For a while nobody taking of this idiots yet. Can some one kick him in the faces for me. Hahahahahah deport that stupid ass back to Youn Hanoi.
ashamed! ashamed ! ashamed ! U Monk kim leng working for yuon hanoi .
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