Koh Kong Island

         Since the 7th of January 1988, Koh Kong Island had changed dramatically. After successfully overthrew the Khmer Rouge (Red Cambodians), the new government at Phnom Penh officially announced the endorsement of Thai people in Koh Kong province as minority in Cambodia. Thai was granted legitimate Cambodian people de jure equal rights with Cambodian people. All Thai people play an important role in salvaging Independence around the Koh Kong area since the beginning. Thai had been praised, and appointed to be high official in the government, both in Phnom Penh and in local government. Thus, made Thai people in Koh Kong were proud as the their Thai ancestors in Koh Kong had struggled through many fights, blood and life had been sacrificed, since the Prachanta khirikhet province was taken over by France and Cambodia in 1904, including the French colonial era, the Sihanouk government, the Lannang government, or the Khmer Rouge government Pol Pot. Thus, it may be considered that the 7th of January 1988 was the day that Thai people in Koh Kong stopped all fighting.¹

คุณป้าเล็ก วงเวียน อายุ 67 ปี ชาวไทยเกาะกงโดยกำเนิด

คุณยอดรัก ลี คนไทยเกาะกง
ปัจจุบันศึกษาที่หมาวิทยาลัยรามคำแหง คณะรัฐศาสตร์

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¹ Rungmanee Meksophon (2009). The two lands man (4th edition). Bangkok, 191.