On the morning of April 9, Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung attended a festive gathering to extend his best wishes to the Khmer community in Tra Vinh Province, celebrating the traditional Chôl Chnăm Thmây New Year 2025. Accompanying him were Secretary of the Tra Vinh Provincial Party Committee Ngo Chi Cuong and other provincial leaders.

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Minister Dao Ngoc Dung attends a New Year celebration with the Khmer community in Tra Vinh, April 9. Photo: Tran Tuyen

The event was held with formality and warmth, welcoming over 300 delegates, including Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, former high-ranking leaders of the Central Government and province, and religious dignitaries of the Khmer ethnic group.

On this occasion, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung presented two gratitude houses, funded by the Gratitude Fund, to Khmer families with revolutionary contributions.

The Minister also offered gifts to Heroic Vietnamese Mother Thach Thi Cum, veteran revolutionaries, former central and provincial leaders of Khmer descent, Theravada Buddhist monks, respected community figures, and low-income Khmer households.

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Minister Dao Ngoc Dung presents a gift to Heroic Vietnamese Mother Thach Thi Cum. Photo: Tran Tuyen
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The Minister gives a gift to a veteran revolutionary in Tra Vinh. Photo: Tran Tuyen
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The Minister warmly greets and presents gifts to former provincial leaders. Photo: Tran Tuyen
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Minister Dao Ngoc Dung offers gifts to representatives of organizations including the Patriotic Monks Solidarity Association of Tra Vinh and the Pali–Khmer Intermediate School. Photo: Tran Tuyen

Earlier, on April 8, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung attended the inauguration and handover ceremony of newly built houses under the “Eliminating Dilapidated Housing” program, benefiting poor ethnic minority families in Tra Vinh.

He also visited and provided financial assistance to two Khmer families with revolutionary backgrounds - Mr. Thach Danh and Mr. Tran Dang - both residing in Hoa Lac A Hamlet, Luong Hoa Commune, Chau Thanh District.

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Minister Dao Ngoc Dung congratulates a family in Tra Vinh receiving a new home in time for the traditional Chôl Chnăm Thmây New Year. Photo: Tran Tuyen
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Minister Dao Ngoc Dung hands over housing support funds to two families with revolutionary backgrounds. Photo: Tran Tuyen

Minister Dao Ngoc Dung shared that as of mid-2024, there remain 400,000 households across the country living without proper homes or in houses lacking the "three basics" - solid walls, floors, and roofs - which poses safety concerns.

With the motto "leave no one behind," the Party and State launched a nationwide movement to eliminate temporary and substandard housing.

In Tra Vinh, the Minister praised the Party’s leadership at all levels for accelerating local development. He noted that the Khmer community's quality of life has significantly improved, reflecting a balance of spiritual fulfillment and material well-being.

Focusing resources on housing for the poor

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Tra Vinh People's Committee Chairman Le Van Han speaks at the gathering. Photo: Tran Tuyen

Speaking at the gathering, Chairman of the Tra Vinh People's Committee Le Van Han stated that in 2024, the province has made significant and comprehensive achievements across various sectors, exceeding numerous socio-economic targets and posting strong growth indicators.

Efforts to eliminate substandard housing are a top priority. Since the beginning of 2024, Tra Vinh has mobilized resources to build more than 6,878 houses for poor, near-poor, and housing-insecure households.

The province has effectively implemented Party and State policies on religious and belief practices, preserving and promoting traditional cultural activities of the Khmer people. Significant support has been provided to restore and renovate religious sites.

Local authorities continue to support monks and religious communities in their studies and spiritual practices, empowering the Patriotic Monks Solidarity Association to operate according to its principles and strengthening the role of trusted community members within the Khmer population.

Tra Vinh has also prioritized training and nurturing a pool of Khmer ethnic minority officials in political theory, professional expertise, and administrative competence at various levels.

Chairman Le Van Han encouraged the Khmer people, officials, soldiers, and citizens in the province to uphold traditions of ethnic and religious unity, maintain a spirit of self-reliance, and actively engage in labor, production, and education. He urged them to sustain and elevate the standards of new rural development, cultural life, and improve both material and spiritual well-being.

He also emphasized the importance of vigilance and resistance against hostile forces to safeguard political stability and social order.

According to the provincial Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, the central government will continue issuing new policies in 2025 aimed at investing in and supporting ethnic minority regions, significantly transforming the Khmer community's living conditions.

Security and social order in Khmer areas have remained stable. Healthcare continues to receive attention, and Khmer festivals are celebrated in a joyful, united, and safe manner. Ethnic policies are making a visible impact, contributing to sustainable poverty reduction and rural revitalization.

Issues such as housing, land, and clean water for the Khmer population have largely been resolved. Political institutions in ethnic minority areas are being reinforced. Traditional cultural, religious, and spiritual values are respected and preserved, and a spirit of equality, solidarity, and mutual assistance continues to flourish.

Education among Khmer communities has also progressed, with noticeable improvements in quality. Teaching and learning of Khmer language and literature, including Pali–Khmer education for monks and students, remains a key focus.

Hoai Thanh – Tran Tuyen