Khmer Krom People Do Not Have Freedom Under Vietnamese Rule

By Soben Ung On Jul 31, 2024

By Ly Heng, June 20, 2024

The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation demands that the Vietnamese government respect the rights of the Khmer Krom people from the abuses of Vietnam. Khmer Krom people expect that in the future, Khmer Krom people will have the right to decide their own destiny. This statement was made on the 75th anniversary of the French colonial transfer of control of Kampuchea Krom to Vietnam illegally.

The Khmer Krom Federation on June 4 issued a statement highlighting the 75 years of Khmer Krom human rights violations under Vietnamese rule, including attempts to eradicate the Khmer Krom culture and religion and suppress the freedom of expression of the Khmer Krom. The federation states that these are the factors that make the Khmer Krom people stand up and advocate with the Vietnamese government on the international stage to demand the right to self-determination. The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation urges the Vietnamese government, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, to respect its commitments and respect the fundamental rights of the Khmer Krom in accordance with the treaty that Vietnam has signed with the United Nations.

On June 4, 1949, the French colony ceded Kampuchea Krom to Vietnam illegally which continues to this day. During these 75 years, the Khmer Krom people living in their own homeland have been subjected to all kinds of persecution by the Vietnamese authorities, who have sought every means to eradicate the Khmer Krom cultural, traditional and religious identity. Currently, eight Khmer Krom activists and five monks have been detained by Vietnamese authorities for promoting human rights, indigenous rights, and the right to self-determination.

Today, in Kampuchea Krom, hundreds of monks and Khmer-Krom people gathered to celebrate this anniversary at Wat Po Cholamani, at a stupa in Tra Cu district, Preah Trapeang province. In this ceremony, the monks prayed, delivered sermons and spoke about the history of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom territory.

In the morning of June 4, Vietnamese authorities detained some Khmer Krom citizens for questioning as they traveled to attend the 75th anniversary commemoration.

Social activist monk Thou Vakhim expects the Khmer Krom people to continue their advocacy activities to demand that the Vietnamese authorities respect the rights and freedoms and protect the culture and literature in Kampuchea Krom. Venerable Thuva Khim said: “I have an expectation that they will fight, they will not give up or remain silent, because I want them to fight for their rights or their land.”

In Cambodia, meanwhile, the National Forces Party and the Local Democrat Party have issued statements expressing pain and regret over the loss of Kampuchea Krom territory. Both parties call on the Cambodian government to protect the rights of Khmer Krom citizens of the same Khmer blood and to demand that Vietnam respect fundamental freedoms and rights of the Khmer Krom, as well as end the persecution of its citizens, human rights activists and monks.

Rong Chhun, an adviser to the National Forces Party, told RFA on June 4 that the National Forces Party will not standstill folding its hands and let any Cambodian suffer.

Mr. Rong Chhun said: “As I am a Khmer, as well as the National Forces Party, we do not standstill and watch the Khmer Krom, we are Khmer Krom, Khmer Kandal, Khmer Leu, Khmer in the world, we are the same Khmer in the world suffering abuse, the National Forces Party will advocate and seek freedom.”

This statement is in line with the views of Rong Chhun, an adviser to the National Forces Party, on VOD Radio, where Rong Chhun wants to see Cambodian leaders talk to Vietnamese leaders about the harassment of Khmer Krom rights with respect to religious beliefs. Khmer scholars respect the Khmer tradition, like the current arrest of monks and advocates to prison, so far, no release. “The National Forces Party demands the Vietnamese authorities reconsider and must give freedom to monks as well as activists.”

Mr. Taing Sarak, Regional President of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation in Cambodia, said: “the territory of the Kingdom of Cambodia in Kampuchea Krom was under the administration and control of the Vietnamese authorities or the government during the French colony. Vietnamese does not want new Khmer generation to know about the landowner or remember the loss of land to Vietnam. That is the goal.”

Mr. Son Chumchoun, Secretary General of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Association for Human Rights and Development stated that we have some important objectives for you, especially our Khmer people who come to participate, including Khmer Krom, Khmer Kandal and Khmer Leu, that Kampuchea Krom is now 75 years after the French colony cut off our Khmer lands to Vietnam. We commemorate this event for the sake of our Khmer people to demand the rights and freedoms of Kampuchea Krom to raise their consciousness and participate in activities.

