CAMBODIA: Nation,

Religion, King
Mischelle D. Mariano
BSE IV-A

Pambansang Awit ng Cambodia

Heaven protects our King
And gives him happiness and glory
To reign over our souls and our destinies,
The one being, heir of the Sovereign builders,
Guiding the proud old Kingdom.

Temples are asleep in the forest,

Remembering the splendour of Moha Nokor.
Like a rock the Khmer race is eternal.
Let us trust in the fate of Kampuchea,
The empire which challenges the ages.
Songs rise up from the pagodas
To the glory of holy buddhistic faith.
Let us be faithful to our ancestors' belief.

CAMBODIA 101
Officially known as Kingdom of

Cambodia
A country in the southern portion of the
Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia
Bordered by:
Thailand

Northwest
Laos Northeast
Vietnam East
Gulf of Thailand - Southwest

CAMBODIA 101
68th most populous country in the

world
The minority groups include
Vietnamese, Chinese, Chams and 30
other hill tribes
The capital and the largest city is
Phnom Penh, the political, economic
and cultural center of Cambodia
The English form "Cambodia" is
derived from "Cambodge", the French

HISTORY OF THE
KINGDOM

ANCIENT CAMBODIA
The first humans in Cambodia were Stone Age

hunters and gatherers. However farming was

introduced into Cambodia about 2,300 BC.
The first farmers in Cambodia used stone tools
but from about 1,500 BC the Cambodians
used tools and weapons made from bronze.
By about 500 BC they had learned to use
The first civilisation in the area arose about

150 AD in the Mekong River delta in South

Vietnam. This civilisation was known to the
Chinese who called it Fu-nan. iron.

ANCIENT CAMBODIA
While Fu-nan was trading with the Chinese

Cambodian society grew more sophisticated.

Settlements grew larger. So did kingdoms. By
the beginning of the 7th century AD all of
Cambodia was highly civilized.
At first Cambodia was divided into rival states.

However at the beginning of the 9th century a

king named Jayavarman II founded the Khmer
Empire in Cambodia.

THE KHMER EMPIRE

Like all early civilizations the Khmer Empire was

an overwhelmingly agricultural society, Although

there were many craftsmen the great majority of
the people were farmers. Their staple diet was
rice.
The Khmers were animists. They believed that

spirits inhabited natural phenomena such as the

earth and trees. Later Indian religions (Hinduism
and Buddhism) were introduced but they coexisted with traditional beliefs.

THE KHMER EMPIRE

The rich and powerful built fine temples (the

only stone buildings in Cambodia). They were

richly decorated with fine stone carvings. The
most famous temple is Angkor Wat which was
built in the early 12th century.
Then about 1000 AD King Jayavarman V was

killed. Civil war followed until Suryavarman I

founded another dynasty. By 1011 he was in
control of Cambodia. However his dynasty
only lasted until 1080 when it was replaced by
another.

THE KHMER EMPIRE

In 1177 a people called the Chams from Champa (on

the coast of Vietnam) invaded Cambodia. However

King Jayavarman VII managed to drive them out by
1183 and between 1203 and 1220 he was able to
force the Chams to submit to him. Nevertheless by the
mid-13th century the Khmer kingdom was in decline.
In 1431 the Thais captured the Cambodian capital,

Angkor. Afterwards it was abandoned and new capital

was founded at Phnom Penh. By the mid-16th century
Angkor was overgrown by the jungle and it was
accidentally rediscovered by a Cambodian king.

CAMBODIA 1500-1800
During the 16th century Cambodian power continued

to decline. At the end of the century Cambodia fell

under Thai suzerainty . In 1594 the Thais captured
the capital. After that they dominated the region.
From the middle of the 17th century the power of

Vietnam grew. In the early 17th century the

Cambodians controlled parts of what is now South
Vietnam. They held a port called Prey Nokor. (Later it
was renamed Saigon). In the late 17th century Prey
Nokor fell under Vietnamese rule.

