Khmer Krom in Cambodia

People Name:	Khmer Krom
Country:	Cambodia
10/40 Window:	Yes
Population:	284,000
World Population:	284,000
Primary Language:	Khmer
Primary Religion:	Buddhism
Christian Adherents:	3.10 %
Evangelicals:	1.30 %
Scripture:	Complete Bible
Online Audio NT:	Yes
Jesus Film:	Yes
Audio Recordings:	Yes
People Cluster:	Mon-Khmer
Affinity Bloc:	Southeast Asian Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

Kampuchea Krom or Khmer Krom translates literally as 'lower Cambodians.' They are descendants of the original Khmer inhabitants of what is now southern Vietnam. The Khmer controlled the region until the early 1600s. The Vietnamese government attempts to minimize the importance of the rural Khmer population by drastically lowering the numbers. Kampuchea Krom have migrated from Vietnam and now live within the borders of Cambodia. Because of linguistic, political and social factors they are distinct in many ways from the wider Khmer population in Cambodia.

What Are Their Lives Like?

More and more young Kampuchea Krom are becoming integrated into Vietnamese society as national schools teach only in Vietnamese. Khmer temple schools provide the only opportunities for learning to read and write the Khmer language. Even with these factors, there are still millions of Kampuchea Krom who conduct their daily lives using the Khmer language.
Typically, the Kampuchea Krom are rural people who live in villages outside of the main cities. Daily life consists of subsistence farming and agriculture. Many young men seek education and opportunities as monks in the Buddhist temples.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The main religion of the Kampuchea Krom is Theravada Buddhism. Kampuchea Krom beliefs do not include a concept of a living God. The goal of their religious devotion and rituals is to obtain merit that might somehow enable them to escape the cycle of reincarnation and achieve Nirvana, a state or place of nothingness.
Theravada Buddhism is the public veneer of Kampuchea Krom religion, but animistic belief in the spirit world may have more of a hold on their daily lives. The Kampuchea Krom keep an altar outside their homes where they offer food and incense to the spirit world daily. Their actions are driven by the fear that these spirits can cause them harm if not appeased. Fortune tellers are regularly consulted at times of trouble or desire because of their perceived links to the spirit world.

What Are Their Needs?

As Buddhists, the Khmer Krom do not understand the reality of sin and their need for Jesus as their savior. They have had very little opportunity to hear about Jesus, and for the most part they are extremely poor. There are only a few thousand Christians among this vast people group. The fields are white unto harvest, and those who are hearing are also showing a hunger to know and understand more. The workers are few!

Prayer Points

Ask God to strengthen the Christians among the Khmer Krom and to give them a vision for spreading the gospel.
Ask God to bless the believers both spiritually and materially in ways that will demonstrate his love and power to the many non-believers around them.
Pray for a movement to Christ among the Khmer Krom that will lead to disciples and churches that multiply through many generations and that will touch every city, town, and village where they live.