My child is not wrong, she is transgender

Submitted by Chheav Aphyra (googman) about 8 months ago

“Throughout their lives, my children have dressed and acted like women, although they were born male. I never get angry with them because it is their right to do so and I should not force them to change who they are.

"I never feel ashamed them or get angry with my neighbors, even they talk about my children; I just tell them not to look down them and to let them be. It is not only my children who are like this, there are many others like them and the most important thing we as fathers can do is to educate them to be good children and valuable members of society.”

Mr. Tin Heng is 63 year old and has lived in Siem Reap province for nearly 20 years. He has six children, two of whom are srey sros (transgender women); their names are Tin Raksmey and Tin Meymey. Sitting on a small plastic chair outside his small shack in front Ankor temple, Heng shares his experience.

Heng told us that police accused his child Tin Raksmey of poisoning a fruit shake and giving it to a motodop (motorbike taxi driver) on 9 May 2009 between 1 and 2 a.m.

“They put handcuffs on her wrists in front of the health center where she had gone for blood test results and brought her to the police station without an arrest warrant from the court. The day that they accused her of stealing the motorbike in Bakong District, she was actually in Purk District to beautify the bride and groom for their wedding ceremony” said Heng.

Heng said he visited his child in jail several times. “When I saw Raksmey in jail, I had pity; she looks so thin, pale and sickly. She begged me to help her to clear her name. Also when I met my child I felt so sad and helpless, it feels like my soul has left my body because my child is innocent and has been in jail for so many months already.

“Before the trial I talked with the court clerk to find out how to release my child from jail, the clerk had asked me for money to document the case and suggested this might help clear Raksmey name, but this was many months ago, the clerk kept the documents to himself and did not send them to the judge.

"During the trial I brought four witnesses to the court to confirm that my child was not in Siem Reap and she was staying in Purk District. All four witnesses testified this. I had paid three hundred USD (120, 000, 0 Riel) to court clerk but it did not help Raksmey and then he asked me for one thousand USD (400, 000, 0 Riel) more.

“Now, I do not have any money to pay the prosecutor and I do not know how to help my child to get out of jail” Heng said.

He asks people who do not like his children because they are transgender.

He tells them: “Please do not discriminate or talk about my child because it is her belief and her right to act as she feels, so please allow her do so.”

Heng would like to see his child receive a fair trial from the court during the final announcement on 21 January 2010.

Keywords: Cambodia HIV/AIDS injustic MSM transgender

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