04 March 2007 Radio Free Asia – By Mayarith Translated from Khmer by Socheata of KI Media The opposition against the Vietnamese authority which recently jailed and defrocked 9 Khmer Krom monks, is still being pursued. On Saturday, more than 30 Khmer Krom people and monks met at a Khmer Krom pagoda in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, to plan for more opposition against Vietnam, and to seek help and intervention from the International community. A Khmer Krom monk who led the demonstration in the USA to oppose the jailing and defrocking of 9 monks in Kampcuhea Krom (current south Vietnam), issued a plea on Saturday to demand for intervention from the International community to help 200 other Khmer Krom monks who are prevented from going out from their pagoda to beg for their daily alms. Monk Thach Birong made the call during a meeting of Khmer Krom monks and Khmer Krom people at a Khmer Krom pagoda in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Monk Thach Birong said: “We are asking the International community, foreign embassies, and in particular, the USA and the United Nations commission for Human Rights and Religious Freedom, to pay attention and to help intervene urgently. Otherwise, 200 [Khmer Krom] monks who have been already threatened will be defrocked one after another soon.” Human Rights Watch (HRW) officials told RFA on Saturday that they have observed the successive demonstrations held by Khmer Krom people in the world in the last few days, HRW is conducting its own investigation on the accusations made. A report indicated that Trinh Ba Cam, the Viet ambassador in Cambodia, denied all the accusations made against Vietnam. During this week, several demonstrations against Vietnam which jailed and defrocked 9 Khmer Krom monks in Kampuchea Krom, were held in several locations both inside and outside of Cambodia. On Friday, Duong Vanny, a demonstrator from Virginia state, USA, who participated in the demonstration held in front of the Viet liaison office in Washington DC, said that Vietnam must abide by International law to protect human rights and religious belief. Duong Vanny said: “The Vietnamese government must resolve the issue for Khmer [Krom] people, fairly and according to the UN law stipulated in Article 13/132 regarding the original people of the land. The Viet government does not respect Khmer Krom rights.” Demonstrations held overseas are also aimed at demanding justice for a Khmer Krom monk who died recently in Cambodia. Monk Eang Sok Thoeun who participated in demonstrations in Vietnam and who also participated in the 27 Feb demonstration in front of the Viet embassy in Phnom Penh, was said to commit suicide [by the police], however, doubts are raised about the cause of the death because of the number of markings found on his slit throat.
