13 August 2007 By Mayarith – Radio Free Asia Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy of KI Media The leader of the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF), who is now on visit in Australia, is on a 21-day mission to seek for support from three main countries who could influence with their intervention into the problems faced by Khmer Krom people currently living in Vietnam. The 21-day mission led Thach Ngoc Thach, KKF President, to Australia, following a visit to Canada and the USA. Up until this Monday, Thach Ngoc Thach has completed 13-day of traveling. Thach Ngoc Thach’s quest for help from officials in the three countries started after Khmer Krom Monk Tim Sakhorn was defrocked by force and later sent to jail, the monk was accused of involvement with the KKF. On Sunday, from Australia, Thach Ngoc Thach said that he expect to obtain positive results from his trips, following the meetings he had with government officials and parliamentarians in the 3 countries be visited. Thach Ngoc Thach said: “The demand made by Khmer Krom people for the rights to freedom in Kampuchea Krom, for all the losses sustained by Khmer Krom people, I believe that we will obtain positive results. We can see that in Asia, the demands are not coming from just the Khmer Krom people only, other ethnic groups, such as the Montagnards, are also protesting, (there is also the group) in Tibet, in Taiwan, some demands for outright independence, others demand for their autonomy, while others are demanding to decide on their own destiny by themselves. Therefore, I can see that this is a struggle movement which is not undertaken by Khmer Krom people alone, but several other ethnic groups are also making this demand. Therefore, I do not believe that Australia, the US, the UN will ignore the numerous struggle movements around the world. I believe that if our Khmer Krom people are preparing ourselves and get ready to undertake the struggle movement with other ethnic groups around the world, we will also obtain positive results, just like other people also.” Thach Ngoc Thach declared that there will be additional Khmer Krom demonstrations in Canada, Australia, and the USA, in order to put pressure on Vietnam to stop its violations on the rights of Khmer Krom people living in Vietnam. The recent announcement of the arrest of Monk Tim Sakhorn by the Vietnamese authority caused a lot of anger among Khmer Krom people. Former Monk Tim Sakhorn is currently jailed in Vietnam and he is also accused of committing a political crime for his involvement with the KKF in order to legally liberate Kampuchea Krom.
