Vietnam denies fabricated information on Khmer people

"The Khmer population is an inseparable part of Vietnam's 54 ethnicities, who all live in harmony as equals, and all contribute to the development and protection of the country throughout its history," spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said Thursday.

She was responding to reporters' inquiries on the Khmer Kampuchea Krom organization making false accusations about the situation of the Khmer population in Vietnam.

The Tuyen Giao magazine of the Central Propaganda Department reported that hostile forces have recently enticed bad actors to join the Khmer Kampuchea Krom organization and perform anti-state activities in many fields, especially ethnicity and religion in Tra Vinh Province in southern Vietnam, home to a large Khmer community.

They took advantage of certain events, including ethnic and religion information not included in the national ID card, to fabricate accusations that the "Vietnamese administration wants local authorities to erase Khmer culture" and to adopt "assimilation policy" against the Khmer ethnic group, the magazine said, adding that they persuade people to join the group by publishing fabricated documents, falsely accusing that Kinh people discriminate and oppress the Khmer people, and Khmer people's rights are severely limited.

Hang said the information given out by the Khmer Kampuchea Krom is baseless and untrue, adding that all ethnicities in Vietnam are treated as equals and are ensured by the state to have the opportunity to develop in all aspects.