DOCSLIB.ORG

Directions : Influ- Ence on Establish

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Directions : Influ- Ence on Establish DIRECTIONS : INFLU­ The system of thinking, understanding, ENCE ON ESTABLISH­ organizing, and valuing places, posi­ tions, and directions is an essential part ING BEARING AND of culture. In other words, it is an SETTLEMENT "ethnogeography" or the indigenous cognition of geographical phenomena which include social values connected 1 Nid Hinshiranan and to spatial organization and directions. Narum on ArunotaF Nowadays, it may be difficult to con­ ceive of cardinal points as something Abstract cultural because there exists an interna­ tional standard for directions which is People in different cultures have their accepted world-wide. Different styles own unique ways of constructing bear­ of compasses have been invented, and ing points and directions to orient them­ the science of cartography and standard­ selves with their environment and to ized methods ofmaking maps have been give meaning to the world around them. developed.Every standard map is Along with this cognition process, there marked to indicate north so that com­ are social values connected to directions mon understanding can be established and spatial organization. This article in reading and interpreting a map.This explores the notions of directions <md "standard" is actually a part of western reference points and how they influence Culture.Claudius Ptolemy (C 87-150 the orientation of architectural structures A.D.) Greek geographer and astronomer and settlement in different cultures. was the first to draft a world map in the second century. Introduction A map is a symbolic form representing land and water. Modem cartography or Cardinal points and other reference the art and science of making maps points are all culturaiiy constructed. originates from a western cognitive sys­ They are the product of cognition pro­ tem. Despite this, maps have gained cess which stems from human actions worldwide acceptance as have other and reactions to the spatial environment. symbolic constructions such as cardinal points and imaginary lines like longi­ tude, latitude, the meridian, the equator, 1 Former Director General, Department of and the international date line. Town and Country Planning, Ministry of Interior; Consultative Committee Member, The indigenous map making system Society for Conservation of National Trea­ without influence from western cartog­ sure and Environment (SCONE) raphy is generally without reference 2 Researcher, Social Research Institute, points. One local Thai map found intact Chulalongkom University. is a military route map called "The Stra­ tegic Map in the Reign of King Downloaded from Brill.com09/30/2021 12:40:51PM via free access MA NUSYA: Journal ofHumaniti es(Special Issue. No.3. 2002) Ramathibhodi I" The map is a tradi­ tional map drafted from geographical cognition and depicting topographic fea­ tures such as rivers, mountains, forests, natural obstacles, fortresses, barracks, towns, and villages. The distance is re­ flected in travelling time, such as I day's travel or 3 nights' travel, instead of dis­ 3 4 tance such as wa or yote • In many traditional societies, travel is considered an inseparable dimension ofdistance. In Thailand, distance is sometimes mea­ Figure I: Strategic map drafted in the reign sured by time, as in the sayings of King Ramathibhodi I, depicting topo­ "-i'-r~t l!tJ'Ii'1 11~6 ~ " (the time needed for rice graphic features such as rivers, mountains, to boil) " -i'11flo111lJmmn,n" (the time to forests, natural obstacles, fortresses, bar­ racks, towns, and villages. chew a betel nut to pieces) and " -i'1u~ u" (the time for a short run or in the nick of Another form of ethnogeography is the time). beliefs and practices of Feng Shui. Lit­ erally "Feng Shui'' means wind and The strategic map mentioned above is water. It is a principle of spatial arrange­ the product of the local cognition sys­ ment and allocation in ham1ony with tem without any influence from west­ nature. It is believed that appropriate ern cartographic knowledge. It was space arrangement in accordance with drawn during the reign of King Rama I natural power will bring happiness, of Bangkok but completed during the peace, and prosperity to those living or reign of King Rama III of Bangkok working there. Nowadays, the principle (Royal Thai Survey Department of Feng Shui has been developed and 1884: I). At the time, the use of maps universalized. There are institutes and was limited to a specific circle of trav­ even universities which teach Feng Shui