Cambodia Angkor A Lasting Legacy

Pierre Odier

In the mid-1980s, the award-winning movie "The Killing Fields" launched the Cambodian tragedy into the public consciousness. It deals with the genocide of nearly half the population of Cambodia at the hands of the Khmer Rouge which was the ruling Communist Party between 1975-1979.

Today, Cambodians are trying to put their past behind them and look to the future, yet their children know little and are not being told about the atrocities committed in their country. The genocidal policies of the Khmer Rouge not only obliterated lives, it also systematically erased historical records of the ancient traditions and rich cultural heritage of the Cambodian people.

The Khmer dynasty was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Southeast Asia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor, the site of the capital city during the empire's zenith. Angkor bears testimony to the Khmer empire's immense power and wealth, as well as the variety of belief systems that it incorporated over time. Modern researches by satellites have revealed Angkor to be the largest pre-industrial urban center in the world.

Like so many cultures and civilizations of the past, the Khmer vanished many years ago but left an indelible reminder of their existence. Its legacy has become the foundation for the emergence of a new society in Cambodia that struggles to retain an identity. Today it is hard to envision the scale and extent of this lost civilization, as it has only provided us with a collection of monumental ruins in the process of being devoured by a natural environment. It is also suffering from neglect and indifference of a government more intent on perpetuating its power than preserving its past.

All the proceeds(profits) from this publication will go to support the mine clearing efforts of Cambodian Self Help Demining and the children who live at the Cambodian Landmine Museum Children's Center.

Hardcover edition:
Price: US$35.95

 

Softcover edition:
Price: US$29.95