Organization
Samaki Kohn Khmer
Samaki Kohn Khmer (SKK) is a nonprofit association of Cambodians in France, founded in 2013 to promote Cambodian culture and give charitable aid.[1] Its name means "solidarity Cambodian child," and its slogan, Pou yeung atc tveu ban, means "unity is strength."[2] It created the Sabay Festival, held at the Grande Pagode du Bois de Vincennes in Paris, and it is an affiliated member of the Union Bouddhiste de France.[3][4]
History
Two young Cambodians in France, Dara and Samara, founded the association in 2013.[1] They were second-generation Khmers who wanted to bring the diaspora together and work for the future of Cambodia.[5][2] The association runs on volunteer work. It holds meetings on Cambodian themes for Cambodians in France and friends of the country, and it works to pass on Cambodian identity, history and traditions.[1] That same year it began Samaki Days, a festival of Khmer culture in France.[6] After the 2013 floods in Cambodia it distributed emergency food, and it has also given out dental-care kits.[2]
In 2015 it partnered with the Compagnons team of the Scouts et Guides de France from Versailles on Samaki Scouts, a development and education project in Cambodia. The scouts planned a month at Kraing Snay College, a French-language school in Chhuk, Kampot province, in the summer of 2015.[2]
In May 2018 SKK co-organized the Paris edition of Cambodge, d'hier à aujourd'hui (Cambodia, Yesterday to Today), a month of Cambodian arts and culture across Greater Paris, with Cambodian Living Arts. The program included Samaki Days on May 6, a day of outdoor celebration at the Pagode de Vincennes.[1] SKK is a partner of the Hub d'entraide franco-khmer.[5] Since 2024 it has been an affiliated member of the Union Bouddhiste de France, which lists it as following Theravada Buddhism.[4][7]
Sabay Festival
The association created the Sabay Festival in 2022 to promote Khmer culture in France. It organizes the festival with Sabay - Evaan Market & Services at the Grande Pagode du Bois de Vincennes.[3][8][6]
- 2023: the second edition celebrated Khmer New Year on April 30, 2023, with the cultures of Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. It opened with Buddhist ceremonies and continued with classical and folk dance, concerts, traditional Khmer games and a kun Khmer boxing performance.[9]
- 2025: the fourth edition took place on June 14 and 15, 2025.[8][3]
Asian Street Food Festival
SKK co-organizes the Asian Street Food Festival with Sabay Events Production. Its sixth edition took place at the Grande Pagode on September 5 and 6, 2026, with co-president Dara Thong as the contact for the weekend.[10][11]
Community
SKK's cultural events include Samaki Days, Samaki Arts, Phum Samaki and the Sabay Festival, along with exhibitions of Khmer art, music, dance and traditions. They offer a space where Khmer heritage passes between generations. The association also raises funds for vulnerable communities in Cambodia.[6]
Leadership (2026)
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ville de Paris, programme of the festival Cambodge, d'hier à aujourd'hui (2018)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 KissKissBankBank, Les compagnons au Cambodge (2015)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Bel-Air Sud, 4th Sabay Festival at the Grande Pagode (June 2025)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Union Bouddhiste de France, Annuaire des membres
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hub d'entraide franco-khmer, partners
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Evaan Market, Sabay Festival 2025 (4th edition)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Union Bouddhiste de France, Association Samaki Kohn Khmer
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 JDS, Sabay Festival 2025
- ↑ Le Petit Journal Cambodge, Sabay Festival at the Grande Pagode (April 2023)
- ↑ Shotgun, Asian Street Food Festival, 6th edition (September 2026)
- ↑ Union Bouddhiste de France, Grande Pagode festivities, 2026 season