elers, navigators or sailors, warriors, and and geomancy as part of their curricu­ nobles. Common people had a mental lum. map as a foundation for their daily func­ tioning. A type of map of interest to Experts on Feng Shui are called Feng common people was a treasure log, but Shui Masters, Geomants, Geomancers, unlike most maps which are drafted for or Spititual Ecologists. From observa­ easy reading so that a person can under­ tion and calculation, these experts give stand and get to a specific place, a trea­ advice on spatial arrangement; site se­ sure log is encrypted and encoded. A lection for a home or village; planning person needs to interpret and decode it and orienting houses, offices or build­ in order to find the hidden treasure. ings, etc. Particular attention is focused 3 Traditional Thai measurement of 4 Traditional Thai measurement of distance, equal to 2 meters. distance, equal to 16 kilometers. 2 Downloaded from Brill.com09/30/2021 12:40:51PM via free access Directions: Influence on Establishing Bearing and Settlement on orientation, landscaping, and auspi­ patterns in between those islands. This cious timing of activities. Even for the map or "stick chart" was made with dead, it is necessary to select appropri­ bamboo strips, seashells, and cords. It ate grave sites so that they may rest was both a mnemonic device and an peacefuily in harmony with natural accurate navigational tool traditionally powers. used on several islands in Micronesia. Direction and Reference Points Insects and other animals such as Mon­ arch butterflies, migratory birds, and salmon migrate a long distance using only natural instinct. Humans do not have this instinct, or at least it is not as well-developed as in these animals. Figure 2: Micronesian stick chart showing Those who get lost in the forest or in current patterns and islands. the desert usually end up walking in a circle. Therefore, a person who has a Ancient navigators depended on wind "good sense of direction" is a person power to propel their vessels. Thus, they with keen observation skills, able to rec­ were very knowledgeable about wind ognize land-marks and orient him/her­ direction and seasonal change. In sev­ self with ease. eral places, the names of the wind de­ rive from their original direction. For Humans need to identify "bearing" in example, people in Malaysia and south­ the environment or surrounding in or­ ern Thailand call the wind from the der to travel or navigate. Ocean navi­ north "uttara" (Pali for north). The wind gation during the pre-compass era re­ from the south is called "selatan" (mean­ quired great observation skills. Celes­ ing south), and the wind from the west tial navigators sailed the vast oceans is called "phrad" (phrad or barat means with their knowledge of celestial bod­ west) (Suthiwong 1986:3124-25). ies. Navigators needed to be knowl­ edgeable and have keen observation Nowadays, navigation depends on mod­ skills on "way-finding." Waves and ern technology. There are modern in­ current patterns, bird and fish behavior, struments like compasses, radar, and humidity in the air, were all clues which Global Positioning System or GPS navigators used to reach their destina­ which is now very small and portable. tion. People can carry this GPS anywhere they go so that they always know their Navigators who sailed to different is­ position through satellite signal. With lands using the maritime skills of rec­ the use of this advanced technology, ognizing ocean current pattern some­ modern navigators neglect knowledge times made a "map" showing the posi- of their forefathers' way-finding and tion of islands and the current and wave become totally dependent on these new 3 Downloaded from Brill.com09/30/2021 12:40:51PM via free access MANUSYA: Journal ofHumanities(Special Issue. No.3. 2002) navigational tools. These techniques require two major qualifications: observation and memory. Traditional people who are skillful trav­ elers include the Inuit who traverse arc­ Nevertheless, a number of the Inuit have tic ice fields in search of polar bears settled down permanently and discarded seals, and fish. The Inuit live in the tun­ their traditional nomadic life. The tra­ dra zone covered with snow and ice. ditional skills have been neglected. Inuit There are practically no tracks or bear­ children go to school and become part ing to recognize as reference points. of an urbanized population. After the Furthermore, landscape is ever chang­ change in their way of life, it has been ing due to seasonal change and snow­ found that myopia among Inuit children storm. The Inuit have to