WHY WE ARE PROUD TO BE KHMER KROM

Monikhemra Chao, Hetha Khemrakboth of Kampuchea-Krom

By Monikhemra Chao

As stated in the Article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.” As you are aware, an independent country is one which has a national flag, anthem, perception, and sovereignty. Every country needs to have a strong government, but the citizens need the leader to be one from the most popular or effective political party. If a country is led by those who practices democracy, then citizens will have rights and freedom. In contrast, if a country have a dictatorship or fall under control to only one Communist Party such as Vietnam which thinks in absolute term of itself, that the Communist Party is the best one, and can never be wrong, the citizens' rights will be limited and there will always be persistent violations of human rights, thwarting the right to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of education and etc…

Vietnam is a country with 64 provinces and over 84 million people including 54 ethnic groups and Indigenous Peoples. Vietnamese Communist Government (VCG) is a one-party state representing the citizens who are living in this country. In the Mekong Delta (Kampuchea Krom) of South Vietnam there are of approximate 8 million Khmer Krom indigenous people. They had been the first people who were born and lived in this area before the Vietnamese arrived. The indigenous Khmer-Krom people are very different from many other ethnic groups in Vietnam.

The term “Indigenous Peoples” refers to people who have their own distinct culture, tradition, language, identity, and practice their own form of religion. Most importantly, they were born and live in their own ancestral lands; they are controlled or colonized by a dominant government. It is different from the term ethnic minorities, who left from one country to live in another country. Unfortunately, Kampuchea Krom was transferred to Vietnam on June 4, 1949 by French government. Since that fateful day, Khmer Krom has lived under the Vietnamese Communist rule. And from day to day, the Khmer Krom’s identity is systematically destroyed; with limited or no access to freedom of expression, religion and the education of their own language. Most importantly, they are not even allowed to study their own histories, only ones fabricated by the dominant government. If they can not study their own histories or the real versions of history, how can they understand what had happened in the past?

It is regrettable to see that some Khmer Krom does not understand the concept of human rights. Some Khmer Krom at some provinces in Kampuchea Krom for example, they do not understand what human rights and freedom. They did not think about their own dignity or identity and will do anything, even losing their dignity for some personal advantages. Some Khmer Krom often said that they could not carry the earth. They could not or would not participate with what the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) is doing. Ironic these people have no idea of the oppression forced on by the VC government. Because they have lived under suppression and fear for a long time, fearing becomes something. No longer to do they explore or examine why such a fear exists. For example, they are so scared that they do not want to listen to anything relating to Khmer Krom issues. If there is freedom, why do they fear to listen to Khmer Krom issues or avoid talking about it?

However, most of the Khmer Krom youth who studies in high school and university think differently. Because they have higher education, they understand the situation and what has happened in Kampuchea Krom. Nowadays, more and more students are complaining that VC government is stricter than ever. VC government does not allow Khmer Krom people to practice their basic rights, especially relating to freedom of religion. Moreover, their lands continued to be seized. That is why demonstrations are conducted against with VC government’s dictatorship. Khmer Krom youth have a strong conscience for they love their homeland, their identity and dignity. From day to day they are always looking for the best way to reduce poverty, get high education and to actively participate to fight for human rights freedom in their homeland. Most Khmer Krom youth are not scared, even though they are threatened while others are currently imprisoned by VCG. Why do they dare to speak the truth and disagree with the many ways of VC government? Most of them answer that they dislike living in dictatorial Vietnamese Communist government. They do not want a government to have only one-party as Vietnamese Communist Party because the unchecked balance brings many injustices.

As you may be aware in Vietnam there are many kinds of media, televisions and radio but all of them have to support VC regime. If they dare to criticize, the stations will be closed and the journalist will be jailed. The injustice of this tightly controlled regime can be seen with the Khmer Krom, Venerable Tim Sakhorn’s case. Many newspapers, televisions and radio talk about Venerable Tim Sakhorn’s case. In their broadcast, they all support without question that he has committed the crime of “sabotaging the unification policy” of Vietnam. Anyone that reads these newspapers will believe that it is true because they only presented one side of the information just like a frog that only lives in a well. It has been an effective method deployed by the communist government to control the people.

There is no doubt that we stand with our people who stand with us. We understand their fear and we strongly disagree with what VC government is doing. It is true that we can not move the earth or mountains alone, but if we want to live in peace and with our Khmer Krom dignity in tact, then we have to demand our human rights as citizens should, as well as our rights to self-determination as an Indigenous Peoples. Why can’t we move the earth together or be like the firefly, shining lights to one another to help light the darkness in our lives? We are Khmer Krom; we want to have justice, equal rights, and the rights to self-determination and we do not want to be oppressed by anyone. Now we have a good chance so we can do it.

Because we are Khmer Krom, we are very proud that we have an opportunity to fight for freedom on behalf of our people in Mekong Delta. Thus, we are going to continue stay true to ourselves, as we are today. Vietnamese Communist Government can put us in prison, or attempt to kill us, but we are not going to be what Vietnamese Communist Government wants us to be. We will not be quiet or cower in fear. We are human beings with real lives, emotions and fears. And like all oppressed people of the world, we demand our human rights and freedom.