Original RFA report in Khmer Translated by KKF 31/12/07 The Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation has just finished their annual end of year conference in Long Beach, California at 3pm Cambodia time this Sunday. They have announced the Road Map to Motherland which was initiated from 2004 to 2008. Over 300 participants attended the entertainment evening, held fund raising for KKF, and heard Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach, KKF President said, “There are three objectives, first is to work international, second in Cambodia and third Kampuchea Krom which is our people want to see in particular to be sucess” The UNPO has 69 members, represented by over 300 million people and has elected Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach as a Presidency Member and will continue greater efforts in the area of human rights at the United Nations. Dr. Joshua Cooper, Professor from the Hawaii Institute for Human Rights and advisor to KKF has said that accomplishment of KKF in 2007 includes recognition from the international community, adoption on the Right of Indigenous Peoples last September and involvement of KKF with other ASEAN human rights groups in Cambodia last February. Another important accomplishment is greater understanding of Mr. Rodolfo Stavenhagen (UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of Indigenous People) and Madame Victoria Tauli-Corpuz who saw first hand the human rights violations victims, Khmer Krom, in Cambodia. KKF President has appealed to those who are born in Kampuchea-Krom to preserve their birth place identity, their colony names such as the last name, Thach and Son etc. No matter what, the KKF President has urged all to preserve the original names of their villages and provinces and to call them by their Khmer name and not use the one changed by Vietnam. Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach also appealed to organization outside of governments, media, members of Funcinpec Party, the Sam Rainsy Party and Human Rights party in attendance to create laws to help Khmer Krom. It has not been done and the Hun Sen government has not responded to the appeal by Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach. Read original report
