Khmer People, The Main Citizen of Funan, Chenla and Kambujadesa Empire (Cambodia)

 

Khmer Woman From Kampong Cham Province in the Past

Royal of Angkor Khmer Kambujadesa Empire (Cambodia at the peak in history)

Khmer people is surely the main citizen of Funan, Chenla and Kambujadesa to present Cambodia. There will not be any other ethnics to lead this kingdom other than Khmer. Some Chinese chronicles stated that Funan was already powerful at least 3 century B.C. before the coming of Brahmanism man came to marry their princess. Funan was known as the first strong kingdom in the mainland Southeast Asia before any other kingdoms and the land area cover most of Cambodia, South Cambodia (South Vietnam), part of Laos, Thailand and south of Myanmar (Mon state); anyway in these land area there were city state of Mon and Lawa which is the subordinate kingdom under Funan Khmer Kingdom's control.

Khmer people in Funan Kingdom are black skin with curly hairs. They were already the civilized society in their own way through the international trade connection to Persia, Roman, Jin (China), Java and India. There were the exchange of products from Funan to the world such as rice, salt, fish, grocery, gold, jade, pearl, medicine plant and more; the import were also from the world such as the perfume, cloth, weapons, fruit, kitchenware and so on. The ancient Khmer people were studious, hard-working trustful and friendly. They developed their kingdom to be so strong as the main power in the mainland Southeast Asia. Khmer people traded by river and sea to the world; O Ceo (O Keo) port was one the famous international port in the past to Roman world. Khmer prince or princess usually got married to nearby kingdoms such as Java or ancient Kamboja India to build the strong connection, cultural exchange, education and trade.

Khmer could build the stone temple under the influence from Kamboja India and Hinduism. Most Brahmans learnt from the ancient Kurukhsetra and Mahabharata to assist the Khmer King for various affairs. Khmer people also developed the loan alphabet from the ancient Kamboja India to be Kambujaksor (Khmer Kambuja script) uniquely from other states. Khmer kings were open to the world and strategically lead the kingdom until becoming one of the strong empire of the region to defeat many neighboring states bordering to Burma and China in the north and Malay Java in the south.

Khmer king also used various tribes as the extra workers for the empire that he caught from the defeating war with neighboring kingdom and mountain tribes such as Raman (Mon), Cham, Tai (Siam), Lawa, Java, Bunong and Khmu. Khmer king aleady sent the empire tribute embassy to Jin (China) and more to strengthen the bilateral relationship with other giant empires. Through the international trade, Khmer people were well-known in contact with many international traders in the ancient time.

Khmer people loves their motherland so much and devoted to expand the empire as large as the map during the Jayavarma VII reign. However, the empire decline made Khmer people to slowly under developed due to the long time of the subsequent war after the decline and attack from Siam and Viet Rebellion. Siam people tried to claim as the descendent of the Khmer empire, but reject Khmer people. They promoted the word Khom people to delete Khmer people from their own long time history. Luckily, Khmer people are knowledgeable and gain more study in the various languages to defense their real status of the Khmer Kambujadesa Empire to avoid the Siam claiming on the Khmer culture they adopted.

Khmer people really don't like Siam (today Thailand) in term of history as this ethnic are lying their own people about the real Khmer history; Khmer, born in Thailand, got misinformation about their ancestors and history that they started to go against their previous nation of Khmer Empire and believe in the fake Khom History. Khmer Cambodia and Khmer South Cambodia (Today south Vietnam) have never been like Khmer in Thailand; all love Khmer culture, literature and identity. They believe in Cambodia to bring the better future for Khmer nation again. Khmer people will protect everything from Khmer Empire, especially culture and identity not to let Siam people stole whatever our ancestor granted us.

"Don't Thai to me!" is the last word for Thai nations and "We are Khmer and the independent Khmer nation of Cambodia and Khmer in South Cambodia (currently under Viet control), the only descendent of Khmer Funan, Chenla and Khmer Kambujadesa Empire" to all the Khmer and other nations around the world loudly.

