Khmer Krom monk and two activists arrested

Authorities in Vietnam arrested an ethnic Khmer Krom monk and two activists on 27 March.

Venerable Kim Som Rinh, Thach Nga and Thach Xuan Dong were charged under Article 331 of the Vietnamese Criminal Code for ‘abusing democratic freedoms’ and were taken into custody in Tra Vinh Province in southern Vietnam.

Venerable Kim Som Rinh is a respected leader known for advocating for religious and cultural rights. He was defrocked by the state-sanctioned Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in March 2024 in a move seen as an attempt to stifle dissent.

If convicted, the trio faces prison sentences ranging from six months to three years. The arrests have drawn attention to the broader issues of repression faced by the Khmer Krom as they strive to preserve their cultural identity and advocate for their rights.

In recent years the Vietnamese government has increasingly used Articles 117 (formerly 88) and 331 of the Vietnamese Criminal Code to punish religious actors and human rights activists.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW condemns the arrest of Venerable Kim Som Rinh and activists Thach Nga and Thach Xuan Dong, all of whom have been targeted because of their peaceful human rights advocacy. We call for their immediate and unconditional release, and insist that the international community must hold the Vietnamese government to account for its escalating repression of the Khmer Krom and other ethnic and religious communities across the country, all of which continues to make a mockery of its membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council.’

Note to Editors:

1. The Khmer Krom community, which numbers nearly 1.3 million, inhabits a region of Vietnam that was once part of Cambodia, and has faced significant restrictions on freedom of expression and religious practices, raising concerns over ongoing human rights violations in the region.