Lam Vong
Current Status: At risk
Date of Birth:
Gender: M
Ethnicity: Khmer Krom
Details
The arrest and torture of Mr. Lam Vong appear to be directly linked to his peaceful advocacy work, including the distribution of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the promotion of Khmer-Krom identity. The Vietnamese authorities sought to suppress his efforts to raise awareness about the rights of the Khmer-Krom people and their cultural heritage. This includes his distributing and wearing t-shirts featuring symbols such as the indigenous Khmer-Krom flag, which the Vietnamese authorities unjustly deem unacceptable.
Within the first six months of 2023, Lam Vong was interrogated and detained at the local police station two times for distributing human rights books to Khmer people. The first time (on February 18), he was released the same day, and the second time, on April 18, he was detained for two days and two nights.
Resources:
Condemnation of Unlawful Arrest and Torture of Khmer-Krom Activist, KKF, June 21, 2023; Archived version
KKF lên án Công an Sóc Trăng đánh đập nhà hoạt động người Khmer, RFA Vietnamese, June 28, 2023; Archived version
June 19, 2023: detained for questioning
June 19, 2023
Soc Trang, Sóc Trăng, Viet Nam
On June 19, 2023, at 10 am, Lam Vong was arrested while visiting his friend at a guest house. He was detained without any court order, handcuffed, and allegedly subjected to brutal intimidation tactics and physical assault during interrogation at the police station. He endured a blow to his stomach and was struck twice behind his neck. Lam Vong was released at 7 pm on June 20 after 33 hours of detention.
Profile last updated: 2024-06-29 23:17:21