Alyanna Sophia E.

Madrideo
9-St. Vincent Ferrer
G-13

Cambodia
Culture of Cambodia
Throughout Cambodia's long history, religion has been a major source of cultural
inspiration. Over nearly two millennia, Cambodians have developed a
unique Khmer culture and belief system from the syncreticism of
indigenous animistic beliefs and the Indian religions of Buddhism and Hinduism.
Indian culture and civilization, including its languages and arts reached
mainland Southeast Asia around the 1st century AD. It is generally believed that
seafaring merchants brought Indian customs and culture to ports along the Gulf
of Thailand and the Pacific en route to trade with China. The Kingdom of Funan was
most probably the first Khmer state to benefit from this influx of Indian ideas. There is
also French influence as well.

Religion
Cambodia is predominantly Buddhist with 80% of the population being Theravada
Buddhist, 1% Christian and the majority of the remaining population
follow Islam, atheism, or animism.
Buddhism has existed in Cambodia since at least the 5th century
CE. Theravada Buddhism has been the Cambodian state religion since the 13th century
CE (excepting the Khmer Rouge period), and is currently estimated to be the faith of
90% of the population.
Islam is the religion of a majority of the Cham (also called Khmer Islam)
and Malay minorities in Cambodia. According to Po Dharma, there were 150,000 to
200,000 Muslims in Cambodia as late as 1975. Persecution under the Khmer
Rouge eroded their numbers, however, and by the late 1980s they probably had not
regained their former strength. All of the Cham Muslims are Sunnis of the Shafi'i school.
Po Dharma divides the Muslim Cham in Cambodia into a traditionalist branch and an
orthodox branch.
Christianity was introduced into Cambodia by Roman Catholic missionaries in 1660.
However, it made little headway at first, particularly among Buddhists. In 1972 there
were probably about 20,000 Christians in Cambodia, most of whom were Roman
Catholics. According to Vatican statistics, in 1953, members of the Roman Catholic
Church in Cambodia numbered 120,000, making it, at that time, the second largest
religion in the country. In April 1970, just before repatriation, estimates indicate that
about 50,000 Catholics were Vietnamese. Many of the Catholics remaining in Cambodia
in 1972 were Europeans—chiefly French. American Protestant missionary activity
increased in Cambodia, especially among some of the hill tribes and among the Cham,
after the establishment of the Khmer Republic. The 1962 census, which reported
2,000 Protestants in Cambodia, remains the most recent statistic for the group.
Observers reported that in 1980 there were more registered Khmer Christians among
the refugees in camps in Thailand than in all of Cambodia before 1970. Kiernan notes
that, until June 1980, five weekly Protestant services were held in Phnom Penh by a
Khmer pastor, but that they had been reduced to a single weekly service after police
harassment. There are around 21,300 Catholics in Cambodia which represents only
0.15% of the total population. There are no dioceses, but there are three territorial
jurisdictions - one Apostolic Vicariate and two Apostolic Prefectures.
Highland tribal groups, most with their own local religious systems, probably number
fewer than 100,000 persons. The Khmer Loeu have been loosely described as animists, but
most tribal groups have their own pantheon of local spirits. In general they see their
world filled with various invisible spirits (often called yang), some benevolent, others
malevolent. They associate spirits with rice, soil, water, fire, stones, paths, and so forth.
Sorcerers or specialists in each village contact these spirits and prescribe ways to
appease them. In times of crisis or change, animal sacrifices may be made to placate the
anger of the spirits. Illness is often believed to be caused by evil spirits or sorcerers.
Some tribes have special medicine men or shamans who treat the sick. In addition to
belief in spirits, villagers believe in taboos on many objects or practices. Among the
Khmer Loeu, the Rhade and Jaraigroups have a well-developed hierarchy of spirits with a
supreme ruler at its head.

