VietNamNet Bridge – President Nguyen Minh Triet on December 27 received Merle Ratner, an American social activist and Co-President of the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign (VAORRC) in the US.
Ratner informed the President that the VAORRC plans to submit a bill to the US Congress in support and compensation to Agent Orange victims in Vietnam.
She highly appreciated the cooperation of the Viet Nam Agent Orange Victims Association (VAVA) and she will work with the VAVA on activities in order to assist AO victims and to continue the legal struggle in the US in the coming time.
She recommended that Vietnam send delegations of youth, women and scientists to the US to help raise people’s awareness and public support on Agent Orange, as well as to reject the accusation of abusing human rights and democracy.
On behalf of the Vietnamese State and people, President Triet thanked Ratner, an age-old friend of the country, for her support of the Vietnamese people during their struggle for national freedom in the past and the AO victims at present.
President Triet also expressed thanks to the American people, especially to the VAORRC for their active support in Vietnam’s struggle for justice for the Vietnamese AO victims. He also expressed his hope that the VAORRC will continue helping Vietnam in this struggle to help reduce the victims’ pain.
-VietNamNet News
Really?
Okay, great work Ratner. You have found something in your life that calls to you and benefits other people. I couldn't agree more Orange Agent is a terrible chemical and it ruined many lives and America should pay for its own use of biological weapon of cruelty because this weapon not only has a short term instantaneous affect, but it affects the innocent lives of people long past after the war. And Vietnam is not the only country afflicted by this American Policy madness of that era, many Cambodians as well were affected.
Here's what I see where you are wrong though. You say that Mr. Triet should send out delegations "to reject the accusation of abusing human rights and democracy" I initially thought you had a good heart and don't have an agenda for your Orange Agent campaign, now I see its just a ploy. You don't wish to help victims of the war, you don't want to help the Vietnamese people. You are a paid government propagandist, by Triet's own word, an old friend of the government. I'm sorry if i shattered your self-acclaim ego of social worker and social activism. You're not a humanitarian, far from it.
How can you be in Vietnam and not know the situation? Do you know how many prisoners of conscious are in Vietnam jail right? How many real social activism are being bind, under house arrest, and abused because they spoke for democracy? Fought for religious freedom, and seek to introduce a multi-party, diverse and democratic Vietnam?
Do you know about the Montagnards, the Khmer-Krom? Khmer-Krom have at least 5 monks imprison and Vietnam even go to make order and arrest a citizen monk of Cambodia Tim Sakhorn. Not only is Vietnam violate the rights of its own citizen but it does not even care for international protocols and play into its weaker neighbors internal affair anytime it wants to. Also what about Father Le, Thich Quang Do, and other people who write from Vietnam and were jailed. I guess their words and suffering didn't count, what do they know, they live in Vietnam right! They're not visitors. They won't see Vietnam with an unbiased eye. Too much influenced and partiality.
Only people like you can see the truth. And I hope your truth set you free, free of your conscious that is.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Social Activism or Social Blindness - Vietnamese President Meets American Social Activist
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Sonando: Government Responsibility to the Public and Lack Of
Listen to Mr. Sonando's speech on Cambodian government
Human Rights forum, Mr. Mom Sonando, Beehive Radio Director points out to government corruption of a party-based leadership within the executive department rather then an elective official of people's wish.
He also addresses issues of land ownership, government responsibilities towards citizens.
Here are key points of his speech:
1. Government is a body elected to represent the people, must stay neutral in the obligation of its duty to the nation, not distinguishing who to help based on party loyalty
2. Government duties should not been seen as acts of generosity of certain individuals, citizens must not see it as invitation to pledge loyalty. Government should not use state resource to sponsor political propaganda and reward relief and assistance based on allegiance. It should represent and help all citizen.
3. Government should be responsible for ushering in proper and genuinely helpful development for the citizens rather then to steal their land and accuse them of not being useful with them. Governments should have development based programs and education for poor citizens.
4. The government's land, national asset, does not "belong" to the government.. They are a national asset of the entire citizens and must be shared by all citizens for enhancement of their living.
Nation - Religion - King [-Cambodia is not an independent state]
Kampuchea Krom Buddhist monks clash with riot police during a protest near the Vietnam embassy in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh December 17, 2007. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
By Charlie Thach
Posted at KKFYC
On December 17, 2007, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, about 50 Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks with a petition marched to Vietnamese Embassy. The petition called to the government of Vietnam to firstly, release Venerable Tim Sakhorn who was defrocked and deported from Cambodia and imprisoned in Vietnam; secondly, release five Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks who are imprisoned in Khleang (Soc Trang) province, thirdly, resolve the conflicts of Khmer Krom land confiscated by the Vietnam government in the post 1978; lastly, for the Vietnam government to respect the rights of indigenous people. The monks were abruptly stopped by sixty Cambodian police armed with shields, wooden and electrical batons, and some armed with pistols and assaulted Ak-47 rifles.
Since the Vietnamese Embassy refused to take the petition, the determined monks then seated in front of the embassy and began to chant, after awhile the monks seeing that it is hopeless to wait any longer and decided to return to their pagoda. But for some of the monks they did not want to relinquish so they tried to move closer to the embassy. Unfortunately, the monks were stopped aggressively by Polices, beaten and electrocuted with the batons. The helpless monks tried to depart back to their pagoda as fast as they could run. The police chased the monks for more than four blocks, along the way the police either kicked the monks with their boots or beat them with their batons.