seek tracks on is on the rise. This may be partly due to seemingly trackless land, search for pat­ visual strain; instead of looking at ob­ terns on the land with seemingly no pat­ jects in the distance, children are more tern. Life on the ice field requires sharp focused on shorter distance objects. observation skills and accurate memory This degraded eyesight may also be due of the landscape. to a change in diet which causes malnu­ trition for the development of eyesight. Traditionally, Inuit travel is not mea­ sured in kilometers or miles but by over­ Reference points using cardinal direc­ night rests along the way. Thus the Inuit tions (north, south, east, and west) may talk about "sleeps" as a measurement of have less meaning for people in several distance, the same cognitive system as cultures, especially those residing on an found in the Thai strategic map men­ island.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Global Prayer Digest JAN–FEB 2021
    Global Prayer Digest JAN–FEB 2021 Dear Praying Friends, We are officially in a new decade and a new era • Pray that this people group will be in awe of the Lord for His creation and realize that He is the only for Global Prayer Digest (GPD) readers. As of one worthy of worship and devotion. today, GPD is fully merged with Joshua Project’s Unreached of the Day’s (UOTD) digital prayer 2 Buriat People in Inner Mongolia, China tools, but we also have a shortened printed form within our sister publication, Mission Frontiers So God created human beings in His own (MF). MF offers readers the reasons why we need Gen 1:27 image. In the image of God He created movements to Christ, and we offer prayer materials them; male and female he created them. for movements to Christ among specific people The Buriat claim to be descended from either a grey groups. Is this a perfect combination or what? bull or a white swan; therefore their folk culture Pray on this decade!—Keith Carey, editor, UOTD features dancers imitating swans and other animals. They share many common traits and customs with Note: Scripture references are from the New Living Mongols. They are Buddhist, though the shaman is Translation (NLT) unless otherwise indicated. a highly regarded member in their culture. • Ask God to send loving, bold ambassadors of Christ to the Buriats and other peoples in this region. Please ask God to help the Buriats find their identity DIGEST PRAYER GLOBAL in Him. May the believers become effective and fruitful in sharing and discussing Bible stories with their own and other families.
    [Show full text]
  • Special Issue 2, August 2015
    Special Issue 2, August 2015 Published by the Center for Lao Studies ISSN: 2159-2152 www.laostudies.org ______________________ Special Issue 2, August 2015 Information and Announcements i-ii Introducing a Second Collection of Papers from the Fourth International 1-5 Conference on Lao Studies. IAN G. BAIRD and CHRISTINE ELLIOTT Social Cohesion under the Aegis of Reciprocity: Ritual Activity and Household 6-33 Interdependence among the Kim Mun (Lanten-Yao) in Laos. JACOB CAWTHORNE The Ongoing Invention of a Multi-Ethnic Heritage in Laos. 34-53 YVES GOUDINEAU An Ethnohistory of Highland Societies in Northern Laos. 54-76 VANINA BOUTÉ Wat Tham Krabok Hmong and the Libertarian Moment. 77-96 DAVID M. CHAMBERS The Story of Lao r: Filling in the Gaps. 97-109 GARRY W. DAVIS Lao Khrang and Luang Phrabang Lao: A Comparison of Tonal Systems and 110-143 Foreign-Accent Rating by Luang Phrabang Judges. VARISA OSATANANDA Phuan in Banteay Meancheay Province, Cambodia: Resettlement under the 144-166 Reign of King Rama III of Siam THANANAN TRONGDEE The Journal of Lao Studies is published twice per year by the Center for Lao Studies, 65 Ninth Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103, USA. For more information, see the CLS website at www.laostudies.org. Please direct inquiries to [email protected]. ISSN : 2159-2152 Books for review should be sent to: Justin McDaniel, JLS Editor 223 Claudia Cohen Hall 249 S. 36th Street University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104 Copying and Permissions Notice: This journal provides open access to content contained in every issue except the current issue, which is open to members of the Center for Lao Studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Culture & History Story of Cambodia
