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Introduction to and the

Cambodia is a land known for its abundance of strength, spirit and stoicism. It is located in , and occupies a total of 181,040 square kilometers (69,900 square miles or about the size of Missouri). Approximately 176,520 square kilometers of this is land and 4,520 square kilometers is water. It is commonly bordered to the north by and Laos, to the east by , to the south by Vietnam and the and to the west by the Gulf of Thailand and Thailand. is the capital of Cambodia. It has an area of 290 square kilometers and is the major center of administration, commerce, communication, culture, economy and education of Cambodia. Over two million Cambodians reside in Phnom Penh, and thus make the city a lifeline of the Cambodian economy. Other major cities within Cambodia are Batdambang, Siem Reab, , and Kampong Saom.

1

A rainy day in Cambodia A small swamp after the rain

Climate The climate of Cambodia is comprised of two main seasons, the rainy season and the dry season. This climate is affected by the tropical monsoon – the rainy season from June to October and the dry season from November to May. The monsoon season may carry some heavy rains but these quite often occur during the late evening and overnight. In other words, it rarely rains in the morning, even during the wet monsoon season.

The average temperature is 27 degree Celsius in Cambodia with a high of 40 degrees during April and a low of 14 degree at night during late December or early January. Normally, the cooler period lasts from December to January and hotter period lasts from early April to early May. However, there is little seasonal temperature variation through out the year.

A central Cambodian swamp A small western Cambodian village

2 Terrain The terrain of Cambodia can be divided into six major regions: the western and northwestern mountains, the northwestern plateau, the central plain, the western and southwestern coastal plain, the eastern and northeastern valleys and the peninsula. The western and northwestern mountains of Cambodia are rich in tropical forest, wildlife and fruit trees. The northeastern plateau is filled with tropical forest, wildlife, waterfalls and diamonds. The central plain is a large area of flat land, best known for cultivating rice, corns and beans as well as for favoring fish and mangrove. The western and southwestern coastal plain is popular with tourists looking to sunbathe on the sandy beaches and to consume abundant seafood. The western and northeastern valleys contain excellent sources for the development of hydro-electric power. Finally, the peninsula has many natural resources which include tin mining, rubber cultivation and fishing. A vast majority of Cambodians live in the fertile central plain. The central plain is also home to two dominant topological features: the River and the Lake. During the wet season, rich sediment from the Mekong’s flooding is deposited along this plain, making the plain a very fertile land.

Population

Elder Cambodians Young Cambodians

In 2005, it was estimated that there were 14,071,000 people living in Cambodia with an average annual growth rate of 1.96%. It is predicted that the Cambodian population will reach 20 million by 2010. Presently, the infant mortality rate is around 69 per 1,000 with maternal mortality rate around 6.5 per 1,000. Life expectancy is 57 years for Cambodian male and 61 years for female.

The majority of Cambodians are very poor. Although there isn’t a reliable statistic, most reports show that between 65% and 80% of Cambodian are poor.

3 The statistics for Cambodian education are as follows:

• primary school enrollment: 91.9% with completion rate of 46.8% • grades 7 to 9 enrollment: 26.1% with completion rate of 20.57% • grades 10 to 12 enrollment is 9.3% with completion rate of 8.92% • post-secondary enrollment is 1.4% with completion rate of 8.92%

The literacy rate for Cambodia for 15 years old and older is 73.6% (male 84.7% and female 64.1%).

Government

Cambodia is a multi-party democracy under a constitutional monarchy. The Royal Government of Cambodia, formed on the basis of elections internationally recognized as free and fair, was established on September 24, 1993 with its constitution being amended on March 6, 1999. Cambodian citizens can vote for their leaders as long as they are 18 years or older.The Cambodian constitution provides for a wide range of internationally recognized human rights, including freedom of the press. While limitations still exist on mass media, freedom of the press has improved markedly in Cambodia since the adoption of the 1993 constitution, which grants a certain degree of freedom to the media. The written press, while considered largely free, has ties to individual political parties or factions and does not seek to provide objective reporting or analysis. Cambodia has an estimated twenty Khmer-language newspapers that are published regularly. Of these, eight are published daily. There are two major English-language newspapers, one of which is produced daily. Broadcast media, in contrast to print, is more closely controlled. It tends to be politically affiliated, and access for opposition parties is extremely limited.

