មូលនិធិសម្ដេចបវរសេដ្ឋាធិបតី សឺន សាន ទាមទារឱ្យលោក អេង ឆៃអ៊ាង សុំទោសដល់បងប្អូនខ្មែរក្រោមរាប់លានរូបពីការមើលងាយដល់វីរបុរសខ្មែរ លោកឧកញ៉ា សឺន គុយ
The Son Sann Foundation urges Mr. Eng Chhai Eang to apologize to the millions Khmer Krom for looking down on their Khmer hero Oknha Son Kuy
Thu the 6th Waning Moon of Māgasira B.E.2559, December 31, A.D.2015 Year of the Goat
Sun the 2nd Waning Moon of Māgasira B.E.2559, December 27, A.D.2015 Year of the Goat
ពិធីសំណេះសំណាលសាធារណៈរបស់សមណនិស្សិតនិងបញ្ញាវន្ដខ្មែរកម្ពុជាក្រោម ថ្ងៃទី២៧ ធ្នូ នៅភ្នំពេញ Public Gathering of Khmer Krom Buddhist Students on December 27, B.E.2559 A.D.2015 in Phnom Penh
ពិធីសំណេះសំណាលសាធារណៈរបស់សមណនិស្សិតនិងបញ្ញាវន្ដខ្មែរកម្ពុជាក្រោម ថ្ងៃទី២៧ ធ្នូ នៅភ្នំពេញ Public Gathering of Khmer Krom Buddhist Students on December 27, B.E.2559 A.D.2015 in Phnom Penh
ពិធីសំណេះសំណាលសាធារណៈរបស់សមណនិស្សិតនិងបញ្ញាវន្ដខ្មែរកម្ពុជាក្រោម ថ្ងៃទី២៧ ធ្នូ នៅភ្នំពេញ Public Gathering of Khmer Krom Buddhist Students on December 27, B.E.2559 A.D.2015 in Phnom Penh
ពិធីសំណេះសំណាលសាធារណៈរបស់សមណនិស្សិតនិងបញ្ញាវន្ដខ្មែរកម្ពុជាក្រោម ថ្ងៃទី២៧ ធ្នូ នៅភ្នំពេញ Public Gathering of Khmer Krom Buddhist Students on December 27, B.E.2559 A.D.2015 in Phnom Penh
ពិធីសំណេះសំណាលសាធារណៈរបស់សមណនិស្សិតនិងបញ្ញាវន្ដខ្មែរកម្ពុជាក្រោម ថ្ងៃទី២៧ ធ្នូ នៅភ្នំពេញ
ពិធីសំណេះសំណាលសាធារណៈរបស់សមណនិស្សិតនិងបញ្ញាវន្ដខ្មែរកម្ពុជាក្រោម ថ្ងៃទី២៧ ធ្នូ នៅភ្នំពេញ Public Gathering of Khmer Krom Buddhist Students on December 27, B.E.2559 A.D.2015 in Phnom Penh
ជំនួបនិស្សិត និង បញ្ញាវន្ដខ្មែរកម្ពុជាក្រោម និងសប្បុរសជន រៀបចំដោយសម្ព័ន្ធសមណនិស្សិត-និស្សិតខ្មែរកម្ពុជាក្រោម ថ្ងៃទី២៧ ធ្នូ
Organized by the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Buddhist Students Union on December 27, B.E.2559 A.D.2015 in Phnom Penh, Kampuchea (Cambodia)
Thu the 14th Waxing Moon of Māgasira B.E.2559, December 24, A.D.2015 Year of the Goat
បញ្ឈប់ការបណ្តេញចេញដោយបង្ខំ
OHCHR produces short video on forced evictions worldwide
Mon the 11th Waxing Moon of Māgasira B.E.2559, December 21, A.D.2015 Year of the Goat
Geneva (20 December 2015) – Each year, millions of people are forcibly displaced from their homes and their land. Making people homeless is a human rights violation. OHCHR’s short video, “Stop Forced Evictions,” shows the immeasurable impact of these forcible displacements on the lives of people all over the world. Watch the video in English.
