History of Khmer Kampuchea Krom In South Vietnam

When the French left Khmer Krom to be control by Vietnam, it was a big blow for the Khmer people. Despite many Vietnamese attempts to assimilate the Khmer people culture when they took control of Khmer Krom, the Khmer people still find a way to keep their traditions and culture alive. Living under Vietnamese rule was hard for the khmer people. It is only in the recent years that the lives of the khmer people have become a little easier, but this privilege did not come easy Many Khmer people have died fighting, and many more have endured great suffering in order to gain their freedom from Vietnamese rule.
Kampuchea Krom means South Cambodia or Cambodia Lowland but it is also the name of the people who live there. The Khmer people are an ethnic diverse group that arrived in Southeastern Asia in 2000B.C. Khmer Krom is located on the southernmost area of the Khmer Empire and southwestern part of Vietnam. The Kampuchea Krom is a land that was once part of the Great Khmer Empire. From the first century A.D until 1867 the French occupied Cochin China and illegally signed it over to Vietnam on June4 ,1949. In Convention the Khmer Krom people disagreed with the French decision but the French gave it over to Vietnam anyway.
As a result of the French reckless or handling of South Cambodia, many Khmer Krom people suffered from unfair treatment. Some of them started fighting for their rights and identities. They were even killed or tortured in Vietnam, their new old home. The khmer Krom population in South Vietnam is about 8-10 million. The majority, 80 percent of Khmer Krom live in the Mekong Delta. The rest of the Khmer Krom live in small number scattered all over Southern Vietnam. The Khmer Krom speak Khmer, but the official business language of the khmer Krom is the Vietnamese language not Khmer. The Khmer lauguage is spoken in all communities and families of Khmer. In all of the Khmer Krom people 10 percents of them can write and speak Vietnamese correctly. (Thach B. Internet) Beacuse of the tropical climate the land in Khmer Krom is very fertile so most of Khmer Krom are farmers. The main religion of the Khmer Krom is Buddhism. 95 percents of Khmer Krom are Buddhists, practicing Hinayanna Buddhism.Today there are abuot 10,000 of monks with more than 500 Buddhist Temples throughout Khmer Krom. The Kampuchea land in Vietnam consists of 4 main provinces which were later divided into 21 small provinces. The four main provinces were Do Nai, Lon Ho, Mot Chrouk and Peam.
Kampuchea Krom or Southern Cambodia was part of the Khmer Empire. The Khmer Empire was a monarchy. The Empire was very rich. One Chinese resident took about its elegance, the cultural, and artistic abilities of the Khmer. The Ancient Khmer were smart people. They constructed many great temples. One of the greatest temples was the ancient Temple of Angkor Wat. Most of all the temples and ancient capitals of the ancient Khmer Empire remained hidden until the middle of the 1800s when a French explorer Henri Mouhot to discover Angkor Wat, according to Mirsky (Thach S.146-48) The Khmer, Empire once at its dazzling points has now declinied as the Vietnamese grew prosperous and more aggressive. By the 11th century the Vietnamese had extended their populations and were able to resist the Chinese attack. In the 1076. Besides resisting the Chinese attack, the Vietnamese also fought off the Khmer attacks from the west. Then for the next 80 years the Vietnamese led on continuous assaults on the Khmer and Champ. At the time Vietnam was regarded by its neighbor as the most aggressive state in the Southeast Asia.