According to Article 4 of Cambodia Constitution “The Motto of the Kingdom of Cambodia is: Nation, Religion, King” and in Article 43 “Buddhism shall be the State religion.” Even when the King of Cambodia meets a monk; he still has to show his respect because it is a state religion. Unfortunately, on December 17, 2007, Cambodia Police violently broke the motto of the nation to deliberately beat the Buddhist monks.
It is appalling to see pictures of Cambodian armed police kick a powerless monk trying to escape so hard that he ascended into the air and to see monks electrocuted so severely that caused them to faint. Is it true that in Cambodia, the law enforcers are allowed to beat helpless Buddhist monks?
Surprisingly, according to Radio Free Asia, on the same day, there were 39 Vietnamese who live in Cambodia without permission from Cambodian government came to protest in front of Chinese Embassy because China just took over the Spratly and Paracel islands. None of the Vietnamese protestors were harmed by Cambodian law enforcers. The question is why did the Cambodia polices just stop and beat the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks who just tried to submit the petition to the Vietnamese Embassy, but they did not do anything to the Vietnamese who protested against China in front of the Chinese Embassy?
The Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks escaped Vietnam to seek refuge in our brother country, Cambodia, hoping that they will have their rights protected. Unfortunately, they even got beat-up by their own Khmer polices who tried to please the Vietnamese Embassy. With this heartbreaking incident, it seems that Cambodia is not an independent state.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
More Khmer Krom Monks Being Targetted
The case for Venerable Tim Sakhorn has not been resolved yet. Cambodian National Assembly delegation officials had made a trip last week in hopes to meet the monk and secure his release. They were thwarted from having contact with the monk for some reasons and now in Cambodia we have news of more monks being targetted by authorities.
Much for the same reason they have accused former Ven. Tim Sakhorn, they are accusing these four Khmer Krom monks of holding activities propagated by Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation(KKF) world wide and they have been warned of arrest. Now these monks have gone into hiding.
First, let give some background into KKF. KKF was set up to provide a voice to the unrepresented Khmers living in under Vietnam colonial rule. They call themselves Khmer Krom because they were once part of South Cambodia. The repression against them are not new.
Only surprising to me is why the government of Khmer in Cambodia would aid the government of Hanoi to torture and imprison its own brethren. The Khmer Krom people are a stateless people. No where to go, no where to turn. And soon the entire Cambodia will be the same way with Hun Sen government bowing down to every Hanoi demand.
Essentially Cambodia is not a living democracy. The rule of Cambodia today is not the result of democracy but a deliberate and careful plan of foreign domination by its more powerful neighbor who has been pulling the string in Cambodian politic.
If the words of shadow government should suggest any meaning of secret or conspiracy, then that conspiracy needs no far place to look then Cambodia.
What is going on in Cambodia is a shadow show with master puppeteer pulling the joints and strings of Cambodia.
I am very sadden to see that Cambodia has totally lost its sovereignty and Independence. I am very sad to have a King who thinks his thrown means anything or have any symbolic meaning when his country is under a foreign domination.
Cambodia today is not free. Cambodia today is the beginning stage of a new Kampuchea-hyphenated.
Phnom Penh will be Nam Giang like or not. If we don't become active in our own national interest and protection by striving above apathy and fear or the work for short term reach, we will see our country become a full-fledge vassal of Vietnam very soon.
At least the country citizens will realized it, when the world governments turn a blind eye to Cambodia again like it did in 1979.
Everything will seem legitimate and free. Cambodia is an independent state, from the distant.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Father and Son
The love of Premiere Hun Sen, to the Cambodian people, is like father and son. He and his friends will provide us the Cambodian people with warmth compassion, protection, and shelter with gilded walls and tiled roof. No one suffers within Hun Sen's reach and rule. Only the outside world would see cruelty, unpitied pain and suffering.
The Almighty Power of our Great Savior
Round like herds, we our the people of Cambodia, the Khmer. We are the follower of Hun Sen, our herder, our Sheppard and savior. He restores the Kingdom to peace and gives prosperity to all. He sits on the thrown to the right hand side of the King. No one comes to the king but through our great comrade hero and savior, Moha Sena Deko Hun Sen
All Hail Great Leader, Comarade Hun Sen
Under the auspices rule of the great Hun Sen and his clan of powerful Okhnas and benevolent
national developments, we the people of Cambodia are happy and proud to kneel before your excellencies and this great government, and prostrate ourselves before civils servants and beg for mercy to not do their job so well by from time to time we invite them to burn our house, shoot our family and steal our land. We are the proud destitute citizen of Cambodia. We are the Khmer people.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Deaths by Starvation- State funded
Mother and children in front of grave of family's first victim of starvation, the father. Cambodia, land of economic growth and booming wealth!
Talking about police brutality; not even New York can compare to Cambodia
Where elsewhere in the world police are public servant, hired to protect the people and enforce justice, in Cambodia they are hired to protect personal rights and wishes of dignitaries and low-life officials. This is Cambodian justice. Justice by death.
The justice which were rendered unto these citizens were caused by greed of of a commune chief. This is a common case for poor Cambodians who have unfortunate karma to face with a government low-life that wants to resolve land disputes, in their favor, at all cost..including human lives-without a blink!
How can people act without such remorse and compassion? What a pity that wealth cripple men's heart like this.
Chroy Changvar - The Uniform of Greeds
Explaining my motion of this picture will ruin it for you. But maybe the background will help enraged you about the injustice committed against these villagers, and this family.They are victims of land grab by the growing middle class in Cambodia. This family refused to move away from their land. This is the result of standing for your rights in Cambodia!