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First Post
3 days ago
- First Post
Beyond the war: Cambodia's hidden Hindu heritage
Turf wars about monuments are not uncommon. But these usually happen when a monument collapses out of lack of upkeep and various departments and entities accuse each other of neglecting the monument. However, a corner of South-East Asia is witnessing the perhaps unprecedented scenario of two sovereign nations coming close to all-out war over control of some monuments and its surroundings. While the Preah Vihear Temple has long been contested between Cambodia and Thailand, the recent conflict has been centred around control and ownership of the Ta Muen Thom Temple. The temple complexes, which lie on the border between the two countries, are the victims of disputes arising from a colonial era border demarcation and a reluctance to accept this border in modern times. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The temples at Preah Ko, part of the Roluos group Tension simmering for years has exploded now with shots fired and worse. Rocket-propelled grenades and even air forces have come into play. Amidst all this, if you are planning to visit Cambodia, there is plenty beyond the Angkor that can be explored. And none of it is controversial, never mind conflicts. Roluos (20 kms south-east of Angkor Wat): The place was once called Hariharalaya. At the end of the 8th century CE, Jayavarman II established the first Khmer capital here. His successors expanded the city and built the lofty shrine called Bakong as well as the smaller Preah Ko, which means 'sacred bull' – a reference to Nandi. Towards the end of the 9th century came Lolei, a temple whose name is said to be a mutation of Hariharalaya itself. It was built on an artificial island in the Indratataka Baray, a water body. The Temple Mountain of Bakong at Roulos. Source: Wikipedia Coming centuries before the globally celebrated Angkor Wat, these examples of early Khmer architecture are a joy to visit. And not just because they are away from the crowds that fill the Angkor and its immediate vicinity. Built mostly with bricks, the Lolei temples are the oldest examples of classical Khmer design. The Preah Ko comprises six shrines standing on a sandstone platform, in two uniform rows. The front row shrines are dedicated to Khmer rulers Prithivindreshvara, Jayavarman II and Rudreshvara, while the back row is in the memory of their respective wives. The carvings on the shrines are intricate and need careful examination. The sandstone shrine of Bakong was the first of the pyramid shaped temples of the Khmers. In some ways, it resembles Borobudur, the giant Buddhist shrine on the island of Java. As per an inscription found here, it was consecrated in 881 CE by the ruler Indravarman I as his state temple. This was a Shiva shrine named Indresvara, the name combining the ruler's identity with that of the God. With a moat as its boundary, the shrine is a vast complex with more than twenty satellite temples in its precincts. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Banteay Srei (37 kms north of Angkor Wat): Its name literally meaning 'citadel of women' and figuratively referring to 'citadel of beauty', the Banteay Srei temple lives up to its name being an elegant and somewhat fragile looking temple complex with a water body in front. This is the only temple complex in Cambodia which did not have a ruler as its patron builder, but two courtiers of King Rajendravarman II. A temple inside the Banteay Srei complex Originally built in the latter half of the 10th century CE, the temples saw further expansion in the 12th and 13th centuries CE, with the last inscription found here dating to 1303 CE i.e. the early 14th century. Made of red sandstone, the temple's material was very amenable to rich carving. The result was a vast array of divine icons carved throughout its structure amidst floral patterns. Primarily a Shiva shrine, it also has Vishnu iconography within. The idyllic setting of the Banteay Srei complex Sadly, this extensive iconography meant that the temple complex drew looters and vandals in hordes. The most notorious incident was the theft of four icons by a Frenchman called Georges André Malraux. He was arrested and the idols recovered. That fact that he went on to become a respected author and 'intellectual' shows the state of justice. As has been the fate of many heritage sites in countries that were colonised, many icons and parts of the complex are in the Guimet Museum in Paris. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In its prime, the temple complex had a settlement called Ishvarapura around it. Nothing of this remains. The temple complex itself comprises three concentric rectangular enclosures. Within it lie various shrines, gopuras or gateways and structures popularly termed libraries. Kbal Spean (43 kms north of Angkor Wat): Sometimes called 'Valley of a Thousand Lingas', Kbal Spean is one of Cambodia's most visually striking sites. The place lies in the western part of the Kulein mountains. To reach, a visitor walks through a forest path, up a hill, for nearly two kilometres. And then arrives at a river whose bed is like no other! The Stung Kbal Spean River flows here, later merging into the Siem Reap River before its waters reach the Tonle Sap Lake. At Kbal Spean, leveraging sandstone rocks the river passes over, a stretch of about 200 metres of the riverbed has been extensively carved. The patron of this carving was a minister of the Khmer ruler in the 11th century CE, who created a thousand Shiva lingas on the riverbed. Close by are other carvings believed to have been done by hermits who dwelt here – carvings of Brahma, Vishnu atop his celestial serpent, Shiva-Parvati and others. Their intricacy is breath-taking. On one icon of Vishnu lying on Sheshnag, a lotus flower emerges from his navel and has a Brahma carving touching it. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A reclining Vishnu icon at Kbal Spean The elaborate carving at Kbal Spean is no mere embellishment, but had a spiritual meaning attached. The Khmers believed that the water flowing into the Tonle Sap Lake near Angkor had been blessed by touching the sacred carvings at Kbal Spean. It is also mentioned that in 1059 CE King Udayadityavarman II consecrated a golden Shiva linga here. Given how much Cambodia has lost in terms of antiquities being looted, perhaps it is a blessing that the Kbal Spean carvings are on a riverbed, else they too could have ended up in a European museum. The list of Cambodia's less-known heritage nuggets can be a long one. The region has emerged from decades of horrific conflict and welcomed visitors. More and more stunning heritage seems to be emerging from the countryside. One hopes that both Cambodia and Thailand can resolve their differences and the Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom temple complexes can also be visited. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The author is a heritage explorer with a penchant for seeking obscure sites. A brand consultant by profession, he tweets @HiddenHeritage. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
How a San Francisco record label is amplifying Cambodian voices
Before performing a ballad dedicated to his late mother, Cambodian rapper and singer Norith warned the sold-out crowd gathered at Asian Art Museum's Samsung Hall that his emotions might get the best of him. 'It's my first time performing this live,' he said. The audience on this recent weekend held its breath. Over a spare backbeat with sampled and live instrumentation, Norith elegantly peeled back layers of vulnerability in his native Khmer language, sharing the loneliness he and his father feel, and the love and belief his mom bestowed upon him. His song shares the same title and sentiment as 2Pac's 'Dear Mama,' though sung in a different language from across the ocean. Norith made it through without breaking. The heavily Cambodian American audience gathered in Samsung Hall on Saturday, July 19, for this one-of-a-kind performance, however, was visibly moved. Many dabbed the corners of their eyes while witnessing his mournful tribute. The emotional song was just one of the featured 'unplugged' performances by five Cambodian artists dominating the present and shaping the future of Khmer music. Along with Norith, there was pop singer and 'The Voice Cambodia' semifinalist Suzana; rapper Yuuhai; multi-instrumentalist and singer Vanthan; and rapper VannDa, who is the country's most visible symbol of contemporary Khmer music. The show was like an intimate 'Tiny Desk' concert set in Phnom Penh, except it was San Francisco, the city at the fulcrum of technology, eclectic music and thought. For more than an hour, the five artists traded rhymes and vocals in Khmer and English, with Vanthan providing beats and loops using modern and traditional instrumentation. Today, artists in Cambodia bear a heavy burden. From 1975-1979, the country was ruled by the Khmer Rouge, who carried out a genocide of the Cambodian people, while also destroying its art and 90% of its musical instruments. After the Khmer Rouge was overthrown in 1979, the country had to rebuild its cultural legacy from the ground up. Suzana was in awe that she was representing Cambodian culture in a San Francisco museum dedicated to Asian arts. It was her first time in America. 'I never thought I would be here,' Suzana told the crowd. 'This is like a dream.' The Bay Area — where roughly 6,000 of the 270,000 Cambodians in the U.S. live, according to the Pew Research Center — played a role in elevating these burgeoning Khmer voices. Empire, a San Francisco-based record label and music distributor, partnered with Cambodian entertainment company Baramey Production — whose founder Laura Mam is a San Jose native — for the event. The next day, they hosted an Oakland pop-up with all five artists where they sold merch and snapped selfies with fans. In late March 2025, Empire and Baramey signed a deal to help Cambodian artists like VannDa and Suzana find wider exposure and hopefully produce a hit single. 'America is still the place to make your voice heard on a global scale,' Mam told the Chronicle. 'And especially for this event, to come to the Bay — which celebrates diversity — I believe good things can happen. Southeast Asian music will be represented on a larger scale and I think we're part of the wave.' The Baramey artists were in the city to participate in a special songwriters camp that Empire facilitated at its South of Market studios. They joined other Asian artists — Litty and Zen Masuta from Japan, Basboi from Indonesia — for a week working alongside American songwriters and producers, including Grammy-winner!llmind, who made records with Drake, Beyoncé and J Cole. One afternoon, Empire CEO Ghazi chartered a bus where the artists spent the day visiting local landmarks. Ghazi designed the Empire Asia camp as a cross-cultural exchange, helping artists improve and expand their art in terms of scope and diasporic markets. It's part workshop, part strategy to embolden the talent pool and build bridges. Two years ago, an Empire Africa camp produced the 2023 hit single 'Lonely at the Top' for Asake, and more recently completed an electronic dance music camp. Ghazi is now planning future camps for Middle Eastern and Arabic-speaking North African artists. 'It's just really nice to bring everybody together in a creative space and allow them the freedom to do what they love to do most, which is make music,' Ghazi said. With Empire's influence and proven hit-making prowess exemplified by Shaboozey's 2024 hit 'A Bar Song (Tipsy),' Baramey artists like VannDa have a bright future. For those gathered at Samsung Hall, it was a rare chance to experience Cambodia's artists on the verge of a global breakthrough. Given the historical implications, it was an emotional moment for both artist and audience. 'Setrey Serey (Unbroken),' tears of pride and recognition flowed freely. 'I think the Cambodian community here felt seen,' said Mum. 'Our artists represent a beacon that we hope can be seen in the world and not be invisible anymore. They bring the sound of our despair, our joy, our love. These are the sounds of Cambodia.'
