Friday, July 20, 2007

Significant case of Venerable Tim Sakorn

Cambodian government is igniting the fire now. Playing game with Buddhism in Cambodia is very sensitive.

The case of Venerable Tim Sokhorn is a test by Vietnam and Hun Sen government to measure how influential of Buddhist institution in Cambodia. I think the test is continuously proving now. The newspapers and radios are endlessly reporting. The sensitivity of Cambodian people are endlessly, perceived, enlarged and ignited.

But Hun Sen government and Vietnam have been aware about this and their test aiming to intimidate and ban all Buddhist monks and KKK people movements in Cambodia, not only in Kampuchea Krom.

It is indisputable that Hun Sen government is actually incorporated with Vietnam to dismantle all Khmer Krom movements that are carrying out to protect their basic human rights. However, Hun Sen government will loss their credibility through this conspiracy with their lasting friend, Vietnam. Vietnam doesn't want international community named their country as high alert in religious freedom abuses, but now Vietnam can persuade Hun Sen government to be named through this forcibly defrocking, detention and kidnapping a Buddhist monk.

It is really illegal to deport Cambodian citizen to any foreign country even though it has some reasons to say. This deportation act is loud and aware by the international community. Vietnam and Cambodia is two separate countries, not one country. So what reason that Hun Sen authority forcibly deported Venerable Tim Sokhorn to Vietnam?

Hun Sen authority has accuracy in its claim that Venerable Tim Sokhorn agreed to go back the former land once threatened him to flee. Furthermore, it would be a lie to claim his consent to go back because the letter and signature don't reflect the reality of the defrocking and the situation.

If we say about international refugee act, though Venerable Tim Sokhorn agreed to go, Hun Sen government must prohibit him not to go because it is against the national and international law.

Soon or later, Hun Sen government might be named as an alert land for its religious freedom and human rights abuses.

Hun Sen government might hope to marginalize Khmer Kampuchea Krom people from Cambodian community, but it is a wrong calculation because how can they marginalize them when KKK people have been recognized by Cambodian constitution and they have shared same blood, identity, belief, language, diet and culture.

It is Buddhist sensitivity, Somdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk's plea, public news's concern, people's anger, illegality and human rights abuse that case of Venerable Tim Sakhorn can offer to Hun Sen government.

Finally, Venerable Tim Sokhorn will become another hero of KKK people though he is lost, alive, died or re-ordained. Previous heroes of KKK people are Son Kuy, Son Nguc Tanh...and Venerable Tim Sakhorn will become their modern-contemporary hero.

We have to keep call Venerable Tim Sokhorn or Dejkun Tim Sokhorn or other respectful words using for Buddhist monks because Venerable Tim Sokhorn's heart and spirit are likely still a monk. He wasn't consent to be disrobed, so that he is still be legally venerated. It is not different from Cambodian Buddhist monk during Khmer Rouge regime, they were disrobed but still practiced the way of Buddhism by heart and spirit and people still recognized them as the monk. After the collapse of Pol Pot regime, many of them became the full monks again automatically.

KY

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