Visiting Preah Vihea

Visiting Preah Vihea

Preah Vihear is quite a big northern province of Cambodia. Its capital is called Phnom Tbeng Meanchey. The province itself is named after the temple of Prasat Preah Vihear, what is definitely the hotspot of this province. Much of the province is extremely remote and strongly forested. Unfortunately do large logging companies reduce the natural landscape by carving huge tracts of pristine tropical hardwoods out of the locations. It is also one of the least populated provinces in the Kingdom of Cambodia. This tranquil site is popular for the Preah Vihear temple, standing in the vicinity of the borderline between Thailand and Cambodia. The province has one of the worst infrastructures in the country – there are even no proper Major Roads in existence. Going around this province is not that easy if you’re used to proper roads and usual transportation possibilities, as there are only a few pick-ups or some money-hunting moto drivers to take you where you would like to go.Whatsoever the province has a lot to offer for those, who are interested in ancient temple structures and remote villages without touristy influence. Here in Preah Vihear you may find three of the most impressive legacies from the Angkorian era: the mountain temple of Prasat Preah Vihear, the 10th-century capital of Koh Ker and the mighty Preak Khan. Koh Ker is nowadays easily accessible from Siem Reap via Beng Mealea, but the other two still remain difficult to visit, requiring long and tough overland journeys and a distinct possibility to spend a night in the jungle. During the wet season these places are more or less unreachable. But there are governmental plans to develop the region for a smooth but constant tourism, building roads and improving infrastructure.The provincial capital Tbeng Meanchey is due to the state of the infrastructure and it’s geographical location not visited by a lot of foreigners. Most of them don’t make it here worrying about the street conditions and the backcountry feeling of no fast supply in need. The city is sprawling and dusty and consists of little more than two small major dirt roads form South to North. There is nothing interesting in town or to do, so it has necessarily become more a stopover on the way to Koh Ker and Preah Khan.

SIHANOUKVILLE - BEACH RESORT

SIHANOUKVILLE - BEACH RESORT

'Beach town', 'port community', 'fledgling resort destination' - all describe Sihanoukville, Cambodia's premier beach town. Sihanoukville's white sand beaches and warm Gulf of Thailand waters combine with a laid back, beachy atmosphere to provide a great little tropical getaway. Sihanoukville is a place to unwind by the beach, enjoy the fresh from-the-ocean seafood, take in a snorkeling or scuba trip, and generally slow-down, lay back and chill-out. Sihanoukville has a different look and feel than most Cambodian towns. Constructed as a port city in the late 1950s, the town is much newer, more urban and cosmopolitan than most Cambodian provincial cities. Nowadays, Sihanoukville is as much a beach town as it is a port town, catering to beach-going weekenders from Phnom Penh as well as a steadily increasing number of foreign visitors. Still, the pace of life in Sihanoukville is very relaxed. Cows occasionally wander the main road, outside town foreign faces draw smiles and curious stares, and most of the beaches offer only beach umbrellas, thatched roofed eateries, and a growing number of restaurants, bungalows and hotels. Sihanoukville has a more than ample supply of accommodations, including a 5-star resort complex on Sokha Beach, several mid-range places downtown and at the beaches, a few 'upscale' three-star hotels, and dozens of budget guesthouses, especially on Weather Station Hill (Victory Hill). Considering the moderate number of visitors to Sihanoukville, the town offers a surprising number and variety of restaurants and bars. Fresh seafood, especially crab, prawns and ocean fish, has always been one of the town's biggest draws, but there is also a wide variety of places offering foreign cuisines - Australian, French, Indian, German, Sri Lankan, British, Italian, pizza places, a couple of western bakeries and even a espresso coffee shop. And these days Sihanoukville offers a pretty good night life as well with a wide variety of bars staying open well into the wee hours, especially on Weather Station Hill, in the downtown area, and the beach bars on Ochheuteal, ‘Serendipity’ and Victory Beaches. ORIENTATIONSihanoukville is not a small place, and the best way to get around is to hire a motorbike. Sihanoukville itself is east of the main backpackers' beach and close to the more mid-range Ochatial Beach. Due south of town is tiny Ko Pos Beach, which ha a solitary mid-range hotel, and the larger Independence Beach, which has the crumbling Independence Hotel - slated for redevelopment. INFORMATIONCambodian's only deep-sea port is located here and considerable international aid has been spent to improve the infrastructure in the province. Although tourism has increased over the past few years, the beaches of Sihanoukville are some of the most unspoiled in all of Southeast Asia. It is a prefect tropical getaway, filled with lovely beaches and facilities for swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving or just sunbathing. Boat trips are also available to many of the nearby islands. There are several hotels and local restaurants serving fresh, delicious seafood on the beach. On the weekend, there are many local visitors from Phnom Penh to relax, swimming and enjoy fresh seafood.

Khmer History

Migrations into the mainland regions of Southeast Asia from the north continued well into historic times. The Khmer came with earlier waves following in the wake of the Malays.^{[citation needed]} Most scholars believe they came at least 3,000 years ago, much earlier than Tai people who now inhabit many parts of what was originally Austroasiatic territory. The reason they migrated into Southeast Asia is generally debated, but scholars believe that Mon-Khmer were pushed down by invading Sino-Tibetans from the north as evident by Austroasiatic vocabulary in Chinese or because of agricultural purposes as evident by their migration routes along major rivers. The Khmer are relatives to the Mon who settled further to the west.

After establishment in Southeast Asia, the history of the Khmer people parallels the history of Cambodia. Like the other early peoples of Southeast Asia such as the Pyu and Mon, the Khmer were influenced by Indian traders and scholars, adapting their religions, sciences, and customs and borrowing from their languages. The Khmer also acquired the concept of the Sivite Deva Raja (God-King) and the great temple as a symbolic holy mountain. Although Cambodian kingdoms waxed and waned and were eventually eclipsed, the Cambodian penchant for building temples of stone throughout their kingdoms left monuments still extant today.

Khmer Art, Museumsinsel Hombroich, Germany

Jayavarman II (802 – 830), revived Cambodian power and built the foundation for the Angkorean empire, founding three capitals--Indrapura, Hariharalaya, and Mahendraparvata--the archeological remains of which reveal much about his times. After winning a long civil war, Suryavarman I (reigned 1002 – 1050) turned his forces eastward and subjugated the Mon kingdom of Dvaravati. Consequently, he ruled over the greater part of present-day Thailand and Laos, as well as the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. This period, during which Angkor Wat was constructed, is considered the apex of Khmer civilization. The Khmer kingdom became a great empire, and the great temples of Angkor, considered an archeological treasure replete with detailed stone bas-reliefs showing many aspects of the culture, including some musical instruments, remain as monuments to the culture of the Khmer. After the death of Suryavarman II (1113 – 1150), Cambodia lapsed into chaos until Jayavarman VII (1181 – 1218) ordered the construction of a new city. He was a Buddhist, and for a time, Buddhism became the dominant religion in Cambodia. As a state religion, however, it was adapted to suit the Deva Raja cult, with a Buddha Raja being substituted for the former Shiva Raja or Vishnu Raja.