CAMBODIA 1500-1800
During the 18th century Cambodia found

itself squeezed between two powerful

neighbours, Thailand and Vietnam. The Thais
invaded Cambodia several times in the 18th
century and in 1772 they destroyed Phnom
PenH. In the last years of the 18th century the
Vietnamese also invaded Cambodia. The
Cambodian king was forced to look to the
Thais for protection. In return Thailand took
north-west Cambodia.

19TH CENTURY CAMBODIA

In the early 19th century King Chan (1806-

1834) turned to the Vietnamese for

protection from the Thais. The Thais were
annoyed by this policy and when a
rebellion occurred in south Vietnam in
1833 they took advantage by invading
Cambodia. However the Vietnamese king
crushed the rebellion and the Thai army
retreated.

19TH CENTURY CAMBODIA

As a result the Vietnamese emperor

strengthened his control over Cambodia.

When Cambodian King Chan died in 1834 one
of his daughters was installed as Queen and
Vietnamese people settled in Cambodia. The
Vietnamese regarded the Cambodians as
'barbarians' an tried to 'civilize' them by
teaching them Vietnamese customs.
Resentment at Vietnamese influence led to a

rebellion in 1840-1841. The Thais invaded

again to re-assert their control of Cambodia.

19TH CENTURY CAMBODIA

However in the 1850s French missionaries

arrived in Cambodia. The Cambodian king

turned to the French to protect him from
both the Thais and the Vietnamese. So in
1863 Cambodia became a French
protectorate.

20

TH

CENTURY CAMBODIA

Under French rule some economic

development took place in Cambodia.

Roads and railways were built and in
the 1920s a rubber industry grew up.
However the Cambodians were
forced to pay heavy taxes and from
the 1930s Cambodian nationalism
grew.

20TH CENTURY CAMBODIA

Then in 1941 Cambodia was occupied by the

Japanese. However at first they allowed

French officials to remain in their posts but in
March 1945 as the Japanese were losing the
war they desperately tried to curry favour with
the Cambodians. They arrested French
officials and declared Cambodia independent.
However when the Japanese surrendered the
French took over again. They arrived in
October 1945.

20TH CENTURY CAMBODIA

This time the French did allow the

Cambodians to have political parties and a

constitution. By a treaty of 1949 Cambodia
was made semi-independent. Then in 1952
King Sihanouk dismissed the government and
took personal control of the country. Events
then moved swiftly. On 9 November 1953 the
French finally allowed Cambodia to become
fully independent and in 1955 Sihanouk
abdicated in favor of his father and elections
were held.

20TH CENTURY CAMBODIA

Sihanouk formed his own political movement. From

1955-1970 he dominated politics in Cambodia so

much so that it is sometimes called the 'Sihanouk era'.
In 1960, when his father died, he named himself 'Chief
of State'. Sihanouk called his movement 'Buddhist
Socialism'. However it was not really socialist at all.
Sihanouk's reign began to crumble in 1968 when the

communists began a civil war. In 1970 Sihanouk left

the country. While he was away the National Assembly
voted to remove him as chief of state. Cambodia was
renamed the Khmer Republic.

20TH CENTURY CAMBODIA

However the communists slowly

made headway. The Americans

bombed Cambodia to try and stop
the communists. Nevertheless they
captured Phnom Penh on 17 April
1975.

THE KHMER
ROUGE

THE KHMER ROUGE

In 1975 a horrific and tragic era of Cambodian

history began in the reign of the Khmer

Rouge. They were led by Pol Pot (or Saloth
Sar) also known as 'Brother Number One'.
How many people were killed by Pol Pot and
the Khmer Rouge is not known for certain but
it was probably at least 1.5 million and it may
have been as many as 3 million. Pol Pot
declared that history would begin again in
Cambodia. The first year of revolution was
now the first year of history.

THE KHMER ROUGE

In 1975 Cambodia was a mainly agricultural country.

Pol Pot decided it should be completely agricultural.

This meant all the people from the towns and cities
were forced to move to the countryside. Pol Pot also
decided that agricultural output should double in 4
years. Private property was banned and collective
farms were formed. They were supposed to grow 3
tons of rice per hectare. People were made to work
very long hours to try and grow the extra rice. They
were given insufficient food and many fell ill and died
from a combination of exhaustion and malnutrition.

