Joint Statement For Asean People Froum/Asean Civil
Transcription
Joint Statement For Asean People Froum/Asean Civil
Joint Statement For Asean People Froum/Asean Civil Society Conference (APF/ACSC) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 21-24 April, 2015 Khmer Kampuchea Krom Secretariat (KKKS) is a coalition of 11 Khmer Kampuchea Krom Association/Organization members: Khmer Kampuchea Krom for Human Rights and Development Association (KKKHRDA), Friendship Khmer Kampuchea Krom Association (FKKKA), Khmer Kampuchea Krom Buddhist Monk Association (KKKBMA), Union Khmer Kampuchea Krom Buddhist Students (UKKKBS), Khmer Kampuchea Krom Cultural Center in Cambodia (KKKCCC), Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community (KKKC), Khmer Kampuchea Krom Women Organization (KKKWO), Khmer Kampuchea Krom and Development Association (KKKDA), Khmer for the Poor Fund (KPF), Khmer Kampuchea Krom Youth Network (KKKYN), and Prey Nokor News (PKN). Although all the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Organizations/Associations in Cambodia have their own policies and goals, there has been cooperation whenever possible to speak with one voice. The main purpose of the KKKS is to gather all Khmer Kampuchea Krom Associations/Organizations to work together towards a shared vision of seeking freedom for Khmer-Krom people, who are victims of human rights abuses, currently living in the Kingdom of Cambodia and Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam). Kampuchea Krom means "Cambodia Below" or "South Cambodia." "Krom" in Khmer also indicates "Southern." The Khmer-Krom describes themselves as the ”Cambodians of the South.” Kampuchea Krom was the southernmost territory of the Khmer Kingdom. Once known as (French) Cochin China, it is now located in the South-western part of Vietnam, covering an area of 89,865 km2 with Cambodia to the north, the Gulf of Siam to the west, the South China Sea to the south, and the Champa's territory to the northeast. Prey Nokor, later renamed to Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City, was one of the most important commercial cities in Kampuchea Krom. The Khmer-Krom people have inhabited the south-western part of the Indochinese peninsula since 2000 BC. The famous ‘Khmer Empire’ rose to prominence in the 9th century and began to decline in the 13th century. Ever since the 1600s the Khmer have struggled with their Vietnamese neighbors, and since 1949 their territory had been handed over to Vietnamese administration by France, much to the detriment of the Khmer-Krom. Today they are denied the right to freely practice their religion and pass on their culture, and are treated as second-class citizens. The mission of the Khmer-Krom Coalition is to seeking for freedom, justice, and the right to self-determination for the Khmer-Krom people who are living under the oppression of the Vietnamese Socialist government, through the use of non-violent measures and the application of international law. Over the past few years, we, the working group of the KKKS, have monitored the living conditions of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom people both in Cambodia and Vietnam. The Khmer-Krom people continue to suffer with oppression and harassment when trying to exercise their rights to religious beliefs and practices, and the rights to freedom of expression and access to information are muffled. Their freedom of movement is closely controlled and restricted. All of these rights are the responsibility of the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments to respect and uphold. We briefly describe some of the major violations below. In Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) On 28 March 2013, at the Tuek Sap commune, Chroy Nhor district, Khleang province, Vietnamese called (Xã Lai Hòa, Huyện Vĩnh Châu, Tỉnh Sóc Trăng). Vietnamese authorities accused the monks in the Prey Chop temple and the abbot Venerable Ly Chenda of having connections with the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) and other Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Associations abroad. On May 16, 2013, an event occurred at Prey Chop temple in Lai Hoa commune, Vinh Chau district, Soc Trang province. Police had fenced off the temple and arrested Abbot Venerable Ly Chenda along with 2 other monks and 2 of the Buddhist temple committee members. The police brutally defrocked the monks and held them in custody. Upon his release, Venerable Ly Chenda was having difficulty remaining conscious and had foam coming out of his mouth, signs indicating he had been drugged and tortured by the police. That same day, the police assaulted 5 older women because they had tried to protect monks. The police beat the women to the point of unconsciousness. On May 17, 