By Somalin Thach

I would like to say THANK YOU to our youths who attended the KKFYC 3^rd World Conference in Philly for your great support and precious time from the very bottom of my heart. Also THANK YOU to the elders for their warm support with places for us to stay and food for us to eat while we were on our mission at the UNPFII.

Just like our people in our homeland facing oppression due to restrictions of the Vietnamese Government, we here are facing depression due to economic crisis. Everyone is busy trying to make ends meet and trying to over come daily challenges life have set forth for us. I hope these challenges can only bend our feelings and not break our feelings in support of our voiceless people back home in Kampuchea-Krom.

By Dani Thach

  I felt very fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend both the 3rd World Youth Conference in  Philadelphia (May 23, 2009) and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)  in New York City (May 26-29, 2009).  This trip had a deep personal impact on my outlook in life.  The two events dramatically changed my perspective of my Khmer-Krom culture.   It was an eye opening experience for me, as an individual and as a young Khmer-Krom woman.  As I sat and listened to various speakers, it made me reflect on many significant events in my childhood back home, in Kampuchea-Krom.  I was thinking to myself, how can I let these memories go? 

How the Global Economic Crisis affects Khmer-Krom in Mekong Delta

By Sophac Thach

The current global economy has been difficult on people throughout the world; however, the Mekong Delta Region has been hit especially hard.  The people in the Mekong Delta Region of South Vietnam had to deal with an entire year of bad farming season that crippled the entire region from the beginning to the end of the year.  As for some people in the villages that leave their hometown to the city to seek employment, they are faced with potential layoffs.

For Khmer Krom Human Rights protection

In front of the Human Rights Council, Geneva, Switzerland

The history between Khmer and Vietnam has been going on for one decade to the next until the world has forgotten the indigenous people. There are 370 million who are caught up in an uncaring war; a war of modern colonisation that eliminates their heredity and religion. In our case, the Vietnam leaders have escaped world pressure and continue to oppress the Khmer people living in Kampuchea-Krom.

A Journey to Freedom - Part 1

By Peter Son 

Reflection on KKF Conference in Melbourne, Australia - “Woke up and Smelled the Roses”

By Kunthear Kien

Growing up I knew I was Khmer-Krom but never really understood the significance of my ethnicity. The only meaning that I was able to extract from the phrase was merely its literal definition - southern Cambodians. A few weeks ago that didn’t really mean anything to me besides the fact that we Khmer-Krom merely lived in a different area to other Cambodians. A few weeks ago I only thought that the tension between the Vietnamese government and the Khmer-Krom people were just rumours, irritated grumbles of the older Khmer-Krom society. Comments such as the “Vietnamese took our land” or “the Vietnamese government discriminate against the Khmer-Krom” were, what I thought just old tired complaints from bitter traditionalists who were still fuming on events that occurred decades past. However, a few weeks ago that all changed. A few weeks ago a young woman named Sothy Kien spoke at the Human Rights conference and that was when I had my “a ha!” moment.

Gain College Credits from Involving With KKF & KKFYC

By Charlie Thach

Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) is more than just the voice of the Khmer-Krom people. It is the inspirations and the will of many Khmer-Krom that also serves as hub of network for Khmer and Khmer-Krom Youths working under the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation Youths Committee (KKFYC) team. Many Khmer-Krom college students do not realize that KKF offers great resources, such as internships and independent studies. The resources that KKF offers help open many doors for college students.

Reflection on KKF Conference in Melbourne, Australia

“Another Chapter in My Life” 

By Chanh-Thu Kien 

Throughout my whole entire life I have listened to my father talk patriotically about the Cambodian land that is now Vietnam. Throughout my life I have watched elders gather together to have their meetings ever so often, Dad’s voice passionately telling me about the stories and the issues that were raised in the meetings. Regretfully I have never taken notice. Regretfully I never really understood. At the time I thought it was the elders that had racial issues with the Vietnamese, but I didn’t understand that it was so much more.