Kuwait Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Fleeing Thais, Cambodians call for peace
ODDAR MEANCHEY: People who fled their homes near the border between Cambodia and Thailand, gather to get some food at a pagoda in Oddar Meanchey province on July 26, 2025. Thailand and Cambodia clashed for a third day, as the death toll from their bloodiest fighting in years rose to 33 and Phnom Penh called for an 'immediate ceasefire'. – AFP KANTHARAROM: As Cambodia and Thailand traded deadly strikes, fleeing civilians on both sides described their cross-border neighbors as 'siblings' and 'friends' - swapping calls for peace against the backdrop of artillery barrages. The death toll from three days of fighting has risen to 33, the majority civilians, after a long-running border dispute sharply escalated into combat waged with jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops. 'Relations used to be good - we were like siblings,' said 56-year-old Sai Boonrod, one of hundreds of Thais sheltering at a temple in the town of Kanthararom after evacuating her border village home. 'But now things may have changed,' she told AFP. 'I just want the fighting to end so we can go back to being like siblings again.' Over the Cambodian border, 150 kilometers from Sai's temporary home, a similar scene plays out: hundreds of evacuees huddled in makeshift tents on a temple site, surrounded by emergency food rations and their hastily packed clothes. 'We are neighbors, we want to be friends,' one 50-year-old told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity at the temple shelter in Phumi Bak Thkav. 'But they are attacking us. We are fleeing homes because of them.' Tensions have long flared over the countries' shared 800-kilometre border, peppered with ancient temple sites claimed by both nations. The previous most deadly clashes broke out between 2008 and 2011 - leaving at least 28 people dead. But stretching her legs on a bamboo mat, Sai said 'it was never this violent' in previous times. She is one of more than 170,000 evacuated from the countries' border zones, but her husband stayed behind to help guard neighbors' livestock and belongings. 'I want them to negotiate, to stop firing quickly... so the elderly can return home and the children can go back to school,' she said. The UN Security Council held an urgent meeting on Friday and both sides have said they are open to a truce - but accused the other of undermining armistice efforts. 'End the fighting' This flare-up began with a gun battle in late May killing one Cambodian soldier, and festered with tit-for-tat trade restrictions and border closures before hostilities spiked on Thursday. At 73 years old, Suwan Promsri has lived through many episodes of border friction - but said this one feels 'so much different'. He said resentment of Cambodians among Thais - including himself - is growing, with patriotic online discourse fanning the flames. In February, Bangkok formally protested to Phnom Penh after a video of women singing a patriotic Khmer song in front of a disputed temple was posted on social media. The fighting has also been accompanied by a wave of online misinformation and disinformation from both sides. 'Before the internet, I felt indifferent,' said Suwan. 'But social media really plays a part in fuelling this hatred.' Despite the divisions, he is united with his Thai neighbors, and those over the border in Cambodia, in his calls for peace. 'I want the government to realize that people along the border are suffering. Life is difficult,' he said. 'I hope the authorities work on negotiations to end the fighting as soon as possible.' — AFP
The Sun
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Fleeing Thais, Cambodians plead for peace amid border war
KANTHARAROM (Thailand): As Cambodia and Thailand traded deadly strikes, fleeing civilians on both sides described their cross-border neighbours as 'siblings' and 'friends' -- swapping calls for peace against the backdrop of artillery barrages. The death toll from three days of fighting has risen to 33, the majority civilians, after a long-running border dispute sharply escalated into combat waged with jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops. 'Relations used to be good -- we were like siblings,' said 56-year-old Sai Boonrod, one of hundreds of Thais sheltering at a temple in the town of Kanthararom after evacuating her border village home. 'But now things may have changed,' she told AFP. 'I just want the fighting to end so we can go back to being like siblings again.' Over the Cambodian border, 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Sai's temporary home, a similar scene plays out: hundreds of evacuees huddled in makeshift tents on a temple site, surrounded by emergency food rations and their hastily packed clothes. 'We are neighbours, we want to be friends,' one 50-year-old told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity at the temple shelter in Phumi Bak Thkav. 