Khmer people in southern provinces are celebrating their traditional New
Year festival, Chol Chnam Thmay, with joy and happiness.

In border Giang Thanh district of Kien Giang province, one of the
country’s largest rice bowls, the bumper winter-spring crop has made
locals eager in preparing for the festival.

Danh
Tuoi, a Khmer man in Vinh Dieu commune, said his family has prepared all
necessary things for the festival better than the previous year thanks
to profits from the recent crop.

According to Nguyen
Thanh Hai, Secretary of the Party Committee of Phu My commune, besides
organising festive activities, the commune plans to visit and present
gifts to the poor so that all local residents can enjoy a happy new
year.

Lam Tien Dung, Secretary of the Thanh Giang
district Party Committee said that since the district was established in
2009, the living standards of local people have been much improved with
a remarkable reduction in poverty rate and better infrastructure
facilities.

In An Giang province, home to over
90,000 Khmer people, the local authorities have visited and presented
gifts to 18 local Khmer pagodas, policy beneficiary families and armed
forces on the occasion of Chol Chnam Thmay festival.

The provincial leaders praised contributions that Khmer people have made to local socio-economic development.

They also lauded religious dignitaries’ efforts in mobilising Khmer
people to follow the policies of the Party and State and strengthening
solidarity in the community.

On the occasion, An
Giang leaders also visited and extended New Year greetings to people in
the neighbouring Cambodian provinces of Ta Keo and Kandal.

The Chol Chnam Thmay festival, which falls annually in mid-April, is
one of the most important festivals of the year for Khmer people. It is
usually held at pagodas during which people wish and pray for a lucky
new year.-VNA