THE KUY HISTORY

LOCATION

The Kuy tribal groups are found in three countries, Thailand about 300,000 Kuy people & Cambodia about 31,000 people and Loas about 64,000 people. They are called Suei by the Thai, which means "tax-paying", however, they prefer the name Kuy, which means "human." They speak Kuy language which originated from the Cambodian Khmer languages.Most Kuy are rice farmers and many women raise silk worms and weave silk. Some have cattle and water buffalo to herd as well. In addition, the Kuy are skilled ironworkers and elephant hunters. Most Kuy villagers can also do basic carpentry and make certain items such as thatch, baskets, and mats. The elder Kuy men and women enjoy chewing Beetle Nut, an addictive substance in Southeast Asia similar to tobacco. Beetle Nut leaves red stains on their teeth and lips, rotting the teeth to black decay. Under their cultural structure, women make all decisions related to the family and men are responsible for leadership in festivals and village ceremonies. At marriage, the husband goes to live in his wife's parents home until the couple has one or two children. Arranged marriages are still customary.

 RELIGION

The Kuy practice Animism with a Buddhist veneer. Sometimes the two are combined. Many spirit ceremonies including sacrifices to village spirits, family spirits, and spirits of the forest are held in their society. They believe in a spiritual realm that contains both good and evil spirits. The spirits of deceased parents and grandparents are looked to for help and guidance. They also rely on mediums to communicate with the dead. The Kuy people  continue the traditional beliefs and practices of their ancestors. They believe that magical spirits live in the natural world, inhabiting rocks, mountains, rivers, and trees. Most religious leaders are also spirit healers who lead ceremonies to cure illness and other physical and mental problems. They do so by communicating with the spirits who have caused the difficulty or have allowed it to happen.In some villages, there are two important sorcerers whose main duty is to control the weather. By so doing, they protect the community from natural calamities, sickness and aid in the growth of crops.The Kuy believe in reincarnation and that there are spirits everywhere that need to be kept happy in order to prevent the spirits from causing accidents in the village. One elephant village even worships an elephant spirit and have erected a temple. 

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The Kuy tribal groups in Cambodia

 

The number of Kuy in Cambodia is estimated to be greater than 31,000. The largest dialect of Kuy in Cambodia is Kuy Ntra, which is spoken in three
provinces: Kampong Thum, Preah Vihear and Stueng Traeng.

1. Kuy Ntua

Speakers of Kuy Ntua are only known to be located in Preah Vihear province. At least 16 Kuy Ntua villages, with an estimated population of more than 11,000, making Kuy Ntua the second largest dialect after

Kuy Ntra, though not all of these are currently speaking Kuy. At least 15 of the 37 villages for which a dialect has not yet been identified could also be Kuy Ntua. Kuy Ntua speakers are located in the following districts of Preah Vihear province: Chey Saen district (S’ang, Tasu, and Putrea communes), Chhaeb district (Mlu Prey Pir commune), Choam Khsant district (Tuek Kraham commune), Rovieng district (Reaksa commune), and Tbaeng Mean Chey district (Pal Hal, Prame, and Preah Khleang communes). It is not known whether any of the Kuy in Stueng Traeng province speak Kuy Ntua. Some Kuy Ntua villages are located along the roads, some are more isolated. The villages appear to be in several small clusters. Comments were made by two Kuy Ntua speakers who had traveled extensively throughout the Kuy community that within Kuy Ntua there is less variation than within Kuy Ntra.

2.Kuy Ntra

At least 26 Kuy Ntra villages, with an estimated population of more than 15,000, though not all of these are currently speaking Kuy. Approximately half of the 37 villages for which a dialect has not yet been
identified  could also be Kuy Ntra. In Kampong Thum province, Kuy Ntra villages are located in the following districts: Kampong Svay district (Chey commune), Prasat Balangk district (Phan Nheum, Sala Visai and possibly Tuol Kreul communes), Prasat Sambour district (Chhuk and Sambour communes), and Sandan district (Ngan commune). Villages in Preah Vihear province are found in the following districts: Chey Saen district (Chrach, Thmea, and Putrea communes) and Rovieng district (Romtom and Romoniy communes). In Stueng Traeng province, Kuy are found in Thala Barivat district. Within Thala Barivat district, only those Kuy in Anlong Chrey commune are known to be Kuy Ntra. The dialect spoken in other communes is not known. Among these areas of Stueng Traeng, Kuy appears to be giving way to Khmer.Many of the Kuy Ntra villages are located along main roads, such as the highway connecting Preah Vihear and Kampong Thum provincial seats. 

3. Kuy Mai

Kuy Mai is found only in Kracheh province, particularly in Thmei commune of Kracheh district. There are possibly seven Kuy villages in Thmei commune with a total population of around 5,000, only olderresidents claimed to be Kuy speakers, and in the other five villages it is suspected that Kuy is no longer spoken.

4. Kuy Mla

Kuy Mla is only known to be spoken in one village in Cambodia, Krala Peas village (Pring Thum commune, Choam Ksan district, Preah Vihear province). The 57 population of the village is 743; however, it was reported that only a few of the oldest people in the village still speak Kuy. The primary language currently spoken in the village is Khmer. Middle-aged residents interviewed could name some individual vocabulary items in Kuy, but claimed Khmer as the language they speak.