Contact:
Sereivuth Prak
P.O.Box 193
Pennsauken, NJ 08110
Phone: 562-209-1790
http://kkjsd.blogspot.com
kkbook@khmerkrom.org

Pennsauken, NJ - April 19, 2010 - Prior to April 1975, people around the world knew about the Vietnam War. Today, people know about the fertile land of the Mekong Delta that helps Vietnam to be ranked as the second leading exporter of rice in the world. However, there are very few people who know the true history of the Mekong Delta and its surrounding regions. Therefore, people don’t know about the indigenous Khmer-Krom peoples.

At the year-end meeting of the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) from 12-13 December 2009 in San Jose, California, Mr. To Kim Thong, KKF Chairman, had an interview with the Preynokor News regarding to the roadmap that the KKF has been advocating to seek for the right to self-determination for the indigenous Khmer-Krom people as follows:

On October 29, 2009, KKF delegation jointed the Religions for Peace conference in Bangkok, Thailand. The conference focused on “The Role of Religious Leaders in Conflict Transformation and Peace Building" An Encounter of Religions for Peace Inter-religious Councils of Thailand and Sri Lanka.

On behalf of the KKF Board of Directors and members, I would like to thank for your valuable time, courage, support, and financial donation to support Tim Sakhorn and five former Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks who were imprisoned injustice in Vietnam.

First of all, on June 30, 2007 , Ven. Tim Sakhorn is a former Buddhist monk who was defrocked by monks who work for the Vietnamese government's interest: Tep Vong, Non Nghet, Om Lam Heng, Sao Chanthol, Long Kim Leang, Cheas Om, Noi Chreuk, and deported him to imprison in Vietnam with the accusation of undermining the relationship Vietnam and Cambodia.

Dear Immigrant Officers of Foreign Embassies in Cambodia and Cambodian Community Leaders Abroad:

A high profile Khmer-Krom activist, Tim Sakhorn, reported about how he was dramatically arrested, deported from Cambodia to be imprisoned in Vietnam by the monks in Cambodia.

On June 30, 2007, Venerable Cheas Om, who was a high-ranking Buddhist monk in Takeo province in Seyha Rattana Ram Temple, called Venerable Tim Sakhorn to visit him. When Venerable Tim Sakhorn arrived at his temple, Venerable Tim Sakhorn saw other Buddhist monks from Phnom Penh waiting for him there. Venerable Sao Chanthol took a defrocking ordered letter, which was signed and stamped by the Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong and Non Nget, and read it to accuse Venerable Tim Sakhorn for using his temple to undermine the relationship between Cambodia and Vietnam.

PRESS RELEASE: 09 September 2009
Pennsauken, NJ, USA

Krobao (Tinh Bien) District, An Giang Province, Vietnam – On September 8, 2009, the Vietnamese authority summoned Khmer-Krom farmers to meet the Vietnamese authority representatives at three different temples: Sang Ke Douch temple, Om Pei Swai temple, and Pothi temple.

Participants from KKF Europe include: THHAI Makarar, KIM Valentin, KIM Céline, BIV Bora, KHOUN Toma, KHOUN Sarah and Joshua Cooper.

Khmer Krom youths have attended training on the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva, Switzerland with KKF Advisor Joshua Cooper.