Protests planned by Khmer Krom

Unfair trial of Monk Tim Sakhorn in Vietnam

Monday, 12 January 2009
Written by Neth Pheaktra
The Phnom Penh Post

KHMER Krom ethnic minority members are planning demonstrations in Cambodia and Vietnam to protest against the detention of former monk Tim Sakhorn by Vietnamese authorities, activists said Sunday.

Khmer Kampuchea Krom Human Rights Association's chief executive, Ang Chanrith, said the demonstration would be held in the near future but declined to give a date.

Yoeung Sin of the Khmer Krom Monks Association said he will join the protest, claiming the detention was a violation of human rights. Both activists said they weren't afraid to demonstrate, but will seek permission from the Interior Ministry for the rally.

Vietnamese violence against protesting Khmer Krom people

Vietnam put down Khmer Krom land protest

10 January 2008
By Kim Pov Sottan
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A source from the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) in the world, based in Cambodia, indicated that at least 16 people were seriously injured and several others were slightly injured during the put down of a land protest by Khmer Krom villagers coming from An Giang province, the former land of Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam), during Wednesday night.

52-year-old Sokhom said: “I want to die there. They were angry at us, and they call in the cops to force us to climb into the car, but my group didn’t want to, so they shocked us (with the electric baton) and some passed out, and they threw us in the car. My head had a gash, and it is bleeding since yesterday.”

Mrs. Neang Ye, the leader of the demonstrators, who passed out, said: “First, they dragged me out of there, and they threw to the ground. Four of them (Vietnamese cops) beat me up and they hit me 5 times with a steel rod, then they hit my right arms 4 more times, then they took the steel rod to beat me on my shin twice more. After that, they shocked me, I passed out, and they took me to the provincial governor place. They said that I am involved in politics. I said that I am not involved in politics, they should look at my complaint letter. They said: your body hurt so much and you are still hotheaded? You want to die or to live? Be careful or else you won’t find wood to cremate yourself on time.”

More than 200 Khmer Krom people have protested on land disputes. They came from various districts of Motr Chrouk province, and they gathered in the morning of Wednesday to demand that the Vietnamese authority returns back their farm lands that the Vietnamese government confiscated from them several years ago.

The protestors do not plan to end their demands, however, at 11:00 PM, the Vietnamese cops were brought in to put them down.

Chau In, one of the protest leaders, added that, on Thursday, 130 Khmer Krom people traveled to the An Su commune office to continue the protest, in spite of the police raid last night. “The people are still angry and hurt, because they came to look for justice, but justice was not rendered to them,” Chau In said.

The An Giang Vietnamese cops recognized that the clash did take place, however, they denied that the clash took place between the cops and Khmer Krom protestors, it was in fact a clash with the Vietnamese Women Association. “The cops did not beat them up, but the (Vietnamese) women association advised the protestors to return back home, then the clash took place.”

Venerable Thach Bin, a KKF representative in Cambodia, condemned that the put down by the Vietnamese authority on Khmer Krom protestors.

Khmer Krom people demand that Vietnam resolve the land dispute issue

03 September 2007
By Kim Pov Sottan
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

The Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) claimed that at least 200 Khmer Krom people have traveled on Monday to the office of the Vietnamese Assembly located in Prey Nokor (Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnamese) in order to demand for a resolution in the land dispute issue.

Monk Thach Binh, a KKF representative, said that these Khmer Krom people came from Motr Chrouk province (Chau Doc in Vietnamese), and they had split up in numerous small groups led by three Khmer Krom leaders: Chau Heng, Chau In, and Chau Uk. “There are 210 people altogether, but when we left, we split up into three groups: the first group arrived last night at midnight, when they arrived there (Prey Nokor) … their side (the Vietnamese authority) arrested them, they were prevented from leaving, they were threatened and suffered hardships. There is no break, so our (Khmer Krom) brothers are continuing the struggle until tomorrow, we will see how many more will arrive,” Monk Thach Binh said.