2013, Venerable Ly Chenda was forced to confess on Vietnamese television to alleged crimes that he did not commit. Under threat of further abuse and oppression by Vietnamese authorities, venerable Ly Chanh Da was forced to flee Vietnam and seek refugee status in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 17, 2013. On 17 May 2013, at 8:00 pm, hundreds of Vietnamese police surrounded the Serey Tasek temple with the intent of defrocking Venerable Lieu Ny and Venerable Thach Thoul. Venerable Thach Thoul and Venerable Lieu Ny sought shelter at Serey Tasek temple in fear of arrest and torture by the Vietnamese authorities as they were aware of what happened to Venerable Ly Chanh Da. Venerable Thach Thoul and Venerable Lieu Ny accompanied by two temple members, Thach Phumirith and Tra Van Tha, were forced to flee to Cambodia. On 18 May 2013, at the border of Cambodia-Vietnam (Chrey Thom-Long Binh), they were arrested by the Vietnamese border authorities. The border authorities also arrested many other Buddhist monks and others under accusations of leaking information about human rights abuses to the media and abroad. On July 1, 2013, Venerable Lai Lat, who was an Abbot of Don Tru Temple in Vinh Chau district, Soc Trang province, was forced to flee to Cambodia because the Vietnamese government accused him of having contact with Venerable Ly Chanh Da, Venerable Thach Thuol, and Venerable Lieu Ny. On September 26, 2013, the Vietnamese authority arrested Khmer-Krom Buddhist followers who came to support Venerable Ly Chanh Da protesting his defrocking by Vietnamese police that occurred on May 16, 2013. The following protesters were sentenced up to a year for the alleged crime of causing “public disorder”: Lam.1Thi Loan – Born 1957 - 1 year prison. .2 Danh – Born 1970 - 1 year prison. Ly Thi .3 Ly Minh Hai – Born 1978 – 11 months prison. Tang.4 Phola – Born 1976 – 10 months prison On September 27, 2013, Venerable Lieu Ny and Venerable Thach Thuol and their two students, Tra Quanh Tha and Thach Phum Rich, were sentenced 2 to 6 years for the alleged crime of “fleeing abroad to oppose the Vietnamese government” and “helping other people flee abroad”: Venerable .i Thach Thuol, Born 1985, 6 years prison. Venerable .ii Lieu Ny, Born 1986, 4 years prison. Thach.iii Phum Rich, Born 1989, 3 years prison. Tra Quanh .iv Tha, Born 1978, 2 years prison. On February 11, 2013, Venerable Sieng Sovanna, who is the Abbot of Samaki Rainsey temple and Vice President of the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Buddhist Monk Association located in Phum Trea, Sangkhat Stung Meancheay, Khan Meanchey, Phnom Penh Cambodia, took a trip to his homeland in Kampuchea-Krom to visit relatives. A day after he arrived, more than 10 Vietnamese police officers came to invite him to meet in the village of Hòa Khởi commune of Hòa Đông Vinh Chau district, Soc Trang province. There, he was interrogated for 3 and a half hours from 8-11:30 am. Vietnamese Police treated him like a prisoner and forced him to confess to being behind the event that occurred at the Australian Embassy in Cambodia on January 30, 2013, where Khmer-Krom activists reported human rights violations committed by the Vietnamese Government. Furthermore, the police interrogated him about the activities of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Association in Cambodia and abroad. Venerable Sieng Sovanara’s time in Kampuchea Krom was under constant surveillance monitoring by Vietnamese police. His movement within Kampuchea-Krom was severely restricted. He had to agree to these stipulations in order to be allowed to visit his homeland. On April 12, 2013, Mr. Ly Chhuon, the Editor-in-Chief of the Prey Nokor News magazine in Cambodia, his wife and his daughter left Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to visit his relatives in his homeland of Kampuchea-Krom (Mekong Delta) to celebrate Cambodian New Year. When Mr. Ly Chhuon and his family arrived at the border of Cambodia and Vietnam, they were refused entry into Vietnam and the customs officers detained, searched, and interrogated them. There are many cases in which Khmer-Krom living abroad have been refused entry into Vietnam to visit their families despite having appropriate travel visas. Some were allowed entry into Vietnam but only after enduring interrogations, threats, and intimidation tactics by the Vietnamese police. There are also cases where Vietnamese police have confiscated passports of Khmer-Krom visitors and forced them to spy on and report the activities of Khmer-Krom activists. From October 14th to the 28th in 2015, five Buddhist monks at Samaki Rainsy temple led a group of Buddhist laymen and students from Cambodia in holding the Kathina traditional Buddhism ceremony at Kveng Thotung village, Kveng Thotung