On the morning of January 20, 2009, the authorities of colonial Vietnam released 5 Khmer Buddhist clergies from prison. The releases of the 5 Khmer Buddhist monks are carried out in three phases:
1-Venerable Ly Son released on November 23, 2008
2-Venerables Kim Moeun, Danh Toan, and Thach Thoeung released on January 18, 2009
3-Venerabel Ly Hoang released on the morning of January 20, 2009.
The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community welcomes the releases of the 5 Khmer Buddhist clergies. However, the authorities of colonial Vietnam must genuinely show their commitment in respecting the comprehensive [human] rights of the 5 Khmer Buddhist monks and ensure their safety.
According to the last official news, the 5 Buddhist monks are prohibited by the authorities of colonial Vietnam from being re-ordained as Buddhist monks even those monks requested it officially. The authorities do not allow them to stay in the Buddhist temples. They are being monitored under surveillance very closely by the authorities. They are not allowed to travel. They are being home-confined. These acts tantamount to violations of their human rights and their rights to religion and belief.
The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community condemns vehemently the cowardice act of the colonial Vietnamese authorities of abusing their authority to oppress the indigenous Khmers [in Kampuchea Krom]. The action of the colonial Vietnamese authorities had and is committing upon the Khmer citizens contravenes to the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other international instruments on human rights that Vietnam is a signatory. Also on this issue, [we] renew our appeal to the Royal Government, Senate and the Parliament of the Kingdom of Cambodia to open their eyes to see their Khmer compatriots, Khmer Kampuchea Krom, who are suffering and continue to suffer under the [SRV] regime, and systematically being tormented on their own land, and to intervene with the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to cease immediately every repressive act and intimidation upon the Khmer citizens.
Furthermore, we appeal to the international community that upholds and promotes human rights, especially the United Nations, the European Union, the new government of the United States of America, to take additional measures seriously in order to pressure the Government of communist Vietnam to respect the rights of the indigenous peoples [Khmer Krom] and rights of their own citizens in accordance to the international standard on human rights, especially respect the comprehensive rights of the newly released prisoners, the 5 Khmer Buddhist clergies.
The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community
Contact:
Tel.: 012 908 882
E-mail: senthach2000@yahoo.com
Original text in Khmer
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