From Kampuchea Krom, Chau Heng, a leader of the demonstrators from Motr Chrouk who is currently standing in front of the office of the Vietnamese Assembly in Prey Nokor, said over the phone that Khmer Krom villagers reached here in secret. He said that his group counts 11 people, but two of them were arrested by the police. He indicated that many more are yet to arrive.

Chau Heng indicated: “They will come, there are some more still coming, a few at a time. Even if we are arrested, we will resist and fight on because we lost our ancestral lands, anybody would regret (this kind of lost). Also, the number of people who are suffering hunger is growing daily, they have no work. Like me for example, I had to swim across several water streams and rivers, it was flooding water level in these rivers, I swam across them all to reach here.”

The same source indicated that, for some groups, their leaders had been arrested by the Vietnamese cops, while other groups are ordered by the Vietnamese cops to return back to their villages, and wait for a resolution.

RFA could not reach the Vietnamese government yet. However, Trinh Ba Cam, Hanoi’s mouthpiece in Phnom Penh, indicated that he did not receive this information yet, but he said Hanoi’s prime minister ordered a resolution of land disputes at the local levels.

This is the second time that Khmer Krom people from Motr Chrouk province are protesting to demand back their lands and their farmlands in Prey Nokor. In June 2007, a group of more than 1,000 protesters, including both Khmer Krom and Vietnamese people, sustained severe repression from their public protest.

The Khmer Krom protesters said that they will maintain their demands because they have waited for a resolution, but so far none has come.

Khmer Krom in the US are demonstrating about Monk Tim Sakhorn’s case

18 August 2007
By Mayarith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

More than 100 Khmer Krom people, including Khmer Krom monks, coming from 24 different states in the US have gathered in front of the Cambodian embassy in Washington DC to demand that the Cambodian government and supreme patriarch Tep Vong take responsibility on the fate of former Khmer Krom Monk Tim Sakhorn who is currently jailed in Vietnam.

Recently, a Vietnamese embassy representative in Phnom Penh declared that former Monk Tim Sakhorn is currently jailed in Vietnam and he is facing a sentencing stemming from a criminal accusation of involvement with the activities of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) – an organization currently involved in the legal liberation of the Kampuchea Krom lands.

Venerable Rong By, the leader of the demonstrators, said about the protest in front of the Cambodian embassy: “The main goal of more than 100 Khmer Krom people and Khmer Krom monks coming from all over the US, is to demand that the Cambodian government conducts an investigation into the disappearance of former Abbot Tim Sakhorn, and into his incarceration by the Vietnamese authority until now. Our second goal is to demand that the Cambodian government be responsible should Monk Tim Sakhorn be tortured or killed by the authoritarian Vietnamese government, and to demand that the Cambodian government intervene and be unconditionally responsible.”

Kim Vanny, a representative of the demonstrators from the US State of Virginia, said that he wants to push the Cambodian ambassador to help intervene. “We want to ask the embassy to send our demands to the Cambodian government so that it will help resolve in the case of a Khmer monk who is jailed by the Yuons (Vietnamese)…”

The protest in front of the Cambodian embassy on Friday took place after another demonstration was held in Australia to make the same demands to both the Cambodian and Vietnamese ambassadors.

On Friday, 2 representatives of the Cambodian embassy came out to receive the petition handed by the protesters. They promised to the Khmer Krom people that they will send the petition of the government leader.

