Appendix B: Handwritten Appeals from Khmer Krom in Vietnam

Message for Information

First of all, I would like to respect Excellencies and Officials at all ecclesiastical ranks!

I, who am [name withheld], in [name withheld] pagoda, Kampong Spien district, would like to report about the living standard of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom under the controlling claw of the Vietnamese communists. Presently, the Vietnamese government is exercising the policy of "Coldness Eats Deepness"[269] over the pitiful Khmer people by using methods of nationalization and assimilation.[270] In reality, the Khmer children from the age of three are sent to kindergartens to learn to speak the Vietnamese language so as to make them unable to speak Khmer. In another pitiful example, Khmer children can only learn their language in our pagodas from volunteer teachers. To be precise, Khmer children can only learn their language and literature during the annual three-month vacation from school, when Khmer children can learn Khmer in the pagodas.

In 2007, the Ministry of Education changed the curriculum and reduced the annual school vacation to only two months. During this time they now order the reserve [university] students to go to the areas where Khmers live and gather Khmer children to attend summer school in their [Vietnamese] language so as to make Khmer children unable to have time to study their own language. As for Khmer customs and traditions, they are scattered and have almost disappeared from the soul of the Khmers. The Khmers are the performers, and the Vietnamese are the commanders. To sum up, I am pleased to make this summary report to provide information to verify that the Khmer Krom suffer with each breath they take.

[Signed]

November 16 , 2007

Second Letter: SUMMARY of letter

I am Bhikkhu[271] [name withheld], a monk from Preah Trapeang [Tra Vinh] Province. I would like to submit the following information to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the United Nations.

The Vietnamese remain determined to eliminate Khmers from the territory of Kampuchea Krom. They use all measures from hot to cold, violating the rights and freedoms to speak, ordering monk officials to cruelly excommunicate five monks; namely three monks from Kampong Leo Pagoda, one monk from Phno Pagoda and one monk from Po Tharam Pagoda. Other monks fled into the Kingdom of Cambodia. There are 500 pagodas in Kampuchea Krom and Khmer monks in most pagodas are forced to work secretly for the government. Whoever does not do this is accused of being deceitful.

They prohibit monks from studying most subjects, for example, history and the religious theory.

The Khmer lands have been confiscated without compensation or with unfairly low compensation. This is happening almost everywhere. No one dares to speak.

The authorities ask for reports of places where the Kathin festival is organized, and the amount of money donated to the pagodas. People who serve tea and food in the pagodas are often secret police informants.

Rice production is low because of expensive fertilizers. Khmers have become poor and the vassals of Youns [Vietnamese] in Prey Nokor [Ho Chi Minh City] and other municipalities.

It is unacceptable that the Vietnamese make propaganda everywhere that this territory is not the Khmer territory. This is the territory cleared by them, making it difficult for Khmers to remain any more.

[Signed]

Preah Trapeang

November 17, 2007