In the 16th century, Cambodia was under the rule of King Jay-Jettha II (1618-1628). The King of Khmer according to the Khmer Krom he married a Vietnamese Princess Ngoc Van. Since this time Vietnamese were allowed to settle on Khmer Krom land. In 1623 a Nguyen warlord asked the Court of Udong to perform trade in Morea (mordern day Barea) and Prei Nokor (Saigon). Since King Jay-Jettha II married the Vietnamese Princess Ngoc Van, he gave permission to Vietnamese to trade. Some historians agree that these covert acts was intended to rob the Khmers of their land Later on the Vietnamese court of Hue had another request to use certain areas in Prei Nokor (now Saigon) for military exercises to prepare for war against the Chinese ( known to Khmer as Chen) . The agreement was that it would be returned back to Cambodia in 5 years. Then when King Jay-Jettha II died, everything changed. The Vietnamese started to took Cambodian land. By 1651, Do nai, Toul Ta Mauk and Kampong Sraka Trey (Bien Hoa) had become Vietnam controlled. And Instead of handing Prei Nokor (Saigon) back to Cambodian authority in 1696, it come under Vietname control, Morea (Baria) was also took 1696.
In the late 17th century the Khmer Empire was ruled under King Ang Eng (1779-1796). At the time of King Ang Eng rulership there was an uprising in the Vietnamese Kingdom. A fugitive Vietnamese Emperor Gia Long was going against his warlord to get control over Vietnam. Srok Preah Trapeang (Cambodia Province) decided to give asylum to Emperor Gia Long. Ang Eng decided to give military support to the fugitive Emperor Gia Long of Vietnam. Gia Long of Vietnam was became the Emperor because Srok Trapean and the King Ang Eng had helped him. It is obvious that this Emperor did not show gratitude in any way
During Gia Long rulership many Khmer Krom were force to dig his canal project and many of the Khmer Kroms were killed or even buried alive according to the Khmer Krom, some men were buried alive so that the Vietnamese soldiers could use their heads as stove stands to boil tea water for their master. In Khmer the Canal is called "Chum Nik Prek Teng" and in Vietnam it is called "Vinh Te". This canal stretches from the Bassac River to the Gulf of Siam. It is about 25 meters wide and 53 kilometer long. The project started in 1813 and ended in 1820. After the project was finished the Vietnamese soldiers locked Khmer Krom workers in pillories. It was estimated that two to five thousand workers was locked The Anamites or Vietnamese soldiers did it to prevent workers from running away. The Anamites free the dam water and since the pillories are located in the canal, all the workers locked in there were drowned, murdered, killed, or massacre. Once again this was their way of showing their gratitude towards the Khmer Krom. Today their is a song that remind of those time when the Anamites made Khmer work and buried them to use as stove stand. The song is called Te Ong Anussa" It means the MasterTea Memo.
Twenty-two years later after Emperor Gia Long is death came the reign of King Thieu Tri (1841-1847). In the time King Thieu Tri the Khmer Krom were forced to leave their Buddhist belief of Theravada practice to Mayahana Buddhist belief, the Anamites did not just force the Khmer Krom to leave their beliefs but, traditions, customs, and language as well. Oknha(General) Son Kuy, a brave governor of Srok Prea Trapeang refused to give up his rights and exchanged his head and life for it. The governor was beheaded in 1841. This made the Khmer people very angry with the Vietnamese, and all the Khmer Krom people retaliated against the Anamite. According to the article, the Khmer Krom people stood alone in this fight back without the support of their King Ang Doung. Today the Tomb of governor Son Kuy is still present at the Bodhisalaraj (Chua Ong Met)Temple.
After the governor of Srok Preah Trapeang was killed, a retaliation force was formed by a provincial administrator named Lam Saum. The treaty was made in Chap Phleung also called Tap Son( in Vietnamese name) of Tracu District ( Thkauv in Khmer name). The battle took place in Phnor Don also known as O Dung. The battle was a victory for him and his soldiers but he was later captured and was executed in Hue. Then 12 years later, after King Thieu Tri reign was over, there was another Khmer Krom uprising in 1859. Sena Sous took command of Srok Kleang (Vietnamese called Trang)and once again another battle took place for 3 years the battle of Mahatup and Chong Ballang was going well for the Khmers. But just as things was going well the Khmer Krom forces were infiltrated by an undercover Vietnameses agent. The undercover agent become Sena chief and later poison Sena.
