The Efforts to Preserve Khmer Language in Surin

Chey Mongkol, who single-handedly is trying to revive the Khmer language and culture in Surin.

================================================================================23rd March 2008
By San Suwit
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

For further information please visit Chey Mongkol's website at: http://www.khmersurin.org/

At the end of 2007 I have introduced a Khmer Surin, who are tirelessly trying to revive Khmer culture in the Dangrek Mountain regions. Especially, he is trying to design a curriculum for the teaching of Khmer language to children and adults living in the Thai province of Surin how to read and write in Khmer.

This firm built, bald, but plenty of long bushy moustaches and sideburns, age 40-something, man is Mr. Chey Mongkol, a Khmer Surin from Kok Khan district.

As I have informed the listeners earlier, the northern Khmers who are still preserving the Khmer language have dwindled in numbers as the young generations chose to speak Thai, as it is required by laws that all Thai citizens must at least finished primary school.

Mr Chey Mongkol has, in the past, complained of stress and tiredness as he has to travel back and forth from schools to schools. He said: “I dreamt that I was swimming in a big ocean alone without seeing where the shore is.”

From then (end of 2007) to now, in a short span of time, Mr Chey Mongkol has expanded his Khmer schools to four.

Beside Born village, he has his schools at Chruy village, and in Saing district as well as in Surin town. Mr Mongkol said: “I have teaching programs at Born village and Saing district. In Chruy village 100% of our students are children where we have classes from primary to secondary levels. In Born village, after we have opened our school there in February, we began to teach the students from the basics.”

As a first step, the Khmer language teaching programs can only be taught once a week. But there is an impressive progress because those young students are able to read and write at a reasonable pace of time.

As more Khmers Surin began to understand the value and importance of learning their own native language, increasing numbers of adults have enrolled in the classes as they understand that if they know Khmer language better they can go to work in Cambodia for many Thai companies doing business there.

On the other hand, Mr Mongkol has an incentive program to entice those Khmer Surin children to come to study with him as he also teaches them the English language as well.

Mr Mongkol said: “First, I teach them until they can read Khmer first because the Thai language they already know very well as they study it six hours a day at the (state) school. I just want them to come to study Khmer with me 3 hours a week and when they can read and write Khmer I will teach them English-Khmer of which I will be writing in English and translate it into Khmer (instead of Thai)."

The Thai authority had forbidden the promotion and the teaching of Khmer and Laotian as a native language in the past. But since Thailand signed a convention recognising the rights of indigenous people to study their own native languages, Thailand has now allowed individual school to design a curriculum to teach indigenous languages at the their schools by themselves.

Mr Momgkol said: “Last year Thailand signed a convention with the United Nations recognising the rights of indigenous people to study their own languages, so the Ministry of Education has repealed the ban and allowed each school to design a curriculum by themselves.”

Beside Mr Mongkol’s efforts, The Surin Municipality had formed a friendship tie with the Banteay Meanchey Municipality of Cambodia and it has asked Mr Mongkol to teach Khmer language to Thai provincial officials, including the provincial governor himself, in order to improve relations and make contacts easier with the Khmer authority.

Mr Mongkol’s goal was to make Khmer language embedded in the hearts and minds of every Khmer Surin because it is their heritage from their own ancestors. He said that he will lobby the government to include the study of the Khmer language into a curriculum at various local schools (where there are Khmers living?).

On the Cambodian side, there are many generous donors who are making great efforts to support Mr Mongkol’s crusade, including Her Royal Highness the Elder Princess (Bopha Devi) whom, according to Mr Mongkol, has thrown her supports behind the revival of Khmer culture in Surin.

When he travelled to Phnom Penh in February Mr Mongkol has received many gifts from friends, both in money and educational materials, which he brought to distribute to his students in Surin. Mr Mongkol said: “When I returned (to Thailand) I distributed to my students the books and give them the money to by books that the Association of Engineers and the owner of a bookstore in front of the Buddhist Institute donated.”

Other than this, Norton University in Phnom Penh has promised to provide scholarships to Mr Mongkol’s Khmer Surin students to take a Masters Degree study. Beside, some overseas Khmers have donated some money to Mr Mongkol’s cause.

Mr Mogkol said: “Uncles/aunties Oum Saravuth, Nav Rith and Nop Chandara from France have donated the money. Uncles Saravuth has sent 200 Euros, Nav Rith 100 Euros and Nop Chandara first sent 100 Euros. All these money I have spent on the school at Born village and what is left from Born village…”

Mr Mongkol has many plans to revive Khmer arts, culture and language, such as to revitalise the ancient Khmer dances and music.

Mr Mongkol said that the plan for the establishment of the Association for the Restoration of Indigenous Arts and Culture has been half way achieved. It only needs the approval from the Governor of Surin province to be up and running.

Whether Mr Mongkol’s efforts to preserve and to promote the Khmer identity will succeed or not will depend largely on the supports and moral encouragements from the majority of the Khmer people also. //