ETHNIC KHMER OF TRA VINH PROVINCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000590 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL ECON EAID KIRF SOCI PGOV VM SUBJECT: ETHNIC KHMER OF TRA VINH PROVINCE REF: HCMC 587; B) 03 HCMC 1100; C) 04 HCMC 1554 HO CHI MIN 00000590 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: In early May, the Ambassador visited Tra Vinh Province in the Mekong Delta and discussed ethnic Khmer issues with provincial officials, local Khmer and a leading Khmer Buddhist cleric. Ethnic Khmer make up 30 percent of the population of Tra Vinh and conditions for this minority community continue to improve. There was no apparent official discrimination against the Khmer community. Khmer pagodas -- nominally affiliated to the GVN-recognized Vietnam Buddhist Sangha -- play a central role in preserving ethnic Khmer culture and language. Ref A reports on broader socio-economic issues in the northern Mekong Delta. End Summary. Background -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During a May 3 to 5 visit to the northern Mekong Delta, the Ambassador explored socio-economic, human rights and religious freedom issues affecting the ethnic Khmer community in Tra Vinh Province. With approximately 300,000 ethnic Khmer, out of a total provincial population of 1 million, Tra Vinh has the largest concentration of ethnic Khmer in Vietnam. (Vietnam's total ethnic Khmer population is approximately one million.) Ethnic Khmer practice Theravada Buddhism as do most Cambodians and Thai. Most Vietnamese practice Mahayana (Chinese) Buddhism. ¶3. (SBU) Despite a growth rate of over 14 percent in 2005, Tra Vinh remains poor. Per capital GDP was USD 400 in 2005 compared with a national average of USD 640. According to GVN criteria, 32 percent of inhabitants are below the national poverty line. This represents a modest improvement of roughly six percentage points from 2003, when ConGenOffs last visited (ref B). Ref A provides additional information on overall socio-economic conditions in the Northern Mekong Delta. Provincial Government on the Khmer -------------- ¶4. (SBU) People's Committee Chairman Tran Hoan Kim acknowledged that "poverty in Tra Vinh is high, especially for the Khmer." The Chairman said that, on average, ethnic Khmer tend to have more children, have a lower literacy rate, and live in remote areas that are difficult for development and access to health services. ¶5. (SBU) Kim proclaimed that his province has made progress in improving the socio-economic conditions for the ethnic Khmer community. In 1992, one out of nine ethnic Khmer children attended school. This figure is now one out of four. Central- and provincial-government assistance programs also have helped the poorest Khmer in the province access better housing and clean water. Tra Vinh will focus on ecotourism and tourism related to the Khmer culture in its efforts to promote the tourism sector in the province, Kim explained. The Ambassador commented that that "too many Khmer still are not going to school." Ang Pagoda -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Along with Chairman Kim and provincial minority and religious affairs officials, the Ambassador called on The Most Venerable Thich Soc Xanc, the leader of the Angkorzaboray Pagoda (Ang Pagoda) and visited the ethnic Khmer village of Sa Binh. The 56-year old Most Venerable has been the abbot of thousand-year-old Pagoda since 1985. The pagoda technically is affiliated with the GVN-recognized Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. Thich Xanc told the Ambassador that the Ang pagoda does not receive contributions from overseas but does receive donations from the local Khmer community. Because the pagoda is a national cultural heritage site, it also receives funds from the Ministry of Culture and Information for renovations and maintenance. ¶7. (SBU) The Pagoda houses 42 monks who practice Theravada Buddhism. It also functions as a training center, offering an eight-month course on Buddhist studies in the Khmer language. The course is intended for high-school age monks from different Khmer pagodas in the province who have completed Grade 9. The course is equivalent to completing 10th grade. In addition, the Pagoda offers a summer-school course on the Khmer language for ethnic Khmer students who attend public schools. In cooperation with other pagodas in the province, the Ang pagoda also supplements government services to assist the Khmer community. ¶8. (SBU) According to the Most Venerable, the number of pagodas in the province has increased from 139 in 1975 to 141 at present. Local authorities facilitated the mid-April celebration of the ethnic Khmer New Year. He added that the Khmer community recently received "verbal Government approval" to open a Theravada Buddhism academy in Can Tho City -- the HO CHI MIN 00000590 002.2 OF 002 largest city in the Mekong Delta. Thich Xanc expects the academy to open in four to six years; once the Khmer community identifies land for the school, it will apply formally for a permit. Thich Xanc expects the GVN-supported academy to have about 50 students in its first year. ¶9. (SBU) Thich Xanc explained that the economic welfare of the Khmer people in Tra Vinh has improved. For example, the community now has access to better animal husbandry technologies. The biggest shortcomings for the Khmer community, he added, are housing and access to capital to engage in business and production. He was not worried about assimilation of the ethnic Khmer people, noting that the Khmer people have managed to keep close to their Khmer roots even when they move to HCMC. Intermarriage between ethnic Vietnamese and Khmer in Tra Vinh is "normal." Provincial Chairman for Religious Affairs Thach Du subsequently commented that children of intermarried couples are more likely to be raised ethnic Vietnamese if their families live in an urban environment, but the opposite is true in the countryside. Sa Binh Village -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Accompanied by Tra Vinh media and government officials, the Ambassador was given a tour of the 70 percent ethnic Khmer Sa Binh Village. The local village chief told the Ambassador that the 2,823 residents grow rice, vegetables, and fruit and raise cows and pigs. A few villagers own grocery stores. According to the village chief, over 80 percent of households have motorbikes. Some 70 percent of homes are electrified -- many have televisions -- but only 15 percent have running water. The village has one kindergarten, one primary school and one secondary school. All classes are in Vietnamese. The local medical clinic is one kilometer away. ¶11. (U) The Ambassador visited two ethnic Khmer homes in Sa Binh; both families were informed of the visit in advance. The first was a family of seven, with five children ranging from ages 16 to 27. The eldest daughter is married and lives apart; she graduated from a three-year teaching college. The youngest child is in ninth grade. She told the Ambassador that she wants to be a doctor. The girl acknowledged, however, that only a few students graduate from the local high school every year. ¶12. (SBU) The second household was a family of five with three children ranging from 15 to 28. The eldest was also married and lived apart. The youngest was in the 11th grade. She too hopes to be a doctor. The father, who grew rice and coconuts, said that he does not have the means to send his daughter to university. ¶13. (SBU) Comment: While access was controlled, we did not see evidence of systematic or overt government discrimination against the Khmer community. Despite its affiliation to the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, the Khmer pagoda system does appear to function for all intents and purposes independently. It plays a significant role in preserving the Khmer culture and language. Poverty in the ethnic Khmer community appears to be much more a function of its rural footprint. The ethnic Vietnamese in the village the Ambassador visited did not appear any better off than their ethnic Khmer neighbors. As in our visit to the ethnic Khmer community in the neighboring province of Soc Trang (ref C),ethnic Khmers appear to be benefiting from the overall improvement in the economy perhaps as much as the majority Vietnamese, but are starting from a lower economic base. End Comment. WINNICK