Today Khmer people is recognized worldwide as the nation with
own territory in the Indochina Peninsular bordering with Thailand, Laos, and
Vietnam. Mostly, the rich culture of Khmer nations usually gets along with the
fame of Khmer People. However, millions of Khmers living around Cambodia in
bordering countries is not being fully recognized worldwide since the limitation
of mass media about them. One group of those Khmers, Khmer Krom people is the
worst group to be known since many constraints from Vietnam’s government on the
publicity to the world of this separated group from Khmer nation in Cambodia. It
should be noticed that the whole territory of Kampuchea Krom covers the all
Mekong River’s delta and most of plateau territory along Cambodia border. However,
most Khmer Krom people live only throughout the delta of Mekong River. According
to the informal statistics, there are around 8 million of Khmer Krom people
living there, but they are exactly under pressure in learning their language,
Khmer Language. As the evidence showing the constraints from the government of
Vietnam, Khmer Krom people recently have been being under the restriction on
learning Khmer language and her history. Vietnam’s authority commanded for all
pagodas in Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) to transfer all ancient things and
Khmer Literature materials belonged to Khmer empire for thousand years to put
in each provincial center’s museum. It sounds strange why the government of
Vietnam trying to do so since all the materials are necessarily in used by all
Khmer Krom citizens to learn Khmer Literature. Since then, many associations of
Khmer Krom people are taking action to give the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom
Penh the letter of opposition on new regulations from Vietnam’s government on
Khmer Krom pagodas. Hopefully, Vietnam’s government does not ignore the
situation. As the word of Vietnamese Embassy spokesman, Le Minh Ngoc, said
Vietnam’s government usually granted the full right to all ethnic groups living
in his country to live, Khmer Krom people should be reconsidered by his
government to exactly grant the full freedom in living with the opportunity to
protect their own language and culture in what is called the territory under
Vietnamese control since 1949. It has not been just the recent issue of new regulation
on Khmer Krom pagoda, but the pressure is put on Khmer Krom people for long time in learning her
language and protecting her rich culture left from Angkor Empire of Khmer
Nation. Khmer Krom people were not allowed to learn Khmer Language publicly,
except in the pagoda. Therefore, if documents on Khmer Literature in the
pagodas were brought to the provincial museum, what kind of materials for Khmer
Krom people to learn Khmer. If Vietnam government wants to show all this
ancient documents of Khmer to all tourists, Vietnam authority should allow
Khmer Krom to put all documents in the pagoda publicly shown instead and let
Khmer people there to print it as the books and to import more Khmer Language
document from Cambodia. It will make sense that full freedom for living with
traditional culture and language to ethnic groups is publicly guaranteed by the
government of Vietnam. “To show your dignity and human right respect on
others, let's give full freedom to them for what they want ethically with no harm
to you!”
By: POK Panhavuth
The Heart of Khmer Krom, Sung by SIM Touch in the Interview with Host HUY Meas
