(VOVworld) – The Czech Republic has appointed a representative of the local Vietnamese community to the Council of Ethnic Minorities. The decision was a milestone for the Vietnamese community. From now on the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic will be on an equal footing with other ethnic groups in the country. 

The Sapa Trade Center of Vietnamese people on the outskirts of Prague (photo: nguoixaque.net)

The Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic is the third largest minority population after Ukrainians and Slovakians. There are 65,000 Vietnamese living there, in a population of 10.2 million people. In a spirit of mutual support, Vietnamese people live closely with each other through activities organized by the Vietnamese Association. Established in 1999 to encourage mutual assistance among Vietnamese residents, the Association has helped preserve the Vietnamese cultural identity and promote the traditional relationship between Vietnam and the Czech Republic. The Association now has 26 affiliates and 44 branches across the country. The Association cooperated with the Vietnamese Embassy to persuade the government to officially recognize Vietnamese as an ethnic minority group, which will create a stronger legal basis for Vietnamese people to enjoy stable, long-term lives here and receive equal treatment with other ethnic minority groups. The recognition will generate opportunities for Vietnamese people to integrate into the local economy.

According to Czech law, ethnic minority groups are communities of Czech citizens living on Czech territory. They are differentiated by their origin, language and culture. The Vietnamese community here meets all the requirements stated in Czech law and has helped to consolidate diplomatic and trade ties between the two countries.

With representatives in the Council of Ethic Minorities, the Vietnamese community will have the right to sign local administration documents in their own language. They will be entitled to publish election materials in Vietnamese and study in their mother tongue. From now on, Vietnamese citizens here can use Vietnamese at work and in courts and establish radio and television programs in Vietnamese. As one of 14 ethnic minority groups in the Czech Republic, the Vietnamese community will receive financial support from local governments to preserve and develop their culture, customs and language. Monika Simunkova of the Czech Human Rights Commission said representatives of the Vietnamese community in the Council of Ethnic Minorities will have the right to advise the Czech government on issues related to their ethnicity.

The recognition of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic demonstrates the active role Vietnamese people play in countries where they reside. It is a fitting honor for overseas Vietnamese who strive ceaselessly to integrate into the local society and culture.  

Bui Hang