Over twenty Khmer Krom Buddhist monks and up to two hundred protesters are expected to conduct a demonstration in front of Parliament House on April 20 2007 to appeal for Australia’s help in resolving human rights and religious freedom issues in Vietnam. The government of Australia, through its national organisation, AUSAID has contributed to over $81 million dollars to Vietnam to help establish trade links between the two countries. The human rights situation in Vietnam, however, appears to be an insignificant issue for the Australian government. Vietnam was removed from the Countries of Particular Concern late last year during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Hanoi, attended by world leaders including Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard. Reports of recent religious oppression, in particular against ethnic minorities such as the Khmer Krom and the Montagnards, displays a sharp contradiction to the situation of religious freedom in Vietnam. The Khmer Krom people are the indigenous peoples residing in the rich fertile lands of the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, but are ranked amongst the poorest people of Vietnam by the World Health Organisation. The protestors claimed, on 8 February 2007 over two hundred Buddhist monks residing in Soc Trang province, Vietnam, were summoned for interrogation after participating in a non-violent demonstration demanding religious freedom. According to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation and reports from the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation, military forces were used to remove the Buddhist monks from their temple quarters. Since then, at least nine monks have been forced to disfrock and three have been reported missing after being apprehended by Vietnamese authorities. Protestors from Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne will be appealing to the Australian government to bring human rights and religious freedom issues to the forefront in its future consultation with Vietnam. They also urge the Australian government to exert pressure on Vietnam to adhere to its international obligations, in particular to uphold and respect the International Religious Freedom Act. The protest in Canberra is the first of a series of global demonstrations expected to be held in various cities across Cambodia , Europe, Canada and United States of America on the same day. For more information please contact: Media officer: Miss. Sothy Kien. Mobile 0402 538 465 For quotes/images on the day: Please contact Miss. Sothy Kien. Mobile 0402 538 465, Mr. Chantho Thach. Mobile 0431 082 522 or Head Monk Liv Pov. Mobile 0401 201 009
