CWCI Cambodia / 15-10-2023
From Mr. Men Nath
Norway, March 14, 2006
Dear Prak Chan Thul,
The Cambodia Daily’s reporter,
I am Men Nath, an ex-president of Cambodia Independent Civil-servants Association (CICA) and it’s a great honor to inform you that I’m thankful for your writing texts relating my situation and the CICA Association. I officially sent the letter on February 3 to Mr. Kao Poeun, a Secretary General of CICA and founders to hold meeting and electing new president. They were still proposing me as the honorable president of CICA.
Of course, I am very glad to answer your questions as one by one after I received them today morning here as below:
1- As I interviewed with news’s reporters and Radio Free Asia (RFA Khmer) during fourth week of January 2006 relating my situation and the border issues [in Cambodia]. I really want to come back to Cambodia, but not now because I’ve got good relationship with Cambodian compatriots in overseas and some international organizations (partners) based in Asia and Europe. However, I try to do my best for the CICA Association in Cambodia.
2- I am in Kristiansand City, south Norway. I arrived here on January 26 after I [was] deadlocked in Bangkok, Thailand for three months [and changed 6 different places for my staying, and was only hiding home] because Thai Govt was not allowing me to go to Norway [while I’ve got permission from UNRCH to Norway]. Then I spent three days to [escape] to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with a minibus and a boat fish-owner as Thai family. I had arrived Kuala Lumpur on Jan 20. As mention above, I got the political refugee asylum from UNHCR Bangkok on October 31, 2005 and I also got the refugee asylum from UNHCR Kuala Lumpur on January 20 evening. One week later, I left Malaysia to Norway on Jan 25.
Now I am doing something here as I told you in first point [above]. I [am] also working with Cambodian-Norwegian Associations. There are three associations: 1)- Khmer Buddhist Society, 2)- Cambodian Association in Norway, 3)- Norwegian-Cambodian Friendship Society. Three are cooperating with Redd-Barna (Save Children of Norway) well to focus on education, Buddhism and cultures in Khmer Community Norway and Cambodia.
Especially, I am re-building [updating] the Cambodia Watchdog Council (CWC) as international with some friends here who are members of Cambodia Watchdog Council [as Ir Channa, ex-under secretary general of Students’ Movement for Democracy (SMD) and Chham Chhany, the ex-president of Cambodia Independent Farmer Association (CIFA)]. Mr. Pang Sokhoeun, ex-president of SMD is in Sweden who is representative of CWC. We are networking with some friends in abroad to do it together as representatives of each country.
3- As you know, I am starting my new life in a country where I never had any relatives and best friends like in Cambodia. However, I try to do something here to share idea helping our compatriots. Nowadays Norwegian Govt is responsible for everything to me via social welfares for the first two years as accommodation, education and something else.
It is [now] very cold here (from -10*C to +6 *C). So, I am difficult to challenge my life with the new climate and world. I have a schedule to continue my studying of master degree in Sociology(?) or Law(?) maybe two years more [but it is hard to expect …].
4- I do not need to write any letter of pardon to Prime Minister Hun Sen. Please you tell all Cambodian compatriots that I never do anything wrong [for my country], especially the controversial border issues with Vietnam. Hun Sen is a traitor to our nation. So it should be him, Hun Sen, apologize to all Cambodian people because he signed and also threatened Parliamentarians, Senators and especially the King to approve such an illegal Supplemental Border Treaty which made Cambodia lose her land to Vietnam approximately 4000 to 6000 square kilometers (land border) [, according to Sean Péngsè document], maritime border 30,000 square kilometers [, according to Sean Péngsè document] and two islands (Krachork Ses and Koh Tral). If I apologize Hun Sen, it means that everything I was wrong, and then Government did the right thing. So I don’t do it.
