Mr. Son Son visits Wat Phum Thom and Khmer Communities Surrounding To Talk About Preserving Khmer Culture

Image: Binh Phuoc Gov. News

By Don Lam
June 24, 2010
I have received news from our grass root community layman involved in our Khmer literacy project that Mr. Son Son of the Khmer Minority's representative stationed in the nation's capital-Hanoi- had paid our small town a visit last month.

His excellency hosted a banquet for the various Khmer communities in the province and an ostentatious cultural shows were performed at our Wat Phum Thom temple welcoming Mr. Son.

Khmer Krom Lakhon and Yikee artist traveled as far as Bac Liv came to stage a welcoming performance for the dignitary.

The subject of the visit were preserving Khmer language. Mr. Son made a promise to help the Khmer community build or rather complete their Khmer school (as the school has been under construction almost since 1998 under late Venerable Abbot Ly Sang). Mr. Son is pushing forward a plan to help gather Khmer Krom Children from several villages to study our Khmer language here.

This is exciting news indeed! I do not know about other provinces, but this unprecedented and first time in ours that the government has stepped in and wants direct involvement is supporting Khmer language schools. We could use the government help and genuine commitment to preserving Khmer culture is always welcomed and appreciated by all Khmer Krom people.

I believe this is a good start and first step for the government to get Khmer Krom children on the way to being successful and productive citizens in the society.

Khmer Krom people believe that in order to be fully immersed in a foreign language [the national language], one must first critically understand and think in one's own language [the native tongue] as doing so will cultivate critical thinking, help bridge cultural gaps, and passed on traditional and social knowledge that were important and cherished by our ancestors.

I dream of that day, of a great Khmer Krom school that teaches not only Khmer language but everything in Khmer literature and culture. Musics, and folklore are an integral part of every culture's identity, specifically our own Khmer Krom culture. These aspects form an important and unique identity, they are a pride for us.

Perhaps there will come a day where Khmer School will sprung up in all provinces of Khmer population and native culture will be cherished and respected for it's beauty and the diversity it has to offer.

Let us not forget that, first and foremost, this Khmer school being built on Wat Phum Thom ground was initiated and began by the Khmer community and it's history started when late Ven. Ly Sang started it in 1998. The Venerable passed away in sometime around 2007 without finishing and realizing his dream. This project did not start when or because of the visit of Mr. Son Son.

But Mr. Son's visit is a symbolic gesture of the government's new commitment plans to help Khmer Krom communities protect their culture and I hope his promises are as good as his words were to the villagers who came to listen. I am sure they are all as excited as I am to hear that maybe the government is finally going to help financially with finishing the school.

Note:
Lok Ta Ly Sang came to establish Wat Phum Thom in 1996. The Khmer classroom refers to the new unfinished complex written early in this article