The Khmer Theravada Buddhism makes stable development steps in the right direction, creating the belief of monks and followers in the Vietnamese Party and State. (Photo: VNA)
AKP said in its article that in recent years, the Vietnamese Party and State have issued many policies prioritising socio-economic development in the Khmer ethnic minority areas in southern localities, thus helping to improve the material and spiritual lives of the Khmer people.
According to the Cambodian news agency, hundreds of billions of dong have been invested in Khmer ethnic minority areas in Vietnam to implement projects, supporting production development and training human resources.
Accordingly, over 90,000 houses were constructed, while over 30,000 households were provided with land for production and residence, and over 20,000 labourers were provided with jobs.
So far, the poverty rate in the Khmer ethnic areas has decreased by 3 percent each year. From 2007 to 2019, the GDP growth in localities with large numbers of Khmer people increased from 9 percent to 11.7 percent a year.
The system of general schools, ethnic boarding schools and vocational schools for Khmer children has developed in all districts where a large number of Khmer people are living.
Bilingual teaching in schools in Khmer ethnic minority areas has been gradually expanded.
AKP said attention has been always paid to caring for the health of the Khmer people, with the grassroots health network has been regularly invested, and the quality of medical examination and treatment has been improved remarkably.
The historical and cultural relics of the Khmer people have been embellished and preserved. The radio network has reached 100 percent of villages and hamlets. The Internet has been also developed in many places, making it easy for the Khmer people to access a lot of information.
Meanwhile, an article on DAP-News cited the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), saying that there are more than 460 Khmer pagodas in southern localities of Vietnam with about 10,000 monks, accounting for 25 percent of the number of Buddhist monks and nuns in the country.
The newspaper said with the policy of uniting religions and ethnic groups of the Vietnamese Party and State, the Khmer Theravada Buddhism has made stable development steps in the right direction, creating the belief of monks and followers in the Party and State.
E-newspaper Koh Santepheap also quoted Danh Men, a lecturer at a school in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, as saying that for the Khmer people in the South, the pagoda is a cultural museum, an architectural and art work where their unique traditional cultural values are preserved.
It also mentioned traditional festivals of the Khmer people, which are almost associated with or related to Buddhism.
Most of the Cambodian newspapers quoted Lam Van Man, Secretary of the Soc Trang Provincial Party Committee, saying that the attention of the Party and State of Vietnam, and the solidarity and efforts of the Khmer people are expected to bring more breakthrough development in Khmer ethnic areas in the coming time./.