Sat the 9th Waxing Moon of Māgasira B.E.2559, December 19, A.D.2015 Year of the Goat
ឯកឧត្តម ថាច់ សេដ្ឋា អញ្ជើញចូលរួមពិធីបុណ្យខួបសម្ដេចបវរសេដ្ឋាធិបតី សឺន សាន
Hon. Thach Setha attended the 15th Anniversary on the Passing Commemoration of the late and renowned Samdech Son Sann
Son Sann was an anti-communist and opposed the invasion and occupation of Kampuchea (Cambodia) by Vietnam in the late 1978.
Ravina Shamsadani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Photo: UN Multimedia
11 December 2015 – Alarmed by the recent spate of violent attacks on human rights defenders in Viet Nam, the United Nations rights agency today expressed concern at the “apparent failure” of the Vietnamese authorities to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators and urged the Government to take measures to ensure security of all human rights defenders.
“We urge the Government of Viet Nam to take urgent measures to ensure the security of all human rights defenders and to undertake prompt, thorough and impartial investigations of all the reported incidents involving human rights defenders,” Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told journalists at a press briefing in Geneva.
According to Ms. Shamdasani, the third such incident took place since September, when Mr. Nguyen Van Dai, a prominent lawyer and three other human rights defenders were beaten by a group of about 20 men armed with sticks at a training forum they were conducting.
She added that the police attempted to halt the forum but the 60 participants refused to leave, forcing the police to stay and monitor the session, following which the attack took place.
Further, Ms. Shamdasani said that in two other recent cases, in November and September, human rights lawyers and activists were attacked, apparently in reprisal for their work on sensitive cases.
“We have expressed our concern to the Vietnamese authorities over these attacks and sought clarification on serious allegations that plainclothes policemen were involved,” she added.
Ms. Shamdasani stressed that human rights defenders are entitled to particular protection by State authorities under international human rights law.
“The relevant standards are outlined in the Declaration on the right and responsibility of individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms (Declaration on Human Rights Defenders), which was adopted by the UN General Assembly by consensus in 1999,” Ms. Shamdasani concluded. Courtesy the United Nations
EU–Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue
Human Rights Watch Recommendations
December 2015
Human Rights Watch appreciates the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing preparations for the forthcoming EU-Vietnam human rights dialogue, scheduled to be held in Hanoi on December 15, 2015.
Despite renewed economic growth and progress on a number of social indicators in 2015, Vietnam’s record on civil and political rights remained dismal. The ruling Communist Party has a monopoly on political power and allows no challenge to its leadership. Basic rights, including freedoms of speech, opinion, press, association, and religion, are restricted. Rights activists and dissident bloggers face constant harassment and intimidation, including physical assault and imprisonment. Farmers continue to lose land to development projects without adequate compensation and workers are not allowed to form independent unions.
Human Rights Watch recommends that the EU should focus on political prisoners and detainees, and examine three key priority areas in its upcoming human rights dialogue with Vietnam. These three priority areas are the following: repression of freedom of speech and freedom of association; repression of the right to freely practice religion; and police brutality.
While we welcome the human rights dialogue as a vehicle for engaging with Vietnamese authorities about human rights concerns, we consider it of paramount importance that human rights concerns remain an integral part of the EU-Vietnam relationship at all levels. The EU should ensure that it is not an isolated dialogue with little, if any, resonance in the overall EU-Vietnam relationship.
1. Political Prisoners and Detainees
Vietnam has a continuing record of sentencing peaceful bloggers and activists to harsh prison terms for exercising their basic rights. The authorities often detain people for long periods for alleged national security violations, without access to legal counsel or family visits, and with inadequate medical care.
In November 2015, the public security minister, General Tran Dai Quang, reported to the National Assembly that from June 2012 until November 2015, “The police have received, arrested, and dealt with 1,410 cases involving 2,680 people who violated national security.” He said, “During this same period, opposition persons have illegally established more than 60 groups and organizations in the name of democracy and human rights, which have about 350 participants from 50 cities and provinces.”
