Demonstrations in Paris shed light on human rights violations in southern Viet Nam

Human rights demonstrators gathered to Paris earlier this week to raise awareness about human rights violations in the Mekong Delta as well as the recent arrest of the Buddhist monk the Ven. Tim Sakhorn, according to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization.

The indigenous people of the Mekong Delta are known as the Khmer Krom and monks from this area in particular have increasingly become targets of government persecution and have been denied the freedom of speech, assembly, and religion.

The disappearance of the Ven. Tim Sakhorn, who was living in Cambodia assisting other Khmer Krom refugees fleeing from Viet Nam, has also drawn attention to rights violations in southern Viet Nam. The most recent report claims that the monk has been returned to the country with the charge of “undermining national unity.”

The demonstrations were well-attended- numerous petitions were signed and international representatives from the Khmer Krom spoke on behalf of Ven. Tim Sakhorn and other victims.

According to the article: “UNPO delivered also an appeal, urging the Cambodian government to pressure its Vietnamese neighbors to respect international human rights standards, and to remember their own obligations to protect human rights defenders and those who seeking refuge within their borders.”