KKF: Growing International Support For Khmer Krom Issues in Geneva

Members of the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation(KKF) have traveled to Geneva, Switzerland for the 7th Session of Human Rights Council (HRC), arriving earlier this week. Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach, KKF President, Mr. Thach Vien, KKF Vice President of Europe Chapter, Venerable Thach Berong, KKF International Affairs Officer and Mr. Thhai Makarar, KKF Youth Committee headed to Geneva to submit a report to the HRC about the ongoing human rights abuses and religious violations committed by the Vietnam government. Starting from 3 March until 28 March 2008, governments, indigenous peoples and international agencies gather to speak about human rights. It provided a great opportunity for organizations to network, share information and provide support to one another. Upon arrival, the KKF Delegations were met with surprising support from different organizations also attending the conference. KKF met with Professor Yash Ghai, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in Cambodia spoke about the religious violations in the Mekong Delta. During his speech to the HRC, Professor Ghai spoke about the issues KKF brought up.Click here to read his speech

KKF Delegations with Professor Yash Ghai and representatives from LICADHO and UNPO The delegation also met up with representatives from Human Rights Watch, High Commissioner for Human Rights in Asia, Commissioner for Human Rights on Indigenous Peoples and Amnesty International. They made an appeal to European Union delegations and ambassadors to support the Khmer Krom issues. They also initiated a meeting Mr. Thun Saray, President of ADHOC and Dr. Kek Galabru, President of LICADHO. KKF Delegations Thach Ngoc Thach, Venerable Berong and Thhai Makara with member of High Commissioner for Human Rights in Asia and UNPO According to the KKF delegation, the growing support by international agencies and organizations has provided a great moral boast and credibility to the work of the Federation bringing greater hope and a brighter future for the indigenous people of the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.