Vietnam frequently uses vaguely worded and loosely interpreted provisions in its penal code and other laws to imprison peaceful political and religious dissidents. Under the 2009 revised penal code these include “activities aiming to overthrow the people’s administration” (penal code article 79, penalty up to death sentence); “undermining national unity policy” (article 87, penalty up to 15 years in prison); “conducting propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” (article 88, penalty up to 20 years); “disrupting security” (article 89, penalty up to 15 years); “fleeing abroad or stay abroad to oppose the people’s government” (article 91, penalty up to life sentence); and “supplemental punishment” which strips former prisoners convicted of “national security” crimes of certain rights, puts them on probation for up to five years, and allows confiscation of part or all of their property (article 92). Vietnam also uses other articles in the penal code to target peaceful dissenters, including “abusing rights to democracy and freedom to infringe upon the interests of the State and the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and citizens” (article 258), “causing public disorder” (article 245), and charges such as tax evasion.
Instead of repealing its draconian laws, Vietnam’s National Assembly passed a revised penal code on November 27, 2015 which appeared to extend liability even further for bloggers and rights activists. Among the harsher provisions are new clauses in article 109 (originally article 79), article 117 (originally article 88), and article 118 (originally article 89), that states, “The person who takes actions in preparation of committing this crime shall be subject to between one and five years of imprisonment.” The amendments will become effective on July 1, 2016.
Bloggers Nguyen Huu Vinh (known as Anh Ba Sam), Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, and Nguyen Dinh Ngoc (known as Nguyen Ngoc Gia), arrested in 2014 for their pro-democracy blogging activities, remain in police custody and have still not been put on trial at time of this writing.
In April, the authorities arrested Nguyen Viet Dung for participating in a “pro-tree” peaceful march at Hoan Kiem lake in Hanoi and charged him with disrupting public order under article 245 of the penal code. In August, police in Thanh Hoa province arrested Dinh Tat Thang for sending out letters criticizing provincial leaders and police. He was charged under article 258. In September, police in Thai Binh province arrested former political prisoner Tran Anh Kim for “activities aiming to overthrow the people’s administration” under penal code article 79 because of his alleged establishment of a pro-democracy group. Tran Anh Kim had recently finished a five year, six month prison sentence in January 2015, also under article 79 for his connection with the banned Vietnamese Democratic Party. In November, police in Khanh Hoa arrested Nguyen Huu Quoc Duy for alleged violation of article 88 because he allegedly posted comments critical of the government on Facebook.
Discrimination against ethnic minority groups can significantly worsen the already horrific prison conditions they experience. Many members of ethnic minorities are targeted for arrest on account of their practice of unsanctioned religions or their religious beliefs.
Persons imprisoned for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly include: 1) Tran Huynh Duy Thuc (sentenced to 16 years in prison); 2) Ngo Hao (15 years); 3) Ho Duc Hoa (13 years); 4) Dang Xuan Dieu (13 years); 5) Nguyen Cong Chinh (11 years); 6) Pham Thi Phuong (11 years); 7) Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung (9 years); 8) Tran Thi Thuy (8 years); 9) Nguyen Dang Minh Man (8 years); 10) Father Nguyen Van Ly (8 years); 11) Phung Lam (7 years); 12) Doan Huy Chuong (7 years); 13) Pham Van Thong (7 years); 14) Nguyen Ngoc Cuong (7 years); 15) Tran Vu Anh Binh (6 years); 16) Nguyen Kim Nhan (5 years and six months); and many others.