The executive branch of the government is comprised of the king, who is head of state; an appointed prime minister; seven deputy prime ministers, 15 senior ministers, 28 ministers, 135 secretaries of state, and 146 undersecretaries of state. The bicameral legislature consists of a 123-member elected National Assembly and a 61-member Senate. The judiciary includes a Supreme Court and lower courts. Administrative subdivisions are 20 and 4 municipalities.

As of 2006, the leaders of Cambodia are:

• King (head of state since October 29, 2004) • (appointed prime minister since January 14, 1985) • (president of the Senate) • (president of National Assembly)

There are 3 major political parties in Cambodia: the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), led by Chea Sim, the National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC), led by Prince and the Party (SRP), led by Sam Rainsy.

4 History

•

For more than 300 years, between 900 and 1200 AD, the Khmer Kingdom of Angkor made some of the world’s most magnificent architectural masterpieces on the northern shore of the Tonle Sap Lake, by the town of .

The Angkor area stretches 5 miles north to south and 15 miles east to west. Seventy two main temples and other buildings mark the region. The primary temple, was built around 1112 and 1150 by Suryavarman II. While the measure of the walls is nearly one-half mile on each side, Angkor Wat portrays the Hindu cosmology with the middle towers representing , residence of the gods; the external walls, the mountains enclosing the world; and the moat, the oceans beyond. , the capital city built after the Cham sack of 1177, is bounded by a 300-foot wide moat. Building of Angkor Thom coincided with a transformation from to . Temples were changed to display images of the Buddha, and Angkor Wat became a very important Buddhist holy place.

In the 15th century, almost all of Angkor was neglected after Siamese attacks, except Angkor Wat; it remained a shrine for Buddhist pilgrims. The great city and temples remained largely covered by the forest until the late 19th century when French archaeologists started a long renovation process. 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, fix foundations, and put in 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.

• MODERN HISTORY

Even though Cambodia had a rich and influential past under the Hindu state of 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 run the country even after the beginning of World War II, through its Vichy government. In 1945, the Japanese dissolved the colonial administration, and King stated an independent, anti-colonial government under Prime Minister in March 1945. The Allies overthrew this government in October. In January 1953, Sihanouk named his father as regent and went into a self-imposed exile, refusing to return until Cambodia gained genuine independence.

5 • Full Independence

Sihanouk’s actions accelerated the French Government’s July 4, 1953 declaration of its readiness to grant independence, which occurred on November 9, 1953. The situation remained undecided until a 1954 conference was held in Geneva to settle the French- Indochina war. All participants, except the and the State of Vietnam, associated themselves (by ) with the final declaration. The Cambodian delegation agreed to the neutrality of the three Indochinese states but insisted on a provision in the cease-fire agreement that left the Cambodian Government free to call for outside military aid should the Viet Minh or others threaten its territory.

• Neutral Cambodia

During the 1950s and 1960s, being neutral was the central element of the Cambodian foreign policy. 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 , and the port of was employed to supply them. As NVA/VC activity grew, it concerned the United States and South Vietnam, 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 -educated leaders such as , , and Saloth Sar (later known as ), who led an insurgency under the clandestine Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK).

• The War, the power and the Khmer

In , Gen. toppled Prince Sihanouk and assumed power. On October 9, the Cambodian monarchy was eliminated, and the country was renamed the . Hanoi rejected the new republic’s request for the withdrawal of NVA/VC troops and began to re-infiltrate some of the 2,000-4,000 Cambodians who had gone to 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 insurgents and NVA/VC forces. In April 1970, U.S. 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 members, the problems of transforming a 30,000-man army into a national combat force of more than 200,000 men, and spreading corruption. 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

6 were purged. At the same time, the Khmer Rouge forces became stronger and more independent of their Vietnamese patrons. By 1974, 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 ’s Day 1975, communist troops launched an offensive that, in 117 days of the hardest fighting of the war, ruined 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 re-supply route. A U.S.- funded airlift of ammunition and rice ended when Congress refused additional aid for Cambodia. Phnom Penh surrendered on April 17, 1975 - 5 days after the U.S. mission evacuated Cambodia.

•

A lot of Cambodians hailed 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 (which bordered 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, , and Son Sen) was in control, and Pol Pot was made 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 1.7 million to 3 million, out of a 1975 population estimated at 7.3 million.

