Below is a direct translation from RFA interview on 24/1/09. Click here to listen Ladies and gentlemen, the Vietnam government has rejected the human rights abuses of the Khmer Krom people as reported by the Human Rights Watch stating that it was fabricated. On Thursday, Mr. Le Dzung, Vietnam Foreign Minister Spokesman said that the Khmer Krom people who live in the Mekong Delta forms an integral part and cannot be separated from the all the ethnic communities. He adds that they received all the basic rights enshrined in the Vietnam Constitution. Back to Wednesday, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that Vietnam has oppressed the Khmer Krom in the Mekong Delta region. And that the Khmer Krom people are severely prohibited from accessing freedom of expression, association, news and others. Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach, President of the global Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation has stated his approval towards the Human Rights Watch report. “The HRW report with its 126 pages is appropriate and correct. It shows how the Vietnam government has conspired with the Cambodian government especially in the case of Venerable Tim Sakhorn. Cambodia police were used to defrock Ven. Tim Sakorn from Takeo province and imprison him in Vietnam.” “Another example is the defrocking of the five Khmer Krom Buddhist monks who only demanded freedom of religion so that they could control their own religion.” “The confiscation of lands by Vietnamese authorities is another example of violations such as in Moth Chrouk, Khleang and many more places including Preah Trapeang.” “The biggest issue of all is education. The Vietnam government does not allow the Khmer students to study abroad. They also force the Khmer students to wear the traditional clothes.” Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach also stated that reports from other governments also reinforce the appropriateness of the HRW report. “It is not only the HRW report; the European Parliament announced recently that Vietnam government must respect the basic rights of the Khmer Krom people in Kampuchea-Krom.” “You can see also that the US State Department on Religious Freedom visited Kampuchea-Krom directly to investigate the human rights violation committed by Vietnam towards the Khmer Krom.” “The Vietnamese citizens even approved the human rights violation committed by its communist government towards the Khmer Krom people.” We are unable to reach a representative from the Cambodian government to comment on the report and the alleged role it has in working together with the Vietnam government to suppress the rights of the Khmer Krom people.
