Tim Sakhorn, the former abbot of Phnom Den North pagoda (Photo: Mundulkeo, RFA)Tuesday, April 7, 2009
By Ouk Sav Borey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
On Tuesday 07 April 2009, the Cambodian ministry of Interior (MoI) indicated that Tim Sakhorn, the former abbot of the Phnom Den North pagoda, can live in Cambodia if he wanted to.
Khieu Sopheak, MoI spokesman, told RFA that the Cambodian Constitution stipulates that Khmer Kampuchea Krom are Cambodian citizen, therefore, citizen Tim Sakhorn has the right to live in Cambodia.
Khieu Sopheak confirmed that: “If he lives within the kingdom of Cambodia, under the Cambodian Constitution, he is a Cambodian citizen.”
Khieu’s Sopheak made this claim after Tim Sakhorn was released from the Viet jail, and he was allowed by the Vietnamese to attend a Cambodian ceremony in Ta Loeung village, Phnom Den commune, Kiriving district, Takeo province, with his father and relatives to commemorate his mother’s death during the Cambodian New Year.
On Tuesday, Tim Sakhorn could not be reached to find out whether he wants to live in Cambodia or in Vietnam. Tim Ban, Tim Sakhorn’s younger brother, indicated that Tim Sakhorn went to visit relatives and he has not returned home yet.
However, in a recent interview with RFA, Tim Sakhorn said: “I am very scared when I came to Cambodia. I am more scared than when I was in Vietnam, I am scared about my personal safety.”
Tim Theang, Tim Sakhorn’s father who now lives In Ta Loeung village, claimed that he wants Tim Sakhorn, his son, to come and live with him in Cambodia.
Tim Theang said: “He (Tim Sakhorn) wants (to live in Cambodia) also. I asked all organizations, all levels of the government, the UN etc… to help resolve this issue. If my son can come back (to live in Cambodia), I would be very happy because I am old now.”
Regarding Tim Sakhorn’s issue, Chan Saveth, an official for the Adhoc human rights organization, said: “Based on the information (received), we think that Tim Sakhorn seems to be very concerned about his personal safety.”
Tim Sakhorn, the former abbot of Phnom Den North pagoda, was hastily defrocked by force by the Cambodian authority. He was then sent over to be jailed in Vietnam for a 1-year duration. He was accused of fomenting the breakup of the solidarity between Cambodia and Vietnam in 2007.
During his stay in jail in Vietnam, he was visited by Cambodian parliamentarians and following the intense criticism from the UN Human Rights commission, Tim Sakhorn was subsequently released. However, one human rights official claimed that he was still under close surveillance by the Vietnamese.
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