Books
1. A Cambodian Prison Portrait by Vann Nath
There are many myths about the Khmer Rouge's
bloodthirstiness and brutality, but there was at least one
place where they all were real: Security Prison 21, the secret
police's killing machine. Of the 14,000 or so prisoners who
were brought there for questioning, only a handful survived.
One of them were the artist Vann Nath (1946-2011). In this
thin little book, he describes his horrifying year behind the
barbed wired walls of S-21. I had the privilege to meet him a
couple of times and to me he was a man of very rare moral
dignity; he resembled a Cambodian Nelson Mandela. He
pitied his torturers as fellow humans, without forgiving them
their deeds. This book ranks among the most important and
strongest witness-stories of world literature.
2. The Sea Wall by Marguerite Duras
Marguerite Duras's breakthrough novel was published in 1950
and most of the elements that would become the base for her
masterpiece, The Lover, more than 30 years later are already
there. A fatherless French teenager, living in great poverty at a
small plantation in rural Cambodia, gets involved with a much
older but wealthy Chinese businessman. Age, race and class
make them an impossible couple. Her mother and brother
cynically tries to wring a few piastres out of the indecent affair.
Less romantic and more sleazy than The Lover, but equally
good.
3. The Lost Executioner by Nic Dunlop
The head of S-21, Kang Kek Iew, AKA Comrade Duch, is central in
this remarkable book. In 1997, the photographer and journalist Nic
Dunlop more or less stumbled upon Duch, who had been hiding
since the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979. Duch is a paradoxal
figure: with a poor peasant background, he graduated as the second
best student in the country. He got drawn into the Khmer
Rouge and rose through the ranks. After the fall of the regime, he
became a born again Christian. Dunlop's book is empathic,
intelligent and a real page-turner. The monster becomes a man.
4. Building Cambodia by Helen Grant Ross and Darryl
Leon Collings
The Cambodian National Olympic stadium in Phnom
Penh, designed by Vann Molyvann. Photograph: Tang
Chhin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images
In the romantic picture of the old French Indochina,
there are beautifully faded colonial buildings. But in
Cambodia, it is actually the structures from the
following decades that are the most fascinating.
Blending traditional architecture with European modernism, the then young
Cambodian architects, led by the maestro Vann Molyvann, created a fascinating school,
like a Cambodian Bauhaus. This short-lived movement's legacy is now being destroyed
by short-sighted capitalism. But the story is well told in this book, awash with beautiful
photographs.
5. Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare by Philip Short
In David Chandler's excellent biography Brother Number One
from 1993, the author has an eerie feeling of being watched by
the elusive and smiling dictator while he is writing the book. A
decade later, Philip Short manages to drag Pol Pot out of the
shadows. Where the earlier biographer had a more academic
approach, Short's book reads almost like a thriller at times.
The research he has put into the book is in itself mindblowing,
and the result constitutes a large and important step towards
understanding the Cambodian tragedy.
6. A Dragon Apparent by Norman Lewis
This modern classic was once a beautiful account of a distant place:
French Indochina in its twilight. Now it is also the story of a lost world.
Norman Lewis traveled through Saigon to Phnom Penh, and then via
Angkor Wat on to Laos. Every person Lewis meets – monks, farmers,
royalty, colonialists – become important in his or her own right; the
writer's keen eye for telling detail puts the reader right beside him.
7. Phnom Penh by Milton Osborne
It's easy to be seduced by Phnom Penh, but also to be exhausted, as
it's overwhelming in so many ways. It is therefore most helpful to
read Milton Osborne's personal and interesting cultural and literary
history of this fairly new capital (permanent since 1866). Osborne
arrived in 1959 and the city has since been a continuing part of his
life. His book will make the bustling city more comprehensible –
though it remains as overwhelming as ever.
8. Cambodian Folk Stories from the Gatiloke by Kong Chhean
A handful of the 112 folk stories in the Gatiloke, which was used by
Cambodian monks to teach their faith and committed to paper in the
late 19th century. One shouldn't make too much of this mix of fables,
fairytales and moral lessons, but they offer an interesting insight into
some traditional Cambodian beliefs. Some of them have slapstick
qualities; others draw moral conclusions that are surprising to a western
reader.
9.Pol Pot's Little Red Book by Henri Locard
This is an intriguing little book for the interested reader who has already
one or two more general titles about the Khmer Rouge under his belt.
Henri Locard has collected and commented on hundreds of Khmer
Rouge propaganda sayings; together they open the door to the chilling
and paranoid mindset the revolution created. To quote one of the most famous lines:
"To destroy you is no loss; to preserve you is no gain."
10. Four Faces by Han Suyin
This novel is a charming bagatelle in Han Suyin's oeuvre. The
story is set in the early 60s and revolves around a farcical author
congress in Siem Reap, the small, sleepy town in the shadow
of Angkor Wat. The congress is just a facade for cold-war
conspiracy and suspicion – and shady opium trafficking. The
farce, lightly sprinkled with eroticism, turns briefly into a political
thriller, and then after a murder and a failed coup d'état, it turns
yet again and becomes an Agatha Christie-inspired whodunnit,
with the peaceful and slightly surreal Cambodian kingdom as a
backdrop.

