On May 25, 2010, the Vietnamese authority summoned the Abbots of all Khmer-Krom temples in Krabao (Tinh Bien) and Swaiton (Tri Ton) districts, Moth Chrouk (An Giang) province for a meeting. At the meeting, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk who represented for the Vietnamese authority ordered the Abbot of each Khmer-Krom temple in Krabao district to “donate” 300,000 Đồng. They claimed that the money would be used to celebrate the Vesak Day at a Vietnamese temple.
The Khmer-Krom people have their own way to celebrate the Vesak Day in their temple, but the Vietnamese authority forces the Khmer-Krom to “donate” 300,000 Đồng. Some Khmer-Krom temples don’t even have that much money, so the Abbot has to loan money from whoever they can ask for help. The Vietnamese government only allowed for one day finding the money and brings the money to give to them.
In Kampuchea-Krom, the Khmer-Krom people don’t have a right to practice freely their Theravada Buddhism. They don’t have the right to form their own Theravada Buddhist organization. The Vietnamese government tactically forces the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks to join the so-called: Patriotic United Buddhist Association (Hội Đoàn Kết Sư Sải Yêu Nước) under the umbrella of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS - Giáo Hội Phật Giáo Việt Nam). The VBS is under the control of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (FFCC - Mặt Trận Tổ Quốc Việt Nam) which is a committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP).
In Moth Chrouk province, the Vietnamese authority forces Khmer-Krom monks to be under the umbrella of the Patriotic United Buddhist Association, so all the activities of the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks must report to this association. For example, when the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks need to visit their fellow Buddhist monks in other provinces in Kampuchea-Krom, they have to ask for the permission from Vietnamese Buddhist monks who are in charge of that association. If the Vietnamese Buddhist monks who represent for the Vietnamese government are happy, they allow the Khmer-Krom to travel. If not, the Khmer-Krom Buddhist monks cannot go. Is this what the Vietnamese government claims to the world that Vietnam respects the freedom of religion?