In addition, I absolutely condemn to the marking borders post schedule of Cambodia Govt at the beginning of Sept 2006 to Dec 2008 because the Border Treaty with Vietnam in 1985 and the Supplemental Border Treaty in 2005 comprise more than 400 new coordinates which mark the borders post inside the Cambodian territory. For example, Vinh-té River (Krabao) was swallowed by Vietnam at along the Cambodian border in Takeo and Kompot. It’s just one of some concrete examples.
5- I already accepted the resident permit by Norwegian Govt, it’s means that I officially recognized form Govt and will become Norwegian citizenship in 7 years more later. Nevertheless, it is not worry about something because now I have enough legal right to do everything for Cambodian citizens.
6- Yes, I do. I always listen to VOA, RFA and read news were posed internet as the Cambodia Daily, Phnom Penh Post, Cambodge Soir (I can read it a little bit for French), Reaksmey Kampuchea, Kohsantepheap, Moneaseka Khmer, Yuveakchun Khmer, Community newsletter and others. You can see them via Cambodia Politics web and others.
7- Yes, I do. For my stance, I think that I am very proud of my right activities for our nation in the past to avoid the condemnation from our next generation and history. In fact, I never do anything wrong for our nation as well as my association also. Now I continue it to do my best for our country as cultivating a sense of nationalism, a sense of national interest, a sense of sacrifice, and a sense of moral responsibility.
Furthermore, I have been playing my role for democracy and advocacy as a founder of SMD since Sept 1998 with the same time of peaceful mass demonstration. The demonstration was cracking down by Hun Sen Govt. 32 people were killed and more than 100 were injured and disappeared in that event bitterly. Moreover, after that my best friends and I were leading the university students since 1999 to 2003 to demonstrate relating border issues, expensiveness of gasoline, low salary issues of civil servants and teachers, and something else. I became the Vice-President of the Democratic Front of Khmer Students and Intellectuals (DFKSI) in 2000. The Front was reformed its name as FKSI (Front of Khmer Students and Intellectuals) in 2002 and I was elected to become a president.
Then I initiated to create the Cambodia Watchdog Council (CWC) in Sept 16, 2002 also. The CWC was a coalition organization consisting of FKSI, FTUWKC (President Chea Vichea), CITA (President Rong Chhun), SMD (President Um Sam An), CIFA (President Chham Chhany) and C.CAWDU (President Ms. Chhorn Sokha). The trio of us in CWC, Chea Vichea, Rong Chhun and I were threatened by Hun Sen Govt intelligent agencies {spy} via phones or something else as possible in 2003.
That is very regret to hero Chea Vichea who was killed on 22 Jan 2004 with the same time of Cambodia was deadlocking in politics after the national election in July 2003. Now, Chea Vichea’s case is not finish to find out the true murderers. In occasion, I suggest you that you can ask H.E Mr. Hok Lungdy, a Department General of National Police in Chief and H.E Mr. Mul Roeup, a Military Advisor to Hun Sen, because both of them involved in the case of Chea Vichea. Chea Vichea was my best friend and he always told me about his issues before he was killed.
And the last time, we, four members of CWC was tried to arrest by Hun Sen Govt on the border issues on Oct 14, 2005 while CWC released its statement on 11 Oct to condemn Govt and regret our border to loose to Vietnam [read point 4 above].
8- For my CICA Association, I still consider that it is very important to urge civil servants comprise solidarity, unity, good cooperation, moral responsibility and good governance. We just began it more than one year since May 2004. It was officially recognized by Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Jan 28, 2005. Now, we have been networking and recruiting members at least 14 Ministries, provincial/municipal officers and communal councils also. The CIA is a part of many organizations, trade unions, and associations, which promotes civil servants conditions, reducing corruption in Government, participating in social development and democracy. We must urge civil servants to use their rights and protecting good conditions.
I think I strongly believe that CICA will do it best for its goal by all of my friends in Cambodia. I also do it from Norway to help them.
Then let me send it to my best friends and keep in touch.
Let me finish my writing to you and I wish you a good reputation in your profession and your health..
Faithfully yours,
Men Nath,
Ex-president of Cambodian Independent Civil-servants Association (CICA)
Kristiansand City, Norway