A Khmer woman

The rise of the Tai kingdoms of Sukhothai (1238) and Ayuthaya (1350) resulted in almost ceaseless wars with the Cambodians and led to the destruction of Angkor in 1431. They are said to have carried off 90,000 prisoners, many of whom were likely dancers and musicians.^[4] The period following 1432, with the Cambodian people bereft of their treasures, documents, and human culture bearers, was one of precipitous decline. In 1434 King Ponhea Yat made Phnom Penh his capital, and Angkor was abandoned to the jungle. Due to continued Siamese and Vietnamese aggression Cambodia appealed to France for protection in 1863 and became a French protectorate in 1864. During the 1880s, along southern Vietnam and Laos, Cambodia was drawn into the French-controlled Indochinese Union. For nearly a century, the French exploited Cambodia commercially, and demanded power over politics, economics, and social life.

During the second half of the twentieth century, the political situation in Cambodia became chaotic. King Norodom Sihanouk (later, Prince, then again King), proclaimed Cambodia's independence in 1949 (granted in full in 1953) and ruled the country until March 18, 1970, when he was overthrown by General Lon Nol, who established the Khmer Republic. On April 17, 1975, the genocidal Khmer Rouge led by Saloth Sar, better known by his alias, Pol Pot, came to power and virtually destroyed the Cambodian people, their health, morality, education, physical environment, and culture. On January 7, 1979 Vietnamese forces ousted the Khmer Rouge. After more than ten years of painfully slow rebuilding with only meager outside help, the United Nations intervened resulting in the Paris Peace Accord on October 23, 1992 and created conditions for general elections in May 1993, leading to the formation of the current government and the restoration of Prince Sihanouk to power as King in 1993. Nonetheless, the Khmer Rouge continued to control portions of western and northern Cambodia until the late 1990s when they surrendered to government forces in exchange for either amnesty or re-adjustment for positions into the Cambodian government, and security outside the capital remains problematic.

khmer herritate

Our mission is to preserve, promote, and celebrate Cambodian arts and culture in an effort to advance the Cambodian community and to create an environment for artistic innovations.

We have produced cultural events in Khmer language and sponsored exhibitions of traditional Cambodian visual and performing arts forms in various venues with other organizations in Long Beach and the surrounding communities, including:

• The Lotus Festival in Los Angeles
• The Anaheim Street International Festival
• Cambodian New Year Festival and
• The 5K Spiral Walkathon sponsored by Friends Without A Border.

We also has supported and provided services to the number of local Cambodian and Southeast Asian artists.

khmer herritate

Khmer Cultural Center is a non-profit community based arts organization rooted in the arts and cultural tradition, and experience of Cambodia.

Khmer Cultural Center was founded by Mon Duch, Chum Sambath, Chetra Keo, Narin Antoniades, and Sean Theng Ban in 1998.

It was founded on the conviction that our cultural legacy can play a major role in developing a positive identity, preserving traditional arts, encouraging a vision of entrepreneurial possibility within the Cambodian neighborhood of Long Beach, and in turn, the Cambodian communities throughout America. Our aim is to position Khmer Cultural Center as a national center for Cambodian arts and culture in an effort to advance the Cambodian community and to create an environment for artistic innovations.

Chamroeun Yin

Chamroeun Yin

Chamroeun Yin was born in the province of Battambang, Cambodia, in 1957. He received his initial training in Khmer folk arts from his father, a carpenter and cabinetmaker who crafted the ritual furniture and objects needed for weddings and in Buddhist temples, as well as everyday artifacts. His father was a musician, and Mr. Yin developed a knowledge and appreciation of music and dance in these early years.

Through an apprenticeship with a cousin, he became a tailor and dressmaker crafting Khmer traditional clothes. His talents were further developed in the Khao I Dang refugee camp in Thailand, to which he escaped in 1979. There, he encountered classically trained court musicians and dancers who recruited young people for classes in Cambodian art and culture. Soon he became, in his words, "crazy for dancing." While other people in the camps worked to earn extra money for food, Mr. Yin spent his days practicing the disciplined art of court dance. What money he earned as a tailor in the camp he spent not on food, but on fabric and materials to make the elaborately beaded dance costumes for the group's performances.

Mr. Yin came to America as an artistic refugee as part of the Khmer Classical Dance Troupe, which toured the nation to great acclaim in 1981-1982. The troupe settled in the Washington, D.C., area but eventually disbanded as artists had to find ways of making a living. Mr. Yin moved to Philadelphia in 1989. Here he works in several mediums. He is a teang ka, or "ritual beautician," someone who creates wedding costumes and makes the bride and groom "beautiful like the king and queen." He teaches Khmer court dance and mask-making to Khmer youth, and performs regularly. He continues to develop his artistry, devising new ways to make items such as dance crowns out of laminated cardboard and papier mâché, and adding to the community's growing collection of dance costumes.

Through dance, sculpture, choreography, teaching, performances, and weddings, Mr. Yin tries to explore and communicate Cambodian values, creating "movements that show you what is polite or rude, beautiful or ugly." He dances with passion and delicacy, and with a sense of the importance of keeping alive the fragile threads of Khmer dance tradition: "I dance because I want to keep my culture. I want this dance to stay alive forever in the future."

Since coming to Philadelphia, Mr. Yin has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Dance Advance program as a master dancer. He has received grants to teach classical Khmer dance to apprentices in the local community and to pursue his own work in both dance and crafts. He has also organized, choreographed, and presented the annual dance performances for the Khmer New Year before audiences of about 500 people. He has performed at LaSalle University, Penn State, Community College of Philadelphia, the Samuel Fleisher Art Memorial, International House, and at various community sites. His craftsmanship has been exhibited in exhibitions curated by the Philadelphia Folklore Project. In the Folklore Project's folk arts residency program, he teaches crafts and dance, linked arts of central importance to the Khmer community today.

Khmer Society

Khmer Society
History of Cambodia

To glimpse into the Khmer Society, we can understand that the top of the hierarchy should have been the god-king or deva-raja, surrounded by his tutors who were brahmins, and also by the members of his royal family. The priests residing in the temples were also powerful as they seem to own many lands and the paddy fields.
The stone inscription found in many temples gave some glimpses to the donors whose names were written with the titles. These donors could have been the noblemen or the dignitaries of the Khmer's ruling class responsible for the administrative and judiciary tasks, however, their titles were unfamiliar to the historians and the hierarchical ranks were not known, thus it is difficult to draw a complete table of hierarchy for the Angkor Empire.
Since the economy of the Khmer civilization was based mainly on agriculture, the majority of the people should have been the peasants or the farmers living in the villages. It was not clearly certain that there were any small landowners in the kingdom since most inscriptions often referred to large landowners of the elite class or of the temples.
The lowest hierarchy of the Khmer civilization should have been the slaves. Interestingly, there were two types of slaves in the kingdom which are worth mentioning and distinguished. As previously discussed in the chapter of "inscription", some of the Khmer stone inscriptions were found to list the names of slaves who belonged to the temples. Since their names were carefully crafted and enshrined in the holy place, they could not have been the low class slaves as its word "slave" implied. The historians believed that they were actually the temple servants and the priests who were "the slaves only to the gods", and not to any human being. In reality then, the "actual slaves" were mostly the captives from the neighboring countries, however, it was found that the Khmer people themselves could fall into the lowest status of being a "slave" if they failed to pay their rents or loans to the upper ruling class.