    CHAM CULTURE & HISTORY STORY OF CAMBODIA FARINA SO, VANNARA ORN - DOCUMENTATION CENTER OF CAMBODIA R KILLEAN, R HICKEY, L MOFFETT, D VIEJO-ROSE CHAM CULTURE & HISTORY STORYﺷﻤﺲ ISBN-13: 978-99950-60-28-2 OF CAMBODIA R Killean, R Hickey, L Moffett, D Viejo-Rose Farina So, Vannara Orn - 1 - Documentation Center of Cambodia ζរចងាំ និង យុត្ិធម៌ Memory & Justice មជ䮈មណ䮌លឯក羶រកម្宻ᾶ DOCUMENTATION CENTER OF CAMBODIA (DC-CAM) Villa No. 66, Preah Sihanouk Boulevard Phnom Penh, 12000 Cambodia Tel.: + 855 (23) 211-875 Fax.: + 855 (23) 210-358 E-mail: [email protected] CHAM CULTURE AND HISTORY STORY R Killean, R Hickey, L Moffett, D Viejo-Rose Farina So, Vannara Orn 1. Cambodia—Law—Human Rights 2. Cambodia—Politics and Government 3. Cambodia—History Funding for this project was provided by the UK Arts & Humanities Research Council: ‘Restoring Cultural Property and Communities After Conflict’ (project reference AH/P007929/1). DC-Cam receives generous support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The views expressed in this book are the points of view of the authors only. Include here a copyright statement about the photos used in the booklet. The ones sent by Belfast were from Creative Commons, or were from the authors, except where indicated. Copyright © 2018 by R Killean, R Hickey, L Moffett, D Viejo-Rose & the Documentation Center of Cambodia. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • Indigenous Cultures of Southeast Asia: Language, Religion & Sociopolitical Issues
    Indigenous Cultures of Southeast Asia: Language, Religion & Sociopolitical Issues Eric Kendrick Georgia Perimeter College Indigenous vs. Minorities • Indigenous groups are minorities • Not all minorities are indigenous . e.g. Chinese in SE Asia Hmong, Hà Giang Province, Northeast Vietnam No Definitive Definition Exists • Historical ties to a particular territory • Cultural distinctiveness from other groups • Vulnerable to exploitation and marginalization by colonizers or dominant ethnic groups • The right to self-Identification Scope • 70+ countries • 300 - 350 million (6%) • 4,000 – 5,000 distinct peoples • Few dozen to several hundred thousand Some significantly exposed to colonizing or expansionary activities Others comparatively isolated from external or modern influence Post-Colonial Developments • Modern society has encroached on territory, diminishing languages & cultures • Many have become assimilated or urbanized Categories • Pastoralists – Herd animals for food, clothing, shelter, trade – Nomadic or Semi-nomadic – Common in Africa • Hunter-Gatherers – Game, fish, birds, insects, fruits – Medicine, stimulants, poison – Common in Amazon • Farmers – Small scale, nothing left for trade – Supplemented with hunting, fishing, gathering – Highlands of South America Commonly-known Examples • Native Americans (Canada – First Nations people) • Inuit (Eskimos) • Native Hawaiians • Maori (New Zealand) • Aborigines (Australia) Indigenous Peoples Southeast Asia Mainland SE Asia (Indochina) • Vietnam – 53 / 10 M (14%) • Cambodia – 24 / 197,000
    [Show full text]
  • Editorial Note
    Editorial Note This volume was produced under difficult conditions. The publication of articles was not only very slow; the number of articles was also reduced due to circumstances beyond our control - the heavy flood in Thailand during October to December 2011. So we ask the reader’s indulgence for any effects this may have on the volume. For this volume, we are pleased to present articles focused on the following languages: Jieyang-Hakka, Jowai-Pnar, Lai, Pumi, Ten-edn, Tai and Viet-Mường; these papers make contributions to language documentation, especially in phonetics and lexicography, and better understanding the historical processes of language diversification. Additionally there are typological papers on phonetics and narrative in Mon-Khmer languages which address important general issues. Graceful acknowledgement should be made to Paul Sidwell for seeing the final volume through to press, and to Brian Migliazza for facilitating the publication of his volume. The Mon-Khmer Studies (MKS) was first published by the Linguistic Circle of Saigon and the Summer Institute of Linguistics in 1964. After nearly 50 years, the print edition will be discontinued. From the volume 41 onward, the MKS is going completely digital and open access. The journal will move to a continuous online publication model, consistent with trends in academic publishing internationally. Also, arrangements will be made for print-on- demand delivery, although we expect electronic distribution to become normal. We thank our readers, authors, reviewers and editors for their continuing support of the journal, now and into the future. Naraset Pisitpanporn for MKS Editorial Board April 2012 iv Table of Contents Editorial Note.……………………………………………………………...….iv Articles John D.
