Identifying activities taking advantage of Khmer ethnic issues in Tra Vinh province

Tra Vinh is a coastal province, with an important strategic position in socio-economic development and national defense and security for the Mekong Delta region.

With the characteristic of being a place with a large Khmer population, diverse religious activities, with 382 worshiping establishments of 9 religions with over 560,000 followers, most of whom are Khmer people following Khmer Theravada Buddhism, posing significant challenges in ensuring security and order to serve the sustainable development of ethnic minority areas.

On the occasion of the 2023 Sen Dolta Festival of the Khmer people in the South, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and congratulated the Association for Solidarity of Patriotic Monks and Monks of Tra Vinh province, October 15, 2023. (Source: VNA)

Improving the lives of Khmer people

With the attention paid to infrastructure investment, currently, 100% of communes in remote areas and areas with Khmer ethnic minorities have roads accessible by car, over 95% of Khmer people have clean water and electricity for daily life and production. In addition, local Party committees and authorities also pay attention to building the political system at all levels. The contingent of Khmer ethnic officials and civil servants participating in the political system at all levels is 23,988 people, 7,096 Khmer party members, 2 Khmer people are deputies to the 15th National Assembly; 639 Khmer people are deputies to People's Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 term (15 Provincial People's Councils, 49 district, town and city People's Councils; 569 commune, ward and town People's Councils).

The cultural and spiritual life of the Khmer people is also constantly improving, festivals with national identity such as Chaul Chnam Thmay, Sen Dolta, Ok Om Bok, Offering flowers and clothes, Ngo boat racing, folk theater forms... are maintained and organized annually, attracting a large number of monks and Buddhists to participate in entertainment and promote the image to many tourists. In particular, local authorities and sectors always pay attention to preserving the unique features of Khmer Theravada Buddhist pagodas, preserving and promoting ancient architecture and preserving cultural and historical heritage to propagate to future generations, creating interesting things and special marks to attract tourists to visit and travel.

Identifying anti-propaganda tricks

Tra Vinh also faces many difficulties and challenges such as low starting point, infrastructure that does not meet the requirements for rapid and sustainable development; the lives of a part of the people, especially in rural areas, Khmer ethnic minority areas still face many difficulties and many other impacts affecting the work of ensuring security and order. Especially recently, external organizations and individuals through social networking sites, using newspapers and radio stations, such as VOKK, The Prey Nokor Neww, Khmer-K21, KKCCTV have increased the collection and provision of propaganda, distortion, one-way information, and false information about the political, economic, cultural and social situation of the Khmer ethnic minority in Tra Vinh province.

The information collected, discussed and distorted by the subjects focused on sensitive issues such as: "the day of the loss of Khmer Kampuchea Krom land on June 4", the day of the "Khmer Krom uprising on November 16", the delay in rebuilding the Tra Vinh welcome gate, the handling of Khmer people who violated the law; propaganda and distortion of the work of preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic, claiming that the locality does not care about the lives of Khmer people...

In addition, through forums and “events”, many extremists promote propaganda about indigenous peoples’ rights, claiming that “the Khmer people are indigenous peoples and should have the right to self-determination”, promoting so-called struggles to regain the country of “Khmer Kampuchea Krom”, protecting indigenous peoples’ rights, demanding the right to self-determination… affecting the security and order situation in the Khmer ethnic minority area.

Reactionary newspapers and websites also regularly organize forums and discussions on sensitive topics, attracting many people with extremist thoughts among the Khmer people to participate, thereby causing misunderstandings and unsympathetic views towards local authorities in implementing policies, guidelines and policies towards the Khmer people and Khmer Theravada Buddhism. Especially social networking sites such as VOKK, The Prey Nokor New, Khmer-K21, KKCCTV with high frequency of broadcasting and organizing discussions, subjects have the opportunity to share and provide false information that is followed by many people, including many subjects with extremist thoughts, who have been influenced and enticed to express their support, thereby stimulating the spirit of subjects to become more and more extremist and reckless.

The above information more or less affects the awareness of Khmer monks and Buddhists, especially those who do not have the conditions to follow and access official information, causing negative public opinion among monks and Buddhists, creating misunderstandings about land and ethnic issues, causing confusion and anxiety among Khmer people, making it difficult to implement the Party and State's policies and guidelines on economic, cultural and social development for Khmer ethnic areas.

Cultural exchange program of youth union members and youth of Chau Thanh district at the "Ethnic Youth Cultural Festival and Honoring Outstanding Ethnic Youth on the Occasion of Chaul Chnam Thmay 2023", April 12, 2023. (Source: Tra Vinh Provincial Youth Union)

Proactive prevention and fight

In order for all people, especially monks, intellectuals and Khmer Buddhists, to raise their vigilance against the plots and tricks of those who take advantage of sensitive issues to incite and cause division in the great national unity bloc, Party committees, local authorities and relevant agencies need to pay attention to thoroughly grasping and seriously implementing policies and strategies for comprehensive development of the Khmer ethnic minority region. In the process of implementation, it is necessary to develop a roadmap and appropriate steps to gradually improve the economic and cultural life and intellectual level of the people, creating "immunity" for the people against the propaganda and incitement of division by bad elements. Pay attention to promptly and decisively resolving arising incidents at the grassroots level, not allowing bad elements to take advantage of and distort.

Strengthen propaganda and mobilization work to encourage people to comply with the Party's guidelines and the State's laws and policies, raise vigilance against the distorted arguments of hostile forces and bad elements aimed at dividing the great national unity bloc, and contribute to building a solid people's security posture at the grassroots level.

In addition, local Party committees and authorities need to continue to pay attention to leading and directing socio-economic development, promptly deploying and implementing policies, especially the National Target Program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021-2030; Resolution No. 06-NQ/TU dated October 8, 2021 of Tra Vinh Provincial Party Committee on continuing to comprehensively develop the Khmer ethnic minority area for the period 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030, has been basically implemented at the grassroots level and brought about positive results, contributing to changing the face of the economic - cultural - social life of the Khmer ethnic minority area.

With the correct policies and guidelines of the Party, State and locality on ethnicity, the economic, cultural and social life of the Khmer ethnic minority in Tra Vinh province has had many clear changes, the great national unity bloc has been constantly consolidated and developed, and acts of propaganda, distortion, incitement to sabotage and violations of the law in the past have all been detected and handled promptly.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nhan-dien-hoat-dong-loi-dung-van-de-dan-toc-khmer-tren-dia-ban-tinh-tra-vinh-250427.html