Great Wall of China

History

Great Wall of the Qin Dynasty

Great Wall of the Han Dynasty

Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty

Map of the whole wall constructions

The Chinese were already familiar with the techniques of wall-building by the time of the Spring and Autumn Period, which began around the 8th century BC. During the Warring States Period from the 5th century BC to 221 BC, the states of Qi, Yan and Zhao all constructed extensive fortifications to defend their own borders. Built to withstand the attack of small arms such as swords and spears, these walls were made mostly by stamping earth and gravel between board frames. Qin Shi Huang conquered all opposing states and unified China in 221 BC, establishing the Qin Dynasty. Intending to impose centralized rule and prevent the resurgence of feudal lords, he ordered the destruction of the wall sections that divided his empire along the former state borders. To protect the empire against intrusions by the Xiongnu people from the north, he ordered the building of a new wall to connect the remaining fortifications along the empire's new northern frontier. Transporting the large quantity of materials required for construction was difficult, so builders always tried to use local resources. Stones from the mountains were used over mountain ranges, while rammed earth was used for construction in the plains. There are no surviving historical records indicating the exact length and course of the Qin Dynasty walls. Most of the ancient walls have eroded away over the centuries, and very few sections remain today. Later, the Han, Sui, Northern and Jin dynasties all repaired, rebuilt, or expanded sections of the Great Wall at great cost to defend themselves against northern invaders.

The Great Wall concept was revived again during the Ming Dynasty following the Ming army's defeat by the Oirats in the Battle of Tumu in 1449. The Ming had failed to gain a clear upper-hand over the Manchurian and Mongolian tribes after successive battles, and the long-drawn conflict was taking a toll on the empire. The Ming adopted a new strategy to keep the nomadic tribes out by constructing walls along the northern border of China. Acknowledging the Mongol control established in the Ordos Desert, the wall followed the desert's southern edge instead of incorporating the bend of the Huang He.

Photograph of the Great Wall in 1907

Unlike the earlier Qin fortifications, the Ming construction was stronger and more elaborate due to the use of bricks and stone instead of rammed earth. As Mongol raids continued periodically over the years, the Ming devoted considerable resources to repair and reinforce the walls. Sections near the Ming capital of Beijing were especially strong.^[10]

During the 1440s–1460s, the Ming also built a so-called "Liaodong Wall". Similar in function to the Great Wall (whose extension it, in a sense, was), but more basic in construction, the Liaodong Wall enclosed the agricultural heartland of the Liaodong province, protecting it against potential incursions by Jurched-Mongol Oriyanghan from the northwest and the Jianzhou Jurchens from the north. While stones and tiles were used in some parts of the Liaodong Wall, most of it was in fact simply an earth dike with moats on both sides.^[11]

Towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall helped defend the empire against the Manchu invasions that began around 1600. Under the military command of Yuan Chonghuan, the Ming army held off the Manchus at the heavily fortified Shanhaiguan pass, preventing the Manchus from entering the Chinese heartland. The Manchus were finally able to cross the Great Wall in 1644, when the gates at Shanhaiguan were opened by Wu Sangui, a Ming border general who disliked the activities of rulers of the Shun Dynasty. The Manchus quickly seized Beijing, and defeated the newly founded Shun Dynasty and remaining Ming resistance, to establish the Qing Dynasty.

In 2009, an additional 290 kilometres (180 miles) of previously undetected portions of the wall, built during the Ming Dynasty, were discovered. The newly discovered sections range from the Hushan mountains in the northern Liaoning province to Jiayuguan in western Gansu province. The sections had been submerged over time by sandstorms that moved across the arid region.^[12]

Under Qing rule, China's borders extended beyond the walls and Mongolia was annexed into the empire, so construction and repairs on the Great Wall were discontinued.

Notable areas

An area of the sections of the Great Wall at Jinshanling

The Great Wall

The following three sections are in Beijing municipality, which were renovated and which are regularly visited by modern tourists today.

• "North Pass" of Juyongguan pass, known as the Badaling. When used by the Chinese to protect their land, this section of the wall has had many guards to defend China’s capital Beijing. Made of stone and bricks from the hills, this portion of the Great Wall is 7.8 meters (25.6 ft) high and 5 meters (16.4 ft) wide.
• "West Pass" of Jiayuguan (pass). This fort is near the western edges of the Great Wall.
• "Pass" of Shanhaiguan. This fort is near the eastern edges of the Great Wall.
• One of the most striking sections of the Ming Great Wall is where it climbs extremely steep slopes. It runs 11 kilometers (7 mi) long, ranges from 5 to 8 meters (16–26 ft) in height, and 6 meters (19.7 ft) across the bottom, narrowing up to 5 meters (16.4 ft) across the top. Wangjinglou is one of Jinshanling's 67 watchtowers, 980 meters (3,215 ft) above sea level.
• South East of Jinshanling, is the Mutianyu Great Wall which winds along lofty, cragged mountains from the southeast to the northwest for approximately 2.25 kilometers (about 1.3 miles). It is connected with Juyongguan Pass to the west and Gubeikou to the east.
• 25 km west of the Liao Tian Ling stands of part of Great wall which is only 2~3 stories high. According to the records of Lin Tian, the wall was not only extremely short compared to others, but it appears to be silver. Archeologists explain that the wall appears to be silver because the stone they used were from Shan Xi, where many mines are found. The stone contains extremely high metal in it causing it to appear silver. However, due to years of decay of the Great Wall, it is hard to see the silver part of the wall today.

Another notable section lies near the eastern extremity of the wall, where the first pass of the Great Wall was built on the Shanhaiguan (known as the “Number One Pass Under Heaven”), the first mountain the Great Wall climbs. Jia Shan is also here, as is the Jiumenkou, which is the only portion of the wall that was built as a bridge. Shanhaiguan Great Wall is called the “Museum of the Construction of the Great Wall”, because of the Meng Jiang-Nu Temple, built during the Song Dynasty.

Khmer History of Battambang

The new statue, apparently in the old days, the great Khmer warriors would drink and/or rub a magic potion on their skin to protect them against arrows and spears etc. This magic potion would cause their skin to become very dark, which could be a reason why the artist of the new statue painted him black. I'm not sure why the new statue looks skinnier.

Map of Kampuchea Krom, incorrectly known as South Vietnam

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Rare pictures of Angkor Wat - Pre Khmer Rouge era

You will notice in the following pictures that Angkor Wat has pointed peaks, which have now been destroyed. Also

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wow!...... its so beautiful.

On June 3rd, 2007 sanski says:

wow!...... its so beautiful. i wish the war never happened.

Khmer Civilization

Khmer Civilization

History of Cambodia

The Khmer or Angkor Civilization came into existence during the period from 802 to 1431 A.D. and stretched as far as the modern Thailand-Burma Border in the West and Wat Phou of Laos in the North during its peak.

Its emergence lies in the fact that the ancient Khmer rulers adopted a right political doctrine of its time, which enforce the unity among people. Moreover, they had developed an intelligent irrigation system to control the water of the great Mekong River for agricultures, which enhanced its prosperity. The Khmer Civilization had long been perished over 5 centuries ago, but it left outstanding monuments such as the great Khmer temples of Angkor Wat and Bayon and numerous unique sculptures like Apsara.

The word "Angkor" is derived Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language, of "Nagara" which means "City". Angkor Wat literally means "City of Temple" and Angkor Thom "The Magnificent City".