Ethnic minority individuals imprisoned for exercising their freedom of expression, belief and religion include: 1) Rmah Hlach (a.k.a. Ama Blut; sentenced to 12 years); 2) Siu Hlom (12 years); 3) Siu Ben (12 years); 4) Noh (12 years); 5) A Tach (a.k.a Ba Hlol; 11 years); 6) Dinh Yum (11 years); 7) Kpuih Khuong (11 years); 8) Rung (10 years); 9) Siu Nheo (10 years); 10) Siu Wiu (10 years); 11) Siu Brom (10 years); 12) Siu Thai (a.k.a. Ama Thuong; 10 years); 13) Nhi (a.k.a. Ba Tiem; 10 years); 14) Roh (10 years); 15) A Kuin (a.k.a Ba Chan; 9 years 6 months); 16) Run (9 years); 17) Ro Mah Pla (a.k.a Ama Em; 9 years); 18) Rah Lan Mlih (9 years); 19) Ro Mah Pro (9 years); 20) Rah Lan Blom (9 years); 21) Siu Koch (a.k.a. Ama Lien; 9 years); 22) Kpuil Mel (9 years); 23) Ro Lan Ju (a.k.a. Ama Suit; 9 years); 24) Pinh (9 years); 25) Jonh (a.k.a Chinh; 9 years); 26) Rmah Khil (9 years); 27) Rmah Bloanh (8 years); 28) Kpuil Le (8 years); 29) Kpa Sinh (8 years); 30) Ro Mah Klit (8 years); 31) Am Linh (a.k.a. Ba Blung; 8 years); 32) Chi (8 years); 33) Yưh (a.k.a. Ba Nar; 8 years); 34) Rơ Mah Then (8 years); 35) Byuk (8 years); 36) A Hyum (a.k.a Ba Kol; 8 years); 37) Siu Tinh (8 years); and many others.
Recommendations
During the upcoming dialogue, the EU should publicly and privately call on the Vietnamese government to:
The EU should also call for the immediate release of political prisoners or detainees who have health problems so that they can receive proper medical treatment. Some of the most urgent cases for immediate release are Father Nguyen Van Ly, religious activists Ngo Hao and Nguyen Cong Chinh and bloggers Dang Xuan Dieu and Nguyen Huu Vinh.
2. Repression of freedom of speech and freedom of association
Vietnam continues to suppress dissent by peaceful dissidents and activists and punishes them for forming organizations that the government views as hostile to its interests. The government bans all political parties, unions, and human rights organizations that are independent of the government or the Party.
With the spotlight on labor rights, in June 2014 Vietnam released labor activist Do Thi Minh Hanh, who was arrested and charged in 2010 under article 89 of the 2009 penal code for helping organize a wildcat strike. But other labor activists including Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung and Doan Huy Chuong are still serving harsh prison sentences. On November 22, 2015, the police of Dong Nai province detained and assaulted Do Thi Minh Hanh for helping workers at Yupoong Company to exercise their rights.
Vietnamese dissidents say that violence or harassment by plainclothes police thugs is the new norm. Thugs, who appear to be government agents in civilian clothes, have been attacking dissidents at an increasing rate, often in public, and with complete impunity. Uniformed police officers do not intervene, most likely because they believe the attackers are state agents. The authorities have also been using proxies in social media to attack and defame bloggers and activists.
During 2015, at least 40 bloggers and rights activists were beaten by plainclothes agents. They included Pham Doan Trang, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, J.B Nguyen Huu Vinh, Tran Thi Nga, Nguyen Chi Tuyen, Trinh Anh Tuan, Dinh Quang Tuyen, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, Chu Manh Son, Dinh Thi Phuong Thao, and Tran Minh Nhat. No one involved in the assaults was held accountable.
Recommendations
During the upcoming dialogue, EU should publicly and privately call on the Vietnamese government to:
3. Repression of Freedom of Religion
The government restricts religious practice through legislation, registration requirements, harassment, and surveillance. Religious groups are required to gain approval from and register with the government as well as operate under government-controlled management boards.
While authorities allow many government-affiliated churches and pagodas to hold worship services, they ban religious activities they arbitrarily deem contrary to the “national interest,” “public order,” or “national great unity.” In 2015, authorities interfered with the religious activities of unrecognized branches of the Cao Dai church, the Hoa Hao Buddhist church, independent Protestant and Catholic house churches in the central highlands and elsewhere, Khmer Krom Buddhist temples, and the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam.
In January 2015, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Heiner Bielefeldt issued a report identifying “serious problems” in Vietnam’s approach to religion, notably “legal provisions that tend to give broad leeway to regulate, limit, restrict or forbid the exercise of freedom of religion or belief.”
In April 2015, the Ministry of Interior published the 4th draft of a Law on Belief and Religion, scheduled to be approved by the National Assembly in 2016. Although the draft contains a few marginal improvements on the existing legal framework, it maintains mechanisms allowing authorities to persecute religious groups they dislike and could even give such mechanisms greater legal force.