History Brought Cambodia Thai Border Conflict Over 3 Khmer Ancient Temples and Franco-Siam Based Map for Border Demarcation

 

Cambodia is the oldest kingdom housing mostly the Austroasiatic ethnic including Khmer mainly, Mon, Khmu, Lawa and mountain tribes like Bunong and Chong in the mainland Southeast Asia starting from Pre-historical Funan (Phnom Kingdom-Kambuja Sovarnnabhumi), Chenla (Kambujadesa) to current Cambodia. The most powerful trade port of O Ceo (O Keo in Khmer) of Funan was so famous worldwide to trade with Roman, Persian, Jin (China), Java and other kingdoms in the region. Cambodia used to become the great Khmer empire at the peak of Cambodia history controlled over the vast land area more than 1 million square kilometer covering currently whole part of Cambodia, half of middle to south Vietnam including the former Champa Kingdom, mostly Laos and Thailand and South of of China and Myanmar over Mon Kingdom; the central citizen and court is Khmer People controlled over other ethnics such as Mon, Khmu, Lawa, Lao, Cham people and some tribes of Tai-Kadai in the north near currently Vietnam and China.

In 13th century, Khmer Empire started to weaken due to the invasion from Mongol Empire on the Khmer Empire in the north and former Champa Kingdom under Khmer control. Also, there was the natural disaster of long drought and big flood in some areas of the country; Khmer Kings and his royal families got into the conflict of the Hindu (Siva) and Buddhism (Tantra Mahayana) giving the opportunity to Tai-Kadai and Lao subordinate leaders under Khmer central court to protest and gained independence in the area that Khmer King assigned them. Several kingdoms arised such as Lanna Kingdom (Lao), Lanchang Kingdom (Lao), Champa Kingdom (Cham), Haripunchai Kingdom (Mon) and Sokhothai Kingdom (Tai Siam). There was chaos in Yasodharapura Royal Capital to fight those rebellions at the same time and burden of the large stone temples caused economic down.

In 14th century, Ayudhya City (the current central Thailand) of Khmer Royal Families separated from Khmer Empire to establish the independent Lavo Kingdom with capital in Ayudhya. They also started attacking Khmer Empire to regain more power in the region instead of Khmer King in the Yasodharapura of Khmer Empire. Lastly, Ayudhya troops succesfully sacked Yasodharapura Capital of Khmer Empire three times and evacuated all Khmer people and all valuable property (gold and ancient Khmer script documents) in the capital to Ayudhya Capital; that was the ending point of Khmer Empire. It should be noted that Ayudhya capital of Lavo Kingdom under Khmer Royal Families controlled only a short period of time and Tai Siam stole their kingship over Ayudhya Capital and replaced Siam people as the main people of Ayudhaya Kingdom instead of Khmer people. After that, Siam Ayudhaya Kingdom always tried to grab the remaining area of Cambodia, but was beaten by Burma and Khmer Longvek troops. Khmer Kingdom (Cambodia) only survived at the short of time and recovered in the golden age of the international trade again during Longvek Capital era. Sadly, Siam attacked Longvek capital again in the late 16th century. 

Khmer Cambodia Kingdom was weaken again and again from the attack of Siam and new enemy of the east, Viet tribe after they attacked Champa kingdoms several times. Khmer King tried to survive by depending on one side of Siam or Viet to attack each other in Cambodia to delay the time. During that Siam started to use their power on Khmer King to control over the northwest of Cambodia (Inner Cambodia) and Viet to slowly control over South Cambodia (Kampuchea Krom known as Cochin China during French colonialism) and turtured millions of Khmer Krom people.

Until French colonialized Cambodia to make it stable, but financially crisis for Khmer family to get burdens of taxation. There was the key points of French colonialism done in Cambodia such as Cambodia gained her some land areas from Thailand over the northeast of Cambodia and loss of South Cambodia (Khmer Kambuja Krom) to Vietnam. That also brought to the current conflict border between Cambodia and Siam (Today Thailand) that Thai people never mishope to regain control over the Cambodia border land that they used to controlled before French colonialism; Siam used to cooperate with Japan to gain control over some part of Cambodia land, but returned back during Japan lost in World War II.

