GIVE ME FREDDOM
Emotional plea by Ms. Somalin Thach, a courageous Khmer Krom representative Somalin Thach’s emotional speech at the UNPFII attracts the attention to Khmer Krom plight 29 May 2009 By San Suwith Radio Free Asia Translated from Khmer by Socheata In a speech given at the forum for Indigenous People held at the UN headquarters in New York City yesterday, a Khmer Krom woman indicated that all that Khmer Krom people want is to be able to live with their Khmer identity preserved and be able to practice their cultural Khmer heritage. Somalin Thach, a representative of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF), broke down with emotion during her speech given at the United Nation of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York yesterday, while reminiscing about her parents’ flight from Kampuchea Krom (current South Vietnam) because of the discrimination of Khmer Krom people by the Hanoi regime, and also because of their unique Khmer cultural heritage. Somalin Thach told the audience, that in her name as a Khmer Krom people, her hope is to live in her homeland and to practice her unique cultural heritage. It was time for Viet Nam to move beyond preventing her people from speaking at this Forum. She declared: “I want nothing more but to live in my homeland, as my ancestors have been speaking our indigenous language and practicing our cultural heritage. Madam Chair, we strongly believe that it is time that Vietnam move beyond the denial of our rights to speak at this permanent forum and put into practice our rights to freedom of expression as guaranteed by the very own constitution of the UN…” RFA was not able to obtain Ms. Somalin Thach’s comment on her speech because she is currently flying back to her home in Seattle, Washington. Nevertheless, Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach, KKF executive director who is still leading the Khmer Krom delegation in the meeting in New York, indicated that Ms. Somalin Thach’s speech caught the attention of the foreign forum participants. Mr. Thach Ngoc Thach said: “The chairwoman of the forum was attracted [by the speech] and she shared Khmer Krom sufferings. She said that the identity of each nationality is very important around the world, and this is the reason why security of indigenous people is protected here. Furthermore, we noted that a number of countries also got the attention and they came to shake hand and encourage Ms. Somalin Thach, even NGOs came to ask for copies of her speech. Therefore, I am calling on all Khmer Krom people who live outside of the country, as well as all Khmer Krom people who now live in countries with freedom, to join in. Only us who live overseas have a voice to represent our voiceless people who are victimized both in Kampuchea Krom and in Cambodia.” Click to Read More... From: [email protected] To: [email protected] CC: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: farmers' revolution in the work? Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 14:11:55 -0700 GIVE ME LIBERTY NOT SLAVERY. On March 23, 1775, the great patriot and founding father Patrick Henry concluded his speech to the House of Representatives with these chilling words: "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" This new bumper sticker is your opportunity to remind fellow Americans that government bailouts put their very freedom in jeopardy. That's right. The more power we give to the federal government over our lives, the less liberty we will enjoy. FOR CAMBODIA ?�� 1. LOK TA KAI DID NOT ACCEPT THE VIETNAMESE'S OCCUPATION,SLAVERY. SO WAS LON NOL... 2. BUT HENG SAMRIN,CHEA SIM, HUN SEN, SIHANOUK ,SIHAMONI ACCEPT TO SERVE THE VIETNAMESE IN VIOLATION OF THE UN CHARTER AND 10 UN RESOLUTIONS . 1820 Khmer revolt. Resentment with the Vietnamizing process, harsh rule and forced labor leads to a Khmer revolt against the Vietnamese occupiers. The rebels, lead by a monk named Kai, slaughter Vietnamese residents in eastern Cambodia before being subdued by superior forces sent by the Vietnamese governor in the south. WHILE CAMBODIA REMAINS OCCUPIED BY VIETNAM 1979-2009 AGAINST THESE : Feb. 27, 1982 : UN Commission on Human Rights meeting in Geneva adopted a resolution condemning Vietnam��s occupation of Cambodia as a violation of Cambodian human rights. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution A/RES/41/6,, calling for a withdrawal of Vietnamese forces from Cambodia. "Prime Minister Pham Van Dong called on me and, in the presence of Premier Chou En-lai, swore in the name of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam that the latter would always respect the land frontiers as well as all islands belonging to the "Kingdom of Cambodia" March 1970 by Sihanouk . Wilfred Burchett book "The China Cambodia Vietnam triangle " P-176-177 June 8, 1970 No details of a North Vietnamese agreement with Prince Sihanouk are given following his return to Peking after a two-week visit to Hanoi. Tuesday, June 02, 2009 Ax and knife-wielding villagers in Kampot protest palm oil development: Hun Sen's predicted farmers' revolution in the work? Kampot Villagers Protest Palm Oil Development By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh 01 June 2009 Around 300 ax- and knife-wielding villagers amassed in protest in Kampot province Monday, claiming a private company was clearing their land. The company, Camland, has a 70-year license from the government to develop 1,600 hectares of palm for oil in Teuk Chhou district. One protester, Loey Koun, 42, told VOA Khmer the residents of three villages in the district have long occupied the land of their ��ancestors.�� If the company does not remove its bulldozers, Loey Koun said, ��we will light them on fire.�� Try Chhoun, Kampot coordinator for the rights group Adhoc, said the villagers tried to stop the bulldozers clearing the land, near the villages of Tram Kok, Dong and Kampong Chin. No one was injured, he said. Kampot Governor Khoy Khun Huor and Teuk Chhou Governor Se Da both declined to comment Monday. Phrak Putheareak, Camland��s representative, denied the accusations the company was clearing villager land. ��Our company received a license from the government for about 16,000 hectares of land to develop a palm oil plantation over about 70 years,�� he said. The company has already cut 3,000 hectares of land, he said and he called on complaining villagers to produce documents of proof. Hotmail�� has ever-growing storage! Don��t worry about storage limits. Check it out. _________________________________________________________________ Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/QuickAdd?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_QuickAdd1_052009 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/camdisc Learn more - http://www.cambodia.org -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