7 Democratic Kampuchea’s relations with Vietnam and Thailand worsened speedily 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.

In mid-1978, Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia, and advanced 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, captured Phnom Penh on January 7, 1979 and drove the remnants of Democratic Kampuchea’s army westward toward Thailand.

• The Rule of Vietnam

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 . The international community responded with a massive relief effort coordinated by the United States through the UN Children’s Fund (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, with 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. 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 that fought the Khmer Rouge after 1975 (including Lon Nol-era soldiers) coalesced in 1979-80 to form the ’s National Liberation Armed Forces (KPNLAF). The KPNLAF pledged loyalty to former Prime Minister , and (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, National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC), and its military arm, the Armee Nationale Sihanoukienne (ANS) in 1981.

8 Within Cambodia, Vietnam had only limited success in establishing its client Heng Samrin regime, which was dependent on Vietnamese advisers 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 the 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, and the last Vietnamese troops left Cambodia in September 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. A comprehensive settlement was agreed upon on August 28, 1990.

• Cambodia’s Renewal

On October 23, 1991, the Paris Conference reconvened to sign a comprehensive settlement giving the UN full authority to supervise a cease-fire, repatriate the displaced Khmer along the border with Thailand, disarm and demobilize the factional armies, and 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 de-mining operations to expedite the repatriation of approximately 370,000 Cambodians from Thailand.

On March 16, 1992, the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) 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 4 million Cambodians (about ninety percent 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

9 from participating. Prince Ranariddh’s FUNCINPEC Party was the top vote recipient with a 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, 1993. 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 (RGC). The constitution provides for a wide range of internationally recognized human rights.

On October 4, 2004, the Cambodian National Assembly ratified an agreement with the United Nations on the establishment of a tribunal to try senior leaders responsible for the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge. Donor countries have pledged the $43 million international share of the three-year tribunal budget, while the Cambodian government’s share of the budget is $13.3 million. The tribunal plans to begin trials of senior Khmer Rouge leaders in 2007.

Foreign/U.S. Relations

Cambodia has been a member of many major international organizations. Currently, it is a member of the United Nations (UN), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the World Bank, the International Monetary (IMF), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the (EAS). Cambodia is also home to many non-government organizations (NGO) such the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICHARDO).

U.S.-CAMBODIAN RELATIONS

The United States relationship with Cambodia started as early as 1955 during a time when Cambodia was fighting against France to gain its independence. It is estimated that between 1955 and 1975, Cambodia received about $913 million in economic grant aid and $1.25 billion in military aid from the United States. This aid was used mainly for security forces, transportation construction and human relief. However, this relationship was broken in 1975 once the brutal Khmer Rouge came into power. The United States also did not support the military invasion and occupation by Vietnam that followed the Khmer Rouge regime. After the withdrawal of Vietnamese soldiers from Cambodia in 1989, the United States renewed its relationship with Cambodia. On November 11, 1991, the U.S. opened its U.S. Mission office in Phnom Penh, which subsequently became the U.S. Embassy in May 1994. Presently the United States aids Cambodia mainly in fighting terrorism, nurturing economic development, eradicating corruption, structuring democratic institutions, promoting human rights, and supporting the international tribunal of atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge.

10 Economy

A graph of the average annual growth rate of GDP of Cambodia

Cambodia was constantly at war for more than 30 years up until 1999. As a result, Cambodia became one of the poorest countries in the world. However, Cambodia’s economy has seen steady improvement since 1999, once the war ended. As of 2005, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) estimated that Cambodia’s economy grew at an average of 6% from 2001 to 2005. In the same report, it is estimated that the GDP is $6.2 billion, the Per capita GDP is $448, the annual growth rate is 6.4% and the inflation is at 6.7% for Cambodia in 2005.

Presently, the economy centers on 3 main sectors: agriculture, manufacturing and services. Cambodian agriculture accounts for 32.3% of its GDP in 2005 in which the major products are rice, rubber, corn, meat, vegetables, dairy products, sugar and flour. The manufacturing industry accounts for 25.3% of the Cambodian GDP. Garment and shoe manufacturing, rice milling, tobacco, fisheries and fishing, wood and wood products, cement, rubber production, paper and food processing are major types of Cambodian manufacturing. Lastly, service sectors such as tourism, telecommunications, transportation, and construction accounted for 37% of the Cambodian GDP in 2005. Cambodia natural resources are timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphate and hydroelectric power. Major exports for Cambodia are garments, shoes, cigarettes, natural rubber, rice, pepper, wood and fish with its biggest partners being the United States, Germany, the U.K., Singapore, and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Cambodia imports fuels, cigarettes, vehicles, consumer goods and machinery. Its major import partners are Thailand, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan and the United States.

