Vietnamese Association opened its headquarter in Preah Sihanouk Province

The Vietnamese traders doing business on the Tonle Sap Lake in Kampong Chnang province.

Radio Free Asia
By San Suwit
29th March, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

Radio Voice of Vietnam reported that the Overseas Vietnamese Association had just officially inaugurated its headquarter in Preah Sihanouk province.

At the same time, the VOV reported that a school which cost $86,000 to construct had been officiated to teach Vietnamese children the Vietnamese language from year one to year. The cost of the school construction was funded by overseas Vietnamese and Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mrs. Cheap Sotheary, Adhoc representative in Preah Sihanouk province, said that the officiation ceremony was attended by local Cambodian authority. She said: "I saw the old headquarter of the Vietnamese Association was located near the Sihanoukville Information Office. But on 27th (March) I saw their new headquarter was being officiated because now they have the rights to buy lands and they don't to rent any more. In fact, the inauguration ceremony was attended by local Cambodian authority, so may be they have proper authorisation and legal recognition from the Cambodian authority."

The inauguration ceremony, which was attended by Deputy Governor of Preah Sihanouk province and member of parliament for Preah Sihanouk province, was conducted in the Vietnamese language with Cambodian translations.

According to the Vietnamese radio, there are 50 Vietnamese children who are attending the school to study Vietnamese language with Vietnam's Kien Giang province footing the bill to the tune of 20 million dongs (~$US1700) to furnish the school.

Mrs. Cheap Sotheary had asked the local authority about the legal status of those Vietnamese residents. She said: "I asked them, are all those Vietnamese legal residents? They told me that, in fact, those Vietnamese came to live in Cambodia a long time ago. They have proper documents like personal ID cards and family books. They want to tell me that, in fact they are Khmer citizens. Most of the members of the association are legal residents who had lived in Cambodia legally for a very long time, but some were temporary residents who had just come to do business in Preah Sihanouk province, they have proper documents that are recognised by the authority. Before, there was no Vietnamese school, but when the headquarter of the association was officiated, we also see the inauguration of the school as well. Before, there is only a Chinese school.

According to the same radio broadcast, there are 823 Vietnamese families residing in Preah Sihanouk province presently.