THE KHMER ROUGE

That was not all. Religion was banned in

Cambodia (people caught practicing

Buddhism were executed). Family
relationships were banned (on the grounds
that parents exploited their children).
Furthermore the smallest infringement of the
rules resulted in execution. Although they
were half starved, people caught foraging for
food were executed. People were also
executed for being lazy. Needless to say
anyone who complained was executed.

THE KHMER ROUGE

Furthermore the Khmer Rouge murdered

intellectuals. Soon people who could speak a

foreign language or who wore glasses were
executed. This nightmarish situation was only
ended by a war with Vietnam. The Vietnamese
invaded Cambodia in December 1978 and
quickly prevailed. Unfortunately Pol Pot
escaped and he did not die until 1998.

THE KHMER ROUGE

Pol Pot's soldiers fled to Thailand and they were

welcomed by the Thai's who feared a Vietnamese

invasion. The Khmer Rouge continued a guerrilla war
against the Vietnamese. However the Vietnamese
forces withdrew from Cambodia in 1989.
Afterwards negotiations began among several

different parties. The result was the Paris Peace

Accords of 1991. Communism was abandoned in
Cambodia and a provisional government ruled until
1993 when elections were held and a constitution was
framed. Sihanouk was made a constitutional monarch.

THE KHMER ROUGE

However the Khmer Rouge refused to take

part in the elections and they continued their

guerrilla war. Fortunately in 1996 Pol Pot's
second in command Leng Sary defected in
1996. Many Khmer Rouge troops followed him.
Pol Pot himself died in 1998 and peace
returned to Cambodia.
In 1999 Cambodia joined ASEAN.

21ST CENTURY CAMBODIA

In 2004 King Norodom Sihanouk abdicated.

His son became King Norodom Sihamoni in his

place.
Today Cambodia is still a poor country but

there is every reason to be optimistic about its

future. In the early years of the 21st Century
the Cambodian economy grew rapidly.

21ST CENTURY CAMBODIA

Cambodia suffered badly during the recession

of 2009 but it soon recovered and today it is

growing strongly. Today the textiles industry in
Cambodia is booming. Tourism is also an
important industry in in Cambodia. However
many people in Cambodia still live by farming.
In 2005 oil was discovered in the sea off

Cambodia and it holds great promise for the

future. Today the population of Cambodia is
14.9 million.

THE FLAGS
OF CAMBODIA

CULTURE OF CAMBODIA

Birth and Death Rituals

The birth of a child is a happy event for the family.

According to traditional beliefs, however,

confinement and childbirth expose the family, and
especially the mother and the child to harm from
the spirit world. A woman who dies in childbirth
crosses the river (chhlong tonle) in Khmer is
believed to become an evil spirit. In traditional
Khmer society, a pregnant woman respects a
number of food taboos and avoids certain
situations. These traditions remain in practice in
rural Cambodia, but they have become weakened in
urban areas.

Birth and Death Rituals

Death is not viewed with the great outpouring

of grief common to Western society; it is

viewed as the end of one life and as the
beginning of another life that one hopes will
be better. Buddhist Khmer usually are
cremated, and their ashes are deposited in a
stupa in the temple compound. A corpse is
washed, dressed, and placed in a coffin, which
may be decorated with flowers and with a
photograph of the deceased.

Birth and Death Rituals

White pennant-shaped flags, called "white crocodile

flags," outside a house indicate that someone in

that household has died. A funeral procession
consisting of an achar, Buddhist monks, members
of the family, and other mourners accompanies the
coffin to the crematorium. The spouse and the
children show mourning by shaving their heads and
by wearing white clothing. Relics such as teeth or
pieces of bone are prized by the survivors, and they
are often worn on gold chains as amulets. If the
child is always ill, his or her parents can go and
change the name of child

Courtship, Marriage,
Divorce
Courtship patterns differ between rural and

urban Khmer; romantic love is a notion that

exists to a much greater extent in larger
cities. A man usually marries between the
ages of nineteen and twenty-five, a girl
between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two.
After a spouse has been selected, each family
investigates the other to make sure its child is
marrying into a good family. In rural areas,
there is a form of bride-service; that is, the
young man may take a vow to serve his
prospective father-in-law for a period of time.

