UNPO
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
The Subcommittee on Human Rights learned of the latest human rights abuses going unpunished in Cambodia and Vietnam directly from UNPO Members.
Below is an article written by UNPO:
In the first meeting of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights following the summer recess, representatives from the Khmer Kumpuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) and the Montagnard Foundation Inc. (MFI) have provided the committee with an up-to-date assessment of the human rights situations of minorities in Cambodia and Vietnam.
UNPO joined other observers in a packed committee room to hear KKF and MFI representatives give their evidence alongside counterparts from organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights in China, and Human Rights Watch.
On the subcommittee’s agenda were an exchange of views following the close of the Olympic Games in China, the current human rights situations in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and lastly the state of human rights in Moldova.
Initial discussions dwelt on the impact the Olympic Games had had on China’s policy towards its citizens. Mrs. Hom, representing Human Rights in China, stated her organization’s belief that political change in China would have to be driven by civil society within the country. This was reiterated by representatives from the European Commission who referred attendees to the case of bloggers driving criticism of the authorities.
Despite these comments, the European Commission stated only its “disappointment” that any improvements in China’s human rights record had not been commensurate with the promises made in the run-up to the Games. In fact, it was felt that the Olympic Games may have put the promotion of Chinese human rights on hold – but that the conclusion of the Games may allow China to put its human rights record “back on track”.
This generous assessment was not shared by Mr. McMillan-Scott, vice-president of the European Parliament. He declared China the “most brutal regime” in the international community and urged the European Parliament to continue to amass evidence on China’s human rights and the international community to maintain its pressure on China.
Attentions then shifted to the respective human rights situations in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Mr. Vien Thach, of the KKF read an appeal (which is contained below) detailing a litany of religious, land right, education, and media curtailments that affected the daily lives of Khmer Krom in Vietnam.
Responses were heard from the ambassadors for Cambodia and Vietnam who respectively expressed their commitment to building political stability within their countries but who, in the opinion of many of those gathered, still had much to do to safeguard the rights of all those living within their states’ borders.
Mr. Kok Ksor, of the MFI, rebuffed claims by the Vietnamese government that it targeted only those who had committed criminal acts, and instead cited a long list of instances where the government had conducted surveillance and confiscations against the Montagnard minority. Using the opportunity to address the subcommittee, Mr. Ksor urged the European Parliament and the institutions of the European Union to take the lead in ensuring Vietnam’s observance of the international human rights instruments to which it is a signatory.
The Subcommittee on Human Rights will next meet in the European Parliament in Brussels at 15h00 on Wednesday 10 September 2008.
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
The Subcommittee on Human Rights learned of the latest human rights abuses going unpunished in Cambodia and Vietnam directly from UNPO Members.
Below is an article written by UNPO:
In the first meeting of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights following the summer recess, representatives from the Khmer Kumpuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) and the Montagnard Foundation Inc. (MFI) have provided the committee with an up-to-date assessment of the human rights situations of minorities in Cambodia and Vietnam.
UNPO joined other observers in a packed committee room to hear KKF and MFI representatives give their evidence alongside counterparts from organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights in China, and Human Rights Watch.
On the subcommittee’s agenda were an exchange of views following the close of the Olympic Games in China, the current human rights situations in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and lastly the state of human rights in Moldova.
Initial discussions dwelt on the impact the Olympic Games had had on China’s policy towards its citizens. Mrs. Hom, representing Human Rights in China, stated her organization’s belief that political change in China would have to be driven by civil society within the country. This was reiterated by representatives from the European Commission who referred attendees to the case of bloggers driving criticism of the authorities.
Despite these comments, the European Commission stated only its “disappointment” that any improvements in China’s human rights record had not been commensurate with the promises made in the run-up to the Games. In fact, it was felt that the Olympic Games may have put the promotion of Chinese human rights on hold – but that the conclusion of the Games may allow China to put its human rights record “back on track”.
This generous assessment was not shared by Mr. McMillan-Scott, vice-president of the European Parliament. He declared China the “most brutal regime” in the international community and urged the European Parliament to continue to amass evidence on China’s human rights and the international community to maintain its pressure on China.
Attentions then shifted to the respective human rights situations in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Mr. Vien Thach, of the KKF read an appeal (which is contained below) detailing a litany of religious, land right, education, and media curtailments that affected the daily lives of Khmer Krom in Vietnam.
Responses were heard from the ambassadors for Cambodia and Vietnam who respectively expressed their commitment to building political stability within their countries but who, in the opinion of many of those gathered, still had much to do to safeguard the rights of all those living within their states’ borders.
Mr. Kok Ksor, of the MFI, rebuffed claims by the Vietnamese government that it targeted only those who had committed criminal acts, and instead cited a long list of instances where the government had conducted surveillance and confiscations against the Montagnard minority. Using the opportunity to address the subcommittee, Mr. Ksor urged the European Parliament and the institutions of the European Union to take the lead in ensuring Vietnam’s observance of the international human rights instruments to which it is a signatory.
