KHMER KROM: AN OVERLOOKED AND OPPRESSED MINORITY IN CAMBODIA AND VIETNAM

By ACSC/APF 2016/0 Comments/2015

KHMER KROM: AN OVERLOOKED AND OPPRESSED MINORITY IN CAMBODIA AND VIETNAM

Khmer Krom activist Chuon 

'The Samaki Raingsey temple which was built by the Khmer Krom community as a sanctuary for those dispossessed by land grabs, has been subjected to harassment and surveillance. A monk serving at the temple was stabbed to death earlier this year, in what many activists view as a politically-motivated murder.'

Amongst the diverse participants at the ACSC/APF 2015 are the indigenous Khmer Krom people, a community facing human rights violations in Cambodia and Vietnam. Having inhabited the Indochinese peninsula since 2000 BC, the Khmer Krom, who occupy Southeast Cambodia and Southwest Vietnam, have faced severe restrictions on practising their religion and culture.

The violations against the Khmer Krom in Vietnam have included arrests, detention, torture and forced de-frocking of Buddhist monks from their community, and well as violence against people who have tried to protect their religious leaders from assault. Over a period of sustained repression targeting Khmer Krom since 2013, the Vietnamese authorities have targeted senior Khmer Krom monks with severe harassment and restrictions, including surveillance. At least 4 monks have been sentenced to between 2 to 6 years jail for “fleeing abroad to oppose the Vietnamese government” and “helping other people flee abroad”. Other Khmer Krom have been blocked from entering Vietnam for cultural festivals or to visit relatives despite having appropriate travel visas.

Meanwhile, in Cambodia, authorities subjected 5 Khmer Krom monks to arbitrary detention, violence, torture and forced defrocking in a vicious crackdown against a mass strike of garment factory workers at the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone in January 2014. The monks had joined the protest in solidarity. A Khmer Krom journalist covering the event was also severely beaten and his camera confiscated.

The Cambodian authorities have imprisoned more monks for advocating for the rights of communities affected by land grabs. The Samaki Raingsey temple which was built by the Khmer Krom community as a sanctuary for those dispossessed by land grabs, has been subjected to harassment and surveillance. A monk serving at the temple was stabbed to death earlier this year, in what many activists view as a politically-motivated murder.

Mr Chum Chuon Son from Khmer Krom community hopes that his participation at the ACSC/APF 2015 will help raise awareness of the Khmer Krom’s struggles. “This is a problem suffered by our indigenous people in two ASEAN countries, Cambodia and Vietnam. Despite the different political systems, the oppression we face is the same. We hope that ASEAN people and governments can work with us to solve this situation according to international human rights standards.” Chuon came to Kuala Lumpur with 2 Khmer Krom monks to represent a coalition of 11 Khmer Krom associations. They hope in the future, more people from their community will have to freedom and opportunity to participate at the ACSC. A joint statement prepared by the activists for APF 2015 appears at http://www.kkkhrda.org/?page=detail&ctype=article&id=714&lg=en