No doubts, the ancient Khmers were great masters of stone carving. As we can see today the unarguable evidences of various Angkor temples lying on the vast plain of Siemreap, or even beyond its present-day border to the Preah Vihear at Dangrek Mountain, Phnomrung and Phimai in Thailand and Wat Phu in Laos. All these were created and carefully crafts by the ancient Khmers in successive centuries. This seems to contradict with the normal and easy-going life of the local Khmer people and villagers of their time. What drive them to put such an extraordinary efforts and time will be explained in the next chapters.

The study of Khmer civilization in depth is not easy and pain-taking by the historians and archaeologists. Most of the writing, found after the excavation of Angkor, were carved in the stones which became the unperishable materials against time. Although these evidences are important for us to understand the basic constituency of Khmer society and its chronology, they were mainly concerned with religious rituals, King's praise, and literature of Indian epics of "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata". There were little things saying about the ordinary life of the local people.

Interestingly, we learn about the daily way of life of the ancient Khmers, not from the Khmer themselves, but from the Chinese annals. In the middle of 13th century during Chinese Yuan Dynasty, a Chinese ambassador named Zhou Daguan traveled to Angkor, stayed with the local villagers, and explored this empire for a year before his return. He wrote in his Chinese chronicle about this amazing empire, and explain vividly how the people lives with the clear portrayal of the Khmer society during those days.

The center of the Khmer Civilization is at the Angkor Wat area which is situated on the plain of present-day Siemreap province north of the Great Lake of Tonle Sap. Throughout the course of Khmer history, the kingship was frequently attained by violent means with bloodshed throne. There were successive capitals built by different kings in the region, not far from each others; these capitals are at area of Angkor Wat and Roluos with the different names such as Harihalara, Yasodharapura, Jayendanagari, Angkor Thom and a few unknown names.

Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and several other Khmer temples are undoubtedly the relics of the past Khmer Civilization. In order to help travelers as well as readers to get a clearer picture of Cambodia and these temple complexes, we have put up several articles on Khmer Civilization which covers the historical background, successive eras from the beginning till the end, reasons of rise and fall of this civilization and a chronology.

Royalkhmer

NORODOM SIHAMONI

BIOGRAPHIE

DE

SON ALTESSE ROYALE LE PRINCE NORODOM SIHAMONI

SON ALTESSE ROYALE LE PRINCE NORODOM SIHAMONI EST LE FILS DE

SA MAJESTE NORODOM SIHANOUK ROI DU CAMBODGE ET DE

SA MAJESTE LA REINE NORODOM MONINEATH SIHANOUK DU CAMBODGE.

1959-1962 : ETUDES PRIMAIRES A L'ECOLE NORODOM, PUIS AU LYCEE DESCARTES A PHNOM-PENH (CAMBODGE).

1962-1967 : ETUDES PRIMAIRES ET SECONDAIRES AU LYCEE DE PRAGUE (TCHECOSLOVAQUIE).

1967-1971 : ETUDES ARTISTIQUE (DANSE, MUSIQUE, THEATRE) AU CONSERVATOIRE NATIONAL DE PRAGUE.

1970 : BACCALAUREAT A PRAGUE (MENTION TRES BIEN).

1971 : PREMIER PRIX DE DANSE CLASSIQUE DU CONSERVATOIRE NATIONAL DE PRAGUE.

1971-1975 : ETUDES SUPERIEURES DE DANSE, MUSIQUE ET THEATRE A L'ACADEMIE D'ART MUSICAL DE PRAGUE.

1975 : DIPLOME DES HAUTES ETUDES D'ART (DANSE, MUSIQUE, THEATRE) DE L'ACADEMIE D'ART MUSICAL DE PRAGUE.

1975 : AUTEUR D'UNE THESE SUR LA CONCEPTION ET LA GESTION DES ECOLES ARTISTIQUES AU CAMBODGE.

1975-1976 : ETUDES SUPERIEURES CINEMATOGRAPHIQUES EN R.P .D. DE COREE.

1981-2000 : PROFESSEUR DE DANSE CLASSIQUE ET DE PEDAGOGIE ARTISTIQUE AU CONSERVATOIRE MARIUS PETlPA, AU

CONSERVATOIRE GARRIEL FAURE ET AU CONSERVATOIRE W.A. MOZART DE LA VIl.LE DE PARIS.

1984-1988 : PRESIDENT DE L'ASSOCIATION ACADEMIE DE DANSE KHMERE EN FRANCE ET DIRECTEUR GENERAL ET ARTISTIQUE DU

GROUPE BALLET DEVA.

1988-1993 : DIRECTEUR GENERAL ET ARTISTIQUE DE LA SOCIETE CINEMATOGRAPHIQUE KHMERE KHEMARA PICTURES.

1992-1993 : CHOISI PAR L 'UNANIMITE DES MEMBRES DU CONSEIL NATIONAL SUPREME DU CAMBODGE POUR ETRE LE REPRESENTANT

PERMANENT DU CAMBODGE A L'ORGANISATION DES NATIONS UNIES (O.N.U.).

1993-2003 : AMBASSADEUR DU ROYAUME DU CAMBODGE AUPRES DE L 'UNESCO.

01 FEVRIER 1994 : ELEVATION PAR S.M. LE ROI AU RANG DE SDECH KROM KHUN

(GRAND PRINCE)

JANVIER 2004 : HAUT CONSEILLER PRIVE DE SA MAJESTE LE ROI

LANGUES : EN PLUS DU KHMER, SON ALTESSE ROYALE SDECH KROM KHUN

NORODOM SIHAMONI PARLE LE FRANÇAIS, L’ANGLAIS ET LE

TCHEQUE.

DECORATIONS : GRAND CROIX DE L'ORDRE ROYAL DU MONISARAPHON (CAMBODGE),

GRAND OFFlCIER DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR (FRANCE).

MEDAILLE D’ARGENT DE LA VILLE DE PARIS (FRANCE).

SON ALTESSE ROYALE LE PRINCE NORODOM SIHAMONI EST NE LE 14 MAI 1953

A PHNOM-PENH (CAMBODGE).

Norodom Ranariddh

Biographie de

S.A.R. Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh

Né à Phnom Penh, le 2 Janvier 1944.

Marié en 1968 à Mademoiselle Marie Eng, aujourd'hui Son Altesse Royale la Princesse Norodom Marie Ranariddh, Présidente de la Fondation Samdech Rasmi Sobbhana.

Trois enfants sont issus de leur mariage :

- S.A. le Prince Norodom Chakravuth (1970),

- S.A. le Prince Norodom Sihariddh (1972),

- S.A. la Princesse Rattana Dévi (1974).

ETUDES et DIPLOMES

-1968, Licence en Droit Public

-1969, Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures (DES) en Droit public

-1974, Diplôme d'Etat en Droit Public

-1979, Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées (DESS) en Transports Aériens.

S.A.R. le Prince Norodom Ranariddh a obtenu tous ses diplômes à la Faculté de Droit, Sciences Politiques et Economiques de l'Université d'Aix-Marseille III, France.

ACTIVITES PROFESSIONNELLES

De 1976 à 1979, chercheur au Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales et Communautaires (CERIC), unité de recherche attachée à l'Université de Droit et Sciences Politiques d'Aix-en-Provence et au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS).

