Authorities Banned Meeting of Khmer Krom Ceremony

On 4 June 2009, Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community (KKKC) initiated and led by Mr. Thach Setha, executive director planned to hold the 60th commemorations of the loss of Khmer Kampuchea Krom Territory to Vietnam during the period French protectorate in 1850s. Meanwhile, all participants were also planning to offer food to 1949 Buddhist monks, the mark of the year when French government tore down the Kampuchear Krom land to Vietnam up to present. The venue was first intended to hold at Chaktumuk Conference Hall, located near Plaza Hotel in Chaktomuk commune, Chamkamorn district, Phnom Penh.

However, the plan was immediately banned by Phnom Penh authority and ordered to move to other place, the park in front of Wat Butom because the Ministry of Culture confirmed that it could not rent the place for the KKKC at all. There was no specific reason for the replacement though the agreement on the location had been discussed and made.

According to Mr. Thach Sitha, due to the consensus with the Ministry of Culture, on 3 June 2009, at around 8.30 pm, the KKKC’s organizers carried in equipment and other workshop materials in order to set up in the conference meeting, however, the officials of the Ministry of Culture closed and did not allow to them to enter into the conference hall, asserted that they received order from senior officials.

Mr. Thach Sitha added that he was trying to seek for intervention from the Phnom Penh Municipal governor and Culture Minister Him Chem, but he could not contact anyone at all. Waiting until about 1:00 am of June 4, 2009, he was confirmed to celebrate the ceremony in front of Botom Vortey Pagoda.

This was the willing of the authorities to ban the meeting, which was the act of violating freedom of assembly and expression, as saying in the Cambodian Constitutional Law, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.