commune, Khleang Moeung district, Kromuon Sar province, Kampuchea Krom, known in Vietnamese as ấp Minh Hưng, xã Minh Hòa, huyện Châu Thành, tỉnh Kiên Giang. However, local Vietnamese authorities stopped the group of Buddhist monks, students, and laypeople from holding the traditional ceremony. On 28 October 2014 at 8 am, upon returning to Cambodia through the border of Cambodia and Vietnam, at the gates of Prek Chak-Xa Xia (Kompot-Ha Tien), unidentified civilian police confronted the group of Buddhist monks, students, and laypeople and questioned them. Afterwards, the police arrested the group, subjected them to torture, and confiscated properties such as: Mobile .i Phone Samsung Galaxy 06 Mobile .iiPhone iPhone 02 1,500,000 .iii VND (one million five hundred thousand Dong equal to seventy-five dollars US) and another $300 US (three hundred American dollars). In the Kingdom of Cambodia On January 2, 2014, in front of the Yak Jing factory near Phnom Penh’s Special Economic Zone, hundreds of Cambodian garment factory workers went on a non-violent strike to demand monthly minimum wage increase of $160. The workers had the support of thousands of ordinary people, workers, as well as monks including who joined them to help call for justice for the workers. Among those were Khmer-Krom monks from Samaki Raingsey temple from Meanchey district, Phnom Penh. The Cambodian authorities’ crackdown on the strike included serious abuses to 5 Khmer-Krom monks from Samaki Raingsey temple. Venerable Thach Hasamang, Venerable Lai Lat, Venerable Thach Saray, Venerable Meas Vichet, and Venerable Kim Chanthorn were severely beaten and tortured by military force. They were taken to the barracks parachute 911 and held for 13 hours where they suffered more torture. The military force used batons and pipes to beat the monks before defrocking them. Venerable Thach Duong, a Khmer-Krom Buddhist monk at Ta Prohm Stung Meanchey temple, Meanchhey village, Meanchey district, Phnom Penh, was badly beaten by the security forces in Phnom Penh. On 4 January, 2014, hundreds of Cambodian authorities descended upon the protesters and monks in Freedom Park who were calling for a re-election in Cambodia. The crackdown led to Venerable Thach Duong suffering serious injuries to his leg and body. Journalists were also targeted during the Freedom Park strike. Specifically, while reporting with Cambodian and international journalists, a Khmer-Krom journalist from Prey Nokor News, Son Cheng Chon, was beaten by the Khan Daun Penh security forces who also confiscated his $1,200 USD Canon 600D camera. On 11 November 2014, the authorities arrested a Khmer-Krom Buddhist monk, Venerable Son Hai, when he publicly called for the release of the imprisoned Boeung Kok Lake community members. After being beaten, Venerable Son Hai was defrocked and sentenced to one year in prison. The day after, two additional Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks, Venerable Thach Sang and Venerable Khit Vanak, were also arrested and defrocked. They were punished for advocating for the land rights of a community near the temple of Samaki Raingsey in Preah Vihear province. Currently, all three monks remain in prison. The Samaki Raingsey temple (or Khmer-Krom temple) in Phnom Penh was built by the Khmer-Krom people in 1997 and functions as a sanctuary for victims of land confiscations. The temple’s monks are mostly from Kampuchea Krom who work with other Buddhist monks and ethnocultural communities to advocate for freedom and an end to land confiscations and human rights violations. In 2013, the monks participated in demonstrations and strikes calling for new elections, for the government of Cambodia intervention on the behalf of dispossessed victims, and for all official records related to land seizures to be released. The monks also participated in a rally in front of the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh to demand an apology from the embassy’s representative, Tran Van Thong, for distorting Kampuchea Krom history. On 12 January 2015, a Khmer-Krom monk, Venerable Thach Khan, was stabbed in Samaki Raingsey temple at Trea 2 village, Stung Meanchhey commune, Meanchhey district, Phnom Penh. Due to the severity of his injuries, the monk died while being transferred to hospital. The KKKS believes this murder was politically motivated. After the murder of Venerable Thach Khan, a Phnom Penh Deputy Governor, Mr. Khuong Sreng, came to inspect Samaki Raingsey temple on 10 February 2015 accompanied by 50 police. The reason given for the inspection was to examine the condition of the shelters provided for dispossessed victims within the temple and to ascertain if the monks were legitimately providing care for them. Since this time, the temple has been under constant surveillance. The monks