A partir de 1979, enseigne le Droit constitutionnel et la sociologie politique à la Faculté de Droit d'Aix. Dans le cadre de l' Institut Régional d’Administration Territoriale, est chargé de cours de Droit Administratif pour les étudiants en DESS d'Administration Territoriale. Dispense des cours sur les régimes politiques de l' ASEAN à l'Institut d'Etudes Politiques d' Aix. Enseigne le Droit Comparé en DESS.

NOMINATIONS

-Juin 1983: Représentant Personnel de S.A.R. le Prince Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk au Cambodge et en Asie.

-Mars 1985: Inspecteur Général de l' Armée Nationale Sihanoukienne (ANS).

-Janvier 1986: Commandant-en-Chef d'Etat-Major de l’ANS.

-Juillet 1988: Représentant du FUNCINPEC* dans 1a résistance tripartite.

(* Front Uni National pour un Cambodge Indépendant, Neutre, Pacifique et Coopératif.)

-Août 1989: Secrétaire Général du FUNCINPEC.

-27 Avril 1990: Commandant Suprême de l' Armée Nationale du Kampuchea Independant (ANKI.anciennement ANS).

-10 Sept. 1990: Membre du Conseil National Suprême du Cambodge.

-27 Fév. 1992: Elu Président du parti FUNCINPEC réuni en congrès.

-23-28 Mai 1993: Conduit à la victoire le parti FUNCIPEC aux élections organisées par l'Autorité Provisoire des Nations-Unies au

Cambodge (APRONUC).

-2 Jul. 1993: Co-Président du Gouvernement National Provisoire du Cambodge.

-24 Sept. 1993: Premier Premier Ministre du Gouvernement Royal du Cambodge.

-25 Nov. 1998: Elu Président de l’Assemblée Nationale.

DISTINCTIONS

-Jan 2000 Grand Officier dans l'Ordre de la Pléiade (Ordre de la Francophonie).

-19 Juin 1993, élevé au titre royal de Sdech Krom Luong.

-9 Novembre 1993, élevé au titre royal de Samdech Krom Preah par Sa Majesté Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk Varman,

Roi du Cambodge.

DECORATIONS

Grand' Croix de l'Ordre Royal du Cambodge

Grand Officier de l’Ordre de la Pléiade (Ordre de la Francophonie) en Janvier 2000.

-15 Mai 2002 Médaille: Classe Mohasereivadh de l'Ordre Royal de Monisaraphon

-17 Octobre 2001 Médaille: Classe Mohasereivadh de l'Ordre Royal de Sovatara

PUBLICATION

"Le Droit Public Cambodgien", 1998, aux éditions « Presses Universitaires » de Perpignan

Thèse de droit International Public portant sur « le Domaine maritime du Cambodge »

Cambodia History

History

Although Cambodia had a rich and powerful past under the Hindu state of Funan and the Kingdom of Angkor by the mid-19th century the country was on the verge of dissolution. After repeated requests for French assistance a protectorate was established in 1863.

By 1884 Cambodia was a virtual colony; soon after it was made part of the Indochina Union with Annam Tonkin Cochin-China and Laos. France continued to control the country even after the start of World War II through its Vichy government. In 1945 the Japanese dissolved the colonial administration and King Norodom Sihanouk declared an independent anti-colonial government under Prime Minister Son Ngoc Thanh in March 1945. This government was deposed by the Allies in October. Many of Son Ngoc Thanh's supporters escaped and continued to fight for independence as the Khmer Issarak. Although France recognized Cambodia as an autonomous kingdom within the French Union the drive for total independence continued resulting in a split between those who supported the political tactics of Sihanouk and those who supported the Khmer Issarak guerrilla movement.

In January 1953 Sihanouk named his father as regent and went into self-imposed exile refusing to return until Cambodia gained genuine independence. Full Independence Sihanouk's actions hastened the French government's July 4 1953 announcement of its readiness to perfect the independence and sovereignty of Cambodia Laos and Vietnam. Full independence came on November 9 1953 but the situation remained uncertain until a 1954 conference was held in Geneva to settle the French-Indochina war. All participants except the United States and the State of Vietnam associated themselves (by voice) with the final declaration. The Cambodian delegation agreed to the neutrality of the three Indochinese states but insisted on a provision in the ceasefire agreement that left the Cambodian government free to call for outside military assistance should the Viet Minh or others threaten its territory. Neutral Cambodia Neutrality was the central element of Cambodian foreign policy during the 1950s and 1960s. By the mid-1960s parts of Cambodia's eastern provinces were serving as bases for North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong (NVA/VC) forces operating against South Vietnam and the port of Sihanoukville was being used to supply them. As NVA/VC activity grew the United States and South Vietnam became concerned and in 1969 the United States began a series of air raids against NVA/VC base areas inside Cambodia.

Throughout the 1960s domestic politics polarized. Opposition grew within the middle class and among leftists including Paris-educated leaders such as Son Sen Ieng Sary and Saloth Sar (later known as Pol Pot) who led an insurgency under the clandestine Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK). Sihanouk called these insurgents the Khmer Rouge literally the "Red Khmer." But the 1966 national assembly elections showed a significant swing to the right and Gen. Lon Nol formed a new government which lasted until 1967. During 1968 and 1969 the insurgency worsened. In August 1969 Gen. Lon Nol formed a new government. Prince Sihanouk went abroad for medical treatment in January 1970. The Khmer Republic and the War In March 1970 Gen. Lon Nol deposed Prince Sihanouk and assumed power. Son Ngoc Thanh announced his support for the new government. On October 9 the Cambodian monarchy was abolished and the country was renamed the Khmer Republic. Hanoi rejected the new republic's request for the withdrawal of NVA/VC troops and began to reinfiltrate some of the 2 000-4 000 Cambodians who had gone to North Vietnam in 1954. They became a cadre in the insurgency. The United States moved to provide material assistance to the new government's armed forces which were engaged against both the Khmer Rouge insurgents and NVA/VC forces. In April 1970 US and South Vietnamese forces entered Cambodia in a campaign aimed at destroying NVA/VC base areas. Although a considerable quantity of equipment was seized or destroyed NVA/VC forces proved elusive and moved deeper into Cambodia. NVA/VC units overran many Cambodian army positions while the Khmer Rouge expanded their small-scale attacks on lines of communication. The Khmer Republic's leadership was plagued by disunity among its three principal figures: Lon Nol Sihanouk's cousin Sirik Matak and National Assembly leader In Tam. Lon Nol remained in power in part because none of the others was prepared to take his place.

In 1972 a constitution was adopted a parliament elected and Lon Nol became president. But disunity the problems of transforming a 30 000-man army into a national combat force of more than 200 000 men and spreading corruption weakened the civilian administration and army. The insurgency continued to grow with supplies and military support provided by North Vietnam. But inside Cambodia Pol Pot and Ieng Sary asserted their dominance over the Vietnamese-trained communists many of whom were purged. At the same time the Khmer Rouge forces became stronger and more independent of their Vietnamese patrons.

