Press Releases

To: International Human Rights Organizations,
UN Human Rights Council,
Democratic Governments,
International Media

Precarious Situation of Venerable Koeun Preichea Thach:
- Venerable Koeun Preichea Thach is under constant threat of arrest by the Cambodian authorities in Cambodia.

Reason for Threat of Arrest:
- Venerable Koeun Preichea Thach is currently a columnist/writer of the Prey Nokor newspaper in Cambodia.

Venerable Koeun Preichea Thach was born on January 20, 1981 in Giong Dau hamlet, Hoa An commune, Cau Ke district, Tra Vinh province, Kampuchea-Krom (South Vietnam). Ven. Koeun Preichea Thach is currently a Cambodian citizen and resides in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Ven. Koeun Preichea Thach has actively participated in many International conferences on Human Rights and International Religious Freedom in the Region.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pennsauken, NJ, USA, 2 April 2010

On April 1, 2010, a Khmer-Krom Buddhist monk, Venerable Thach Vesna flying from Bangkok to Prey Nokor (renamed Ho Chi Minh) city was denied entry into the country. A student monk studying in Thailand and the holder of a Cambodian passport, Venerable Thach Vesna was planning to celebrate the Cambodian New Year with his family in Preah Trapeang (renamed Tra Vinh) province.

At 9a.m, Venerable Thach Vesna arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and handed his Cambodian passport to a Vietnamese immigration officer. The Vietnamese immigration officer denied his entry stating that it was of “National Security Concern”.

Office of the President No: 313 /KKF/S/2010
08 March 2010
Pennsauken, NJ, USA

To Whom It May Concern:
On behalf of the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation, we would like to bring to your immediate attention Vietnam’s injustice against a Khmer-Krom couple for harvesting rice on their ancestral lands.

Background
In 1979, many Khmer-Krom people in Moth Chrouk (renamed An Giang) province were forced to leave their homes, lands and relocated to Khleang (renamed Soc Trang) and Pol Leav (renamed Bac Lieu) province. When they were allowed to return back, most of their lands were inhabited by Vietnamese people. Mr. Chau Ra Quon, like many thousands of Khmer-Krom people tried to file for the return of their confiscated farmlands but received no response from the Vietnamese government. Taking matters into their own hands, Mr. Chau Ra Quon and his wife, Mrs. Neang Chanh Thon decided to plant rice crops last season on their ancestral farmlands.

Contact:
Sereivuth Prak
P.O.Box 193
Pennsauken, NJ 08110
Phone: 562-209-1790
http://kkjsd.blogspot.com
kkbook@khmerkrom.org

Pennsauken, NJ - January 19, 2010 - Prior to April 1975, people around the world knew about the Vietnam War. Today, people know about the fertile land of the Mekong Delta that helps Vietnam to be ranked as the second leading exporter of rice in the world. However, there are very few people who know the true history of the Mekong Delta and its surrounding regions. Therefore, people don’t know about the indigenous Khmer-Krom peoples.

On behalf of the KKF Board of Directors and members, I would like to thank for your valuable time, courage, support, and financial donation to support Tim Sakhorn and five former Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks who were imprisoned injustice in Vietnam.

First of all, on June 30, 2007 , Ven. Tim Sakhorn is a former Buddhist monk who was defrocked by monks who work for the Vietnamese government's interest: Tep Vong, Non Nghet, Om Lam Heng, Sao Chanthol, Long Kim Leang, Cheas Om, Noi Chreuk, and deported him to imprison in Vietnam with the accusation of undermining the relationship Vietnam and Cambodia.

Dear Immigrant Officers of Foreign Embassies in Cambodia and Cambodian Community Leaders Abroad:

A high profile Khmer-Krom activist, Tim Sakhorn, reported about how he was dramatically arrested, deported from Cambodia to be imprisoned in Vietnam by the monks in Cambodia.

On June 30, 2007, Venerable Cheas Om, who was a high-ranking Buddhist monk in Takeo province in Seyha Rattana Ram Temple, called Venerable Tim Sakhorn to visit him. When Venerable Tim Sakhorn arrived at his temple, Venerable Tim Sakhorn saw other Buddhist monks from Phnom Penh waiting for him there. Venerable Sao Chanthol took a defrocking ordered letter, which was signed and stamped by the Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong and Non Nget, and read it to accuse Venerable Tim Sakhorn for using his temple to undermine the relationship between Cambodia and Vietnam.