Human Rights Watch has also highlighted the Vietnamese government’s ongoing persecution of ethnic Montagnard Christians in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, one aspect of a broader pattern of rights violations against religious minorities in the country. Accused of practicing “evil way” religions, Montagnard practitioners of the De Ga and Ha Mon forms of Christianity are persecuted pursuant to high level government policy. They are subjected to constant surveillance and other forms of intimidation, arbitrary arrest, and mistreatment while in security force custody. In detention, the authorities question them about their religious and political activities and possible plans to flee Vietnam. Over the past year, hundreds have fled to Cambodia and other parts of Southeast Asia. The Vietnamese authorities have responded to the flight of Montagnards into Cambodia by pressuring Cambodian authorities to prevent border crossings and deny those who do cross the right to seek asylum; Cambodian authorities, in turn, refuse to register more than a handful as asylum seekers.
Recommendations
During the upcoming dialogue, the EU should publicly and privately call on the Vietnamese government to:
4. Police Abuse: Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment and Torture
Police throughout Vietnam have been abusing people in their custody, in some cases leading to death. In many of these cases, those killed were being held for minor infractions. A number of survivors said they were beaten to extract confessions, sometimes for crimes they maintained they did not commit. Although the government promised improvements after Human Rights Watch published its findings about police brutality, it appears that officers who have committed serious, even lethal, transgressions have only rarely faced the serious consequences the law requires.
Recommendations
During the upcoming dialogue, the EU should:
Sat the 2nd Waxing Moon of Māgasira B.E.2559, December 12, A.D.2015 Year of the Goat
12 December 2015 – Following the adoption of the new Paris Agreement on climate change, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said government representatives made history today.
Download agreement, here: unfccc
សាររបស់អគ្គលេខធិការ Secretary-General’s Message
Fri the 1st Waxing Moon of Māgasira B.E.2559, December 11, A.D.2015 Year of the Goat
Download message in Khmer, here: Secretary-General_Speech_on_HRD_2015
Amid large-scale atrocities and widespread abuses across the world, Human Rights Day should rally more concerted global action to promote the timeless principles that we have collectively pledged to uphold.
In a year that marks the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, we can draw inspiration from the history of the modern human rights movement, which emerged from the Second World War.
At that time, President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States identified four basic freedoms as the birthright of all people: freedom of expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear. His wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, joined forces at the United Nations with human rights champions from around the world to enshrine these freedoms in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Today’s extraordinary challenges can be seen – and addressed – through the lens of the four freedoms.
First: freedom of expression, which is denied to millions of people and increasingly under threat. We must defend, preserve and expand democratic practices and space for civil society. That is essential to lasting stability.
Second: freedom of worship. Around the world, terrorists have hijacked religion, betraying its spirit by killing in its name. Others are targeting religious minorities and exploiting fears for political gain. In response, we must promote respect for diversity based on the fundamental equality of all people and the right to freedom of religion.
Third: freedom from want still plagues so much of humankind. World leaders in September adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with the aim of ending poverty and enabling all people to live in dignity on a peaceful, healthy planet. Now we must do everything possible to realize this vision.
Fourth: freedom from fear. Millions of refugees and internally displaced persons are a tragic product of the failure to fulfil this freedom. Not since the Second World War have so many people been forced to flee their homes. They run from war, violence and injustice across continents and oceans, often risking their lives. In response, we must not close but open doors and guarantee the right of all to seek asylum, without any discrimination. Migrants seeking an escape from poverty and hopelessness should also enjoy their fundamental human rights.
Today we reaffirm our commitment to protecting human rights as the foundation of our work. This is the spirit of the UN’s Human Rights up Front initiative, which aims to prevent and respond to large-scale violations.
On Human Rights Day, let us recommit to guaranteeing the fundamental freedoms and protecting the human rights of all.
Ban Ki-moon
សូមអរគុណដ៏ជ្រាលជ្រៅចំពោះសប្បុរសជននូវវិភាគទានទាំងនេះ។