Jan 03, 2007

Khmer-Krom: Monks Forced to Falsify Statement against Fellow Monk


According to the KKN Vietnamese authorities demanded to five Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks to write and sign a false statement to testify against another fellow monk, who is currently seeking refugee in Cambodia.
Below is an article published by the Khmer-Krom Network:

An inside source direct from Kampuchea-Krom has revealed a disturbing insight into a scare tactic initiated by Vietnamese authorities to use the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks against one another.

On the eve of New Years Day, 31st of December 2006, the local Vietnamese authorities from the province of Khleang [renamed Soc Trang] summoned five Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks from the Khleang Temple to its station for interrogation.

Students of the Bali Trung Cap Nam Bo, Venerable Kim Muon [Khleang], Venerable Thach Ram [Watt Troklech Chau Thanh district ,Preah Trapeang province], Venerable Thach Ngoc PhatCaDi [Watt Kampong dung, Kanhchong district Preah Treapeang], Venerable Thach Do and Venerable Kim Mai Linh were apparently summoned by the Ministry of Soc Trang's Religion (Ban Ton Giao Tinh Soc Trang).

Once they arrived at the station, the Vietnamese authorities demanded that the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks write and sign a false statement to testify against another fellow Khmer-Krom monk, who is currently seeking refugee in Cambodia, saying that His Venerable was a trouble maker of society.

Such deceiving tactics is just one of many examples employed by Vietnamese authorities to use the Khmer-Krom people against one another, thereby creating an air of mistrust and insecurity amongst the Khmer-Krom community, while washing their hands of any responsibility.