Khmer Surin associations sought Khmer language teachers from Cambodia

Mr. Chey Mongkol, a native Khmer Surin, teaching Khmer Surin children to read and write Khmer in his privately-run schools in Surin province.

By Khmerization
Source: RFA

A group of Khmer Surin intellectuals in Thailand have indicated that they are seeking meetings with Cambodian authority in Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap provinces to acquire Khmer language teachers from Cambodia to assist in the teaching of Khmer Surin people to read and write the Khmer language.

A number of associations in Thailand formed by Khmer-speaking intellectuals and Buddhist monks have met a Cambodian NGO in Surin province in Thailand on Friday 8th October to ask them to help in acquiring Khmer language teachers from Cambodia to stay and teach Khmer the language to Khmer Surin and Thai people living in Surin province.

Mr. Bunruang Kuchma, president of the Khmer Language Project in Surin province, told RFA by telephone from Thailand on the night of Friday 8th October that the Khmer Language Project is now up and running as he commenced teaching the Khmer language at grades 1,2 and 3. He said he is planning to teach the Khmer language to Thai teachers from state schools so that they can teach their students the Khmer language in their schools. "For this project, we are at the stage of contacting the Khmer authority. On the 11th (today), I will be travelling to meet the Deputy governor of Oddar Meanchey province to work out a Memorandum of Understanding together where we will be asking for Khmer language teachers from Oddar Meanchey to stay (and teach) in Surin. Not only for Oddar Meanchey, I will also travel to Siem Reap as well where I will meet officials from the provincial education department where we will discuss about language and cultural exchanges", he said.

Mr. Chakri Sirisotharanond, president of the Khmer-Thai Friendship Association in Surin, said that many Thai citizens living in Surin province were of Khmer descent who can speak Khmer but cannot read and write the Khmer language. He said he wanted the Surin people to be able to read and write Khmer again to make it easy for arts and cultural contacts between the two people. Mr. Chakri said the teaching of the Khmer language is part of the Thai government policy, and supported by the government, to teach Thai nationals the language of the Asean countries.

The Cambodian authority said they have not made any decisions whether to provide Khmer teachers to be taught in Surin.

Mr. Orng Vorn, Deputy Governor of Oddar Meanchey, said he had been informed of the Thai request for Khmer teachers to teach in Surin, but he said the decisions cannot be made at his level. "If it is about volunteers, it can be done. But if it is a government to government request, then they have to go through the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We will be waiting to see their request first and then we will seek advice accordingly. We can't just give the teachers to them without a proper process", he said.

The Khmer Civilisation Foundation based in Cambodia was the first organisation to respond to the request from those Khmer Surin associations. They have already sent a Khmer language teacher to Surin to teach Thai teachers the Khmer language from various government schools so they can then teach the Khmer language to their students.