21 November 2007 By Keo Nimol Radio Free Asia Translated from Khmer by Socheata Four Khmer Krom monks who were victims of accusation leveled by the Wat O’Andoung pagoda committee, located in Banteay Meanchey province, which claimed that the monks have affairs with women, and were undertaking activities to serve the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation in the world (KKF), have arrived in Phnom Penh on 20 November. Venerable Thach Kong Phuong indicated that the four victimized monks have arrived in Phnom Penh, and they are currently asking human rights organizations to help them fight against these untrue accusations. Ven. Thach Kong Phuon said: “I had left the place already, and I arrived in Phnom Penh … I left on 18 [November], I left because they wanted to defrock me, and now I followed their orders: they gave me an ultimatum saying that if within 3 days, I do not get out from there (Mongkul Borey district where the pagoda is located), they would defrock me. In fact, they were supposed to defrock me since the 17th, but they told us (4 monks) to leave Mongkul Borey district within the next 3 days.” Ang Chanrith, the chairman of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Huma Rights Defense Organziation (KKHRO) said that his organization is currently doing research and trying to find a mean to legally help the four monks. Ang Chanrith said: “Right now, the venerable is at my office, and I am interviewing him, and asking him everything about the accusations and the charges leveled against him by the pagoda committee and the local authority which chased the venerable out. We need to know these details first, then we will take the appropriate measures to ask the intervention from the institution or ministry involved, so that they help resolve this issue and so that the four venerable can continue to stay in their pagoda, or to find a safe place at another pagoda for the monks to stay.” The Wat O’Andoung pagoda committee could not be contacted to ask questions about the accusations they leveled against the monks. Suon Bun Thoeun, an official of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), indicated that human rights organizations in the Banteay Meanchey province, including Licadho, Adhoc and CCHR have cooperated to pursue a detailed research on this issue. Suon Bun Thoeun said: “Right now, we are doing research, there are 3-4 organizations, including Khmer Krom organizations, Adhoc, Licadho. They will make another visit in order to meet them one more time.” Recently, former Monk Tim Sakhorn, a native of Kampuchea Krom who stayed in Takeo province, and was a pagoda abbot, was deported to Vietnam to be sentenced there. This action led to safety concerns among other Khmer Krom monks because they are afraid that accusations would be leveled them, charging them of undertaking activities that are against Buddhism rules.
