VZCZCXRO2226
PP RUEHBC RUEHCHI RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDT RUEHGI RUEHHM
RUEHJS RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHNH RUEHPW RUEHROV
DE RUEHPF #0170/01 0770152
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180152Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0505
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 0157
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000170 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S/CT, EAP/MLS 
NSC FOR L. PHU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA'S HIGHEST MUSLIM LEADER DISCUSSES 
CHALLENGES, DISMISSES RADICALIZATION 
 
REF: 08 PHNOM PENH 968 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In a March 12 meeting, Cambodia's Mufti, 
who is appointed by the King for life as the Supreme Leader 
of all Muslims in the country, described to Poloff some of 
the challenges facing his community.  Although many of the 
difficulties faced by Muslims in Cambodia are also 
experienced by other religious and ethnic groups, including 
the majority Khmers, the base of poverty from which the 
Muslim minority starts creates an added obstacle to accessing 
many state services.  Poverty has also been a driving factor 
behind recent migration of the Muslim population inland from 
their traditional home along the rivers, potentially 
increasing their isolation and marginalization.  The Mufti 
acknowledged that some of the Muslim communities in Cambodia 
may follow stricter forms of Islam but dismissed the threat 
of rampant radicalization as "old news."  Notwithstanding 
this attempt to downplay the continued pressures of extremist 
Muslim elements, post believes the growing population of Cham 
youth remain at risk. END SUMMARY. 
IDENTITY 
--------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) While some texts refer to Cambodia,s Muslim 
population as "Khmer Islam," Cambodia,s Mufti Oknha Sos 
Kamry stated the majority tend to refer to themselves simply 
as Cham.  This designation dates back to their history as 
descendents of refugees from the Kingdom of Champa which was 
one of the early Hindu Kingdoms in Southeast Asia.  The 
majority of the Cham converted from Hinduism to Islam 
beginning in the 15th century.  After being violently driven 
out of Vietnam in 1471, the Khmer kings provided the Cham 
refuge and they have had a mostly peaceful coexistence with 
the Khmer since that time. 
¶3. (SBU) Mufti Sos Kamry expressed his concern that little 
has changed within the Cham population for many years.  He 
worries that they are not keeping up to date on changes both 
domestically and globally, and are not able to attain jobs 
and perform at the same levels as the Khmer.  According to 
the Mufti, the reason the Cham lag behind the Khmer is mainly 
due to their almost complete annihilation during the Khmer 
Rouge.  He stated that while 40 percent of the Khmer were 
killed during the Khmer Rouge era, 60 percent of the Cham 
were annihilated; likewise 30 percent of the Khmer were 
evacuated from their villages compared to 100 percent of the 
Cham. 
MIGRATION 
--------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Known for their fishing skills, the Cham originally 
settled along the banks of the Mekong River and major 
tributaries.  However, due to the decrease in the fish 
catches per person over the years, which some attribute to 
overfishing, illegal fishing, increased population and the 
effects of global warming, the Cham have begun to migrate 
inland.  Approximately 30 percent of the population has 
migrated to provinces such as Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri, Kratie, 
Stung Treng, and Kampong Cham over the past few years in 
order to cultivate rice and other cash crops.  When asked 
about difficulties finding land or obtaining land titles in 
the new communities, the Mufti said that the process can be 
lengthy but is usually successful.  According to the Mufti, 
the much publicized land-grabbing by high-ranking officials 
affects both Cham and Khmer alike.  He felt the real issue is 
the initial poverty level of the Cham coupled with the amount 
of monetary resources it takes to relocate.  This is 
exacerbated by the absence of extended families to rely upon 
due to the small size of the population (although there are 
not exact figures, the Mufti and others estimate the Muslim 
population to be approximately 350,000-400,000).  Although 
most of the Cham along the Mekong live in separate 
communities from the Khmer or other ethnic groups such as the 
Vietnamese, the communities tend to be close in proximity 
with access to state services.  According to the Mufti, the 
new Cham communities also tend to be separate, but are 
farther away from schools and larger villages, which could 
further add to their isolation.  To seek opportunities 
outside Cambodia, many Cham (up to 30 percent according to 
the Mufti) migrate to Malaysia due to the close historical, 
linguistic and religious ties to find work in factories and 
as domestic helpers. 