By 1973 the Khmer Rouge were fighting major battles against government forces on their own and they controlled nearly 60% of Cambodia's territory and 25% of its population. The government made three unsuccessful attempts to enter into negotiations with the insurgents but by 1974 the Khmer Rouge were operating as divisions and virtually all NVA/VC combat forces had moved into South Vietnam. Lon Nol's control was reduced to small enclaves around the cities and main transportation routes. More than 2 million refugees from the war lived in Phnom Penh and other cities. On New Year's Day 1975 Communist troops launched an offensive which in 117 days of the hardest fighting of the war destroyed the Khmer Republic. Simultaneous attacks around the perimeter of Phnom Penh pinned down Republican forces while other Khmer Rouge units overran fire bases controlling the vital lower Mekong resupply route. A US-funded airlift of ammunition and rice ended when Congress refused additional aid for Cambodia. Phnom Penh and other cities were subjected to daily rocket attacks causing thousands of civilian casualties. Phnom Penh surrendered on April 17--5 days after the US mission evacuated Cambodia.

Democratic Kampuchea Many Cambodians welcomed the arrival of peace but the Khmer Rouge soon turned Cambodia--which it called Democratic Kampuchea (DK)--into a land of horror. Immediately after its victory the new regime ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns sending the entire urban population out into the countryside to till the land. Thousands starved or died of disease during the evacuation. Many of those forced to evacuate the cities were resettled in new villages which lacked food agricultural implements and medical care. Many starved before the first harvest and hunger and malnutrition--bordering on starvation--were constant during those years. Those who resisted or who questioned orders were immediately executed as were most military and civilian leaders of the former regime who failed to disguise their pasts. Within the CPK the Paris-educated leadership--Pol Pot Ieng Sary Nuon Chea and Son Sen--was in control.

A new constitution in January 1976 established Democratic Kampuchea as a Communist People's Republic and a 250-member Assembly of the Representatives of the People of Kampuchea (PRA) was selected in March to choose the collective leadership of a State Presidium the chairman of which became the head of state. Prince Sihanouk resigned as head of state on April 4. On April 14 after its first session the PRA announced that Khieu Samphan would chair the State Presidium for a 5-year term. It also picked a 15-member cabinet headed by Pol Pot as prime minister.

Prince Sihanouk was put under virtual house arrest. The new government sought to restructure Cambodian society completely. Remnants of the old society were abolished and Buddhism suppressed. Agriculture was collectivized and the surviving part of the industrial base was abandoned or placed under state control. Cambodia had neither a currency nor a banking system. The regime controlled every aspect of life and reduced everyone to the level of abject obedience through terror. Torture centers were established and detailed records were kept of the thousands murdered there.

Public executions of those considered unreliable or with links to the previous government were common. Few succeeded in escaping the military patrols and fleeing the country. Solid estimates of the numbers who died between 1975 and 1979 are not available but it is likely that hundreds of thousands were brutally executed by the regime. Hundreds of thousands more died of starvation and disease (both under the Khmer Rouge and during the Vietnamese invasion in 1978). Estimates of the dead range from 1 to 3 million out of a 1975 population estimated at 7.3 million.

Democratic Kampuchea's relations with Vietnam and Thailand worsened rapidly as a result of border clashes and ideological differences. While communist the CPK was fiercely anti-Vietnamese and most of its members who had lived in Vietnam were purged. Democratic Kampuchea established close ties with China and the Cambodian-Vietnamese conflict became part of the Sino-Soviet rivalry with Moscow backing Vietnam. Border clashes worsened when Democratic Kampuchea's military attacked villages in Vietnam. The regime broke relations with Hanoi in December 1977 protesting Vietnam's attempt to create an Indochina Federation. In mid-1978 Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia advancing about 30 miles before the arrival of the rainy season. In December 1978 Vietnam announced formation of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation (KUFNS) under Heng Samrin a former DK division commander. It was composed of Khmer Communists who had remained in Vietnam after 1975 and officials from the eastern sector--like Heng Samrin and Hun Sen--who had fled to Vietnam from Cambodia in 1978.

In late December 1978 Vietnamese forces launched a full invasion of Cambodia capturing Phnom Penh on January 7 and driving the remnants of Democratic Kampuchea's army westward toward Thailand. The Vietnamese Occupation On January 10 1979 the Vietnamese installed Heng Samrin as head of state in the new People's Republic of Kampuchea (PRK). The Vietnamese army continued its pursuit of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge forces. At least 600 000 Cambodians displaced during the Pol Pot era and the Vietnamese invasion began streaming to the Thai border in search of refuge. The international community responded with a massive relief effort coordinated by the United States through UNICEF and the World Food Program.

More than $400 million was provided between 1979 and 1982 of which the United States contributed nearly $100 million. At one point more than 500 000 Cambodians were living along the Thai-Cambodian border and more than 100 000 in holding centers inside Thailand. Vietnam's occupation army of as many as 200 000 troops controlled the major population centers and most of the countryside from 1979 to September 1989. The Heng Samrin regime's 30 000 troops were plagued by poor morale and widespread desertion. Resistance to Vietnam's occupation continued and there was some evidence that Heng Samrin's PRK forces provided logistic and moral support to the guerrillas. A large portion of the Khmer Rouge's military forces eluded Vietnamese troops and established themselves in remote regions. The non-communist resistance consisting of a number of groups which had been fighting the Khmer Rouge after 1975--including Lon Nol-era soldiers--coalesced in 1979-80 to form the Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces (KPNLAF) which pledged loyalty to former Prime Minister Son Sann and Moulinaka (Movement pour la Liberation Nationale de Kampuchea) loyal to Prince Sihanouk.

In 1979 Son Sann formed the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF) to lead the political struggle for Cambodia's independence. Prince Sihanouk formed his own organization FUNCINPEC and its military arm the Armee Nationale Sihanoukienne (ANS) in 1981. Warfare followed a wet season/dry season rhythm after 1980. The heavily-armed Vietnamese forces conducted offensive operations during the dry seasons and the resistance forces held the initiative during the rainy seasons.

In 1982 Vietnam launched a major offensive against the main Khmer Rouge base at Phnom Melai in the Cardamom Mountains. Vietnam switched its target to civilian camps near the Thai border in 1983 launching a series of massive assaults backed by armor and heavy artillery against camps belonging to all three resistance groups. Hundreds of civilians were injured in these attacks and more than 80 000 were forced to flee to Thailand. Resistance military forces however were largely undamaged. In the 1984-85 dry season offensive the Vietnamese again attacked base camps of all three resistance groups. Despite stiff resistance from the guerrillas the Vietnamese succeeded in eliminating the camps in Cambodia and drove both the guerrillas and civilian refugees into neighboring Thailand. The Vietnamese concentrated on consolidating their gains during the 1985-86 dry season including an attempt to seal guerrilla infiltration routes into the country by forcing Cambodian laborers to construct trench and wire fence obstacles and minefields along virtually the entire Thai-Cambodian border. Within Cambodia Vietnam had only limited success in establishing its client Heng Samrin regime which was dependent on Vietnamese advisors at all levels. Security in some rural areas was tenuous and major transportation routes were subject to interdiction by resistance forces. The presence of Vietnamese throughout the country and their intrusion into nearly all aspects of Cambodian life alienated much of the populace. The settlement of Vietnamese nationals both former residents and new immigrants further exacerbated anti-Vietnamese sentiment. Reports of the numbers involved vary widely with some estimates as high as 1 million.

