Authorities Break Up Fundraising Ceremony For Tim Sakhorn's Release

Photo: Sonando addressing the crowd during one of his humanitarian works.

Dear Readers,

The actions of the Hun Sen's authorities is nothing short of communistic in its nature. Freedom of expression and religious practices are under attack and have been dealt a big blow. The rights to expression and freedom of religion or religious practices have been enshrined in the nation's constitution. The authorities has no rights to stop people from organising this Bon Pka (religious fundraising). Bon Pka is a religious ceremony. It has nothing to do with politics so it should not be disturbed and forbidden. To stop this ceremony in such a brutal way shows that Hun Sen is a tyrant and his regime is communistic and tyrannical in its nature. It is sad.

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Authorities Break Up Fundraiser Turned Rally
By Seng Ratana, VOA Khmer Original report from Takeo09 November 2007
Seng Ratana reports in Khmer-(1.25MB) Listen Seng Ratana reports in Khmer
Phnom Penh security forces broke up a religious fund-raising ceremony Friday, following calls from those gathered for the release of Tim Sakhorn, a defrocked monk in jail in Vietnam.
Tim Sakhorn, who has been sentenced to one year in a Vietnam jail, has become a rallying point for advocates of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom ethnic group.Tensions over the treatment of the group have spilled over into violence in past demonstrations, and police say they broke up the fundraiser to ensure public safety.
Friday's gathering was meant as a fund-raiser, organizers said, and turned unruly after some people began calling for the release of Tim Sakhorn. Plainclothes police argued with some of those gathered, witnesses said.
Officials in Phnom Penh's Phnom Den district warned people ahead of the rally not to use the gathering to demand Tim Sakhorn's freedom, organizers said.
"All their forces were deployed, and they kept an eye on the ceremony," Chhim Savuth, an investigator for the Cambodian Human Rights Organization, told VOA Khmer.
"The authorities threatened us not to mention politics, but I want to ask what politics are about," said Mam Sonando, director of the Beehive Radio station.