Speech by KKF VP Mr. Vien Thach Brussels, 8 December 2007 Mister Chairman, Dear Excellencies, Ladies, Gentlemen, Dear Friends, The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation is an organization struggling via non-violent means to claim rights over ancestral lands, to struggle for human rights enclosed in the UN Charter and relevant International Laws, and for the well being of our Kampuchea Krom compatriots in Vietnam – what once was French Cochin-China. Vietnamese authorities have consistently persecuted the Buddhists Monks of Theravada and the indigenous Khmer Krom people in its ethnic cleansing policy. The latter still pleads against the land confiscations; the arrests of the Theravada monks and their public dressing-down and humiliation. 5 monks were convicted to prison sentences of 2 to 4 years last May 10, 2007 alone for merely reclaiming the Vietnamese authorities to respect the Buddha’s teachings. To satisfy expansionist ambitions, Vietnam is casting a shadow over Cambodia by asserting its domination over its smaller neighbor. After Khmer Krom Buddhist Monks protested peacefully in front of the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh last February 27th, a monk was found slaughtered, his throat slit, alone in his room. The body was buried at 2 AM by the Cambodian authorities without letting relatives perform ritual funeral rites. Last June 30 in Cambodia, in the wake of Vietnamese pressures authorities, the Buddhist patriarch of Cambodia Tep Vong, ordered the defrocking without any due process of Ven Tim Sakhorn, leader of the North Phnom Den pagoda, of the Kirivong district, of the Takeo province. He stood accused of threatening Viet-Cambodian friendly relations. Thereafter, he was illegally deported to and imprisoned in Vietnam. This scandalous act was perpetrated in full contempt of domestic and international legality. According to witness accounts, in spite of strong protests by Venerable TIM Sakhorn, both against these bogus accusations and the methods used by Vietnamese authorities, the monk was forced to relinquish the saffron robe and wear the blue prisoners’ overalls. He was taken away by the bodyguards of General HIN Bun Heang of Phnom-Penh. The northern Phnom Den monastery, of which Venerable Tim Sakhorn serves as abbey, is situated two kilometers from the Vietnamese border. The monastery often houses and hosts Khmer Krom individuals who are persecuted by the Vietnamese authorities. The monastery disseminates materials on human rights and thereby elicits the displeasure of the Vietnamese authorities. Facing the unacceptable injustice which Cambodia unfrocks and deports its own citizen to be incarcerated in Vietnam, Cambodia has violated article 33 of its constitution. The Khmers and Khmer Krom communities and their friends throughout the world (France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Cambodia) who are very shocked of this human rights violations, organized several successive peaceful demonstrations claiming the release of their brethren monks such as Venerables Tim Sakhorn, Kim Moeurn, Danh Tuon, Ly Suong, Ly Hoang and Thach Thuong from their illegal detention. We were very pleased with the outcome of our demonstration in Geneva last September 23rd 2007. About 500 people demonstrated peacefully. Swiss television covered the event, and the UN accredited newspaper “The Human Rights Tribune” reverberated the event in its October 8 edition. The UNHCHR has taken into consideration as well the petition of our demonstration. The European Parliament has further expressed its concern over ongoing human rights violations by Vietnam in its July 12th 2007 resolution. However, Vietnam remains unmoved. Therefore, in the name of the Khmer and the Khmer Krom communities, I hereby issue an appeal to the Alliance of Democrats and Liberals for Europe and to the Transnational Radical Party to impress upon the governments of Vietnam and of Cambodian Monarchy so that each of these regimes should comply with their undertakings as members of the United Nations. Thank you. Vien Thach, KKF VP for European Affairs Download French version of speech
Speech to Nonviolent Radical Party Conference
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Speech to Nonviolent Radical Party Conference
Speech by KKF VP Mr. Vien Thach Brussels, 8 December 2007 Mister Chairman, Dear Excellencies, Ladies, Gentlemen, Dear Friends, The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation is an organization struggling via non-violent means to claim rights over ancestral lands, to struggle for human rights enclosed in the UN Charter and relevant International Laws, and for the well being of our Kampuchea Krom compatriots in Vietnam – what once was French Cochin-China. Vietnamese authorities have consistently persecuted the Buddhists Monks of Theravada and the indigenous Khmer Krom people in its ethnic cleansing policy. The latter still pleads against the land confiscations; the arrests of the Theravada monks and their public dressing-down and humiliation. 5 monks were convicted to prison sentences of 2 to 4 years last May 10, 2007 alone for merely reclaiming the Vietnamese authorities to respect the Buddha’s teachings. To satisfy expansionist ambitions, Vietnam is casting a shadow over Cambodia by asserting its domination over its smaller neighbor. After Khmer Krom Buddhist Monks protested peacefully in front of the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh last February 27th, a monk was found slaughtered, his throat slit, alone in his room. The body was buried at 2 AM by the Cambodian authorities without letting relatives perform ritual funeral rites. Last June 30 in Cambodia, in the wake of Vietnamese pressures authorities, the Buddhist patriarch of Cambodia Tep Vong, ordered the defrocking without any due process of Ven Tim Sakhorn, leader of the North Phnom Den pagoda, of the Kirivong district, of the Takeo province. He stood accused of threatening Viet-Cambodian friendly relations. Thereafter, he was illegally deported to and imprisoned in Vietnam. This scandalous act was perpetrated in full contempt of domestic and international legality. According to witness accounts, in spite of strong protests by Venerable TIM Sakhorn, both against these bogus accusations and the methods used by Vietnamese authorities, the monk was forced to relinquish the saffron robe and wear the blue prisoners’ overalls. He was taken away by the bodyguards of General HIN Bun Heang of Phnom-Penh. The northern Phnom Den monastery, of which Venerable Tim Sakhorn serves as abbey, is situated two kilometers from the Vietnamese border. The monastery often houses and hosts Khmer Krom individuals who are persecuted by the Vietnamese authorities. The monastery disseminates materials on human rights and thereby elicits the displeasure of the Vietnamese authorities. Facing the unacceptable injustice which Cambodia unfrocks and deports its own citizen to be incarcerated in Vietnam, Cambodia has violated article 33 of its constitution. The Khmers and Khmer Krom communities and their friends throughout the world (France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Cambodia) who are very shocked of this human rights violations, organized several successive peaceful demonstrations claiming the release of their brethren monks such as Venerables Tim Sakhorn, Kim Moeurn, Danh Tuon, Ly Suong, Ly Hoang and Thach Thuong from their illegal detention. We were very pleased with the outcome of our demonstration in Geneva last September 23rd 2007. About 500 people demonstrated peacefully. Swiss television covered the event, and the UN accredited newspaper “The Human Rights Tribune” reverberated the event in its October 8 edition. The UNHCHR has taken into consideration as well the petition of our demonstration. The European Parliament has further expressed its concern over ongoing human rights violations by Vietnam in its July 12th 2007 resolution. However, Vietnam remains unmoved. Therefore, in the name of the Khmer and the Khmer Krom communities, I hereby issue an appeal to the Alliance of Democrats and Liberals for Europe and to the Transnational Radical Party to impress upon the governments of Vietnam and of Cambodian Monarchy so that each of these regimes should comply with their undertakings as members of the United Nations. Thank you. Vien Thach, KKF VP for European Affairs Download French version of speech