Appendix D: Letter from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to Norodom Sihanouk Regarding Tim Sakhorn
Royal Government of Cambodia Nation – Religion – King
To His Majesty Norodom Sihanouk, the Father of the Khmer Nation
Revered Majesty,
I received your royal letter dated 06 July 2007 requesting that the royal government review the request made by Mr. Thach Setha, President of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community, regarding the case of the defrocking and threats issued against Kampuchea Krom-born monk (the case of a monk by the name of Tim Sakhorn).
I want to inform your majesty that regarding this case, the royal government ordered a research on the spot, and we received the results below:
The abbot of the Pokhanaram Pagoda,[272] Venerable Tim Sakhorn, is a Khmer Kampuchea Krom, he was born in Khla Kroheum village, Bachuk commune, Svay Tong Province, An Giang Province of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. He stayed at the Pokhanaram Pagoda (Northern Phnom Den Pagoda) located in Phsar village, Phnom Den commune, Kirivong district, Takeo Province. He used the pagoda to serve as a location for distribution of the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) magazines, each one of these consisting of 14 to 20 pages, whose content was incitement propaganda with the goal of creating disputes between Cambodia and Vietnam. Monk Tim Sakhorn was stubborn, he did not participate in meetings, and there was no legal authorization for his activities in the pagoda, such as displaying flags with the logo shown on the KKF magazine, building a concrete structure next to the interior fence of the pagoda, illegally ordaining a number of monks coming from Boeng Salang, and attracting a large number of monks and pagoda members [to join] the KKF overseas. All these actions caused displeasure among the monks in the pagoda. A certain number of them left the order, while others asked to study in other pagodas and stayed there…
This monk and his gang demonstrated twice against the Cambodia-Vietnam friendship, and he even went on to fight with student monks and religious monks using axes and sticks to chase and strike 20 monks, causing injuries to 4 to them.
After reviewing the irregular activities of Monk Tim Sakhorn, Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong set up a meeting where 10 monks from all levels took part, to discuss and judge (Monk Tim Sakhorn). They agreed to defrock Bhikku[273] Tim Sakhorn because he committed severe [violations] of the Buddhist rules for monks.
After his defrocking on 30 June 2007, the district authority, the district department of cult and religion, the commune council, and the pagoda committee searched the room of abbot Tim Sakhorn using a search warrant issued by the Takeo provincial court. They found a evidence such as: knife, explicit VCDs, and two women in the room. They also found a letter written by Mr. Tim Sakhorn, asking to return back to his native place (Vietnam).
The spokesman of the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia declared that Mr. Tim Sakhorn is currently being jailed by the authority of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The exact cause of the imprisonment, we do not know yet.
The above information is provided to Your Majesty for your information.
I take this opportunity to send you my best wishes. May you live in peace from now on.
Please accept, Your Majesty, my faithful devotion.
Phnom Penh, September 28, 2007
[Signed] Hun Sen