An insight into the cultural and spiritual landscape in Cambodia

These are some of the spiritual and cultural "layers" that we've observed and have been told about in our time here in the country. No rocket science here (!)...but we do hope this helps in understanding the khmer people and what influences them as people - spiritually and culturally:
Animism
- The earliest recorded religions in Cambodia where based on this belief system
- Animists believe that spirits reside in all things
- It is considered that good and evil spirits exist and are active in all of community life
- Animist belief still exists today in much of Cambodian culture and society

Hinduism
- Believed to be introduced by Indian traders around the time of Christ
- Cambodia’s creation myth describes how the country originated from a union between the princess of a serpent king and an Indian Brahman named Kaundinya. As dowry, the king presented the couple with a new territory called Kambuja-the source of both the names Cambodia and Kampuchea.
- Cambodia’s first formalized religion
- Early Angkorian King’s worshipped Hindu gods like Siva and Vishnu
- Temples of Hindu influence proliferated from the 9th century onwards, the most prominent today, Angkor Wat was first dedicated to the hindu god Vishnu.

Feudalism
- Feudal based communities existed in early Cambodian society
- People belonged to a village, may have been able to grow their own rice – but were also obliged to serve their overlords in public works and war
- Society was heavily defined by lines of status and social hierarchy determined by birthright – with the ruling class dominating the “ruled”.

Buddhism
- Buddhism arrived in Cambodia with Indian traders. Cambodia adopted the Theravada variant of Buddhism in the 13th century.
- After King Jayavarman VII switched from Hinduism to Buddhism, Buddhist religious icons were added to many of the temples that had already been built along Hindu architectural lines.
- Buddhists believe that living beings are reincarnated after death to return to Earth in some form or another to live many future lives. In this view, advantage enjoyed in the next life must be earned in this life. Feudalism in Cambodia’s early history reinforced this fatalistic outlook, where social status was established by birthright and could not be changed much during a person’s life.
- Ninety-six percent of the population today is considered Buddhist

Colonialism
- After the fall of Angkor, Cambodia was subject to threats on many fronts: Thais to the west, Chams to the east, Thai and Vietnamese from the 17th century until the French in 1860. Overlaying this was the European influence, firstly from the Spanish traders pushing up from the Philippines.
- In the early 17th century, the Cambodians lost important territory to both the Vietnamese and the Thais – this remains to present day.
- In 1863 France took over Cambodia following assuming control of Vietnam (the French saw Indo-China as a pathway into southern China)
- The Cambodian ruling elite and the merchant class (mainly Chinese merchants) lived a comfortable and profitable existence under the French – while the rural population remained exploited (the first rule of French colonization was to run the colonies at profit). French rule in Cambodia ceased in 1953 with the declaration of Cambodian independence.

Communism
- In the 1950’s, amidst rising conflict in the region relating to communist inspired independence movements – Sihanouk opted for a policy of neutrality.
- Over this period, Cambodia became involved in the communist war lead by USA and their allies. In the midst of Thailand and South Vietnam’s support of America’s war on communism, Prince Sihanouk, in his role as Prime Minister, forged an alliance with Vietnam and begun adopting increasingly socialist policies.
- The US conducted many bombing raids on Cambodian territory due to their suspicions of North Vietnamese positions in Cambodia. Massive bombing efforts led by the US targeting Cambodian lands delivered psychological terror to most of the rural population. This bombing divided the country – rural areas under bombardment became increasingly hostile to the Americans and sympathetic to the communists. Cambodian cities by contrast remained under the control of the US’s anti-communist ally, the Phnom Penh government (led by General Lon Nol), leading to civil war between the countryside (backed by North Vietnamese army) and the cities (backed by the States)
- The war between the Khmer-Rouge/North Vietnamese alliance and Lon Nol’s forces raged for five years. The war concluded in April 1975, two months ahead of the fall of Saigon, with victory to the Khmer Rouge communists.

Revolutionism (Pol-Pot Regime)
- Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge in 1975; liberated citizens were however unaware of the cultural division between the city and country that had been bred into the KR soldiers. Within a day of taking over the city, the Khmer Rouge deceptively led a campaign of massive social reconstruction (city dwellers were viewed as enemies of the revolution who needed to be ‘re-educated’). Many believed that they were helping the Khmer Rouge rebuild the country as they were escorted out of the city, totally unaware that in fact they would be heading to their deaths.
- The revolution led by Pol Pot aspired to return the country to “Year Zero”, turning society upside down: where peasants became overseers and the urban middle class became peasants. Rural people ruled the urban leaders. Young ruled over the old. Students ruled their teachers. The ignorant ruled the knowledgeable.
- It is claimed that Pol Pot’s first measure on assuming power had been to attack the basic unit of Cambodian society: the family unit. Parents lost their children in this process (considered to now be part of the family of “Angkar”- the name given to the ideology and political force of the revolution), leaving a generation of orphans.
- This revolution failed in devastating form resulting in the extermination of much of the educated and middle class in Cambodian society. A widely quoted Khmer Rouge saying towards the prospects of the peasant class was: “Keeping you is not profitable to us. Discarding you is no loss”.
- Many of the countries cultural and religious sites of significance, and many historical artifacts were all systematically sought to be eliminated during this period. This only resulted in more devastation, poverty and depletion of human and natural resources within the country.
- It is estimated that over 1 million Cambodians (estimates range between 20-30% of the population) died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge between 1975-79.
- On 7 January 1979, the North Vietnamese army entered Phnom Penh and took control of power.

Post-Revolutionism (Continued fighting, Starvation and Uncertainty)
- Several years of warring continued after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, due to the liberation of the Cambodian people from the KR coming via the communist Vietnamese army.
- In the almost ten years of fighting that followed (between US led forces, including remnants of the KR forces backed by the US against the Vietnamese) - much destruction to infrastructure and agricultural lands resulted. This led to the prospect of massive starvation, further political and social instability and many Cambodians seeking refugee status across the border in Thailand.
- In 1989, the Vietnamese army withdrew from Cambodia. After the Vietnamese left, the Khmer Rouge saw another chance to come back, but failed.
- In 1991, the Peace Accords were signed ushering in the presence of United Nations personnel to oversee establishment of a transitionary government and rebuilding of much needed infrastructure (known as UNTAC).