Today, Siam (Thailand) tried to gain much as possible by using the different map from Franco - Siam treaty 1907. Siam is mapping based on 1:50000 drawn by American troops unofficially while Cambodia still claims the map base 1:200000 from Franco-Siam treaty. Siam never wishes to deal with Cambodia in the international court of justice, but they thought that bilateral discussion with Cambodia will let them use the map 1:50000 to gain control over the 3 Khmer ancient temples and some land area on the Cambodia land close to border. Unfortunately, Cambodia refused on that to protect the Khmer remaining territory, especially 3 ancient Khmer temples such Ta Krobey Temple (Thai called Ta Khwai), Tamon Toch Temple and Tamon Thom Temple and brought this case to the ICJ, but Thailand refuse to cooperate and reject ICJ authority and decision.

Currently, some Thai nationalists and troops still eagers to control those temples forcely, but Cambodia is waiting from ICJ decision and ASEAN-China to come in stop Thai greed.

I hope Cambodia will get their full right over her land and Thai troops withdraw from those temples based on the international law and recognized Franco-Siam treaty in 1907.

Prājñā (Wisdom), the “states of deep sleep”

Prājñā refers to the “states of deep sleep”. Actually, enough sleep could help people to keep their brain healthy; Generally, everyone needs to sleep every day to balance their power for work and life. No one ever work daily without any sleep; it varies from person to person.

Meaning of Prajnaparamita for Cambodian (Khmer Language for Khmer People)

 បារមិតា => បរម (Perfect) ប្រកបដោយ (ទាន សីល សន្តិ វីរៈ សមាធិ ប្រាជ្ញា ឧបាយ ប្រណិធាន ពលៈ ញាណ) 

បរមប្រាជ្ញា (Prajnaparamita) សម្រាប់ជីវិតដ៏ប្រសើរមាន៖

១. ការលះបង់និងអោយទាន

២.សីលធម៌

៣.ថាមពលចិត្តនិងកាយ

៤.ចិត្តស្ងប់គិតពីអនាគតនិងដើរទៅមុខជានិច្ច

៥.ចំណេះដឹងនិងជំនាញ (ចេះ១០មិនស្មើប្រសប់១)

៦.សតិសម្បជញ្ញៈ

៧.ឈ្នះឈ្នះដោយសន្តិភាព

៨ .ឧបាយត្រូវ (ជំនាញដោះស្រាយបញ្ហា)

៩.ជួយអ្នកដទៃ

១០.កម្លាំងក្នុងជីវិត

La Ang Spean in Battambang, The Oldest Prehistoric Site in Cambodia

 

Pre-history in Cambodia is really important to tell about the past of Cambodia (Kamboja / Kambuja / Kanbawza). Cambodia locates in the mainland Southeast Asia. The ancient people lived here thousand years before the historical record known to the world. To study about the pre-history in Cambodia, they never forget one place as the oldest prehistoric site of Cambodia in the northwest region of this country, Battambang Province. Battambang has been known to the world for its prehistoric site, La Ang Spean, in the cave of Teak Trang Mountain telling the secret how ancient people movement in this area and habitating here​ since the Stone Age. The cave of La Ang Spean prehistoric site locates  on the west part of Teak Trang Mountain in the Kilo 38 Village, Treng Commune, Rattanak Mondol District, Battambang province and 40 km westward from Battambang City . Both international and national tourists can travel to this prehistoric site through National Road 10 (Today National Road 57) from Battambang City to Pailin Province. The name of La Ang Spean came from the view of the stone above the cave that look like bridge in the cave. It should be noted that Teak Trang Mountain was formed at about 300 million B.C. during the earth plain movements.

In 1964, Mr. Roland Mourer and his wife, Cécile came to Cambodia for this well-known prehistoric site and did a research over land area of 15 square metre in the mountain cave of this prehistoric site. This cave is 42 metre long, 20 metre wide and 20 metre high. They dug the soil near the west wall of the cave around 1.5 metre deep and found that there are 9 layers of soil. In the 9th layer of soil, they saw a lot of stone equipments and broken part of pottery products such as jar, porcelain, etc. They set the age of soil as to the stone age from 8500 to 6800 B.C.