    [Show full text]
  • New Insights from Thailand Into the Maternal Genetic History of Mainland Southeast Asia
    European Journal of Human Genetics (2018) 26:898–911 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41431-018-0113-7 ARTICLE New insights from Thailand into the maternal genetic history of Mainland Southeast Asia 1,2 3,4 5 5 6 Wibhu Kutanan ● Jatupol Kampuansai ● Andrea Brunelli ● Silvia Ghirotto ● Pittayawat Pittayaporn ● 7 2 2 8 3 Sukhum Ruangchai ● Roland Schröder ● Enrico Macholdt ● Metawee Srikummool ● Daoroong Kangwanpong ● 2 2 2 Alexander Hübner ● Leonardo Arias ● Mark Stoneking Received: 24 July 2017 / Revised: 17 January 2018 / Accepted: 23 January 2018 / Published online: 26 February 2018 © The Author(s) 2018. This article is published with open access Abstract Tai-Kadai (TK) is one of the major language families in Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA), with a concentration in the area of Thailand and Laos. Our previous study of 1234 mtDNA genome sequences supported a demic diffusion scenario in the spread of TK languages from southern China to Laos as well as northern and northeastern Thailand. Here we add an additional 560 mtDNA genomes from 22 groups, with a focus on the TK-speaking central Thai people and the Sino-Tibetan speaking Karen. We find extensive diversity, including 62 haplogroups not reported previously from this region. Demic 1234567890();,: diffusion is still a preferable scenario for central Thais, emphasizing the expansion of TK people through MSEA, although there is also some support for gene flow between central Thai and native Austroasiatic speaking Mon and Khmer. We also tested competing models concerning the genetic relationships of groups from the major MSEA languages, and found support for an ancestral relationship of TK and Austronesian-speaking groups.
    [Show full text]
  • Analysis of the Khmer Walled Defensive System of Vimayapura (Phimai City, Thailand): Symbolism Or Military Effectiveness?
    manusya 23 (2020) 253-285 brill.com/mnya Analysis of the Khmer Walled Defensive System of Vimayapura (Phimai City, Thailand): Symbolism or Military Effectiveness? Víctor Lluís Pérez Garcia1 (บิกตอร์ ยูอิส เปเรซ การ์เซีย) Ph.D. in Archaeology, history teacher of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Institut Tarragona, Tarragona, Spain [email protected] Abstract This article analyses the walled defensive system of the Khmer city centre of Vimaya- pura (modern Phimai, Thailand) to evaluate the theoretical level of military effectivity of both the walls and the moats against potential attackers, considering their technical characteristics and the enemy’s weapons. We also study the layout of the urban en- ceinte, the constructive material, the gateways as well as weakness and strengths of the stronghold and the symbolic, monumental and ornamental functions in the overall role of the walls. Based on comparisons with similar cases, as well as in situ observa- tions of the archaeological remains and a bibliographical research, our study reveals that the stonewalls were not designed primarily to resist military attacks. Instead, the army, the moat, and possibly the embankments and/or palisades would have been the first lines of defence of the city. Keywords fortifications – city walls – military architecture – Thailand – South-East Asia 1 Member of the “Seminary of Ancient Topography” archaeological research group at Universi- tat Rovira i Virgili of Tarragona (Catalonia). www.victorperez.webs.com. © Víctor Lluís Pérez Garcia, 2020 | doi:10.1163/26659077-02302006
    [Show full text]