By the end of this decade Khmer nationalism began to reassert itself against the traditional Vietnamese enemy. In 1986 Hanoi claimed to have begun withdrawing part of its occupation forces. At the same time Vietnam continued efforts to strengthen its client regime the PRK and its military arm the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (KPRAF). These withdrawals continued over the next 2 years although actual numbers were difficult to verify. Vietnam's proposal to withdraw its remaining occupation forces in 1989-90--the result of ongoing international pressure--forced the PRK to begin economic and constitutional reforms in an attempt to ensure future political dominance.

In April 1989 Hanoi and Phnom Penh announced that final withdrawal would take place by the end of September 1989. The military organizations of Prince Sihanouk (ANS) and of former Prime Minister Son Sann (KPNLAF) underwent significant military improvement during the 1988-89 period and both expanded their presence in Cambodia's interior. These organizations provide a political alternative to the Vietnamese-supported People's Republic of Kampuchea [PRK] and the murderous Khmer Rouge. The last Vietnamese troops left Cambodia in September of 1989. Peace Efforts From July 30 to August 30 1989 representatives of 18 countries the four Cambodian parties and the UN Secretary General met in Paris in an effort to negotiate a comprehensive settlement. They hoped to achieve those objectives seen as crucial to the future of post-occupation Cambodia: a verified withdrawal of the remaining Vietnamese occupation troops the prevention of the return to power of the Khmer Rouge and genuine self-determination for the Cambodian people.

The Paris Conference on Cambodia was able to make some progress in such areas as the workings of an international control mechanism the definition of international guarantees for Cambodia's independence and neutrality plans for the repatriation of refugees and displaced persons the eventual reconstruction of the Cambodia economy and ceasefire procedures. However complete agreement among all parties on a comprehensive settlement remained elusive until August 28 1990 when after eight months of negotiations a framework for comprehensive political settlement was agreed upon. Cambodia's Renewal

On October 23, 1991 the Paris Conference reconvened to sign a comprehensive settlement giving the UN full authority to supervise a ceasefire repatriate the displaced Khmer along the border with Thailand disarm and demobilize the factional armies and to prepare the country for free and fair elections Prince Sihanouk President of the Supreme National Council of Cambodia (SNC) and other members of the SNC returned to Phnom Penh in November 1991 to begin the resettlement process in Cambodia. The UN Advance Mission for Cambodia (UNAMIC) was deployed at the same time to maintain liaison among the factions and begin demining operations to expedite the repatriation of approximately 370 000 Cambodians from Thailand. On March 16 1992 the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) under UNSYG Special Representative Yasushi Akashi and Lt. General John Sanderson arrived in Cambodia to begin implementation of the UN Settlement Plan. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees began full-scale repatriation in March 1992.

UNTAC grew into a 22 000 strong civilian and military peacekeeping force to conduct free and fair elections for a constituent assembly. Over four million Cambodians (about 90% of eligible voters) participated in the May 1993 elections although the Khmer Rouge or Party of Democratic Kampuchea (PDK) whose forces were never actually disarmed or demobilized barred some people from participating in the 10-15 percent of the country (holding six percent of the population) it controls. Prince Ranariddh's FUNCINPEC Party was the top vote recipient with 45.5% vote followed by Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party and the Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party respectively. FUNCINPEC then entered into a coalition with the other parties that had participated in the election.

The parties represented in the 120-member Assembly proceeded to draft and approve a new Constitution which was promulgated September 24. It established a multiparty liberal democracy in the framework of a constitutional monarchy with the former Prince Sihanouk elevated to King. Prince Ranariddh and Hun Sen became First and Second Prime Ministers respectively in the Royal Cambodian Government (RCG).

The Constitution provides for a wide range of internationally recognized human rights. ECONOMY In spite of recent progress the Cambodian economy continues to suffer from the legacy of decades of war and internal strife. Per capita income although rapidly increasing is low compared with most neighboring countries. The main domestic activity on which most rural households depend is agriculture and its related sub-sectors. Manufacturing output is varied but is not very extensive and is mostly conducted on a small-scale and informal basis. The service sector is heavily concentrated in trading activities and catering-related services.

During 1995 the government implemented firm stabilization policies under difficult circumstances. Overall macroeconomic performance was good. Growth in 1995 was estimated at 7% because of improved agricultural production (rice in particular). Strong growth in construction and services continued. Inflation dropped from 26% in 1994 to only 6% in 1995. Imports increased as a result of the availability of external financing. Exports also increased due to an increase in log exports. With regard to the budget both the current and overall deficits were lower than originally targeted. Cambodia's emerging democracy has received strong international support. Under the mandate carried out by the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) $1.72 billion was spent in an effort to bring basic security stability and democratic rule to the country. Regarding economic assistance official donors had pledged $880 million at the Ministerial Conference on the Rehabilitation of Cambodia (MCRRC) in Tokyo in June 1992 to which pledges of $119 million were added in September 1993 at the meeting of the International Committee on the Reconstruction of Cambodia (ICORC) in Paris and $643 million at the March 1994 ICORC meeting in Tokyo. To date therefore the total amount pledged for Cambodia's rehabilitation is approximately $1.6 billion.

The Splendors of Angkor Over a period of 300 years between 900 and 1200 AD the Khmer Kingdom of Angkor produced some of the world's most magnificent architectural masterpieces on the northern shore of the Tonle Sap near the present town of Siem Reap. The Angkor area stretches 15 miles east to west and 5 miles north to south. Some 72 major temples or other buildings dot the area. The principal temple Angkor Wat was built between 1112 and 1150 by Suryavarman II. With walls nearly one-half mile on each side Angkor Wat portrays the Hindu cosmology with the central towers representing Mount Meru home of the gods; the outer walls the mountains enclosing the world; and the moat the oceans beyond. Angkor Thom the capital city built after the Cham sack of 1177 is surrounded by a 300-foot wide moat. Construction of Angkor Thom coincided with a change from Hinduism to Buddhism. Temples were altered to display images of the Buddha and Angkor Wat became a major Buddhist shrine. During the 15th century nearly all of Angkor was abandoned after Siamese attacks except Angkor Wat which remained a shrine for Buddhist pilgrims. The great city and temples remained largely cloaked by the forest until the late 19th century when French archaeologists began a long restoration process. France established the Angkor Conservancy in 1908 to direct restoration of the Angkor complex. For the next 64 years the conservancy worked to clear away the forest repair foundations and install drains to protect the buildings from their most insidious enemy: water. After 1953 the conservancy became a joint project of the French and Cambodian Governments. Some temples were carefully taken apart stone by stone and reassembled on concrete foundations. Since the Royal Cambodian Government came to power in 1993 international tourism to Angkor has been on the increase. US-CAMBODIAN RELATIONS The United States recognized Cambodia on February 7 1950 and between 1955 and 1963 provided $409.6 million in economic grant aid and $83.7 million in military assistance. This aid was used primarily to repair damage caused by the first Indochina war to support internal security forces and for the construction of an all-weather road to the seaport of Sihanoukville which gave Cambodia its first direct access to the sea and access to the southwestern hinterlands. Relations deteriorated in the early 1960s. Diplomatic relations were broken by Cambodia in May 1965 but were reestablished on July 2 1969. US relations continued after the establishment of the Khmer Republic until the US mission was evacuated on April 12 1975. During the 1970-75 war the United States provided $1.18 billion in military assistance and $503 million in economic assistance. The United States condemned the brutal character of the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979. At the same time the United States opposed the military occupation of Cambodia by Vietnam and supported ASEAN's efforts to achieve a comprehensive political settlement of the problem. This was accomplished on October 23 1991 when the Paris Conference reconvened to sign a comprehensive settlement. The United States opened a Mission in Phnom Penh on November 11 1991 headed by Mr. Charles H. Twining Jr. designated U.S. Special Representative to the SNC. On January 3 1992 the U.S. embargo was lifted normalizing economic relations with Cambodia. The U.S. also ended blanket opposition to lending to Cambodia by international financial institutions. When the freely-elected Royal Cambodian Government was formed on September 24 1993 the United States and the Kingdom of Cambodia immediately established full diplomatic relations. The United States continues to support efforts in Cambodia to build democratic institutions promote human rights foster economic development eliminate corruption improve security achieve the fullest possible accounting for POW/MIAs and to bring members of the Khmer Rouge to justice for their crimes. TRAVEL NOTES A passport is required for travel to Cambodia. An airport visa valid for a one-month stay is available upon arrival in the country from the Ministry of National Security for a fee (currently $20). Information on travel in Cambodia may be obtained by contacting the Royal Embassy of Cambodia 4500/4530 16th Street NW Washington DC 20011; tel. (202) 726-7742; fax. (202) 726-8381. Updated information on travel and security in Cambodia is available through the U.S. Department of State (202-647-5225) or the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh (855-23- 426-436). Americans in Cambodia are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy.

