Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Monk meeting

Monk meeting

Content image - Phnom Penh Post

Monk meeting

The Kampuchea Krom for Human Rights and Development Association yesterday gathered in Phnom Penh Thmey commune in celebration of the 23rd International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. Suen Chumchuon, director of the organisation, called for Vietnam to protect the freedoms of the Khmer Krom, who are ethnic Khmers living mostly in Southern Vietnam. He added that Khmer Krom are prohibited from practising their religion.

‘The Vietnamese government has to offer full rights to the Khmer Krom,’ Chumchuon said. Yun Tharo, head of the Kampuchea Krom Culture Center and an opposition lawmaker, said that by calling them a ‘minority’, Vietnam was ignoring their claims to land in the Mekong Delta that used to belong to the Khmer empire.

‘Vietnam has to call the Khmer Krom an ‘indigenous group’, and to respect their human rights, and offer chances for education, to live a life equally without discrimination, including stopping the abuse of monks,’ he said. Suen Sopharin, a Khmer Krom monk, said he was abused by Vietnamese authorities because he taught children about their history. ‘I escaped to live in central Cambodia because Vietnamese authorities continually abused and urged me to leave my homeland,’ the monk said. A representative of the Vietnamese Embassy declined to comment.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one

  • Water supply authority assures public shortages over early ‘24

    The Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) asked for understanding from Phnom Penh residents in some communes where water pressure is weak. They assured residents that all supply issues will be resolved by early 2024, but have suggested that residents use water sparingly in the meantime.

  • Khmer ballet documentary debuts April 1

    A new documentary, The Perfect Motion, or Tep Hattha in Khmer, will premiere to the public on April 1. The documentary film follows two intertwined storylines: the creation of a show called Metamorphosis by the late Princess Norodom Buppha Devi (her very last production) and the

  • EU’s Sokha resolution ‘a sovereign rights breach’

    The National Assembly (NA) said the European Parliament (EP) did not respect the Kingdom’s independence and sovereignty when it passed a resolution strongly critical of the recent conviction and sentencing of former opposition leader Kem Sokha for “treason”. On March 16, the EP issued a