Khmer Krom Protest in Phnom Penh against the defrocking and jailing on anti-communist Monk Tim Sakhorn in Vietnam

Men sit behind a portrait of anti-communist Buddhist monk Tim Sakhorn during a protest at a pagoda in Phnom Penh August 17, 2007. The Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh confirmed Tim Sakhorn, who went missing on June 30 after being defrocked by Phnom Penh's Supreme Patriarch for "damaging Vietnamese-Cambodian relations", was in custody in Vietnam, but said he had been arrested for illegal entry. The so-called Kampuchea Krom, whose existence is due to the redrawing of the Vietnamese-Cambodian border under French colonial rule, have longed complained about religious persecution by Vietnam's communist rulers. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Khmer Kampuchea Krom monks hold a protest to demand Vietnam release anti-communist Buddhist monk Tim Sakhorn, at a pagoda in Phnom Penh August 17, 2007. The Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh confirmed Tim Sakhorn, who went missing on June 30 after being defrocked by Phnom Penh's Supreme Patriarch for "damaging Vietnamese-Cambodian relations", was in custody in Vietnam, but said he had been arrested for illegal entry. The so-called Kampuchea Krom, whose existence is due to the redrawing of the Vietnamese-Cambodian border under French colonial rule, have longed complained about religious persecution by Vietnam's communist rulers. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Khmer Kampuchea Krom monks hold a protest to demand Vietnam release anti-communist Buddhist monk Tim Sakhorn, at a pagoda in Phnom Penh August 17, 2007. The Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh confirmed Tim Sakhorn, who went missing on June 30 after being defrocked by Phnom Penh's Supreme Patriarch for "damaging Vietnamese-Cambodian relations", was in custody in Vietnam, but said he had been arrested for illegal entry. The so-called Kampuchea Krom, whose existence is due to the redrawing of the Vietnamese-Cambodian border under French colonial rule, have longed complained about religious persecution by Vietnam's communist rulers. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Yeoun Sin, president of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Buddhist Monk's Association, speaks to the media during a protest for the release of anti-communist Buddhist monk Tim Sakhorn, in Phnom Penh August 17, 2007. The Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh confirmed Tim Sakhorn, who went missing on June 30 after being defrocked by Phnom Penh's Supreme Patriarch for "damaging Vietnamese-Cambodian relations", was in custody in Vietnam, but said he had been arrested for illegal entry. The so-called Kampuchea Krom, whose existence is due to the redrawing of the Vietnamese-Cambodian border under French colonial rule, have longed complained about religious persecution by Vietnam's communist rulers. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Khmer Krom plan to protest land problems in Vietnam

19 July 2007
By Kim Pov Sottan
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

A source from the Khmer Krom population indicated that several Khmer Krom people are gathering to protest land problems one more time on 23 July, even though the Vietnamese authority requested, in the last few days, to stop all protests and to wait for a resolution from the local authority.

The Khmer Krom people protest plan will take place after a large demonstration participated by more than 1,000 people was broken up by the Vietnamese police in Prey Nokor (current Ho Chi Minh city) yesterday evening.

Sopheap, an over 40-year-old woman from Khleang province (Soc Trang in Vietnamese) in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam), claimed that the Vietnamese authority took away her rice field, therefore the protest will continue because Khmer Krom people do not trust the Vietnamese promise for a resolution because such promises were made several times already.

Sopheap said: “In reality, I don’t trust their claims, they never follow through. They promised to give our land back, they didn’t. My land was only 12-cong in size, and they took it all. I have to live at a guest house … They said they will give it back, but they didn’t.”

Vin Ba, also from Khleang province, was warned (by the Vietnamese authority) for leading a demonstration a few months ago, he added that at least 60 villagers from Khleang province will travel to the Prek Russei Vietnamese Indigenous Committee office to demand for a new resolution on land problems.

Vin Ba said: “They say whatever they want, we will go regardless because we lost our properties, we must demand them back. We don’t go to fight the state, we only go to demand back our properties … They took my land to plant sugarcanes, therefore, I must demand it back.”

In the evening of 18 July, the Vietnamese authority came down on a group of more than 1,000 demonstrators, whom some source indicated include both Khmer Krom and Vietnamese people who came to demonstrate from several regions of Vietnam in the past month. The demonstrators gathered next to the South Vietnamese Assembly to demand for a resolution on land problems.

