Original report from Washington
21 December 2009
An overseas group of advocates has requested the government improve its support for the Khmer Kampuchea Krom in both Cambodia and Vietnam.
“They should send professional teachers and books from Cambodia to teach our Khmer Krom in Vietnam,” said Thach Ngoc Thach, head of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation, which is based in New Jersey.
“They should celebrate Buddhist ceremonies for our Khmer Krom, so that they learn about Cambodian culture, civilization and religion, because we are the same nation,” he told VOA Khmer at the end of the organization’s annual meeting, in California.
“The Cambodian government has made it easy for the Vietnamese government to support their people in Cambodia,” he said. “Such as building schools and some other things.”
Khmer Krom in Vietnam do not learn their native Khmer in school, but instead must learn at pagodas during holidays, advocates say.
“They haven’t received enough Cambodian literature training,” said Thach Prey Chea Koeun, a 29-year-old monk from Vietnam, who now lives in Phnom Penh. “I think in the future, the younger generation of Khmer Krom people could forget the Cambodian national literature. They won’t know about their roots and the basics of Khmer. I’m afraid that the Khmer Krom youth can easily become Vietnamese.”
The Khmer Krom live in today’s southern Vietnam, which once belonged to Cambodia.
Vietnam has an estimated 456 Khmer Krom pagodas, each playing a role in supporting Cambodian culture and literature. As many as 8 million Khmer Krom live in southern Vietnam, with up to 300,000 more living in Cambodia, according to the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation.
A lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, Ngoun Nhel, who is also the vice president of the National Assembly, said the government would likely review a formal request to aid the Khmer Krom.
The Khmer Kampuchia Krom Federation was established in 1999 in the US and has worked to promote issues for the group with the UN and US.
Thach Ngoc Thach said a main goal of the organization is to assure the “Cambodian people and the Cambodian government” that the group is not a danger to the country. In addition, he said, “we want the Khmer Krom people in Vietnam to know that they are the owners of the land, and they have full rights to live on their lands.”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Kuy Kuong told VOA Khmer that the government afforded the Khmer Krom the same rights and freedoms as the general public.
“Our government considers Khmer Krom people who have moved to live in Cambodia as Cambodian,” he said. “They have the same protection, the same rights and the same equality before the law as Cambodian citizens.”
“They should send professional teachers and books from Cambodia to teach our Khmer Krom in Vietnam,” said Thach Ngoc Thach, head of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation, which is based in New Jersey.
“They should celebrate Buddhist ceremonies for our Khmer Krom, so that they learn about Cambodian culture, civilization and religion, because we are the same nation,” he told VOA Khmer at the end of the organization’s annual meeting, in California.
“The Cambodian government has made it easy for the Vietnamese government to support their people in Cambodia,” he said. “Such as building schools and some other things.”
Khmer Krom in Vietnam do not learn their native Khmer in school, but instead must learn at pagodas during holidays, advocates say.
“They haven’t received enough Cambodian literature training,” said Thach Prey Chea Koeun, a 29-year-old monk from Vietnam, who now lives in Phnom Penh. “I think in the future, the younger generation of Khmer Krom people could forget the Cambodian national literature. They won’t know about their roots and the basics of Khmer. I’m afraid that the Khmer Krom youth can easily become Vietnamese.”
The Khmer Krom live in today’s southern Vietnam, which once belonged to Cambodia.
Vietnam has an estimated 456 Khmer Krom pagodas, each playing a role in supporting Cambodian culture and literature. As many as 8 million Khmer Krom live in southern Vietnam, with up to 300,000 more living in Cambodia, according to the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation.
A lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, Ngoun Nhel, who is also the vice president of the National Assembly, said the government would likely review a formal request to aid the Khmer Krom.
The Khmer Kampuchia Krom Federation was established in 1999 in the US and has worked to promote issues for the group with the UN and US.
Thach Ngoc Thach said a main goal of the organization is to assure the “Cambodian people and the Cambodian government” that the group is not a danger to the country. In addition, he said, “we want the Khmer Krom people in Vietnam to know that they are the owners of the land, and they have full rights to live on their lands.”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Kuy Kuong told VOA Khmer that the government afforded the Khmer Krom the same rights and freedoms as the general public.
“Our government considers Khmer Krom people who have moved to live in Cambodia as Cambodian,” he said. “They have the same protection, the same rights and the same equality before the law as Cambodian citizens.”
10 comments:
THANK YOU CAMBODIAN GOVERMENT! WE ALL KHMER. KHMERKROM, KHMER KONDAL, KHMER LEU WE ARE ONE CAMBODIAN FAMILY AND I'M PROUND TO BE BORN AS KHMER.
SON SODA
everyone must demand for a change and help by gov't. as long as viet/youn still mistreat khmer krom people, khmer people will never trust them! if youn were given rights in cambodia, then khmer krom must be given same rights to study khmer literature, language, etc...
it's time to wake up, khmer krom. demand your rights to freedom of education, expression, human rights, etc, etc... never forget your khmer roots or origin, ok! and never forget the khmer language, culture, etc...
Our Khmer Krom which has population of more than 8 million people amd Cambodia which has about 9 million (Illegal Viet immigrants don't count) should join together to fight against Vietcong to get our Khmer Krom country back.
I will join the Khmer Krom Army to fight the vietcong, our long time enemy.
We don't want to be controlled by Vietcongs. Hun Sen CPP Khmer Rouge leader doen't have brain, that why he wants Vietcongs to run Cambodia for him. But we are real Khmer people, we have brain, and we can run our country by our own.
Cambodia and Khmer Krom combine together will become an empire again.
Good. Khmer Krom finally put Cambodia government to the task protecting and preserving Khmer identity in Vietnam.
Maybe this first a formal request come to Cambodia? No matter, Cambodia should not have waited for any formal request to "review" it. It should know and act to preserve and protect Khmer in Vietnam as Vietnam does of its citizen in Kampuchea
Although I love our KKK to death as they are the real nationalist if not more than Khmer Kandal but as a reminder, I hope our brothers Khmer Kampuchea Krom don't fall into Vietnamese tricks in which they don't want the KKK in Vietnam to rebel on top of Khmers in Cambodia or else the Vietnamese has 2 fronts to fight or to deal with? therefore, they might allowed KKK to have mini demonstration and give them a few rights to ease the tension???? just a thought and I hope that I am wrong for the real battle should be in 2 fronts Khmers inside Vietnam and Khmers inside Cambodia against 1 common ennemy???? shouldn't it be?
http://navy8888.blogspot.com
Please be known that bringiing Khmer books to Vietnam is under very strict cotrol of the VN government. Khmer Krom freedom in in their home land is far less than what the Vioetbamese are enjoying in Cambodia. It's so shameful that Khmer handles strangers more friendly than their own Khmer. It's racist againts it own people to please an other country. So ridiculous !!!
"I will join the Khmer Krom Army to fight the vietcong, our long time enemy"
Good ! I will contribute by giving you a free coffin and help your mother arranging for your funeral. Rest assured you there is no pain when you die. You will go to heaven and have sex with 72 virgins there.
when the time come, you won't have enough free coffin or prison cells to put millions of our brave and honorable men and women.
so please don't use that kind of threat toward us.
Post a Comment