President Lee Deeply Regrets Murder of Vietnamese Bride
Tuesday, 27 July 2010 09:14 DAP-NEWS / Na Jeong-ju
CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, JULY 27, 2010-President Lee Myung-bak expressed deep regret Monday over the murder of a young Vietnamese bride by her mentally-ill Korean husband early this month, saying the country should be more open-minded toward multicultural families and immigrants.
“The murder case was heartbreaking to many Vietnamese and Korean people. I offer deep condolences to her family members,” Lee said in a pre-recorded address to the nation, broadcast on KBS1 Radio and YouTube.
“We need to set up a better system so that foreigners can live here more comfortably. The case was a reminder that the country still lacks a proper system to protect ethnic minorities and public maturity in dealing with them.”
The 20-year-old Vietnamese woman was beaten and stabbed to death by her 47-year-old husband with a mental disorder on July 8, eight days after she arrived here following her marriage, brokered by an international matchmaking agency.
President Lee called for a thorough crackdown on agencies brokering international marriages.
Earlier this month, police launched an investigation into illegal international marriage brokers here. The campaign will target unlicensed operations and the provision of false information on a partner’s personal profile.
“Now, multicultural families have settled down as a common form of family in our society,” Lee said. “Regrettably, however, there is a lack of maturity in our perception.”
More than 180,000 foreigners, mostly women from Vietnam, China, and the Philippines, reside in South Korea after marrying locals, and the number of their children now reaches 120,000, according to government data.
President Lee said Korea is becoming a multicultural society and that it needs to initiate related programs to enhance national competitiveness.
“Historically, prosperous countries have been open-minded toward different cultures. We all should have open minds to accept the cultures and people from outside,” he said.
Lee recalled a conversation with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen about Cambodian brides during his visit there last October.
“The Cambodian leader asked me to treat Cambodian women immigrating to South Korea like my own daughters-in-law,” he said. “I reflect on whether I have done so. Such a tragic incident as the murder of the Vietnamese woman should never happen again.”
Donors welcome verdict for Duch
Monday, 26 July 2010 14:27 DAP NEWS / Vibol
CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, JULY 27, 2010-Ambassadors from France and Japan, The Co-Chairs of the Friends of the Court on Monday make this statement on behalf of the donors to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) with welcoming the verdict ruled by the court.
The donors welcome the completion of the trial in the Trial Chamber for case 001, Monday 26th of July, against Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, former director of the detention center S21 in Phnom Penh for crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, homicide and torture, the statement from co-chairs signed by the French and Japanese ambassadors.
“The donors recognize the commitment of the national and international judges as well as all those working for the ECCC and their independent and comprehensive work, in order to uphold high standards of law and due process, it added, noting more than 30 years after the atrocities committed under the Khmer Rouge regime, this judgment gives hope that the ECCC will ultimately fulfill its promise as a vehicle for justice and national reconciliation for all Cambodians.
The donors reaffirm their confidence in and support for the ECCC in delivering justice to the Cambodian people and in helping Cambodia strengthen further its efforts for the rule of law, the statement said.
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