11 June 2007 By Sophorn – Radio Free Asia – Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy A representative of Khmer Kampuchea Krom people and Khmer Krom organizations claimed that his group will ask for the King’s intervention so that they can organize a Dhammayieta Walk for Peace, following the rejection to their demands by the Ministry of Interior (MoI). Monk Yoeung Sin, President of the Khmer Krom Monks Association, said that after his meeting with MoI and Phnom Penh municipality officials on Monday, they refused to allow Khmer Krom monks and people to organize the planned Dhammayietra Walk for Peace. Monk Yoeung Sin said that this was done to restrict the people’s right to express their opinion. “Both the MoI and the city said that monks have no right to organize the Dhammayietra or anything else. We will find a way so that we can organize it,” Monk Yoeung Sin said. Ang Chanrith, executive director of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Human Rights Organization, told RFA on Monday that it was because the MoI’s refusal to allow the Dhammayietra, Khmer Krom organizations are preparing letters to send to the king to ask for his intervention in this case. Ang Chanrith said: “We cannot organize it, we asked to organize (the Dhammayietra) last Sunday, (but our demand was rejected) because of the negative reply from the MoI provided by H.E. Khieu Sopheak.” However, Khieu Sopheak, MoI spokesman, clarified the case by saying that he was only applying the law, and regarding the request to organize the Dhammayietra by Khmer Krom monks and organizations, those who asked for the authorization did not follow the law, they must ask the authorization from the local authorities along the path of the walk first. Khieu Sopheak said: “In summary, they did not do according to the law. If they follow the law, there would be nothing wrong. The law said that they should ask the authorization from the local authorities of the communes the Dhammayietra is crossing through, from Phnom Penh to Oudong, in every communes they are crossing.” Chan Saveth, an Adhoc human rights official, said that usually, the Cambodian authority never authorized Khmer Krom to organize demonstrations to demand for their freedom. He said that this is a lack of respect for democracy. The Khmer Krom association, along with the Khmer Krom Monks Association and Khmer Krom Student Monks Association, plan to organize a Dhammayietra Walk for peace from Phnom Penh to Oudong with the participation of about 1,000 monks and laymen last Sunday, in order to pray for the peace for Khmer Krom people and monks who are currently living in the former lands of Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam). The walk was organized because, recently, the Hanoi’s regime defrocked and sentenced to jail several Khmer Krom monks who participated in a demonstration opposing them. The Dhammayietra was canceled after Phnom Penh refused to give its authorization.
