Cham Script

Script of the Champa kingdom of Vietnam (2nd–17th century), derived from ancient Pallava. Currently used by Cham people in Vietnam and Cambodia. Champa was one of Southeast Asia's oldest Hindu kingdoms, and My Son Sanctuary (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is inscribed with texts in this script. The Cham community suffered greatly during the Vietnam War, and today only ~100,000 people can use the traditional script — placing it at serious risk of extinction.