The legacy of French colonialism – specifically, how it influenced social and political thinking in Cambodia – is mixed. The French colonial presence, the king believed, would offer Cambodia respite and relative peace and security.
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The king did this in an effort to free Cambodia from the predations of the neighbouring Thai and Vietnamese, who had repeatedly attacked Cambodia and threatened its existence. The Struggle for Independence (1863-1953)Ĭambodia had been a colonial subject since 1863, when King Norodom invited France to serve as the country’s protector. It is also about finding truth and accountability for those both in and outside the country who caused, enabled, or ignored one of the worst genocides of the 20th century. It is about how the people of Cambodia, since 1979, have sought to rebuild their lives and communities and to heal from the past.
The second part of the story is still being written. And throughout these turbulent episodes, various alliances between rival factions and their leaders were formed, severed, and formed again. In the 26 years in between, Cambodia cycled through several different governments, political systems, and sweeping social and cultural changes ushered in by war, modernity, globalization, and a radical communist ideology. The first part of this story begins in the aftermath of a revolution and a war of independence against the French in 1953, and ends in 1979 with a country that was traumatized, starving, and littered with landmines and the remains of people who had perished over the previous four years. The second half of the 20th century was a period of radical change for Cambodia. But the regime’s ideology and tactics were so extreme that it targeted almost all aspects and segments of Cambodian society for destruction, and was ultimately responsible for the deaths of an estimated two million of the country’s seven million people. This regime tried to purify the nation of suspected corruption and counter-revolutionary tendencies in order to bring about its utopian communist vision for Cambodia. The second thing that often comes to mind evokes a starkly different set of images: the period of the Khmer Rouge, which ruled the country from 1975 to 1979. For many Cambodians, this period signifies the pinnacle of their civilization. The Angkorian period featured a powerful and vast Khmer Empire that was highly cultured and produced magnificent art and architecture. The first is Angkor Wat, an ancient temple complex built during the Angkorian period from the ninth to 15th centuries. When one thinks about Cambodia, two things often come to mind.
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