By Khmerization
Source: RFA
A Khmer Krom asylum-seeker has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Vietnamese court after being repatriated by the UNHCR from Thailand where he and his family had sought political asylum.
Chau Hen (pictured) and his family had sought political asylum with the UN in Thailand in 2008 after escaping arrest in Vietnam for protesting against land confiscation by the Vietnamese authority, but his application was rejected by the UNHCR. He and his family was assured by the UNHCR that they will be safe to return back to Vietnam and they were repatriated on 17th December, 2010. But less than two hours after arriving back to his home in Vietnam, the Vietnamese police immediately arrived to take Chau Hen away. And on 31st March 2011, he was sentenced to two years jail by the Vietnamese court.
The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation, an overseas-based Khmer Krom NGO, said it will write letters to UNHCR in Geneva and in Bangkok and also write to all foreign embassies in Vietnam to ask them to intervene for the release of Chau Hen.
Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach, president of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation, said the sentencing of Mr. Chau Hen for expressing his basic rights who is a very sick man is a grave human rights abuse. "First we demand the Vietnamese government to release Mr. Chau Hen unconditionally. Secondly, the UN must put immense pressures on the Vietnamese authority in the case of Mr. Chau Hen", he said.
Neang Thuon, wife of Chau Hen, told RFA that her husband and his defence lawyers were not allowed to speak by the judge to present his defence. She said that her husband have a speech impairment after he got seriously sick while in detention awaiting his trial. "He will not survive the two years jail term because he is seriously ill. I brought two of his grandchildren to visit him, but they did not allow us to see him. He can't even sit by himself without anyone supporting him. If no one supports him, he can't sit up and when we brought in the doctor to examine his illness, they did not allow him to see my husband", she said.
Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach condemns Mr. Chau Hen's sentencing, saying it is against Vietnamese and international laws. "No country will sentence to jail this kind of person. We will protest against his sentence. If they are humans they don't do such as a thing to another human being", he said.
Spokesman for the Vietnamese Emabssy, Mr. Le Minh Ngoc, cannot be reached for comment, but he had previously said that Mr. Chau Hen was sentenced under Vietnamese laws without discrimination. "Mr. Chau Hen's case was sent to the court because we have sufficient evidence against him", he said during previous interview.
Mr. Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for Cambodia's Ministry of Interior, said it is an individual's rights to make a request for his release, but the Cambodian government cannot interfere in the internal affairs of Vietnam.
Mr. Son Chhay, a senior MP from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said the Cambodian government must do everything to protect all Khmer citizens wherever they live. "We see that the government has committed serious mistakes because a number of articles in the constitution stipulate that all Khmer citizens, regardless of where they live, whether in America or Vietnam, the Cambodian government has the obligation to protect them and to ensure their safety. I myself used to go to Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam), I saw they (Vietnamese authority) mistreated our citizens so badly so we should not allow them (the Vietnamese immigrants) to form too many associations in our country (because the Vietnamese government did not allow any Khmers to form any associations in Vietnam)", he said.
Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach said Mr. Chau Hen's jailing is the fault of the UNHCR for sending him back to Vietnam and for falsely telling him he would be safe.
Source: RFA
A Khmer Krom asylum-seeker has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Vietnamese court after being repatriated by the UNHCR from Thailand where he and his family had sought political asylum.
Chau Hen (pictured) and his family had sought political asylum with the UN in Thailand in 2008 after escaping arrest in Vietnam for protesting against land confiscation by the Vietnamese authority, but his application was rejected by the UNHCR. He and his family was assured by the UNHCR that they will be safe to return back to Vietnam and they were repatriated on 17th December, 2010. But less than two hours after arriving back to his home in Vietnam, the Vietnamese police immediately arrived to take Chau Hen away. And on 31st March 2011, he was sentenced to two years jail by the Vietnamese court.
The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation, an overseas-based Khmer Krom NGO, said it will write letters to UNHCR in Geneva and in Bangkok and also write to all foreign embassies in Vietnam to ask them to intervene for the release of Chau Hen.
Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach, president of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation, said the sentencing of Mr. Chau Hen for expressing his basic rights who is a very sick man is a grave human rights abuse. "First we demand the Vietnamese government to release Mr. Chau Hen unconditionally. Secondly, the UN must put immense pressures on the Vietnamese authority in the case of Mr. Chau Hen", he said.
Neang Thuon, wife of Chau Hen, told RFA that her husband and his defence lawyers were not allowed to speak by the judge to present his defence. She said that her husband have a speech impairment after he got seriously sick while in detention awaiting his trial. "He will not survive the two years jail term because he is seriously ill. I brought two of his grandchildren to visit him, but they did not allow us to see him. He can't even sit by himself without anyone supporting him. If no one supports him, he can't sit up and when we brought in the doctor to examine his illness, they did not allow him to see my husband", she said.
Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach condemns Mr. Chau Hen's sentencing, saying it is against Vietnamese and international laws. "No country will sentence to jail this kind of person. We will protest against his sentence. If they are humans they don't do such as a thing to another human being", he said.
Spokesman for the Vietnamese Emabssy, Mr. Le Minh Ngoc, cannot be reached for comment, but he had previously said that Mr. Chau Hen was sentenced under Vietnamese laws without discrimination. "Mr. Chau Hen's case was sent to the court because we have sufficient evidence against him", he said during previous interview.
Mr. Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for Cambodia's Ministry of Interior, said it is an individual's rights to make a request for his release, but the Cambodian government cannot interfere in the internal affairs of Vietnam.
Mr. Son Chhay, a senior MP from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, said the Cambodian government must do everything to protect all Khmer citizens wherever they live. "We see that the government has committed serious mistakes because a number of articles in the constitution stipulate that all Khmer citizens, regardless of where they live, whether in America or Vietnam, the Cambodian government has the obligation to protect them and to ensure their safety. I myself used to go to Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam), I saw they (Vietnamese authority) mistreated our citizens so badly so we should not allow them (the Vietnamese immigrants) to form too many associations in our country (because the Vietnamese government did not allow any Khmers to form any associations in Vietnam)", he said.
Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach said Mr. Chau Hen's jailing is the fault of the UNHCR for sending him back to Vietnam and for falsely telling him he would be safe.
1 comment:
Every day, we see Khmer being imprisoned and tortured by Yuon, Why, why are we allow that to happen for many generations? Our Khmer people suffered so much for so long by the Yuon.
Post a Comment