Phnom Penh (VNA) Cambodian newspapers have published articles highlighting the positive changes in the lives of Vietnam’s southern Khmer ethnic minority, attributing these gains to the country’s ethnic support programs and initiatives.
Cambodia’s state-run news agency, AKP, published an article on April 12 about Soc Trang province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The province is home to the largest number of Khmer ethnic minorities, numbering about 362,000, making up 30.18% of the province’s population. The article highlighted the close cultural and ethnic ties between the Khmer people of Soc Trang and those of Cambodia.
The AKP quoted Ho Thi Kham Dao, permanent deputy secretary of the provincial party committee, as saying that the material and spiritual lives of local Khmer people have gradually improved and the poverty rate in the community has fallen by 3.86 percent.
According to the article, the achievement stems from the local government’s efforts to implement programs and projects targeting the group, such as a VND60 billion program to build 1,200 houses for the poor, which is scheduled to be completed in early 2024. In addition, Vietnam’s national programs for the socio-economic development of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas also include direct support measures for housing, farmland, drinking water, vocational training and employment.
Meanwhile, on April 11, lookingtoday.com, the news portal of information centre DAP NEWS, also published an article about a programme launched by Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security to build 1,200 houses for poor households.
The newspaper quoted Lam Van Man, secretary-general of Soc Trang Party Committee, as saying the initiative was significant in motivating local poor households to overcome difficulties and achieve sustainable poverty eradication.
Earlier, online news site domreynews.com published a detailed analysis by Uk Liang, a researcher at the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC), who noted visible improvements and changes taking place in areas with large Khmer populations in Vietnam, such as Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Kien Giang, An Giang and Bac Lieu. The expert highlighted progress in transport, health and education, especially in rural areas.
He said that in addition to increasing investment in large-scale infrastructure projects, local governments in these regions have also implemented policies to support Khmer productive activities by facilitating access to preferential loans and promoting the development of sustainable agricultural economic models. These measures have provided these communities with the necessary conditions and incentives to intensify production, increase their incomes and stabilize their livelihoods.