The Subcommittee on Human Rights will next meet in the European Parliament in Brussels at 15h00 on Wednesday 10 September 2008.
Note:
UNPO Members are reminded of the following
deadlines for the United Nations Human Rights
Council Universal Periodic Review:
Vietnam: Monday 3 November 2008
Cambodia: Monday13 April 2009
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Below is the appeal presented by the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation to the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament on 25 August 2008:
On behalf of the Khmer-Krom refugees in Cambodia, we would like to bring to your attention regarding the human rights violations that have been committed by the Cambodian government toward the Khmer-Krom refugees in Cambodia.
On February 27, 2007, some Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks organized a peaceful demonstration in front of the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnem Penh to demand the Vietnamese release their fellow Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks who were imprisoned in Vietnam after participating [in] a peaceful demonstration to demand freely practice their Theravada Buddhism. After [they] came back from the demonstration, Venerable Eang Sok Thoeun, 32 years old, was found with his throat slit at Tronom Chroeng pagoda, Boeng Thom commune, Ang Snoul district, Kandal Province, under mysterious circumstances. His body was buried in haste in the middle of the night by the Cambodian police. The police also forbade bringing his corpse for organizing a Cambodian traditional funeral ceremony.
On April 20, 2007, the Cambodia authority used a violent group of Cambodian monks who served for the Cambodian authority to beat up Khmer Krom monks conducting a peaceful demonstration in front of the Vietnamese Embassy. Venerable Lim Yuth, 23 years old, was injured when a rock was thrown by the opposing monk and hit his left eyebrow.
On 30 June 2007, Venerable Tim Sakhorn, Abbot of North Phnom-Denh temple in Phnom-Denh village, Karivong District, Takeo province, Cambodia, was summoned to meet the Head Monk of the Takeo province at Takeo City. After the meeting, the Cambodia authority ad the Head Monk accused Venerable Tim Sakhorn of using his temple as a place “to propagate activities that divide their relationship between Cambodia and Vietnam” as stated in the letter used to defrock Ven. Tim Sakhorn by Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong.
After being defrocked, Venerable Tim Sakhorn disappeared. The spokesmen of the Cambodian authorities were flip-flopping with the whereabouts of Venerable Tim Sakhorn. The spokesman of the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom-Penh, Trinh Ba Cam, had previously denied any knowledge of Venerable Tim Sakhorn’s whereabouts after his disappearance from Cambodia.
What is more disturbing is the fact that the letter to defrock Venerable Tim Sakhorn was secretly approved on Frebruary 17, 2007 by Venerable Tep Vong who is the “King” of Cambodian Buddhist monks in Cambodia, but the people in Cambodia did not know about it until today. That approved letter was translated from Khmer to Vietnamese and the VC government distributed and posted the letter across all Khmer-Krom Buddhist temples in South Vietnam. It is a clear act of intimidation to suppress further human rights activities and movement by Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks who want to stand up for their religious rights.
Today, Tim Sakhorn remains in house detention in An Giang under heavy surveillance, a condition which was not previously mentioned during the court hearing.
On 17 December 2007, approximately 50 Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks in Phnom Penh, Cambodia marched peacefully to Vietnamese Embassy to hand up a petition. The petition called on the VC government to release Venerable Tim Sakhorn and five other Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks currently imprisoned in Khleang province. The Vietnam Embassy refused to take the petition and ordered the Cambodian police to disperse the monks.
A fight broke out and electric batons were used by the Cambodian police against the defenceless monks. The monks tried to head back to their pagoda as fast as they could run. The police chased the monks for more than four blocks, some kicking the monks with their boots while others or shocking them with electric batons. Three monks were unconscious, namely, Venerable Ly Vanny, Venerable Meng Savan Dararithy and Venerable Lam Keo Samnang and fifteen others were wounded.
On bahlf of the Khmer Krom refugees in Cambodia, I would like to appeal for your assistance to:
1- Urge the Cambodian government to recognize Khmer Krom as refugees when they arrived at Cambodia because they flee from Vietnamese seeking fro refugee status. If Cambodia tactically considers Khmer Krom refugees as Cambodian citizens, then the world will not know that Khmer Krom escaped Vietnam because of the human rights violations committed by the Vietnamese government.
2- Urge the Cambodian government to negotiate with Vietnam for the release and return of Venerable Tim Sakhorn, who is a Cambodian citizen.
3- Ask the Cambodian government to implement initiatives, program to help refugees fleeing the border rather than just status recognition to ensure that these refugees are given immediate aid and protection rather than left to fend for themselves.
4- Urge the Cambodian government to conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the murder case of the Venerable Eang Sok Thoeun and bring the killer to court.
5- Urge the Cambodian to respect the basic right to conduct a peaceful demonstration of the Khmer Krom Buddhist monks who just demand to release their fellow Buddhist monks from prison in Vietnam.
6- Urge the member countries of the European Parliament to provide support to Khmer Krom refugees who are living in difficult situation in Thailand. If possible, please help to grant refugee status to live in your country.
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