Thursday, January 03, 2008 Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper Translated from Khmer by Socheata of KI Media Opposition MP Son Chhay plans to send a letter to the Vietnamese embassy in Cambodia to forward to Son Tong Son, the vice-chairman of the Vietnamese southwest party central committee, to remind him about the promise he gave on the release of 5 Khmer Monks jailed in Khleang province (Soc Trang in Vietnamese) and former Venerable Tim Sakhorn. In the afternoon of 02 January 2008, Son Chhay told Rasmei Kampuchea over the phone that he plans to send a letter to the Vietnamese embassy to remind Son Tong Son who promised Son Chhay that he will coordinate for the certain release of Ven. Tim Sakhorn. At the same time, Son Tong Son also promised that during holidays, such as the Vietnamese New Year celebration, for example, there is a reduction of sentences (for people being jailed). Son Chhay added that his letter would only be to remind Son Tong Son to look into the whereabout of the promises he made to Son Chhay, because he is waiting to know about the date of the release of the monks. Son Chhay added that he already drafted the letter and planned to send it out a day earlier, but he had to delay the sending because of his meeting schedule. Venerable Yoeung Sin, President of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Monks Associaiton and Abbot of the Samaky Raingsey pagoda, said that it is an honor to see a MP involved to help resolve this case, and that he depends entirely on Son Chhay to resolve and intervene because Son Chhay may be more efficient than him (Ven. Yoeung Sin), because, as a monk, he has more difficulties in the resolution of this case, and he does not play an (important) role in society either. Therefore, Ven. Yoeung Sin will let MP Son Chhay help resolve this issue. Ven. Yoeung Sin said that, in the past, he also sent letters to the Vietnamese embassy in Cambodia, but that they did not go anywhere as they were all prevented (from being delivered to the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh). Ven. Tim Sakhorn was the former abbot of the Phnom Den North pagoda, who was defrocked by the Vietnamese authority, and subsequently jailed after he was accused of undermining the solidarity between Cambodia and Vietnam. The Vietnamese court sentenced him to one-year of jail time. Since the arrest of Ven. Tim Sakhorn, there were several protests from the public, in particular from Khmer Kampuchea-Krom monks.
Son Chhay plans to remind Vietnam about Ven. Tim Sakhorn’s case
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Son Chhay plans to remind Vietnam about Ven. Tim Sakhorn’s case
Thursday, January 03, 2008 Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper Translated from Khmer by Socheata of KI Media Opposition MP Son Chhay plans to send a letter to the Vietnamese embassy in Cambodia to forward to Son Tong Son, the vice-chairman of the Vietnamese southwest party central committee, to remind him about the promise he gave on the release of 5 Khmer Monks jailed in Khleang province (Soc Trang in Vietnamese) and former Venerable Tim Sakhorn. In the afternoon of 02 January 2008, Son Chhay told Rasmei Kampuchea over the phone that he plans to send a letter to the Vietnamese embassy to remind Son Tong Son who promised Son Chhay that he will coordinate for the certain release of Ven. Tim Sakhorn. At the same time, Son Tong Son also promised that during holidays, such as the Vietnamese New Year celebration, for example, there is a reduction of sentences (for people being jailed). Son Chhay added that his letter would only be to remind Son Tong Son to look into the whereabout of the promises he made to Son Chhay, because he is waiting to know about the date of the release of the monks. Son Chhay added that he already drafted the letter and planned to send it out a day earlier, but he had to delay the sending because of his meeting schedule. Venerable Yoeung Sin, President of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Monks Associaiton and Abbot of the Samaky Raingsey pagoda, said that it is an honor to see a MP involved to help resolve this case, and that he depends entirely on Son Chhay to resolve and intervene because Son Chhay may be more efficient than him (Ven. Yoeung Sin), because, as a monk, he has more difficulties in the resolution of this case, and he does not play an (important) role in society either. Therefore, Ven. Yoeung Sin will let MP Son Chhay help resolve this issue. Ven. Yoeung Sin said that, in the past, he also sent letters to the Vietnamese embassy in Cambodia, but that they did not go anywhere as they were all prevented (from being delivered to the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh). Ven. Tim Sakhorn was the former abbot of the Phnom Den North pagoda, who was defrocked by the Vietnamese authority, and subsequently jailed after he was accused of undermining the solidarity between Cambodia and Vietnam. The Vietnamese court sentenced him to one-year of jail time. Since the arrest of Ven. Tim Sakhorn, there were several protests from the public, in particular from Khmer Kampuchea-Krom monks.