कम्बोडिया culture

Culture

Cambodians comprise a variety of kids who are commonly called Khmer. The Khmer constitute about 90 percent of the population. The population also includes a diversity of other ethnic backgrounds: Chinese, Vietnamese, Chams, and hilltribes, called Khmer Roeu.

The Khmer are believed to have lived in the region from about the 2nd century CE. They may constitute a fusion of Mongul and Melanesian elements. They have been mainly influenced over the centuries by the powerful Indian and Japanese kingdoms. The Khmer-Loeu - or upland-Khmer - are one of the main tribal groups and live in the forested mountain zones, mainly in the North-East. Traditionally, the Khmer-Loeu were semi-nomadic and practiced slash and burn agriculture. In recent years, because of their increasing numbers, they have turned to settled agriculture and adopted many of the customs of the lowland Khmer.

There are about 500.000 Cham-Malays, descended from the The Chams of the royal kingdom of Champa, based in the present day central Vietnam. They now constitute the single largest ethnic minority in the country. The Chams were badly persecuted during the Pol Pot regime and their population more than halved. They are Muslims and their spiritual centre is Chur-Changvra near Phnom Penh. The Chams are traditionally cattle traders, silk weavers and butchers. The Chinese migrated in the 18th and 19th century to Cambodia, where most of them became involved in commerce. During the Pol Pot years and later many Chinese left the country or were killed. Today there is a population of about 100.000 left in Cambodia. Estimated 200.000 Vietnamese live in the country today. The southern part of Cambodia has always had many inhabitants of Vietnamese decent as well as the area around Phnom Penh.

Religion- Kaitlyn

The Cambodian religions on the whole are strongly influenced by early Indian and Chinese cultures. As early as the beginning of the Christian era the Indian traders brought - along with their products - their religion to the first Khmer state in Funan. Most of them were followers of Brahmanism (a forerunner of Hinduism), which merged with the existing animistic beliefs into a kind of new religion - hinduistic and local deities existing side by side.

During the Angkor period, which started at the beginning of the 8th century, various Hindu sects were promoted by the Angkor kings, especially the cults of Shiva and Vishnu, which is still to be seen in the art and architecture of that period. Jayavarman II crowned himself as a reincarnation of Shiva and reigned on the basis of the Hindu concept of the god-kings or devaraja. Hindu cosmology had a great impact on the whole Cambodian culture. Today, almost 90% of the population are Theravada-Buddhists - the faith has had a formative influence on everyday live and still has. It was reintroduced as the national religion in 1989.

Theravada-Buddhism entered the country in the 13th century and began to spread under King Jayavarman VII in the whole country, till it became state religion in the 15th century. As a popular religion, it held great attractions to a population which for many centuries had been denied access to the more elitist and extravagant devaraja cult. Many Cambodian males at some point of their lives, spend time in a Buddhist monastery and almost every village has a Buddhist temple - or wat - around which village life centers. Buddhist rituals follow the lunar calendar and there are several significant religious holidays and festivals that are widely observed.

Cambodian Buddhism appears an easy going faith and tolerates ancestor and territorial spirit worship, which is widely practised. There are often small rustic altars to the guardian spirits in the corner of pagodas. Many Khmer communities have achars, who share in the spiritual guidance of people but do not compete with the monks. Most important ceremonies - weddings, funerals, coming of age - have both Buddhist and animist elements. Today other religions in Cambodia are Islam and Christianity - there are around 500.000 Cham-Muslims belonging to the Sunni school and approximately 60.000 Christians, most of them Roman Catholics. Almost all the Chinese in Cambodia are Taoist or Confucianist.

Arts & Architecture

The height of Khmer art and architecture dates from the Angkor period. All the surviving monuments are built of stone or brick, and all are religious buildings. The culture and art of the early kingdoms of Funan and Chenla were central to the evolution of Angkorian art and architecture. Relics of the pre-Angkorian periods have been found all over South-Cambodia. Most of it is Hindu art, but a number of Mahayana-Buddhist Bodhisattvas have been found also. During Angkor period, architecture and its decoration were governed by a series of mystical and religious beliefs.

Common motifs in Khmer sculpture are apsaras (celestial nymphs), which have become a kind of symbol of the Khmer culture. The apsaras are carved with splendidly ornate jewellery, clothed in the latest Angkor fashion and represented the ultimate ideal of feminine beauty of that time. Other motifs are nagas (sacred aquatic snakes), which play an important part in Hindu mythology and are possibly more than any other motif charac-teristic of Southeast Asia. Most of these motifs have been taken from Indian art and have been modified into what is now known as traditional Khmer art.

Temples were designed to represent the cosmic Mt. Meru, the home of the gods of Indian cosmology, surrounded by oceans. Angkor literally means "city" or "capital", Wat means "temple". Angkor Wat is the largest and most famous of the architectural masterpieces of Cambodia and probably the largest religious building on earth. Conceived by Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat took an estimated 30 years to build. It is generally believed to have been a funeral temple for the king. It has been continuously occupied by monks and is well preserved.

Intricate bas reliefs surround Angkor Wat on four sides. Each tells a different story. The most celebrated of these is "The Churning of the Ocean of Milk", which is located on the east wing. Again, the central sanctuary of the temple complex represents Mt. Meru, the five towers symbolize Meru's five peaks, the enclosing wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat, the ocean beyond.

The symmetrical towers of Angkor Wat are stylized on the Cambodian flag and have become a symbol of Khmer culture.

Language

The official Cambodian language, called Khmer, is part of the Mon-Khmer family, enriched by the Indian Pali and Sanskrit languages and influenced by Thai and French. Khmer is related to the languages spoken by hilltribe people of Laos, Vietnam and even Malaysia. It has no tones and the script is derived from the South-Indian alphabet, written from left to right and leaving no space between the words. English and French are spoken also - French mainly by some old people, whereas the younger generation learns English.