  • The Yellow Rain Affair Lessons from a Discredited Allegation
    chapter four The Yellow Rain Affair Lessons from a Discredited Allegation matthew s. meselson and julian perry robinson U.S. Secretary of State Alexander Haig, in a speech in West Berlin1 in September 1981 and in a detailed report to the Congress the following March,2 charged So- viet-backed Laotian and Vietnamese forces with waging toxin warfare against Hmong resistance fighters and their villages in Laos and against Khmer Rouge soldiers and villages in Cambodia. The charges were repeated with additional details in a further report to the Congress and to the member states of the United Nations in November 1982 by Haig’s successor, Secretary of State George Shultz.3 The investigation on which the allegation was based, however, failed to em- ploy reliable methods of witness interrogation or of forensic laboratory inves- tigation; it was further marred by the dismissal and withholding of contrary evidence and a lack of independent review. When the evidence for toxin attacks or any other form of chemical/biological warfare (CBW) was subjected to more careful examination, it could not be confirmed or was discredited. In what be- came known as the “Yellow Rain” affair, these charges—that toxic substances called trichothecenes were used in CBW—were initially pressed vigorously by the U.S. government and, even when the allegations proved unsustainable, they were not withdrawn. This chapter reviews all of the evidence adduced at the time that is now The Yellow Rain Affair 73 public, including a large body of material declassified and provided to us and others starting in 1986 under the Freedom of Information Act.
    [Show full text]
  • Vietnam at the Khmer Frontier: Boundary Politics, 1802–1847
    Vietnam at the Khmer Frontier: Boundary Politics, 1802–1847 Vũ Đức Liêm, Hanoi National University of Education Abstract This article addresses the challenging spatial organization of Nguyễn Vietnam: the binary relationship between civilizational expansion and the construction of a state boundary at the Khmer frontier. It examines the process whereby the Vietnamese moved southwest into the Khmer world and territorialized a contested terrain as part of a civilizational and imperial project. The process employed the state’s administrative infrastructure and cultural institutions to erase ethnic, political, and cultural diversity in the lower Mekong. This article argues that Vietnamese expansion was not simply an attempt to carry out the will of heaven and Confucian cultural responsibility; rather, it was a search for peripheral security and a response to regional competition. In fact, the seesawing between civilizational mission and territorial consolidation confused the Nguyễn bureaucracy with regard to Cambodia’s political and cultural status and affected Hue’s frontier management. As a result, the Vietnam-Cambodia boundary was the object of frequent shifts and negotiations. Only after facing Siamese invasion and experiencing fierce Khmer resistance did the Vietnamese court gradually replace its civilizational perspective with a more practical approach to border management, out of which emerged the modern borderline. Keywords: Nguyễn dynasty, Vietnam-Cambodia boundary, history of cartography, lower Mekong Introduction For the early Nguyễn emperor Gia Long (r. 1802–1820), who emerged victorious from three decades of war following two centuries of division, and his heir, Minh Mệnh (r. 1820–1841), several urgent priorities were to unify Vietnam, extend the reach of the state, and secure the country’s borders, which entailed gaining control over both land and people.
