The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Coordination Committee, an umbrella group comprising six NGOs and roughly 2,000 people, has requested permission to join Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling CPP, officials said Monday.
The move was condemned Monday by unaffiliated Khmer Krom groups who claimed that it would compromise the integrity of the NGOs.
Kim Van Chheng, the KKKCC’s executive director, said they wished to strengthen the committee through its affiliation with the CPP.
He said they will campaign to register more Khmer Krom individuals with the CPP and will keep a close eye on Khmer Krom communities, while working closely with the government.
“There has been no pressure to join with the CPP,” he said. “We do not want to stay outside the party. We will be protected and feel warm,” he added.
Kim Van Chheng sought official permission to join the CPP from Interior Minister Sar Kheng in a request dated Sept 17 and received Sunday.
“We think that today and in the future, it is only the CPP that has the ability and the resources to develop the country in order to be prosperous,” Kim Van Chheng stated in the request.
In another statement dated the same day, Kim Van Chheng added that although his umbrella group retains the right to criticize the government, they would notify CPP authorities before releasing any information that could be harmful to their reputations. He also requested material support for the committee’s activities.
An activity report released by the group in September stated that they have enjoyed a good relationship with Chhay Sinarith, director of the Interior Ministry’s information department.
The group said it heeded Chhay Sinarith’s advice in convincing 49 Khmer Krom who arrived in Takeo province in February to return to Vietnam, as well as stemming off a Khmer Krom demonstration in Phnom Penh later the same month during which there was a skirmish between Khmer Krom monks and other monks.
Chhay Sinarith acknowledged advising the group in the past and confirmed on Monday that he had forwarded the group’s requests to Sar Kheng. The ultimate decisions, he said, would be up to CPP leaders.
“Authorities want to protect security, so we advised them to comply with the law. It is simple: We have communicated with NGOs,” he said, adding that it is the right of the umbrella group to subscribe to whichever political party they see fit.
Government spokesman and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said Monday that the CPP extends open arms to the Khmer Krom community.
“We welcome them. Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng can accept them at his party’s branch,” he said, referring to the party’s Battambang province offices.
Thach Setha, executive director of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Community NGO which is not a part of the umbrella group, said it isn’t a good idea to align with the CPP.
“They should not sell Khmer Kampuchea Krom names for money or power, and do not forget who caused difficulty against the Khmer Kampuchea,” he said.
He said that although he is an active SRP member, he keeps his work with the Khmer Krom community separate.
“I don’t link the party with the community,” he said. “I do not campaign for the members to join with the SRP.”
Ang Chanrith, executive director of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Human Rights Organization which is also outside the umbrella group, said Monday that they have compromised themselves by requesting to be CPP members.
“The committee’s independence is eliminated. The committee must comply with the CPP. They must listen to the CPP,” he said. “[We] are disappointed with the committee. The committee cannot demand greater rights for the Khmer Kampuchea Krom in Cambodia.”