Over the next decade, the major economic challenge for Cambodia will be creating an economic environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia’s demographic imbalance. This is because more than 50% of the Cambodian population is 20 years old or younger. At the same time, the majority of the population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic education infrastructure.

11 Religion It is estimated that ninety five percent of Cambodians practice Theravada Buddhism. The other 5% practice Islam, animism, and Christianity.

Theravada means the teaching of the elders. This particular religion preaches 3 primary aspects of existence: duk-kha, anicha, and anatta. Duk-kha refers to the suffering, un- satisfactoriness and disease. Anicha refers to impermanency or the transience of all things. Anatta, meanwhile, refers to non-substantiality or non-essentiality of reality. According to Theravada Buddhism, there are 4 truths: - The truth of suffering – “Existence is suffering.” - The truth of the cause of suffering – “Suffering is caused by desire.” - The truth of the cessation of suffering – “Eliminate the cause of suffering (desire) and suffering will cease to arise.” - The truth of the path, “The eightfold path is the way to eliminate desire/extinguish suffering.” The eightfold paths are: o Right understanding o Right-mindedness (or “right thought”) o Right speech o Right bodily conduct o Right livelihood o Right effort o Right attentiveness o Right concentration

Essentially, the ultimate goal of Theravada Buddhism is to attain or to reach a blessed state, free of all desire and suffering.

Ethnic Groups According to statistics, Cambodia’s population consists of ninety percent ethnic Khmer, five percent Vietnamese, one percent Chinese and four percent of others. The Khmers have lived in Cambodia since the beginning of recorded history. In present day Cambodia, most of the high ranking officials in the government are Khmer. The Khmer are known to be laid back, tolerant and full of warmth. The Vietnamese are one of the largest non-Khmer groups in Cambodia. There is a great deal of dislike and mistrust between the Khmers and the Vietnamese in Cambodia. This is because the Khmer are angry over the Vietnamese encroachment of their land where as the Vietnamese think the Khmer are too laid back (or lazy) and weak.

Unlike the Vietnamese, adapt very well into the Khmer culture. Many have lived in Cambodia for generations and generally have adopted the , identify and religion. Chinese Cambodians are well-known for their commerce prowess. Other ethnic groups living in Cambodia include the Cham Muslims (or Khmer Islam), hill tribes, and Westerners.

12 Family

A smiling Cambodian family

Family plays an important role in Cambodian society. For instance, family serves as the strongest emotional ties, the assurance of aid in the event of trouble, economic cooperation in labor, sharing of produce and income, and contribution as a unit to ceremonial obligations in Cambodia.

Most families are very close-knit. A typical family would have three or four generations living together in the same household. Cambodian families are usually large, as having no children is considered a misfortune. An ordinary family in a bigger city has around 4 children, whereas an ordinary family in rural areas would have around 6 children.

The Cambodian family is patriarchal, as a husband is usually in charge of affairs outside of the house, while his wife deals with all household matters, as well as family economics. Normally, a Cambodian husband provides food and shelter for his family. At the same time, his wife is in charge of the family budget, and she serves as the major ethical and religious model for the children.

13

Foods

A few dishes of popular

As in neighboring countries, rice and soup are the main diet in Cambodia. In fact, it is very rare to find a lunch or a dinner in Cambodia without rice or soup. Cambodia is also well known for its “Prahok.” Prahok is a strong, crushed, salted and fermented fish paste that is used as a condiment in a variety of traditional Cambodian dishes.

Meanwhile, Cambodian cuisines such as curries, noodles and stir fried vegetables are also closely related to its neighbors. Cambodian food is never bland. Its range of spices includes chili, pepper, coriander leaf and root, lemon grass, basil, ginger, mint, cardamom, and screw pine. Sour soups are popular and meat and fish are always served with sauces like , tamarind, or honey with chili. Cambodian cooked food is usually either boiled or stir-fried.