Khmer Krom identity was really starting to fade out until the Nhu Diem\'92s regime ( 1955-1963 ) when they had to change their Khmer name into Vietnamese. Names and writings, in Khmer were not allowed to be taught in schools. For many who not follow the law they were sent to jail. During Diem Nhu regime the Khmer Krom religious freedom was take from them or restricted allowed to get together in groups of more than 3 people. Even though Khmer Krom\'92s existence was over, there were still people who were willing to stand up against the Nhu Diem regime. One was the Free Khmer Movement or Khmer SEREI also know as the Mike Force( Led by Dr. SON NGOC THANH (1905-1977)). This was an Anti-Communist group supported by the U.S. Also during this time another group started. Theravada Budhist Asscociation led by Ven. KIM SANG (1922-1987). They were the only help the Khmer Krom had. These two groups made it possible for the Khmer Krom to escape the communist
Mr.Thach Xe is a Cambodian native and refugee who has had first- hand experience of Khmer Krom history. In an interview he was asked about the French Occupation of Khmer Krom and when it was handed over to Vietnam. He said that the French occupation of Khmer Krom lasted for 82 years, from 1867 to 1949. President Vincent Auriol of France formally signed it over to the Vietnamese Emperor Bao Dai in the Elys Agreements. In 1853, before the French took Kampuchea Krom, King Ang Duong of Cambodia secretly sent a letter to Emperor Napoleon III to verify the friendship between Cambodia and the French, and in the letter King Ang Doung requested that if the Anamite (Vietnam) would offer French land not to accept areas because its belonged to Cambodia.
When the French signed over Kampuchea Krom to Vietnam, the Khmer people did not agree with the French decision to give up Cochin China to Vietnam. The Khmer Krom reacted to this with great sadness. They felt betrayed and cheated. The Vietnamese outnumbered them in their own land. At the time of the French occupation over Khmer Krom, the Khmer Kroms people were being treated very badly and even worse when they left the Khmer Krom right into Vietnamese hands. In the personal interview, Mr. Thach, mentioned that the reason for this treatment was the people were forced to do their work When asked how were they being treated he replied The young men were forced to join the army during World War II, in 1914 to 1918 to fight Germany. They even forced the Buddhist monks to become laypersons. And similarly in 1939 to 1945 young Khmer Krom men were forced to fight the French war against the Japanese troops in the Pacific. Mr. Thach also said that the Khmer Krom did not benefit from either war. Instead they suffered many losses of young men and good monks. When asked him a about when French took certain part of Khmer Krom land to its occupation, Mr. Thach said that the French added Prey Nokor ( Saigon ) on February 17, 1869. The French took Saigon because it was an important trade port. Also on March 28, 1862, Long Ho (Vinh Long ) was taken for the French under the command of Commander Bonard ( French Commander ). They took Mot Chruok ( Chau Doc ) on June 22, 1867, and then Peam Banteay Meas ( Ha Tien ) on June 24, 1867.
According to Mr. Thach the Khmer Krom went through many forced changes by the Vietnamese when the French signed Cochin China over to Vietnam. There were many changes for the Khmer Krom. Some of the cultural changes were changes of the belief, the language. Vietnamese language strictly was enforced in business, and their way of life was different now. Khmer Krom were not allowed to teach Khmer language or how to read and write it in schools. Most of Khmer Krom leaders who protest were jailed or killed, includins the monks. After this discussion we went on to discuss future and present situation of Khmer Krom in Vietnam. Mr.Thach was asked once again, how the Khmer Krom were being treated today. According to him they are better than before. Then, finally, Mr. Thach, was asked, \'93What is the future for the Khmer Krom people? Will they gain the freedom they desire so much for so long He replied affirmatively.
Today the Khmer Krom people are holding the French responsible for the non-cooperation and giving their lands to Vietnam instead Cambodia. The Khmers Kampuchea Krom Federation today has joined the (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization). UNPO and has been accepted and became a full members of UNPO on July15,2001. This organization might be the only hope to help out the Khmer Krom people to get their (Self-Determination) freedom back..