The same source indicated that several people were killed and injured during the fight with the Viet police.

Until now, Viet TV broadcasted twice daily, a call by the government for the people to end their protest. The Viet government said that local authorities will resolve this issue, and that if the protest still continue, the protesters will be punished.

A Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) official criticized the Viet authority which always makes promises to provide a resolution on the land protest by the people, but that up to now, no such resolution was ever given and the protests still continue.

Khmer Krom protest to demand a resolution on land dispute

Kampuchea Krom Buddhist monks from southern Vietnam hold a Buddhist flag during a protest in front of the royal palace in Phnom Penh April 20, 2007. Around fifty monks protested outside the Vietnamese embassy on Friday, calling on the communist-run nation to allow greater freedom of religion. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

18 June 2007
By Sok Serei
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

On Monday, a group of 120 Khmer Kampuchea Krom people representing more than 400 families held a protest demonstration in Mort Chrouk province (An Giang province in Vietnamese) to demand from the local Vietnamese authority for a resolution in their land problems, and for the return of more than 500-hectare of lands confiscated from them.

Following an unsuccessful demonstration, the demonstrators traveled by several cars from Motr Chrouk province to Prey Nokor city (Ho Chi Minh city) to hand over their demand petition to the Vietnamese authority.

A source indicated that the demonstrators were not arrested by the Vietnamese authority, but a large number of Vietnamese cops forced the Khmer Krom people out of their cars and told them to travel to Prey Nokor by foot – a 300-kilometer trip that will take several days to reach by marching.

Chau Soeun, a 55-year Khmer Krom from Nha Bang village, Motr Chrouk province, who is one of the 120 Khmer Krom representatives, told RFA over the phone: “We are protesting the land issue, the Vietnamese authority would not return back the land to the people, and now the people are protesting. But now, they do not even allow us to travel (to go to Prey Nokor) by car. We are walking under the hot sun.”

Neang Sophea, a Khmer Krom woman from Motr Chrouk province discussed about the protest by saying: “The Viets do not allow our Khmer people to bring their protest to the higher authorities, what do the higher (Viet) authorities have to say?”

Khmer Krom Monk Thach Pin, an aid to the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) in Cambodia, said that KKF representatives in the US will hand over a petition to Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet during his visit in the US, to demand for the release of 5 Khmer Krom monks from jail, and to oppose the violations of Khmer Krom human rights.

On Monday, the Vietnamese embassy in Cambodia cannot be contacted to obtain its reaction about the protest of Khmer Krom people in this land problem.

A Khmer Krom man representing the protesters said the protesters count 120 people who have decided to stop all their work in order to travel to present their demands, even if the travel by foot for the more than 300-kilometer distance will take them several days. They are determined to endure the scorching sun, and one woman passed out and could not continue the march.

In February of this year, the Vietnamese authority arrested 5 Khmer Krom monks and threw them in jail after they defrocked 16 Khmer Krom monks in total. The action taken by the Vietnamese authority was in response to Khmer Krom monks demand for their open freedom to practice their Cambodian religious belief, their Cambodian customs, and the right to celebrate Cambodian religious festivals.

Cambodian government officials, including Heng Samrin (the former president of the Vietnamese-installed puppet regime), considered the Khmer Krom problem as an internal issue of Vietnam. Several petition pleas sent by Khmer Krom people to Heng Samrin asking him to broach this issue with Nguyen Phu Trong, the Vietnamese Assembly President who was then visiting Cambodia, were all dismissed by Heng Samrin.

Vietnam promised that minority people can freely travel to the US embassy in Hanoi

Several reports from various sources indicated that Vietnam is accused and condemned of human rights violations not only against Khmer Krom people, but also aginst all other minority people living in Vietnam, including the Montagnard people.

In February 2007, the Vietnamese government promised to Ellen Sauerbrey, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, that minority people can freely travel to US embassy in Hanoi.