Courtship, Marriage,
Divorce
The traditional wedding is a long and colorful affair.

Formerly it lasted three days, but in the 1980s it more

commonly lasted a day and a half. Buddhist priests
offer a short sermon and recite prayers of blessing.
Parts of the ceremony involve ritual hair cutting, tying
cotton threads soaked in holy water around the
bride's and groom's wrists, and passing a candle
around a circle of happily married and respected
couples to bless the union. After the wedding, a
banquet is held. Newlyweds traditionally move in with
the wife's parents and may live with them up to a
year, until they can build a new house nearby.

Courtship, Marriage,
Divorce
Divorce is legal and relatively easy to obtain, but

not common. Divorced persons are viewed with

some disapproval. Each spouse retains whatever
property he or she brought into the marriage, and
jointly-acquired property is divided equally. Divorced
persons may remarry, but the woman must wait ten
months. Custody of minor children is usually given
to the mother, and both parents continue to have
an obligation to contribute financially toward the
rearing and education of the child. The divorced
male doesn't have a waiting period before he can
re-marry.

Customs
In Khmer culture a person's head is believed to

contain the person's soul--therefore making it taboo

to touch or point one's feet at it. It is also considered
to be extremely disrespectful to use the feet to point
out a person, or to sit or sleep with the soles of the
feet pointing at a person, as the feet are the lowest
part of the body and are considered to be impure.
When greeting people or to show respect in

Cambodia people do the "sampeah" gesture,

identical to the Indian namaste and Thai wai.

Customs
Customary Cambodian teachings are laid out in

verse form in long works from the 14th to 18th

centuries collectively called Chhbap ("rules" or
"codes"). These were traditionally learned by rote.
Works such as the Chhbap Pros ("Boy's Code"),
Chhbap Srey ("Girl's Code") and Chhbap Peak
Chas ("Code of Ancient Words") gave such advice
as: a person that does not wake up before sunrise
is lazy; a child must tell parents or elders where
they go and what time they will return home;
always close doors gently, otherwise a bad
temper will be assumed; sit in a chair with the
legs straight down and not crossed (crossing the
legs is a mark of an impolite person); and always
let the other person do more talking.

Clothing
Clothing in Cambodia is one of the most important

aspects of the culture. Cambodian fashion differs

according to ethnic group and social class. Khmer people
traditionally wear a checkered scarf called a Krama. The
"krama" is what distinctly separates the Khmer
(Cambodians) from their neighbors the Thai, the
Vietnamese, and the Laotians. The scarf is used for
many purposes including for style, protection from the
sun, an aid (for the feet) when climbing trees, a
hammock for infants, a towel, or as a "sarong". A
"krama" can also be easily shaped into a small child's
doll for play. Under the Khmer Rouge, krama of various
patterns were part of standard clothing.

Cambodian KRAMA

Clothing
The long-popular traditional garment known

as the Sampot, is an Indian-influenced

costume which Cambodians have worn since
the Funan era. Historically, Khmer clothing has
changed depending on the time period and
religion. From the Funan era to the Angkor
Era, there was a strong Hindu influence in
Cambodian fashion which favored wearing
Sampots over the lower body and oftentimes
nothing from the waist up except jewelry
including bracelets and collars such as the
Sarong Kor, a symbol of Hinduism.

Cambodian Sampot

Clothing
As Buddhism began to replace Hinduism,

Khmer people started wearing the blouse,

shirt and trousers of Khmer style. Khmer
people, both common and royal, stopped
wearing the Hindu-style collars and began
to adopt beautiful decorated shawls such
as Sbai instead. This new clothing style
was popular in the Udong period.