Some of the popular Cambodian dishes are Samlor Muh-ju Trei (Sweet and Sour Soup with Fish), Samlor Nam Ngau (Chicken with Preserved Lemon Soup), Chicken Stir Fry with Ginger, and Trop Cha Sach Chrouk (Stir Fry Eggplant and Coconut Pork). Popular Cambodian deserts includes Jek Jian (Fried banana nuggets), Num Treap (Sticky Rice with Sesame), Treap Bai jiamuay thuurian (Sticky Rice with Durian), and Borbo Skor with Poat (Corn pudding).

Arts dancers showing their graceful movement

Almost all Cambodian arts are inspired by the great in the Angkorian era (between the ninth and fourteenth centuries AD). More than any of the other traditional arts, however, Apsara dance (celestial dance) holds a great significance in Khmer arts. This classical dance has its roots in animism and primitive magic with Hindu forms that date as far back as the first century. The dancers move with joy and grace in their gold headdresses, silken tunics and silken skirts to mimic movement of apsara (heavenly nymph).

Cambodia also has musical traditions that derive from the Khmer Empire. Cambodians often use music to accompany a ritual or performance that holds religious significance. “Areak ka” is a popular musical ensemble performed during a wedding. This ensemble includes ching (cymbal), ronneat (a bamboo xylophone as shown in the picture above), pia au (flute), sralay (oboe), chappaey (bass banjo) and tro (violin).

14 Cambodia is also known for its sculptures and bas-reliefs from the ancient Khmer Empire. The idealized faces the sculptors of ancient Cambodia so skillfully managed to draw forth from stone, represent strikingly realistic portraits that capture the majesty and impassivity of gods, as well as the compassion of divinities imbued with a gentle inner smile.

The bas-reliefs, meanwhile, realistically reproduced the secular world of the Khmer Empire: temple gallery walls are lined with military processions, raging battles, or simple everyday scenes carved with an amazing sense of movement and composition.

A couple points to an Apsara bas-relief in Angkor Wat

Language: Description of language, .

The has symbols for thirty-three consonants, twenty-four dependent vowels, twelve independent vowels, and several diacritic symbols. Most consonants have reduced or modified forms, called sub-consonants, when they occur as the second member of a . Noticeably, vowels can be written before, after, over, or under a consonant symbol. The thirty-three in the Cambodian writing system are arranged in five groups according to the position of the articulation, proceeding from the back to the front of the mouth, and a sixth group labeled as miscellaneous. There are two series of consonants in modern Cambodian. The first series is voiceless or light voiced and the second series is voiced or heavy voiced. The following table shows the first and second symbol of all the consonants.

15 Pronunciation 1st Pronunciation 2nd No. Consonants Romanization Series Series

1 k k kaa

2 x Kh khaa

3 K K Koo

4 X kh Khoo

5 g ng ngoo

6 c C caa

7 q ch chaa

8 C C Coo

9 Q ch Choo

10 j ñ ñoo

11 d d daa

12 z th thaa

13 D d Doo

14 F th thoo

15 N n naa

16 t t taa

17 z th thaa

18 T t too

19 Z th thoo

16 20 n n noo

21 b b baa

22 p ph phaa

23 B p Poo

24 P ph phoo

25 m m Moo

26 y y yoo

27 r r roo

28 l l loo

29 v w woo

30 s s saa

31 h h haa

32 L l laa

33 G q qaa

17 Sub consonant: As two consonants are pronounced consecutively within one word, the second consonant’s symbol is written in a special sub-consonant form which is placed below the first consonant. The sub-consonant always follows the consonant in the pronunciation. The form of the sub-consonant is in most cases a smaller version of its consonant version but some look completely different from the superscript. The tables below are the lists of the sub-consonant and the consonant.

k, x¡ K< X¹ gá

c© qä C¢ QÄ jBa¦

dþ zæ DÐ F¿ NÑ

tþ fð TÞ ZÆ nñ

b| pö B¬ PÖ mµ

yü Rr lø vV

sS hØ L GÁ

Vowels:

The Cambodian vowel may consist of one or a combination of elements written before, above, below, or after the initial consonant. There are 24 vowels in Khmer. Since the abstract vowel (aa) is embedded in a consonant, there are only 23 vowels shown in the table below. The pronunciation of a vowel in Khmer is determined by the series of the initial consonant that it accompanies and by the two series of consonants. The table below provides the symbol of all vowel sounds.

