A Change of Guard

សូមស្តាប់វិទ្យុសង្គ្រោះជាតិ Please read more Khmer news and listen to CNRP Radio at National Rescue Party. សូមស្តាប់វីទ្យុខ្មែរប៉ុស្តិ៍/Khmer Post Radio.
Follow Khmerization on Facebook/តាមដានខ្មែរូបនីយកម្មតាម Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khmerization.khmerican

Friday, 8 May 2009

Ten Khmer Krom families living in fears after Vietnam authority threatens to arrest them

Radio Free Asia
Reported by Khmerization

Ten Khmer Krom families from Moat Chrouk (An Giang) province said that they are living in fears of their safety after the Vietnamese authority threatened to arrest them if they don't stop making claims to their lands (confiscated by the Vietnamese authority), reports Radio Free Asia.

Mr. Chau Sok, from Chau Laing commune, Svay Torng district of Moat Chrouk province, told RFA by telephone like this: "They threatened that they will not returned our lands. They said 'don't bother to protest or we will arrest you and put you in jail'. But I will never give up (the fight)".

Sources said that a Khmer Krom man, 30 year-old Chau Bun, had been detained by the Vietnamese authority for questioning in relations to the lands protest.

Mrs. Neang Han, a representative for the 10 families said: "I have protested many times, but they refused to give back my lands. Now they came to threaten me at my house by saying that all the documents I sent to them will result in nothing. They told me to take my documents back."

Currently, more than 100 Khmer Krom families had their lands confiscated by the Vietnamese authority since 1979. They have protested for the returns of their lands since 2000 and 2001 but to no avail. Instead the Vietnamese authority threatens to arrest them if they don't stop protesting.

Mr. Trinh Ba Cam, spokesman for the Vietnamese embassy, cannot be reached for comments but he had said in the past that only a handful of families are protesting to claim their lands back.

Mr. Thach Setha, president of Khmer Kampuchea Krom Assiciation in Cambodia, said: "For some plots of lands, when the people lodged a legal complaint, the Vietnamese government never resolve it. Those lands are righfully owned by the Khmer Krom people but the Vietnamese denied their ownership. It means that the Vietnamese authority had seriously violated the Khmer Krom people in relations to the confiscations of their lands and houses."

Venerable Yoeung Sin, president of Khmer Krom Monk's Association in Cambodia, had recently asked the Cambodian government to open a consulate in Prek Reussey province to assist and to facilitate the grievances of the Khmer Krom people, but he is yet to receive a reply.

No comments: