The Hakka Chinese are proud of their cultural differences with the other subgroups of the Han Chinese. Many famous Chinese have been Hakka, including Deng Xiaoping, Lee Kwan Yew (the former leader of Singapore), and Hong Xiuquan (the leader of the Taiping Rebellion).

At various stages between the fourth and thirteenth centuries AD, large numbers of Hakka people of China were forced to flee their homes in the war-torn Yellow River valley to seek refuge to the south in places like Cambodia. These war refugees came to be known as Kejia - a Hakka word meaning "strangers" or "guests." When the Mongol hordes swept across China in the thirteenth century, many Hakka fled to the south to escape the carnage.

Before 1975 tens of thousands of Hakka Chinese came to live in Cambodia. Some of them were able to escape the Khmer Rouge and others were killed as undesirable foreigners. Now less than a thousand live in Cambodia. The communist Khmer Rouge ruled from 1975 to 1979 murdering up to a quarter of the population. Today Cambodia is officially a constitutional monarch but in actuality a one-party authoritarian state.

Hakka Chinese is mutually unintelligible with Mandarin. Hakka in Cambodia speak Hakka at home and Khmer, Mandarin or English in their businesses.

When a non-Hakka woman marries into a Hakka family, she is required to learn the Hakka language. Hakka parents prefer that their children marry within the Hakka community. Hakka parents want their children to obtain a university education and attend colleges in China, Europe or North America.

Many of the remaining Hakka in Cambodia own restaurants and feature a fusion of southern Chinese, French and Cambodian cuisine. Other Hakka work in the growing tourist trade, finance or as managers in factories.

Although Cambodia is classified as a "least developed" nation by the UN, it has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The Chinese are investing billions of dollars through the Belt and Road Initiative. Some of the poorer Cambodians resent the wealth of the Chinese in their country. The Hakka strive to maintain their language and distinct culture and send their children to private Chinese schools.

Most Hakka Chinese live in or near Phnom Penh, the nation's capital and largest city.

Since the advent of communism many Hakka could accurately be described as nonreligious. There are aspects of animism, Taoism and shamanism among some of the Hakka people.

A small fraction of the Hakka in Cambodia claims to be followers of Jesus Christ. Most Hakka have never heard a clear presentation of the gospel. The Hakka must see themselves as sinners in need of a Savior. Only the Lord Jesus can bring them the peace of mind and joy that they seek.

Pray the believes among the Hakka can find fellowship and grow in the faith.

Ask the Lord to send workers to the Hakka of Cambodia.

Pray that the Hakka would have a desire to read the Bible.

Pray that the Lord would establish a Hakka church planting movement this decade.

Scripture Prayers for the Han Chinese, Hakka in Cambodia.

http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/issue/day/2011/06/28

https://weavefamily.org/thread/han/