The Hanoi government has proclaimed that it has done so many things to change the conditions of it own people including the indigenous and minorities. However, we would like to remind the VN government in case they forget what they have signed and ratified at the United Nations. Otherwise, they will continue their acts of oppression and traditional act of lying. Read in Khmer Below is the Status of Ratifications of the principal international human rights treaties (as of 14 July 2006) in which seven of the twelve treaties have been signed by the VN government:
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR, which is the Vietnam signed on December 24 1982.
- The International on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) December 24 1982.
- The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) July 09 1982.
- The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) March 19 1982.
- The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) September 01 1990.
- The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC-OP-AC) February 12 2002.
- The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC-OP-SC) January 18 2002.
From 15th January 2007 until 02 February 2007, the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation delegation led by Mrs. Son Thi Nit, representing our Khmer-Krom women will attend the 37th Convention on the Elimination All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). We would like to appeal to all Khmer-Krom women worldwide to support our delegation and stand up for our own rights. The CEDAW was adopted and opened for Signature, Ratification, and Accession by UN General Assembly Resolution 34/180, 18th of December 1979 and was enforced from 3rd of September 1981. Out of the 30 Articles of CEDAW, 16 articles are of women’s rights. Article 1 Discrimination Article 2 Condemn, Pursue Policy Eliminating Discrimination Article 3 Guarantee Basic Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms Article 4 Temporary, Special Measures Article 5 Modify Sex Role Stereo-typing, Prejudice Article 6 Suppress Traffic, Exploitation and Prostitution Article 7 Equality in Political & Public Life at the National Level Article 8 Equality in Political & Public Life at the International Level Article 9 Equality in National Laws Article 10 Equality in Education Article 11 Equality in Employment and Labor Rights Article 12 Equality and Access to Health Care Services Article 13 Economic and Social Benefits, Financial Security Article 14 Rural Women Article 15 Equality in Legal and Civil Matters Article 16 Equality in Marriage and Family Relations With just CEDAW treaty alone, there are 16 articles. Have the Vietnamese government done anything to help these indigenous Khmer Krom women or is it only a interest solely for purposes of ethnic Vietnamese women? Our Khmer-Krom women have been discriminated in all areas from employment, job opportunities, and education to health care benefits. Where are the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms guaranteed through the CEDAW convention? More than 85% of them cannot read, in particularly their own Khmer language. Very few have the opportunity to attend school and almost none of them are able to go on to higher education or have the opportunity like the Vietnamese women to be educated abroad. For the sake of our rights and the Khmer-Krom women rights, we together as Khmer and Khmer-Krom have to support and help our women fights for their rights. Our Khmer-Krom women, mothers, sisters and aunts have made their sacrifices for all of us, some of which we may never even know about. They have unselfishly dedicated their lives trying to raise the family during the war, stay home to take care of the children. One major sacrifice for our women, young and old is to stay at home and let the boys or their brother to be a monk or go to school for basic education “She fed us, she loved us, she worried daily but when she was killed I could not protect her –my very own mother” Thach N Thach