According to the Khmer program of Radio Free Asia coverage on Monday 3rd September 2007, the Vietnamese authorities attempted to arrest hundreds of Khmer Krom farmers conducting a peaceful protest demanding land issues be resolved. The protestors made their way from An Giang province to Cambodia’s former city, Ho Chi Minh early Sunday. Amongst the arrested on Monday were the Mr. Thach Ut and Mr. Chau Tich, both Khmer Krom farmers. According to an interview on Radio Free Asia, Mr. Thach Ut was released after being forced to submit to the condition of being a undercover spy for the Vietnamese government. His job required them to report all activities of the Khmer Krom people. “They released me at 10PM. They forced me to place blame on Chau In and Chau Son,” says Mr. Thach Ut in his interview to RFA. Mr. Chau In, a Khmer Krom land rights activist was summoned a week ago to the local police station. The reason behind the summon was unknown at the time. “They want me to say that I received money from Mr. Chau In, Chau Son, and Tim Sakhorn. They told me to say that. If not, they will not release me.” It appears that desperate tactics are being employed by the Vietnamese authorities to gather evident to convict Tim Sakhorn, former Abbot of Takeo Province. He is currently under the custody of the Vietnamese authorities who are attempting to put him on trial under Vietnamese laws despite being a Cambodian citizen for over twenty years. Mr. Thach Ut is the third farmer to be targeted by Vietnamese authorities in their attempt to accuse them of receiving money from Tim Sakhorn to organise peaceful demonstration. Vietnamese authorities are notorious for its one way and one party policy. Many Khmer Krom farmers as well as Buddhist monks have been arrested or defrocked for disturbing the Vietnamese society. Mr. Mr. Trinh Ba Cam, spokesman for the Vietnam Embassy in Cambodia has defended the Vietnamese authorities stating that its government does not force any one to spy on the Khmer Krom people. On the contrary, Mr. Thach Ut has provided a live on air testimony via RFA stating Vietnamese authorities are indeed using those tactics to further oppress its indigenous peoples.
