Since 2004, the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF) has participated actively at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), which helps Indigenous peoples share their voices globally. For the Khmer-Krom, the Indigenous peoples of Kampuchea-Krom, whose views are often silenced in Vietnam, this forum has become a key place for international advocacy. Even though Vietnam continues to deny the existence of Indigenous peoples in its territory and rejects KKF’s recommendations, the KKF continues to stand up for Khmer-Krom rights.

 

Although there have been attempts to discredit and silence their work, the KKF, especially through its Youth Committee, has helped train and support new generations of Khmer-Krom youth in international advocacy. These young people speak for the Khmer-Krom community by making statements, submitting reports, and affirming their identity as the Indigenous peoples of their homeland.

While the Vietnamese government denies the existence of the Khmer-Krom, the KKF’s ongoing work at the UNPFII shows that they do have a voice and a rightful place in this forum. Their peaceful call for justice and self-determination is supported by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).