Tourist spots
10. Preah Vihear
Preah Vihear is a Khmer temple situated atop a
525 meter (1,722 ft) cliff in the Dângrêk
Mountains, on the border between Cambodia
and Thailand. It has the most spectacular
setting of all the Khmer temples. Most of the
temple was constructed in the 11th and 12th
century during the reigns of the Khmer kings
Suryavarman I and Suryavarman II. It was
dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Preah Vihear is the subject of a long-running
territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, and several soldiers were killed in
clashes in 2009.

9. Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Som, is a port
city and beach resort on the Gulf of Thailand. The big
attraction here are the white-sand beaches and
several undeveloped tropical islands. Sihanoukville is
a good place to relax and unwind, though be
prepared to battle the crows during the high season
or a holiday weekend.
8. Tonle Sap
Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South
East Asia and is of major importance to Cambodia.
The lake expands and shrinks dramatically with the
seasons. From November to May, Cambodia’s dry
season, the Tonlé Sap drains into the Mekong River
at Phnom Penh. However, when the year’s heavy
rains begin in June, the flow of the Tonlé Sap
changes directions and an enormous lake forms.
Tonlé Sap is home to many ethnic Vietnamese and
numerous Cham communities, living in floating villages around the lake.

7. Silver Pagoda
Located within the Royal Palace compound in Phnom
Penh, the Silver Pagoda houses many national
treasures such as gold and jeweled Buddha statues.
Most notable is a small 17th century baccarat crystal
Buddha (the Emerald Buddha of Cambodia) and a
life-sized gold Maitreya Buddha decorated with 9584
diamonds. The internal wall of the Silver Pagoda
courtyard is decorated with a richly colored and
detailed mural of the Ramayana myth, painted in
1903–04 by 40 Khmer artists.

6. Bokor Hill Station

Bokor Hill Station near Kampot was built by the French in
the 1920s to be used as a retreat from the heat of Phnom
Penh. It has since been abandoned twice, first in the 1940s
when the Japanese invaded Cambodia and again in the
1970s, when the Khmer Rouge engulfed the country.
Today, Bokor Hill Station and its abandoned buildings
have an eerie, ghost-town feel. As of October 2008, the
road to Bokor is officially closed due to ongoing
reconstruction. Independent access seems to be impossible. though there are hiking
tours arranged by local travel agents.

5. Kratie
Kratie is a small town located on the
banks of the Mekong River and is
dominated by a central marketplace
surrounded by old, French colonial
buildings. There’s no large scale
tourism, but plenty of backpackers
pour through here during the peak
season. It is the place in Cambodia to
see the rare Irrawaddy dolphins,
which live in the Mekong River in
ever-diminishing numbers. It is
estimated that there are between 66
and 86 dolphins left in the upper Cambodian Mekong area.

4. Koh Ker
Koh Ker was the capital of the Khmer empire for a
very brief period from the year 928 to 944 AD. In
this short time some very spectacular buildings and
immense sculptures were constructed. The site is
dominated by Prasat Thom, a 30 meter (98 ft) tall
temple pyramid rising high above the surrounding
jungle. A giant Garuda (mythical half-man, half-
bird creature), carved into the stone blocks, still
guard the very top, although its partially covered
now. Left to the jungle for nearly a millennium,
Koh Ker was one of Cambodia’s most remote and inaccessible temple destinations. This
has now changed thanks to recent de-mining and the opening of a new toll road.
3. Banteay Srei
Although officially part of the Angkor
complex, Banteay Srei lies 25 km (15 miles)
north-east of the main group of temples, and
therefore often considered a separate
Cambodia attraction. The temple was
completed in 967 AD and is built largely of red
sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the
elaborate decorative wall carvings which are
still clearly visible today. Banteay Srei is the
only major temple at Angkor not built for a
king, instead it was constructed by one of king Rajendravarman’s counselors,
Yajnyavahara.

2. Bayon Temple
Part of the world famous destination of Angkor,
the Bayon temple features a sea of over 200
massive stone faces looking in all direction. The
curious smiling faces, thought by many to be a
portrait of king Jayavarman VII himself or a
combination of him and Buddha, are an
instantly recognizable image of Angkor. Built in
the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII as part
of a massive expansion of his capital Angkor
Thom, the Bayon is built at the exact center of
the royal city.

1. Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat (meaning “City Temple”) is the most
magnificent and largest of all Angkor temples and
the top tourist attraction in Cambodia. Built
around the first half of 12th century by King
Suryavarman II, the temple’s balance,
composition and beauty make it one of the finest
monuments in the world. A huge rectangular
reservoir surrounds Angkor Wat which rises up through a series of three rectangular
terraces to the central shrine and tower at a height of 213 meters (669 feet). This
arrangement reflects the traditional Khmer idea of the temple mountain, in which the
temple represent Mount Meru, the home of the gods in Hinduism
Famous businessman
Kith Meng

(Khmer: គិត ម ង ៉េ ;Chinese：陈丰明 born September 1, 1968) is

a Cambodian businessman. He is the Chairman of The Royal
Group which counts among its many holdings 45% of ANZ Royal
Bank, the mobile phone operator Cellcard/CamGSM and 45%
of Toll Royal Railways. Meng also owns a majority stake
in Cambodia's leading television and telecommunications networks,
Cambodian Broadcasting Corporation and CamGSM. Meng is
known for his preferences for entering Cambodian companies into
joint ventures including international companies. Net worth:
US$1.6 billion

Ly Yong Phat

Ly Yong Phat, 57, was born in Cambodia’s Southwestern

Koh Kong and is dual Cambodian-Thai citizen.
Nicknamed “the King of Koh Kong” for his prominence in
the province, he currently serves as a CPP Senator and
advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen.
He is described as having an “aptitude for business and
commerce, even at an early age“, a trader in the 1980s,
which led to him to become one of the country’s most
respected businessmen and, in 2000, business adviser to
the government of the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia. In 2006, he was elected to the
Cambodian Senate. He is believed to be Hun Sen’s favorite Senator since then. The same
year, after receiving land concessions that exceed the legal limit of 10,000 hectares from
the government, it has been reported that he used his influence to grab land. In 2014,
the Australian bank ANZ was publicly shamed for lending money to Ly Yong Phat, as he
was involved in a land grabbing conflict with hundreds of families in another case.
Later that year, he expressed his will to start a TV channel “to share accurate news with
people” and report about social issues in the country.
The new PNN TV channel is part of the LYP Group, one of the leading industrial group
of the country. Major investments include trading, resorts, plantation and processing
factory, utilities and infrastructure, and real estate.
Yim Sovann

(Khmer: យឹ សុវណ្ណ; born 28 September 1964) is a

Cambodian politician, who was the Spokesperson
and President of the Executive Committee of the Cambodia
National Rescue Party. He was an elected member of the
Cambodian parliament representing Phnom Penh until 2017,
when the Cambodia National Rescue Party was dissolved. He
is also a successful businessman, and a father of two children.
He also served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
Yim Sovann was first elected to represent Phnom Penh in
the National Assembly of Cambodia in 1998. Age just 34 at
the time, he was Cambodia's youngest parliamentarian. He
ventured into Cambodian politics as the Secretary to the Minister of Finance in 1993
and later became a founding member of the Khmer Nation Party (later changed its name
to Sam Rainsy Party). He was the Treasurer and Spokesperson of the Sam Rainsy Party.
When the Cambodian National Rescue Party was formed, he was appointed President of
the Executive Committee of the party as well as being the Party's Spokesperson. He was
also the Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on Interior, National Defense, and
Civil Service Administration from 2005 to 2008 in the National Assembly of Cambodia.
In January 2015, he became Secretary General of the Parliamentary Minority Group. In
December 2016 following Sam Rainsy's exile, he became Deputy Leader of the
Opposition until the position was abolished by Parliament on January 31, 2017.
Yim Sovann is known for his calm but effective and motivational public speeches and is
highly respected for his tireless effort in fighting against corruption and pursuing
human rights in Cambodia. Due to his undoubted abilities, his nomination for
the Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on Investigation and Anti-Corruption,
considered perhaps the most key parliamentary commission, was rejected by the
ruling Cambodian People's Party on August 27, 2014. He has been an influential
opposition party lawmaker having been elected since 1998.
Tep Rindaro

(Khmer: មេព រ ិនដា ៉ូ),(born in 1963 in Samrong, Battambang

province, Cambodia) is a Cambodian actor and singer, who
started acting in 1987. With his career spanning more than two
decades, he is one of the longest starring actors in Cambodia
since the fall of Khmer Rouge.