Activities held to celebrate New Year with Khmer, Cambodian people

Le Thanh Giang, Chairwoman of the Can Tho Union of Friendship Organisations, reads the municipal administration's letter congratulating Khmer people on the traditional New Year at the gathering on April 12 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - Authorities in many cities and provinces across Vietnam have organised activities to join Khmer ethnic minority people and Cambodians in celebrating their traditional New Year.

In the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, representatives from local authorities have visited and offered New Year greetings to Khmer people and Buddhist monks, encouraging them to continue leading a good religious life.

Representatives from the Khmer community thanked the Party, State, and authorities for their support in improving the livelihoods of the ethnic minority group and pledged to contribute more to local development.

Bac Lieu is home to more than 17,000 households with nearly 74,000 people from the Khmer ethnic minority, accounting for 7.5 percent of its population.

On April 12, leaders of the Border Guard Command in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong visited and extended New Year wishes to Cambodian police and military units performing border defence duties in Cambodia's neighbouring province of Mondulkiri.

Colonel Nguyen Van Lu, head of the Dak Nong Border Guard Command, expressed his hope that border protection forces in Mondulkiri will coordinate closely with Dak Nong border guards in safeguarding the border and preventing and controlling COVID-19.

In response, the Cambodian side affirmed they will enhance ties to boost border management and protection and develop bilateral solidarity and friendship.

On the same day, the Can Tho Union of Friendship Organisations held a gathering of Khmer members and Cambodian students from universities in Can Tho city in the Mekong Delta to celebrate the traditional New Year.

Venerable Ly Hung, head of Pitu Khosa Rangsay Pagoda and Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association in Can Tho, presented 14 scholarships worth 1 million VND each to Cambodian students in the city.

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association in Can Tho also raised donations to offer support of 400 million VND (17,300 USD) to people of Vietnamese descent in Cambodia./.