    [Show full text]
  • Section 4. Cambodia's History and Culture
    Part II Chapter 1 Section 4. Cambodia’s History and Culture Section 4. Cambodia’s History and Culture –The quest for the Profound Spirituality of the Khmer Culture– Yoshiaki ISHIZAWA 1. An understanding of the contemporary economic aspects as well. The new economic policy history of Cambodia, disrupted by adopted in Vietnam was reflected in Cambodia’s eco- international politics nomic policy, as for example in Cambodia’s joint group system, which is strongly security-tinted. 1-1 The significance of the ‘liberation’ of The national news agency releases of official an- 1975 nouncements comprised the only source of current in- –The ‘special relationship’ with Vietnam– formation on Cambodia. Activities meant to collect in- formation on the actual situation in the country, such as When Cambodian people are asked to enumerate news coverage and research, were not allowed. Re- their most outstanding characteristics, they may cite the ports, evidence, and articles published under such cir- following: i) They are people who speak the Khmer lan- cumstances had to be treated with a considerable guage, ii) They have had a king since the very begin- amount of circumspection, as the information could be ning, and iii) They are pious believers in Buddhism. manipulated politically. This is the raison d’être of the Cambodian people. In Both the Pol Pot regime (1970), which was derived 1970, Cambodia joined an anti-American struggle for from the National United Front of Kampuchea (FUNK), liberation in connection with the civil wars in Vietnam and the Heng Samrin regime (1978), which was derived and Laos, and in 1975 it achieved the unification of the from the People’s National Liberation Front, came into nation, in the name of ‘liberation.’ The year 1975 was a power with the noble political ideal of liberating the starting point for Cambodia to shift from its traditional people.
    [Show full text]
  • Cambodians in the Bronx and Amherst Leah Melnick
    Vietnam Generation Volume 2 Article 9 Number 3 Southeast Asian-American Communities 1-1990 Cambodians in the Bronx and Amherst Leah Melnick Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/vietnamgeneration Part of the American Studies Commons Recommended Citation Melnick, Leah (1990) "Cambodians in the Bronx and Amherst," Vietnam Generation: Vol. 2 : No. 3 , Article 9. Available at: http://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/vietnamgeneration/vol2/iss3/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by La Salle University Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Vietnam Generation by an authorized editor of La Salle University Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CAiwbodiANs iN t He B r o n x anc! A m He r s t PhoToqRAphs ANd T e x t b y L e a H IVtElNick Recent HisTORy of t He CAMbodiAN Experience Cambodia had been ruled by Prince Norodom Sihanouk (and before him by his father) until he was overthrown in a CIA-supported coup in March 1970. He was an extremely popular leader with the general public, although under his rule, he had allowed American forces to bomb suspected Viet Cong forts on the Ho Chi Minh trail within “neutral" Cambodia. The bombings of Cambodian villages during “Operation Breakfast” (as it was called by the Nixon administration) gave the small groups of Cambodian communists a common banner under which to gain popular support. Sihanouk’s replacement was Lon Nol, a man whose corruption and ineffectiveness as a leader also consolidated sympathy for the Cambodian communist movement (Khmer Rouge).
    [Show full text]
  • The Asian Civilisations Museum Presents the Region's First
    MEDIA RELEASE The Asian Civilisations Museum Presents The Region’s First Comprehensive Vietnam Exhibition [27 May 2008, SINGAPORE] A season of all things Vietnamese has begun at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). The highlight is the museum’s new exhibition Viet Nam! From Myth To Modernity which explores more than 2500 years of Vietnam’s history and its unique cultural identity. On show from 21 May to 30 September 2008, it features star pieces from museums in Vietnam, private collections and the ACM’s collection. To bring Vietnam even closer to home, the museum will be flying in artists, craftsmen and cultural performers for a two-day ACM Weekend Viet Fest from 31 May to 1 June. These events are a highlight of Vietnam Festival, organised by the National Heritage Board and its museums to celebrate 35 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Vietnam. Dr Kenson Kwok, Director of the Asian Civilisations Museum said: “We are excited to present Viet Nam! From Myth To Modernity which is first time that such an exhibition has been attempted in Asia. Through our exhibition and programmes, we want to offer visitors an all-round experience of this fascinating country.” Special Exhibition – Viet Nam! From Myth To Modernity (21 May – 30 September) Today Vietnam is a culturally diverse country with a population of over 84 million people and more than 50 ethnic groups. The ACM’s latest special exhibition Viet Nam! From Myth To Modernity explores this unique cultural identity through more than 2500 years of its history. Visitors can trace this timeline from myth – an oral history that describes the Vietnamese as the descendants of the Dragon King and the Mountain Fairy – to contemporary Vietnam.
    [Show full text]