Refugees International: Articles: RI-Sponsored Phnong Law Student Visits the United States

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RI-Sponsored Phnong Law Student Visits the United States

06/04/2004

Mane Yun, the first woman from the Phnong people in Cambodia to study law, is visiting the United States for one month with the support of Refugees International. RI has been active in her home province of Mondulkiri, supporting the return of Phnong refugees from the Thai-Cambodian border in 1999 and more recently providing broad-based community development support in partnership with a local NGO, Cambodia Family Development Services. During Mane’s visit to the United States, RI hopes to raise awareness of the situation of the Phnong in Cambodia and to introduce Mane to people involved in work with indigenous peoples around the world.

The following is Mane’s account in her own words of her background and her appreciation of RI’s work in Mondulkiri:

My name is Mane Yun, I came from Cambodia and I like to share with you of my background. Currently I am a second year law student of the Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh Cambodia. I am an indigenous person from Mondulkiri province, which is located in the northeast of Cambodia. Mondulkiri province has a population of 40,000 people; 65% of the people living in Mondulkiri are indigenous people, which are call Phnong.

A few years back, I heard of Refugees International through a friend and I had a chance to meet [RI President Emeritus] Mr. [Lionel] Rosenblatt in Mondulkiri. Then I don't know much about RI work but have learned that Mr. Rosenblatt was helping Phnong refugees returned to Mondulkiri from Thailand and other Phnong in Mondulkiri as well. I was very much fortunate to be selected to do my internship at The Khmer Institute of Democracy with the support of Mr. Rosenblatt and RI and later for providing me a scholarship loan for my study at Law school.

As a person and on behalf of the Phnong community, I have great respect and always appreciate for the support and assistance provided by Mr. Rosenblatt through Refugees International to the Phnong community and myself.

As I still can recall that Refugees International has been helping indigenous people of Mondulkiri Province since early 1999 and with this support and strong advocacy, there were at least one thousand tons of rice have been allocated by the UN World Food Program to Mondulkiri for food for work project and the result of this food assistance, it made very much difference for many hard ship Phnong people during the time of food shortage. The food support have opened the way for our Phnong people to use the food for work to build schools for the children, improve on roads, build some bridges, water wells and so forth. People are very appreciative for food support and committed to make more change for the better community. Even though, some basic infrastructure have been constructed through food for work schemes, but there are still many more challenges to encounter and the Phnong community feels that food security is the major challenge since existing cultivation can only feed the family a few months out of a year.

As for me, I am the only Phnong woman who has the opportunity to further study in the university level with the support and assistance from RI.

My visit to the US will be a wonderful experience and I would like to thank Mr. Rosenblatt and Refugees International for this opportunity to be here to speak about the living conditions of indigenous people and I would like to thanks all the people who have supported the indigenous people.

In closing I would like to take full advantage of my visit here by learning something about life in the US and the difference between the US and Cambodia lifestyle and I would like to say thanks to everyone for this opportunity to speak about indigenous people in Mondulkiri, Cambodia.