The Bunong
Population: 30,000 Language: Bunong
Major Religion: Animism Percent Christian: 3%
Bible Translation: In Progress
Who are the Bunong? Located
in the remote mountainous northeast region of Cambodia, bordering Vietnam,
Mondulkiri is the country’s largest province and is home to the second largest
ethnic minority population, the Bunong. Renowned as elephant tamers, they
comprise about 30,000 of the province’s estimated 43,000 residents. The Bunong
language is the main language spoken in their homes and villages.
What are their lives like? The
Bunong culture and way of life is intimately associated with the forest area in
which they live. Access to land and the forests is essential to their survival.
The Bunong practice labor-intensive swidden (‘slash and burn’) agriculture,
following a 15-20 year cycle, using one site for up to five years before moving
to a new location.
What do they believe? The
Bunong practice animism; the stability of their lives depends on the
satisfactory appeasement of various types of spirits. Animal sacrifice plays a
vital role in the appeasement process. Weddings, funerals, periods of illness
and seasonal celebrations are some of the more significant events requiring
sacrifices.
In
the mid 50s, having heard of minorities in Vietnam turning to Jesus, the Bunong
in Cambodia asked the only operating mission agency to send missionaries. This
request could not be fulfilled then, nor a second one in the mid-60s. Ten years
later, the province was part of the “Ho Chi Minh trail” and the target of US
bombing. Many Bunong fled to Vietnam, where they finally heard the Gospel. In
1986, about 150 Bunong believers came back to Cambodia. Today, they are 1000
strong. The first Western missionaries came in 2000.
What are their needs? Food
and land protection. The Bunong experience a period of 3-5 months where the
food grown in their fields runs out, so they must forage in the forest, hunt,
fish or gather resin to sell. Major tracts of land have been logged, sold or
otherwise removed from the traditional ownership of the Bunong community,
leading to a decrease in access to life-sustaining resources.
Literacy
and education. The majority of Bunong do not have sufficient numeracy skills to
fairly buy or sell produce at the market, and few can properly count money or
use a scale. They are frequently cheated by local traders. Their ability to
interact with the broader society is limited, preventing adoption of
innovations and ideas from the outside. Also, as outside influences encroach
with alarming speed and impact, the Bunong are ill-equipped to confront the
onslaught of changes. Lack of Khmer language skills also render them at even greater
risk for exploitation.
Health
care and education. Many serious diseases have a much higher rate of prevalence
in Mondulkiri than in other provinces. Also, the Bunong do not possess basic
information which could allow them to treat or prevent simple diseases.
Salvation
and Scriptures. Only Christ can deliver the Bunong out of their poverty;
physically and spiritually. They need God’s Spirit to fully transform their
lives. The church struggles due to lack of Scriptures in the Bunong language,
and also desperately needs strong teaching.