EDUCATION 
---------- 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000170  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) A direct result of the decimation of the majority of 
Imams by the Khmer Rouge has been a dearth of educated 
instructors and modern teaching methodologies in Islamic 
schools.  Although most Cham feel education is important and 
many receive some form of Islamic education, they face 
economic and cultural barriers which keep many out of state 
schools.  A recent study conducted by American Institutes for 
Research and funded by USAID which assessed the 
marginalization of Cham communities found that only 55 
percent of the respondents reported having ever attended 
state school, with the average number of years attended being 
six.  One-third of the sample attended school up to grade 
three, and less than 17 percent attended secondary school. 
The study cited the main barriers to attaining state 
education included poverty, distance to state schools, the 
mixing of males and females in the same classroom, and 
difficulty with the Khmer language.  In contrast, 76 percent 
of the respondents reported having attended an Islamic 
school.  According to the Mufti, this is the root of the 
problem.  While Islamic schools may be more accessible than 
the state schools, they lack skilled teachers, funding, and 
all types of study materials to include religious texts. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Mufti and other Cham leaders are working to 
promote education as a means of advancement as an alternative 
to migration abroad for low-level factory jobs which do 
little to develop and advance the future of the Cham.  To 
further enhance their roles and visibility, one of the most 
prominent Cham leaders within the government, Secretary of 
State and wealthy Cham businessman Osman Hassan, requested 
seven additional Cham-held positions in the government.  The 
request was submitted to PM Hun Sen, who decided to approve 
it after visiting Kuwait in January.  All seven have been 
appointed as Under Secretary of States in various ministries. 
 These appointees to current positions are in addition to the 
newly created Secretary of State at the Ministry of Social 
Affairs which will be held by former opposition party member 
and Muslim advocate Ahmad Yahya. 
RADICALIZATION - OLD NEWS? 
-------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) In previous meetings, the Mufti openly discussed 
some of the negative changes within the Cham community which 
he felt stemmed from the "new Muslims" coming from the Middle 
East and proselytizing a less tolerant form of Islam. 
However, when asked about ties attached to charity from 
overseas during this most recent meeting, the Mufti responded 
by saying that problems such as those encountered at the Umm 
al-Qura school (Ref A) are "old news."  He stated that he and 
the government now understand the problem, and those who 
provide assistance must first come to the Highest Council for 
Islamic Religious Affairs which then determines whether the 
source is proper and legal.  The Mufti did concede that some 
donors circumvent his Council and go directly to the 
communities.  In order to attract more funding for schools 
and mosques, the Mufti said some accept the money and have 
changed their ways, but that it is a very small percentage 
and not likely to cause serious problems for Cambodia. 
 
¶8. (SBU) COMMENT: In this most recent meeting, the Mufti was 
clearly concerned about the future of the Cham and the need 
for increased attention to education in order to improve 
their current position in society.  Noticeably absent from 
this discussion was any anxiety over negative foreign 
influence on Cham communities.  This may be due to a 
perceived decrease in tensions or simply a decision by the 
Mufti and government to handle such matters internally. 
However, post believes the pressure of extremist Islamic 
elements - though more low-key than before - continues and 
that Cham youth are at risk of being swayed by extremist 
orthodoxy, especially when many are given full scholarships 
to overseas schools.  Nonetheless, the Mufti's focus on 
improving both the access and quality of religious and 
secular education for the Cham would work toward countering 
any of the less desirable influences of foreign charity by 
creating a more educated and employable Muslim minority 
within Cambodia.  END COMMENT. 
RODLEY