United Nations Permanent Forum on the Indigenous Issues
Fourth Session
New York, 16-27 May, 2005
Item 3(b): Education
Date: Thursday, 19 May 2005

Statement by Kan Sophal, representative of the United Association of Khmer Kampuchea Krom Buddhist Monks

Madam Chairperson,

I am Venerable Kan Sophal. As a Buddhist nation Khmer Kampuchea Krom always love peace. We are making every effort to protect and support lives, caring, respect freedom of other and human right.

For 56 years under Vietnamese Colony, Khmer Krom Buddhist monks have suffered a great deal of endless suffering from injustice and abuse of human right by the Vietnamese authorities. There are not hundred but thousand of cases that our Buddhist monks have bitterly suffered ranged from falsely accused, arrest, imprisonment and torture to death. Up until now these kinds of inhumane practices still continue without any sign of relief.

Witnessing by our world friend communities today, who are loving peace and freedom I am denouncing on behalf of 25,000 Khmer Krom Buddhist monks abroad and in Kampuchea Krom.

1. The Vietnamese Government must stop their manipulated policies to disadvantage Khmer Krom people. They must stop their heartless deceits Khmer Krom communities. They must stop their embellished plan to destroy Khmer Krom roots, identities, culture, religion and tradition. In the whole province of Chau Doc in 1978 they forced Khmer Krom out of towns and out of Buddhist temples and turn the place into their military camp. Now the previous 700 Khmer Krom Buddhist temples of which 140 were destroyed and only about 560 temples remained and under serious threats. Where these temples used to be peaceful and secured for Khmer Krom children to learn, to love, to live and to grow knowledge and wisdom now sadly became a place to punish our Khmer Krom monks and people. The temples are no longer safe and secure. Some temples have been used to hide Vietnamese secret agents to closely watch over Khmer Krom Buddhist Monks and work to deter our will through either placing new laws enforcement or inappropriate rules against Buddhist practice such as forcing monks to grow their own rice field, digging wells to raise fish and animals.

2. The Vietnamese government must stop treating Khmer Krom as an ethnic minority and secretly work against our right as human being and our right as an indigenous owner of this land. Khmer Krom monks are forbidden to travel free from one place to another in or out of the country. We were labeled and separated from the Vietnamese. We have lost all the privileges and the eligibilities. Having access to higher education, business support, social securities, Medicare, health and hospital are very limited.

Today this conference is the most historic event for both Khmer Krom monks and Khmer Krom Buddhist people. We would like to appeal the United Nations, the world communities, and all non-governmental organizations here to witness the truth about the prolonged conflicts between Vietnamese and Khmer Krom people. I am now humbly asking for your cooperative help to find justice, freedom and to end this suffering in Kampuchea Krom.

Thank you very much for your valuable times.