From Pennsauken, USA on 14 December 2011
Khmers Kampuchea - Krom Federation
released that a Khmer-Krom Buddhist Monk, named Venerable Ly Sol is 19
years old
who staying at Tasek temple , Khleang province (Soc Trang) in Kampuchea
Krom (Southern of Vietnam) was forced to defrock at his own temple by
Vietnamese goverment.
Below is a PRESS RELEASE published by Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation
When people around the world were enjoying the International Human Rights Day to commemorate the
creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a Khmer-Krom Buddhist Monk, named
Venerable Ly Sol, in Vietnam was forced to defrock at his own temple. The Vietnam authority accused him
with the alleged crime of intention to rape a woman who has an age as his grandmother.
At 1:00 pm, on December 11, 2011, the Vietnam authority ordered a Khmer-Krom Buddhist monk, named Thach Houl, who is a member of the Congress of Vietnam and also the vice-president of the Patriotic United Buddhist Association (Hội Đoàn Kết Sư Sải Yêu Nước) of Soc Trang province, to defrock Venerable Ly Sol at Tra Set temple in Tra Set commune, Vinh Hai village, Vinh Chau district, Soc Trang province, without the agreement of the Abbot and other Buddhist monks at Tra Set temple.
Venerable Ly Sol is 19 years old. He has been ordained to be a Buddhist monk for almost 4 years. According to Venerable Ly Sol, about 10 days ago, at 8:00 pm, he was thirsty so he went down to the kitchen to looking for water. In that night, Mrs. Danh Thi Tu, over sixty years old was sleeping in the kitchen. When she heard someone was walking to the Kitchen, she scared and screamed. Venerable Ly Sol came to her and used his one hand (Venerable Ly Sol is handicap) cover her mouth and told her that it was him, she should not scare. The Buddhist monks and the people talked about that incident as just a normal scaring case by an old woman living at the temple for almost four years. Unfortunately, when the local Vietnamese authority heard about it, they started framing a case to defrock Venerable Ly Sol.
According to Mrs. DANH THỊ TÚ, the local police forced her to finger printed on the complaint letter that was already written by the local authority to file complaint against Venerable Ly Sol so the authority has a reason to defrock him.
After being defrocked injustice, Venerable Ly Sol still stays at the temple. He said that even he is not allowed to wear the Buddhist robe as a Buddhist monk, but his mind and heart still believes he is a Buddhist monk. He still wants to be a Buddhist monk if he is allowed by the Vietnam Authority.
The Vietnam authority continues to fabricate the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks at Tra Set temple because the Buddhist monks of this temple do not join the Patriotic United Buddhist Association that is set up by the Vietnamese government to control the way Khmer-Krom practicing their Theravada Buddhism. Moreover, in 2007, one of the Buddhist monks, Venerable Kim Moul, from this temple, was leading a peaceful demonstration to demand for religious freedom. Venerable Kim Moul was arrested, defrocked, and imprisoned for 2 years. After he was released, he escaped to Thailand via Cambodia and later was granted Asylum to live in Sweden. In 2010, he was re-ordained as a Buddhist monk while attending the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York.
Prior to April 30, 1975, the Khmer-Krom people had their own Buddhist Associations without interfering from the government. When the Vietnamese communist took over their homeland, the Vietnamese government dispersed the Khmer-Krom Theravada Buddhist Associations and forced Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks to join the Patriotic United Buddhist Association (Hội Đoàn Kết Sư Sải Yêu Nước) under the umbrella of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS - Giáo Hội Phật Giáo Việt Nam). The VBS is under the control of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (FFCC - Mặt Trận Tổ Quốc Việt Nam) which is a committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP).
Currently, the Vietnam Authority successfully forced most of the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks to join the Patriotic United Buddhist Association. Some Buddhist monks refuse to join and are facing the oppression from the Vietnam authority, just like the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks at the Tra Set temple.
Vietnam allows the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks to become its Congress members as the case of Venerable Thach Houl. This way, the Vietnamese government can use the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks who work for the government to oppress their own fellow Buddhist monks. Vietnam also uses those monks to represent for the Khmer-Krom to propagate about the “religious freedom” that Vietnam currently has.
The Vietnamese government now even embeds its agents in most of the Khmer-Krom temples to monitor the activities of the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks. Thus, it makes the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks living in FEAR and really scares to talk about their rights to freely practice their Theravada Buddhism because they may be arrested. All the activities of the Khmer-Krom rituals must ask for the permission from the Vietnam authority. The Khmer-Krom men even have to ask for the permission to be ordained as Buddhist monks.
In this regards, we would like to ask for your assistance to:
•Urge Vietnam to allow Venerable Ly Sol to be re-ordained as a Buddhist monk.
•Urge Vietnam to allow the Khmer-Krom to freely practice their Theravada Buddhism. They should not need to ask for permission even just to organize a simple Buddhist ritual.
