On April 6 the steering committee for the west of southern Vietnam met with nearly 1,000 Khmer cadres, soldiers, student and Overseas Vietnamese to congratulate them on their traditional Tet, Chol Chnam Thmay. During the meeting, Standing Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung sent best regards and wishes to the Khmer people, praising them for achievements in economic production which help to renew the Khmer ethnic minority lives. The Standing Deputy Prime Minister noted that as Khmer ethnic minority people still face a lot of difficulties, ministries and authorities should continue to help them improve their lives and assist poor families welcome their traditional Tet. He affirmed that in the near future the Party and State would continue to complete new policies and build up specific measures to raise Khmer ethnic minority people’s spiritual and material lives while effectively implementing national programs on education and training, medical treatment, legal assistance, housing and poverty reduction among Khmer ethnic minority people. According to deputy head of the steering committee on the west of southern Vietnam, Son Song Son, there are currently some 1.3 million Khmer ethnic minority people in the region, accounting for 8% of the regional population. The region has 443 pagodas with some 9,000 bonzes. The Khmer traditional Tet, Chol Chnam Thmay, is often held in mid-April. According to Khmer people’s tradition, this is the time between rainy and sunny seasons which see the rising vitality of nature; therefore, it is considered the beginning of a new year. Khmer people’s traditional Tet takes place over three days and people often visit each other and give best wishes to each other during Tet. (cpv.org.vn Apr 7)
