Khmer in Soc Trang, Can Tho enjoy New Year

Khmer people in the southern province of Soc Trang on April 12 met in a get-together to celebrate their New Year festival, Chol Chnam Thmay.
Addressing the event, Duong Sa Kham, Head of the provincial Committee for Ethnic Affairs said the Party and State’s policies have created favourable conditions for the local ethnic community to improve their lives both materially and spiritually.
He cited that last year 5,028 Khmer households escaped from poverty, reducing the rate of poor households in the province to 14.26 percent. In addition, 72 percent of Khmer households had access to electricity and 76.8 percent had clean water.
The same day, authorities of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho visited and sent Chol Chnam Thmay wishes to monks and nuns of Munirensay and Vien Quang pagodas in the locality.
Earlier, the municipal People’s Committee donated gifts to about 500 poor Khmer households, each worth 200,000-300,000 VND to help them enjoy their traditional new year festival.
More than 1,760 Khmer students from Can Tho University and Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy joined a music gala night with a contest to find out about ethnic groups of Kinh, Khmer, Cham, Hoa in the Mekong Delta region as well as folk games.