Kampuchea Krom

65 years ago, in 1949, the French President signed the law that transferred the Kampuchea Krom that was under its administration to Vietnam. With a stroke of a pen, Cambodia then lost all claim over that part of its territory. There was some protest by the then King Norodom Sihanouk that went to deaf ears.
    The loss of Kampuchea started with the Vietnamese migration Southward after they conquered Champa. The migration began with a permission by King Chey Chetha the Second who was married to a Vietnamese princess. The gradual expansion was unstoppable until the French colonization in the mid 1800s. The French called the country Cochinchine or Cochinchina.
    The Khmer Krom Federation is working hard to force the Vietnam Government to a special status of the Cambodians in Vietnam of Khmer descent with human rights protection. They were fighting for their rights through a UN program called UNPO or Unrepresented People Organization.
    The Khmer Krom in the world are commemorating this day a remembrance to their loss.

The Cambodian people presently fear the uncontrolled immigration of Vietnamese people is following the same pattern of the old time that led to the absorption of their land by neighboring country. A lesson to learn.
A subject to discuss ...