Cuisine
Khmer cuisine or more generally,

Cambodian cuisine is one of the worlds oldest

living cuisines, and is regarded by many as
one of the healthiest and most balanced
cuisines on the planet.
The staple food for Cambodians is rice, and

today rice is consumed by most Cambodians

daily and with all meals, utilizing a great
number of cooking styles and techniques. In
fact, Cambodians eat more rice than any
other people in the world

Cuisine
In addition, rice is eaten all day long in the

form of street-side snacks, such as deep-fried

rice cakes with chives and spinach, for
breakfast, as in Cambodia's famous rice
noodle soup kuyteav or rice porridge, and in
many desserts. Plain white rice is served with
nearly every family meal, typically served with
grilled freshwater fish, a samlor or soup, and
an assortment of seasonal herbs, salad leaves
and vegetables.

KUYTEAV

Cuisine
A common ingredient, almost a national

institution, is a pungent type of fermented fish

paste used in many dishes, a distinctive
flavoring known as prahok. It's an acquired
taste for most Westerners, but is an integral
part of Khmer cuisine and is included in many
dishes or used as a dipping sauce. The liberal
use of prahok, which adds a salty tang to
many dishes, is a characteristic which
distinguishes Khmer cuisine from that of its
neighbours.

PRAHOK

Amok (Cambodian Curry)

Religion
Buddhism has been the dominant religion in

Cambodia, in one form or another, since the

reign of Jayavarman VII (c. 1181-1200). Before
its adoption as the state religion however,
Hinduism flourished for over a thousand
years. Roman Catholicism was introduced by
French missionaries beginning in the
eighteenth century. Sunni Islam is practiced
among the Chams, while among the SinoKhmer population Mahayana Buddhism,
Confucianism and Chinese folk religions
remain popular.

Religion
Buddhism has existed in Cambodia since
at least the 5th century AD, with some
sources placing its origin as early as the 3rd
century BC. Theravada Buddhism has been
the Cambodian state religion since the 13th
century AD (excepting the Khmer Rouge
period), and is currently estimated to be the
faith of 95% of the population.

Religion
Cambodia was first influenced by

Hinduism during the beginning of the

Kingdom of Funan kingdom. Hinduism was
one of the Khmer Empire's official religions.
Cambodia is the home to one of the only two
temples dedicated to Brahma in the world.
Angkor Wat of Cambodia is the largest Hindu
temple of the world.

Religion
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.

Religion
There are around 20,000

Catholics in Cambodia

which represents 0.15% of the total population.

There are no dioceses, but there are three territorial
jurisdictions - one Apostolic Vicariate and two
Apostolic Prefectures. The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormons) has
a growing population in Cambodia. The church's
late prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, officially
introduced missionary work to Cambodia on May
29, 1996. The church now has 15 congregations (12
Khmer language and 3 Vietnamese language).

TRIBAL Religions
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.
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 Jarai groups have a well-developed hierarchy of
spirits with a supreme ruler at its head.

Pagodas in
Cambodia

The 100Column
Pagoda in
Kratie,
Cambodia.

The Angkor Wat

The Angkor Wat

The largest Hindu temple complex in the world. The

temple was built by King Suryavarman II in the early

12th century in as his state temple and eventual
mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaivism tradition of
previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to
Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the
only one to have remained a significant religious centre
since its foundation first Hindu, dedicated to the god
Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is at the top of the
high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become
a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag,
and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

Education in Cambodia
Traditional education in Cambodia was handled by the

local wat, and the Bhikkhu were the teachers. The

students were almost entirely young boys, and the
education was limited to memorizing Buddhist chants in
Pali.
During the period of the French protectorate, an

educational system based on the French model was

inaugurated alongside the traditional system. Initially, the
French neglected education in Cambodia. Only seven high
school students graduated in 1931, and only 50,000 to
60,000 children were enrolled in primary school in 1936.

Education in Cambodia
In the year immediately following

independence, the number of students rapidly

increased. Vickery suggests that education of
any kind was considered an "absolute good"
by all Cambodians and that this attitude
eventually created a large group of
unemployed or underemployed graduates by
the late 1960s.

Education in Cambodia
From the early twentieth century until 1975, the

system of mass education operated on the French

model. The educational system was divided into
primary, secondary, higher, and specialized levels.
Public education was under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Education, which exercised full control over
the entire system; it established syllabi, hired and paid
teachers, provided supplies, and inspected schools. An
inspector of primary education, who had considerable
authority, was assigned to each province. Cultural
committees under the Ministry of Education were
responsible for "enriching the Cambodian language."

