According to reports from the Khmer-Krom Federation (KKF), a UNPO member organization, Vietnamese authorities detained the three individuals on March 27 under the accusation of “Abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, lawful rights, and interests of organizations and/or citizens” (Article 331 of the Vietnam Criminal Code). This troubling development is not an isolated incident but part of a broader and persistent pattern of state suppression targeting Khmer-Krom monks and activists who seek to exercise their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and religion to advocate for communities’ fundamental rights. As a member of the United Nations and a signatory to key human rights treaties, Vietnam has an obligation to uphold freedom of expression, religious liberty, and minority rights. UNPO reiterates that the protection of minority rights is a critical element of sustainable peace and development.
The three arbitrarily detained individuals are prominent non-violent advocates for the fundamental rights of the Khmer-Krom people. Two days before his arrest, Buddhist monk Venerable Kim Som Rinh was stripped of his monk status by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), a move seen as an effort to suppress religious freedoms and prevent the expression of the Khmer-Krom’s cultural identity. Activists Thach Nga and Thach Xuan Dong, known for organizing and participating in human rights events including celebrations of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and International Human Rights Day, had previously been barred from attending an International Women’s Day in Vietnam. Their arrests, however, are not an isolated event, as many other Khmer-Krom activists remain arbitrarily imprisoned for exercising their right to peacefully advocate for their community. This event represents a further curtailment of non-violent advocacy and the continued prevention of the Khmer-Krom’s community from asserting their rights.
Repression of Khmer-Krom and the Erosion of Democratic Pluralism
The unjust detainment of Khmer-Krom human rights defenders is emblematic of a larger crisis: the systematic erosion of democratic pluralism in Vietnam. The ability of minorities to express their identity, engage in peaceful activism, and participate in civic life is a fundamental component of any pluralistic society. However, the continued persecution of the Khmer-Krom community signals a concerning trend in which diversity of thought and legitimate advocacy efforts are met with state coercion rather than meaningful dialogue.
Democratic pluralism is a fundamental necessity for fostering stable and inclusive societies. When governments resort to legal repression and arbitrary arrests to silence marginalized communities, they undermine their own commitments under international human rights treaties and the broader framework of global democratic principles. Vietnam’s continued repression of Khmer-Krom activists contradicts its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
These recent arrests come in the wake of longstanding concerns raised by UN human rights mechanisms regarding the treatment of the Khmer-Krom people. In 2022, UN Special Rapporteurs sent a joint allegation letter to the Vietnamese government, highlighting ongoing human rights violations against the Khmer-Krom, including the alleged violation of their rights to freedom of expression, association, health, food, water, housing, belief, and their linguistic and cultural rights. The letter emphasized Vietnam’s international obligations and urged the government to put an end to the persecution of the Khmer-Krom community. Despite these warnings, Vietnam continues to violate the fundamental rights of this indigenous community with impunity.
UNPO joins KKF in calling upon the international community to take action regarding the arbitrary arrest of Venerable Kim Som Rinh, Thach Nga, Thach Xuan Dong, and all other Khmer-Krom activists imprisoned for peacefully exercising their right to advocate for their community’s cultural identity and religious freedoms.