•Remind Vietnam that religious freedom is a right, not a privilege granted by government.
•Urge Vietnam to allow the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks to form an independent Theravada Buddhist organization to promote their rich and unique history, religion and culture. Originally posted at: khmerkrom.org
Yours sincerely,
Thach Ngoc Thach
KKF President
At 1:00 pm, on December 11, 2011, the Vietnam authority ordered a Khmer-Krom Buddhist monk, named Thach Houl, who is a member of the Congress of Vietnam and also the vice-president of the Patriotic United Buddhist Association (Hội Đoàn Kết Sư Sải Yêu Nước) of Soc Trang province, to defrock Venerable Ly Sol at Tra Set temple in Tra Set commune, Vinh Hai village, Vinh Chau district, Soc Trang province, without the agreement of the Abbot and other Buddhist monks at Tra Set temple.
Venerable Ly Sol is 19 years old. He has been ordained to be a Buddhist monk for almost 4 years. According to Venerable Ly Sol, about 10 days ago, at 8:00 pm, he was thirsty so he went down to the kitchen to looking for water. In that night, Mrs. Danh Thi Tu, over sixty years old was sleeping in the kitchen. When she heard someone was walking to the Kitchen, she scared and screamed. Venerable Ly Sol came to her and used his one hand (Venerable Ly Sol is handicap) cover her mouth and told her that it was him, she should not scare. The Buddhist monks and the people talked about that incident as just a normal scaring case by an old woman living at the temple for almost four years. Unfortunately, when the local Vietnamese authority heard about it, they started framing a case to defrock Venerable Ly Sol.
According to Mrs. DANH THỊ TÚ, the local police forced her to finger printed on the complaint letter that was already written by the local authority to file complaint against Venerable Ly Sol so the authority has a reason to defrock him.
After being defrocked injustice, Venerable Ly Sol still stays at the temple. He said that even he is not allowed to wear the Buddhist robe as a Buddhist monk, but his mind and heart still believes he is a Buddhist monk. He still wants to be a Buddhist monk if he is allowed by the Vietnam Authority.
The Vietnam authority continues to fabricate the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks at Tra Set temple because the Buddhist monks of this temple do not join the Patriotic United Buddhist Association that is set up by the Vietnamese government to control the way Khmer-Krom practicing their Theravada Buddhism. Moreover, in 2007, one of the Buddhist monks, Venerable Kim Moul, from this temple, was leading a peaceful demonstration to demand for religious freedom. Venerable Kim Moul was arrested, defrocked, and imprisoned for 2 years. After he was released, he escaped to Thailand via Cambodia and later was granted Asylum to live in Sweden. In 2010, he was re-ordained as a Buddhist monk while attending the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York.
Prior to April 30, 1975, the Khmer-Krom people had their own Buddhist Associations without interfering from the government. When the Vietnamese communist took over their homeland, the Vietnamese government dispersed the Khmer-Krom Theravada Buddhist Associations and forced Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks to join the Patriotic United Buddhist Association (Hội Đoàn Kết Sư Sải Yêu Nước) under the umbrella of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS - Giáo Hội Phật Giáo Việt Nam). The VBS is under the control of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (FFCC - Mặt Trận Tổ Quốc Việt Nam) which is a committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP).
Currently, the Vietnam Authority successfully forced most of the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks to join the Patriotic United Buddhist Association. Some Buddhist monks refuse to join and are facing the oppression from the Vietnam authority, just like the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks at the Tra Set temple.
Vietnam allows the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks to become its Congress members as the case of Venerable Thach Houl. This way, the Vietnamese government can use the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks who work for the government to oppress their own fellow Buddhist monks. Vietnam also uses those monks to represent for the Khmer-Krom to propagate about the “religious freedom” that Vietnam currently has.
The Vietnamese government now even embeds its agents in most of the Khmer-Krom temples to monitor the activities of the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks. Thus, it makes the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks living in FEAR and really scares to talk about their rights to freely practice their Theravada Buddhism because they may be arrested. All the activities of the Khmer-Krom rituals must ask for the permission from the Vietnam authority. The Khmer-Krom men even have to ask for the permission to be ordained as Buddhist monks.
In this regards, we would like to ask for your assistance to:
•Urge Vietnam to allow Venerable Ly Sol to be re-ordained as a Buddhist monk.
•Urge Vietnam to allow the Khmer-Krom to freely practice their Theravada Buddhism. They should not need to ask for permission even just to organize a simple Buddhist ritual.
•Remind Vietnam that religious freedom is a right, not a privilege granted by government.
•Urge Vietnam to allow the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks to form an independent Theravada Buddhist organization to promote their rich and unique history, religion and culture. Originally posted at: khmerkrom.org
Yours sincerely,
Thach Ngoc Thach
KKF President
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