Appendix C: Vietnamese State Press Coverage, Tim Sakhorn
Tim Sakhorn's Trial and "Repentance"
Tim Sa Khorn on the Path of Virtue
From Cong An Nhan Dan (Peoples' Police) newspaper, September 14, 2008
After Tim Sa Khorn's arrest, his right hand men were also exposed. Chau Inh and Neang Phe acknowledged various illegal activities such as receiving money and reactionary publications and DVDs that encouraged demonstrations and the submission of complaints. Both of them read from documents in which they admitted their crimes. Right afterwards, the Peoples Committee of An Cu Village distributed materials to the population to publicize the criminal activities of Tim Sa Khorn and a number of other individuals involved such as Chau Inh, Chau Son, Neang De, Neang Phe, Huynh Ut and Chau Hen.
It should also be noted that prior to the arrest of Tim Sa Khorn, on June 16,2007, Mr. Nuon Nghet, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Buddhist Sangha in Cambodia, sent Document 502/07-DN to Tep Vong, the Supreme Patriarch of the Kingdom of Cambodia. This document included the following sentence: …. Tim Sa Khorn engaged in activities that contravened the rules of the clergy, sowing discord between different nationalities and countries, notably between Vietnam and Cambodia, and used this pagoda as his headquarters for propaganda activities that affected important rules and regulations of the Buddhist Church." Based on this, Chairman Nuon Nghet decided to defrock Tim Sa Khorn. The following day, Tep Vong indicated his accord with this decision.
One of the investigators said that when Tim Sa Khorn was first arrested, he was being disingenuous and sought to avoid all responsibility, However, after the investigating officers explained to him the country's policies, the relevant law, and what the conditions for clemency were, he became repentant and remorseful, admitted all of his crimes, and at the same time denounced the group of people and their leaders who had led him into committing his crimes.
On August 5, 2007, Tim Sa Khorn stated his views frankly on paper that had been furnished to him by the investigating officers: "It was because I believed in the false propaganda of ill-intentioned foreigners, that I have committed crimes against the Vietnamese state. After having learned from the Vietnamese government about its laws, and its policies regarding the Khmer people and religion, I am able to distinguish right from wrong, and I understand that I have committed crimes, at the same time I see clearly the humanitarianism and the clemency that the Vietnamese state has afforded to me personally."
In black and white, Tim Sa Khorn "calls on all of my compatriots not to listen to the slanderous lies of outsiders with bad intentions who are trying to destroy the great unity between Khmers and Vietnamese, between the government and religion. Organizing people in large numbers to file complaints regarding rice fields and other agricultural land is a plot organized by bad people from outside the community…Once again, I call upon anyone still in possession of publications or DVDs of the KKF Federation to turn them in to the village authorities in order to benefit, as I did, from the government's program of clemency."
Although he admitted his shame, and called on others to be vigilant regarding activities of the enemy, Tim Sa Khorn still was nervous and skeptical about his prospects. Prior to the date of his trial, he was uneasy, full of anxiety and worry. During the days right before the trial he could hardly sleep, his mind filled with questions and worries: given the severity of my crimes, how could the court possibly apply the policy of clemency? It is certain that I will receive a heavy sentence. When I leave prison, will I still be in a shape that will allow me to return to my family and friends?
On November 18, 2007, upon hearing the pronouncement of his sentence by the People's Court of An Giang, Tim Sa Khorn breathed a sigh of relief. "To tell the truth, it was not what I expected. The things the investigating officers told me turned out to be true," he said to himself. He quietly gave thanks to the court and especially to the police officers. As he stepped outside the court room, Tim Sa Khorn felt deeply ashamed about his prior activities. As he was returning to the detention center, he heard someone whisper in his ear "do you best to succeed in your reeducation." Khorn couldn't see him, he only nodded his head.
As he was carrying out this very humanitarian sentence, Tim Sa Khorn turned into a kind and impressive person. In addition to the personnel of the prison, he was also regularly visited by senior police officials and representatives of various branches of the police force to give him encouragement. Friends of Tim Sa Khorn were also given opportunities to visit him.
On one occasion, police from the security investigative unit paid him a visit. Tim Sa Khorn, looking very happy, responded to their questions. He was relaxed and smiling. When an officer asked him what he thought about the twelve-month sentence that he was serving, Khorn's whole face wrinkled up with a huge smile: "I was really, really happy! I had thought I would be punished heavily. As for this sentence, I am grateful to the police, grateful to the prosecutor and the court for the clemency, and for providing me with the opportunity of returning to normal life."
When asked where he would live after completing his sentence, he responded immediately: "I will return to my homeland in Ba Chuc and live with my paternal aunt. I won't be a monk any more. If the opportunity arises, I'll get married and make a living from farming." And as for his associates prior to his arrest, Khorn swore "I will cut off all relations with them, now that I know their true faces".
When questioned about his incarceration and his treatment by the investigating cadres and the personnel of the detention center, Tim Sa Khorn replied that he had been treated very well; that the investigating officers had clearly explained the law, which gave him the peace of mind to confess truthfully, that they had given him two new sets of clothing and money to buy extra food. The detention center personnel had also been good to him, his needs were being taken care of, he had medical checkups and was given medication, and that there had been absolutely no pressure or physical ill-treatment.
Most importantly, in the two months that have passed since his release, Khorn has done everything he promised to do. In a recent telephone call with us, the head of the Tri Ton District Police told us that Tim Sa Khorn was benefitting from the policies of the Party and the State in regard to its Khmer citizens. Tim Sa Khorn was enthusiastically engaged in work to benefit his family and his birthplace.