Ms. Chao Rattanak, Poipet Sangkat Councilor, said that the Khmer Krom, Khmer Kandal, Khmer Leu youth must be aware of the suffering of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom, we must not forget the Khmer Krom, because we are the only Khmer, so please do not discriminate, do not discriminate the Khmer Leu, Khmer Kandal! We are all one Khmer and hope that parents and siblings all over the world will recognize that we are one Khmer.

Mr. Pen Bona, Head of the Government Spokesperson Unit and the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia, could not be reached for comment by VOD or other independent sources on June 4.

Meanwhile, non-ruling political parties commemorated the anniversary of the loss of territory, urging the ruling party leaders to pay attention to the well-being of the Khmer Krom who are being harassed by Vietnam over religious beliefs linked to the message to strengthen the nation to prevent the ambition to swallow more territory from neighboring countries, Democrats Party said in a statement the day before the anniversary of the loss of territory that “on June 4, 1949, the territory of Kampuchea Krom was decided to be transferred to Vietnam under the control of French President Vincent Auriol, according to the party, since then the Khmer Krom have become an indigenous people in the territory. Myself, I would like to express my deepest condolences for the loss of Kampuchea Krom territory, which we will never forget, in which the Khmer Kampuchea Krom people are of the same Khmer blood. The transfer of Kampuchea Krom to Vietnam is a historical lesson that the next generation of Cambodian leaders and Cambodians of all backgrounds must remember and unite. Local Democrats call on the Cambodian government to cooperate with the Vietnam to ensure that the Khmer people have sufficient rights and freedoms, respect for basic human rights, especially cultural, religious and other civil rights, in protest, demand, expression and assembly in accordance with international law, especially the Royal Government of Cambodia to talk with the Vietnamese government to set up consular mission. In addition, there will be regular missions from the Royal Government of Cambodia to areas inhabited by Khmer Kampuchea Krom. That Kampuchea Krom is the only Khmer people that leaders should fulfill this duty, and we also thank the Khmer Kampuchea Krom people. “Despite persecution by the Vietnamese authorities, they are still struggling to preserve the traditional Khmer literary culture.”

Ou Chanrath, co-founder of the Cambodian Reform Party and a former CNRP lawmaker, supported the push, emphasizing that telling Vietnam to respect Khmer Krom rights is necessary, as the Vietnamese side often asked Cambodia to protect its people. Who came to live in Cambodia, including illegal immigrants.

“Forgot to think about this for a long time, because even though the Cambodian people themselves do not remind [Vietnam], the Vietnamese government seems to warn because they protect their people on the territory of Cambodia today both legal and illegal. The whole territory of Kampuchea Krom has millions of people living there and the Cambodian government has never sent a message to the Vietnamese government to protect the interests and never “defend the rights and freedoms of the Khmer Krom.”

Meanwhile, the websites of Cambodian leaders, including Mr. Hun Sen, did not react to the case of Vietnam violating the rights of the Khmer Krom. Mr. Oum Sam An of CNRP said this is because Cambodian leaders owe gratitude to Vietnam. “Hun Sen’s government, as well as Hun Manet’s government, does not dare oppose the Vietnamese government even though Vietnam dug canals along the border, it did not dare to stop Vietnam. It further destroys our territorial integrity, and the next day it will not only lose territory along the border, as Vietnamese flows in more and more, it loses territory like Kampuchea Krom and Champa.”

However, the Vietnamese authorities ‘actions against the Khmer Krom, despite the Khmer leaders’ silence, have been observed by the international community, including the United States, demanding that Vietnam respect the Khmer Krom faith as mentioned in a statement by the United States on April 1, 2024: “Disappointed by Vietnamese action in arresting human rights activists and defrocked Khmer Krom monks who were advocates for freedom of religion and convicted five people since January 2024. The territory of Kampuchea Krom was signed by the French colonial government to be handed over to the Vietnamese government from June 4, 1949, which the Khmer Krom considered illegal, the territory of the Khmer Krom in 21 provinces as of 2024. The territory of Kampuchea Krom has been under Vietnamese control for 75 years.

On June 1 and 2, the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation branches in Australia, South Korea, France, Italy, Canada and the United States also celebrated the event. In the United States a groundbreaking ceremony will be held on June 9 in San Jose, California. The Khmer Kampuchea Krom Association in Cambodia is planning to hold this ceremony at Wat Samaki Rainsy called Wat Khmer Kampuchea Krom in Phnom Penh on June 9.