According to source from the representative of Khmer Krom Buddhist monks in Cambodia, who doe not wish to be named, said around 150 people are travel from Mout Chruk (Vietnamese renamed to An Giang) province to the Mekong Delta’s Ministry of Land Management in Kleang (Vietnamese call Soc Trang) province on Wednesday to protest land confiscation. The Venerable monk also said the protesters come from Svay Tong and Tinh Bien commune by bus, but later was stopped and hijack by Vietnamese authorities, causing a young child [girl] to suffer a broken leg. “They told the bus driver not to take us and told us to get off the bus so we have to walk hundreds of kilometers. When we try to get on the bus, they shut the door and a young child’s leg got stuck and is broken.” Mr Chau Inh, 52 years old, a representative of the protestors talk to us by telephone from Kampuchea-Krom said thousands of Khmer Krom families in Mout Chruk province have filed complaints on many occasions to demand the return of their land which the Authorities have been confiscating since 1979 until today. He added no resolution has been offered that is why people are protesting even though the Authorities are obstructing. “They are trying to stop us. They threatened us. When we arrived in Long Xieng by bus, they stopped us there. So now we walk. Some people here are exhausted. Can Tho is very far, it may take four to five days and night to get there. If we die on the road, let it be. We are not turning back; we are not following their orders because they always say they’ll solve it but after that they just go quiet.” RFA was not able to reach Vietnamese embassy in Cambodia to enlighten regarding this matter on Wednesday. Sources from the international Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) have confirmed uprising against the Vietnamese authorities have started since the beginning of this year. Venerable Thach Binh, the head of the program of the KKF said the uprisings are only to demand the right to practice religion, culture and land rights which in the Vietnamese constitution chapter 62 states indigenous people have the rights their land, the rights to stage protests, the rights practice religion and culture. Translated from RFA Khmer serivce 07/02/2007 19:30 by KKN Click here to listen broadcast in Khmer (12:07 minute into the program)