'But they are attacking us. We are fleeing homes because of them.' Tensions have long flared over the countries' shared 800-kilometre border, peppered with ancient temple sites claimed by both nations. The previous most deadly clashes broke out between 2008 and 2011 -- leaving at least 28 people dead. But stretching her legs on a bamboo mat, Sai said 'it was never this violent' in previous times. She is one of more than 170,000 evacuated from the countries' border zones, but her husband stayed behind to help guard neighbours' livestock and belongings. 'I want them to negotiate, to stop firing quickly... so the elderly can return home and the children can go back to school,' she said. The UN Security Council held an urgent meeting on Friday and both sides have said they are open to a truce -- but accused the other of undermining armistice efforts. - 'End the fighting' - This flare-up began with a gun battle in late May killing one Cambodian soldier, and festered with tit-for-tat trade restrictions and border closures before hostilities spiked on Thursday. At 73 years old, Suwan Promsri has lived through many episodes of border friction -- but said this one feels 'so much different'. He said resentment of Cambodians among Thais -- including himself -- is growing, with patriotic online discourse fanning the flames. In February, Bangkok formally protested to Phnom Penh after a video of women singing a patriotic Khmer song in front of a disputed temple was posted on social media. The fighting has also been accompanied by a wave of online misinformation and disinformation from both sides. 'Before the internet, I felt indifferent,' said Suwan. 'But social media really plays a part in fuelling this hatred.' Despite the divisions, he is united with his Thai neighbours, and those over the border in Cambodia, in his calls for peace. 'I want the government to realise that people along the border are suffering. Life is difficult,' he said. 'I hope the authorities work on negotiations to end the fighting as soon as possible.'- AFP
eNCA
4 days ago
- Politics
- eNCA
'We are neighbours': fleeing Thais and Cambodians call for peace
As Cambodia and Thailand traded deadly strikes, fleeing civilians on both sides described their cross-border neighbours as "siblings" and "friends" -- swapping calls for peace against the backdrop of artillery barrages. The death toll from three days of fighting has risen to 33, the majority civilians, after a long-running border dispute sharply escalated into combat waged with jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops. "Relations used to be good -– we were like siblings," said 56-year-old Sai Boonrod, one of hundreds of Thais sheltering at a temple in the town of Kanthararom after evacuating her border village home. "But now things may have changed," she told AFP. "I just want the fighting to end so we can go back to being like siblings again." Over the Cambodian border, 150 kilometres from Sai's temporary home, a similar scene plays out: hundreds of evacuees huddled in makeshift tents on a temple site, surrounded by emergency food rations and their hastily packed clothes. "We are neighbours, we want to be friends," one 50-year-old told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity at the temple shelter in Phumi Bak Thkav. "But they are attacking us. We are fleeing homes because of them." Tensions have long flared over the countries' shared 800-kilometre border, peppered with ancient temple sites claimed by both nations. AFP | TANG CHHIN Sothy The previous most deadly clashes broke out between 2008 and 2011 -- leaving at least 28 people dead. But stretching her legs on a bamboo mat, Sai said "it was never this violent" in previous times. She is one of more than 170,000 evacuated from the countries' border zones, but her husband stayed behind to help guard neighbours' livestock and belongings. "I want them to negotiate, to stop firing quickly... so the elderly can return home and the children can go back to school," she said. The UN Security Council held an urgent meeting on Friday and both sides have said they are open to a truce -- but accused the other of undermining armistice efforts. - 'End the fighting' - This flare-up began with a gun battle in late May killing one Cambodian soldier, and festered with tit-for-tat trade restrictions and border closures before hostilities spiked on Thursday. At 73 years old, Suwan Promsri has lived through many episodes of border friction -- but said this one feels "so much different". He said resentment of Cambodians among Thais -- including himself -- is growing, with patriotic online discourse fanning the flames. In February, Bangkok formally protested to Phnom Penh after a video of women singing a patriotic Khmer song in front of a disputed temple was posted on social media. The fighting has also been accompanied by a wave of online misinformation and disinformation from both sides. "Before the internet, I felt indifferent," said Suwan. "But social media really plays a part in fuelling this hatred." Despite the divisions, he is united with his Thai neighbours, and those over the border in Cambodia, in his calls for peace. "I want the government to realise that people along the border are suffering. Life is difficult," he said. "I hope the authorities work on negotiations to end the fighting as soon as possible."
