The Petition

The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Petition

PETITION TO FREE 5 KHMER BUDDHIST MONKS FROM PRISON, TO PRESSURE VIETNAM TO RESPECT HUMAN AND RELIGIOUS RIGHTS OF THE INDIGENOUS KHMERS AND TO STOP
FURTHER HUMAN RIGHT VIOLATIONS AND INJUSTICE UPON THE KHMERS IN KAMPUCHEA KROM.

To:
US Administration, House of Representatives and Senate
Canada's Government, Parliament and Senate

CC:
Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Tan Dung
President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Minh Triet
General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party Nong Duc Manh
UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
UN Special Rapporteur Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous People
US Department of State
US International Commission of Religious Freedom
European Commission External Relations Commissioner
President of Political Groups at the European Parliament

On June 4, 1949 the French Republic transferred Kampuchea Krom (formerly part of the Kingdom of Cambodia) to Vietnam. The ethnic Cambodians now living on this formerly Cambodian land, which is
now part of Vietnam, still call themselves, Khmers (Khmer Krom or Khmer Kampuchea Krom).

We, the undersigned, the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community of North America, Khmers, and those
who are concerned about the plight of our people, whose human, religious, and cultural rights have been systematically violated by the current Communist Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Recently, some of our Buddhist monks have been arbitrarily and unjustly killed and imprisoned without due process of law. Therefore, we, the undersigned, respectfully request the United States Administration, Senate, and House of Representatives, as well as their Canadian counterpart, to intervene with the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to stop this current systemic mistreatment of the our brothers and sisters from Kampuchea Krom and restore and respect their right to have their own cultural, ethnical, religious, and social identity within the legal framework of the existing international law and that
of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

We respectfully wish to request the United States of America Administration, House of Representatives, and the Senate, as well as the Canadian government and parliament, to intervene with the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam that it urgently take the following decisions:

1. Recognize status and human rights of the more than 12 millions Khmer Kampuchea Krom
   people living in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) who choose to practice their own religious beliefs.
2. Reopen Buddhist Institute in Khleang province to allow Khmers to practice their own religious beliefs.
3. Allow Khmers to establish civic, human rights and religious associations.
4. Reopen Khmer language schools.
5. Provide media access, television and radio programming, magazines, books, and cultural
   works in Khmer language.
6. Return land to Khmer people that the Vietnamese authorities illegally confiscated in the 1970s through 1990s.
7. Permit Khmer Buddhist monks and people to travel (move) freely including visiting and returning from Cambodia and abroad.
8. Permit Khmers to organize Kathina ceremony according to the Khmer Buddhist religion.
9. Release political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
10. Release 6 Khmer Buddhist monks from prison who were arrested for practicing their religious beliefs.
1. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Kim Moeun, 4-year sentenced on May 10, 2007
2. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Danh To, 4-year sentenced on May 10, 2007
3. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Ly Thoeung, 2-year sentenced on May 10, 2007
4. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Thach Thoeung, 2-year sentenced on May 10, 2007
5. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Ly Vang, 2-year sentenced on May 10, 2007

Re-ordain 16 forcibly defrocked Buddhist monks who are not allowed to practice their religious beliefs. Violations took place on February 22, 2007.

1. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Kim Moeun, aka Chamroeun, Khleang province.
2. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Thach Doeur, Khleang province.
3. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Thach Svung Hieng, Khleang province.
4. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Taing Chhen, Khleang province.
5. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Ly Soeur, aka Thoeun, Khleang province.
6. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Taing Thoeung, Khleang province.
7. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Ly Thanh Souy, Khleang province.
8. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Ly Tong Phong, Khleang provincial city.
9. The Venerable Buddhist Monk Ly Vang, Khleang provincial city.
10. Seven other Buddhist monks, who are missing, whose names are not yet known.

De-Vietnamize Khmer Buddhism. State and religion must be kept separated. Khmer Buddhism must
be independent from the Vietnamese religion, and restored the religious, cultural, and social institutions
to their pre-1975, state. The Vietnamese authority must not interfere in Buddhist religious affairs.

Sincerely,

Joint Signatures,


Please sign the petition. Thank you.