Cambodian Literature
Cambodian or Khmer literature has a very

ancient origin. Like most Southeast Asian

national literatures its traditional corpus has
two distinct aspects or levels:
The written literature, mostly restricted to the
royal courts or the Buddhist monasteries.
The oral literature, which is based on local
folklore. It is heavily influenced by Buddhism,
the predominant religion, as well as by the
Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Cambodian Literature
Ancient Stone Inscriptions
A testimony of the antiquity of the Khmer

language are the multitude of epigraphic

inscriptions on stone. The first written proof
that has allowed the history of the Khmer
empire to be reconstructed are those
inscriptions.
These writings on columns, stelae and walls
throw light on the royal lineages, religious
edicts, territorial conquests and internal
organization of the kingdom.

Cambodian Literature
Buddhist Texts
Following the stone inscriptions, some of the

oldest Khmer documents are translations and

commentaries of the Pali Buddhist texts of the
Tripitaka written in the Khmer script.
These texts were written with stencils by the
monks on palmyra palm leaves. They were
kept in various monasteries throughout the
country and many did not escape the
destruction of the Khmer Rouge.

Cambodian Literature
REAMKER
The Reamker or Ram Ker (Rama's fame) is the
Cambodian version of the Ramayana, the famous
Indian epic. The Reamker comes in rhymed verses and
is staged in sections that are adapted to Cambodian
dance movements interpreted by local artists.
The Reamker is the oldest form of Cambodian theatre.
The Robam Sovann Maccha - a certain dance from the
Reamker about Hanuman and Suvannamaccha, the
golden mermaid, is one of the most renowned pieces of
classical dance in Cambodia.

Cambodian Literature
Court Literature
King Thommaracha II (16291634) wrote a poem directed to
the Khmer young generation which is still a well loved
traditional piece of poetry.
King Ang Duong (18411860) is known in Khmer literature for
being not only a king but a famous classical writer in prose.
His novel Kakey or Ka key (from the Sanskrit word for a
"female crow"), is inspired in a Jataka tale and has elements of
regional folktales.
Another work by Ang Duong, also probably inspired in an
ancient legend, is Puthisen Neang Kong Rey, a novel about a
faithful wife ready to sacrifice her life for her husband. Khmer
poets and songwriters have used the words "Kakey" for a
woman who is unfaithful to her man and "Neang Kong Rey" for
a very faithful woman.

Cambodian Literature
Popular Legends
One of the most representative of these tales was
the story of Vorvong and Sorvong, a long story of the
Khmer oral tradition about two Khmer princes that
fell into disgrace, but after a series of ordeals
regained their status. Vorvong and Sorvong was first
put into writing by Auguste Pavie as "Vorvong and
Saurivong"; this French civil servant claimed that he
had obtained the folk legend version he wrote down
from a certain "Old Uncle Nip" in Somrontong
District. This story was put into writing in
Battambang.

Cambodian Literature
Popular Legends
Tum Teav is a classic tragic love story set in
Kampong Cham that has been told throughout
the country since at least mid 19th century. It
is based on 17th or 18th century poem of
uncertain origin, probably having originated in
a more ancient Cambodian folk legend.
Nowadays Tum Teav has oral, literary, theatre,
and film versions in Khmer.

Cambodian Literature
Modern Literature
The era of French domination brought about a
requestioning of the role of the literature in
Cambodia. The first book in the Khmer script
in a modern printing press was printed in
Phnom Penh in 1908. It was a classical text on
wisdom, "The Recommendations of Old
Mas", published under the auspices of
Adhmard Leclre.

Cambodian Literature
Modern Literature
Some of the first modern Cambodian literary
works keep the influences of the versified
traditional literature, like the 1911 novel Dik
ram phka ram (The Dancing Water and the
Dancing Flower), Tum Teav (1915) by the
venerable Som, the 1900 work Bimba bilap
(Bimba's Lamentation) by female novelist Sou
Seth, or even Dav Ek by Nou Kan, which
appeared in 1942.

MARAMING
SALAMAT