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The 4500 Western Cham in Thailand
are a remnant of the people of the Champa Kingdom in Vietnam.
Initially the Cham who could escape the Vietnamese when their
kingdom fell went to Cambodia. The poorest Cham stayed behind
and there are still about 30,000 Cham in Vietnam. Some of
these who immigrated to Cambodia came to Thailand amd settled there.
Today about half the Cham in
Thailand live in Bangkok and most of the rest live in among the
Patani and Malays in the south. The Cham throughout all of
South East Asia still maintain ties with the Malay peoples in south
Thailand and in Malaysia. The ties with the Malay peope are so
close that the Cham who come to Malaysia are considered eligible for
citizenship. Some people think the Cham originated from Java
or Borner and migrated through Malaysia centuries ago before
settling in Vietnam.
The Cham in Thailand are mostly
all Sunni Muslims of the Shafi school, but there is a mixture of
belief and ritual of Hindu-Buddhist origin that is still followed
today. There is no known church planting work going in with
the Cham in Thailand, few is fany believers, and no gospel resources
created for them specifically. Malay materials might be used
with some in Thailand. The Thai speakers might be reached by
Thai Christians in Bangkok. No known work among them has ever
produced a church of Cham people in Thailand, Vietnam, or Cambodia.
Pray for the Christians living
near Cham people to have opportunities to share Jesus with them.
Pray for a strong church to be planted somewhere among the Cham.
Pray for some one with a heart to reach them to hear a call to go.
Pray for a team of church planters to be raised up that will do
whatever is needed to reach the Cham.
Population: 4,500 ---
Language: Cham --- Religion: Sunni Islam
Christians: None --- Resources: None --- Other
Countries: Cambodia,
Vietnam
Resource Links:
Joshua Project
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