Leaders of the Mekong Delta province of An Giang have visited Khmer people and presented gifts to policy beneficiary Khmer families and outstanding Khmer families, soldiers and students on their New Year festival, the Chol Chnam Thmay.

The Chol Chnam Thmay festival, which falls annually in mid-April, is one of the most important festivals of the year for the Khmer people. It is usually held in a pagoda and on these days, people wish and pray for a lucky new year.

They also visited the Border police and people in Cambodia ’s Takeo and Kandal bordering provinces.

The authorities spoke highly of the Khmer people’s efforts to implement the Party and State’s policies, eradicate of their backward customs and make contributions to national construction.

Khmer monks said their life has been considerably improved as they have had access to power, safe water and environmental hygiene.

With financial assistance worth more than 29 billion VND in the first months of the year, Khmer people have got access to accommodations and capital for doing business and access to latest science and technology.

An Giang province is now home to almost 90,000 Khmer people, making up 4 percent of the province’s total population.

Also on their New Year Festival, the Mekong delta province of Vinh Long held a get-together on April 10 for almost 120 monks from 13 Khmer pagodas and Khmer cadres in the province.

President of the Vinh Long Chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Hoang Huynh spoke highly of Khmer people’s involvement in patriotic movements.

The provincial authorities visited and presented gifts to 13 Khmer pagodas and almost 40 Khmer policy beneficiary families on the Chol Chnam Thmay.

Vinh Long now has more than 5,600 Khmer families.

Also on April 10, the Party Committee of Tra Vinh province held a meeting for more than 300 Khmer monks, intellectuals, cadres and soldiers to celebrate the Chol Chnam Thmay.

Last year, the province has assisted more than 47,000 poor Khmer households in rice varieties, iodized salt and cash worth more than 16 billion VND.

This year, almost 4,500 Khmer households celebrated their new year festival with electricity.-VNA