18 Vowel Vowel Symbol Romanization First Series Second Series X Sraq aa aa Oo

Xa Sraq aa aa Ie

Xi Sraq e e I

xI Sraq ey ey Ii

Xw Sraq e e H

xW Sraq eh eh Ehh

Xu Sraq o o U

xU Sraq ou ou Uu

xY Sraq ue ue Ue

e xI Sraq ae ae Ee

X Sraq he he He e ]

X Sraq ie ie Ie e [

Sraq ei ei Ee e x

Sraq ae ae Aee E x

Sraq ay ay Hy é x

19 Sraq ao ao Oo e xa

Sraq aw aw Ahw e xA

xMu Sraq om Um

Sraq Am am Um xM

Sraq am am Om xaM

Sraq ah ah Eh x;

Sraq oh oh Uh xu;

Sraq eh eh Ih e x;

Sraq Ah aoh Ouh e xa;

Independent Vowels:

Independent vowels are known as /sraq piñ tuə/ (complete vowel) becasue they incorporate both an initial consonant and a vowel. Below are the list of Independent Vowels:

Name of Independent Vowels Independent Vowels

« sraq e

¤ sraq ey

sraq o ó

20 sraq ao O

sraq ew Ó

sraq rh b\

sraq rhh ß

sraq lhk B\

sraq lhh »

sraq ae É

* sraq ay BÆ

Diacritic (Vanakyut)

1. The Bantaq ( ´ ) bnþk´ Diacritic Bantaq appeared on the top of the final consonant of a and it is used to shorten the vowel of that syllable. All Khmer consonant there is an inherent vowel. The inherent vowel for first series consonant is /aa/ and second consonant is /oo/. a. In a syllable with invisible vowel, bantaq signalls the short inherent vowel. For example, vowel /aa/ change to /a/ after afirst series consoant, and /oo/ change to /u/ or /uə/ after the second series consonant.

The vowel ( - ) /aa/ followed by the Bantaq ( ) will pronounced shorter /a/ b. a ´ after the first series consoant and after the second series consonant, vowel ( - ) a /aa/ is pronounced /oə/ or /eə/.

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2. Treysap RtIsBV ‘ ) ’ Treysap is used to convert four of the first series consonants and s h b G which have no second series counterpart to the second series consonant and s) h) b)

G)ç

3. Mousekatoan mUssikTnþ ‘ ¨ ’ a. Mousekatoan is used to convert six of the second series consonants g j m y and which has no second series counterparts to first series consonants r v g¨ and j¨ m¨ y¨ r¨ v¨ç b. Mousekatoan is used to convert a first series consonant to and from which b b¨ has the conterpart in the second series b¨ Bç

Sanyok-sanha 4. sMeyaKsBa¦ ‘ &’ a. Sanyok-sanha has the same value as the It is used in a certain words which ‘ça’ç borrowed from Pali or Sakrit. Usually, if the final consonant is silent, the words can be spelled with different way. b. If the sanyok-sanha plus a final , it is pronounced (ai) in the first series and (ei) y in the second series. c. If the s sanyok-sanha plus a final ( ) /r/ it is pronouced ( oa). r

5. Robaat r:T ‘ ’* Robaat is the reflex of an origanal /r/ in words. a. In most words, when the (robaat) occurs over a final cononant, both the consonant and the robaat are not pronounced. b. In some cases, the effect of the robaat is to change the vowel /oo/ to /uə/. c. When the robaat appears over a medial consoant, the robaat is pronouced.

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1. Khan ‘.’ This is a Cambodian full stop. It occurs less frequently than the full stop in English. It can be at the end of a single or several sentences dealing with a single topic.

2. Baariyaosaan ‘§’ Baariyaosaan is a full stop that marks the the entire end of a chapter or an entire text.

3. Laq ‘.l.’ Laq is used to indicate etcetera.

4. Leiktoo ‘>’ Leiktoo is used to indicate that the word or phrase after which it occurs is to be repeated.

Notes: Khmer words are not written separately and spacing occureds only after longer phrases. When romanizing, the shortest written form which can stand alone as a word is treated as such. This applies also to Pali and Sanskrit loan-words. Other loan-words are divided as the original language.

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