and victims dwelling inside report that they are harassed regularly by the police and feel that they are treated as criminal or terrorists. This unlawful and immoral surveillance and harassment continues even though Samaki Raingsey temple is recognized by local authorities and was authorized by the former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk to be a temple and headquarters of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Buddhist Monk Association (KKKBMA). The actions committed by the Ministry of Religions and other Cambodian authorities are unlawful and outside their jurisdictions. On 17 March 2015, five Khmer Kampuchea Krom Buddhist monks at Samaki Raingsey temple were summoned to the Municipal Court to answer accusations that they orchestrated violence and defamed the public authorities. These monks are Venerable Thach Hasamang, the deputy abbot of this temple; Venerable Lieu Noeu, Venerable Lieu Nen, Venerable Thach Vanna, and Venerable Thach Den. The KKKS believe that these charges are politically motivated and being used for the purposes of harassment. On behalf of Khmer-Krom people, we the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Secretariat in Cambodia urgently appeal to the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Human Rights committee of the United Nations, diplomatic embassies in Cambodia and Vietnam, national and international human rights organizations, and ASEAN leaders to intervene and protect the Khmer-Krom indigenous people who have been facing grievous violations of their rights by the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments. Recommendation for the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia Stop.1the spread of misinformation and discrimination against the Khmer-Krom. Encourage local residents and government authorities at all levels to learn more about the culture and customs of the Khmer-Krom. Work .2 closely with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to protect the rights and safety of the indigenous Khmer-Krom people and stop further human rights violations. Welcome .3 the Khmer-Krom people in Cambodia and acknowledge them as active contributors to society. Stop.4restricting the Khmer-Krom people’s rights to freedom of assembly and expression. The Recommendation for the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam The.5 Vietnamese authorities must cease intimidation tactics against the Khmer-Krom. Vietnamese .6 authorities must recognize and respect the rights of the people ratified in the constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The.7Vietnamese authorities must stop unlawfully detaining Khmer-Krom people for interrogation, stop monitoring and surveillance of Khmer-Krom people, and stop threatening Khmer-Krom people who travel to and from their homeland of Kampuchea Krom. The.8Vietnamese authorities must stop restricting the movement of Khmer-Krom people in their homeland of Kampuchea Krom and stop the harassment phone calls demanding to know their whereabouts and their plans for leaving Vietnam. The.9Vietnamese government must stop interfering with the internal affairs and work of the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monasteries. The.10 Vietnamese government must respect fully the rights of Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks and Khmer-Krom children to learn their heritage, mother language, geography, and history without any interference. Respect .11 the rights of the Khmer-Krom, who have been positive contributors to Vietnamese society, to practice their traditions and customs without interference from the Vietnamese government. The Recommendation for the United Nations, National and International Organizations and the State of the Asian Members We .12 implore national and international organizations make human rights a priority, with compassion and empathy, and intervene in support of the indigenous Khmer-Krom people. We request .13 country donors please promote and support the implementation of human rights in Vietnam and pressure the Vietnamese government to respect human rights to the fullest. We .14 implore the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other international organizations to send representatives to Vietnam to investigate and monitor human rights issues in Vietnam. We .15 recommend the State of Asian members to encourage the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to respect and uphold human rights and allow NGOs working in the field of human rights to operate unimpeded in Vietnam. Capital of Phnom Penh, 20 April, 2015 Khmer Kampuchea Krom Oganizations/Association in Cambodia. Any Information Please Contact: Mr. Thach Len (855) 11 451 617 Mr. Son Chum Chuon (855) 11 724 583 Venerable Thach Thaovry (855) 10 253 990 Page 4