Recently, archaeologists from France with Cambodian archaeologists  from Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts did a research on the land area of 70 square metres and found many equipments and broken jar of local prehistoric people used at La Ang Spean Prehistoric Site. They found 5 ancient dead body: one is female and others are male which at least from 3300 to 3370 B.C. Along with the buried ancient dead body, there are porcelain, ax made of limestone, some with arrows, some without arrows, stone bracelets, stone beads and animal bones, especially turtle bones (Yosothor Organization, 2020). From this research, both French and Cambodian archaeologists believed that these ancient people at La Ang Spean Pre-Historical Site can use various equipments and pottery products in different designs as you can find below photos (Yosothor Organization, 2020). 

Based on the previous research, people living in the cave of La Ang Spean Prehistoric Site can be traced back into three stages:

1. From 26000 to 71000 years before now ( Stone Age) in the layer of soil from 3 metre to 5 metre of the cave: there was the note for human activity with animal bones and stone equipments. People lived based on picking wild fruits and shooting animals and little fish.
2. From 5100 to 11000 years before now (Ending Stone Age) in the layer of soil from 30 centimetre to 1.4 metre (black soil layer from 30 centimetre to 40 centimetre): prehistoric people use stones from nearby river to use as stone equipments. There are lots of bone fragments, as well as snail shells and shells. When the bones of these animals are analyzed, it is found that most of them are large species such as rhinos, giraffes, rattlesnakes, tigers and deer. In addition, there are wild boars, deers, hedgehogs, ferrets, cobra, pythons, monitor lizard, birds and little fish bones which were left behind as their daily food. People lived in this period picking wild fruits and shooting animals  and little fish while stayed in the cave.
3. From 3300 to 3370 years before now (Bronze Age): during this period, due to the warming temperature, people moving outside the cave to live on the farm doing agriculture and fishery. They just used the cave at La Ang Spean prehistoric site of Teak Trang Mountain as the buried place for their relatives' dead bodies which found 5 ancient dead bodies. It is believed that people moving southwards during this period to other location with the support of the warming temperature.

La Ang Spean is surely the known oldest prehistoric site in Cambodia. It should be promoted to worldwide for more research study to find more evidence of human settlement in this area as well as for Cambodia's pre-history. Based on this data, we hope more Cambodian people will get interested in this research and educate our people about the root of our history well. We are not born alone, so we shall learn history as the lessons from our ancestors who lived thousand years before now and live in peace with each other. Nature can take us back one day when we are trying to destroy the nature around us.

By: Steung Khiev

Source: http://www.yosothor.org/publications/khmer-renaissance/chapter-four/lphol-tmey-tmey-ban-mok-pi-kamnay-nov-snanny-laang-spean.html

Ros Sereysothea as Khmer Golden Voice Princess, Life and Achievement in Cambodia

 

Ros Sereysothea (1947-1977)

Everyone in Cambodia surely knows the most famous female singer, Ros Sereysothea. What is special about her? Why do we need to remember her name when you're going to Cambodia?

Let me tell you that Ros Sereysothea coming from Battambang Province in the northwest region in Cambodia can speak Khmer, Thai and little English. She was known to be born on 06 November 1947 in Battambang Town, Battambang Province.

So you can guess what will I tell you about her? Haha.... Yeah! She is my favorite female Khmer singer before April 1975. She is purely Cambodian and a Khmer woman who never give up. She was so successful for her singing career with Sinn Sisamouth. She loves singing since she was a child in a poor family. However, she wasn't well with love and men always broke her heart.

A note for you is this woman singer being different from others. She has very highly sweet voice and she can make your heart beating by listening to her song. She is very introvert person and she rarely talks much. She loves to stay calm and respects others. She likes simple Khmer food with fresh fruit and avoid the cold drink or beer to affect her voice. She is also good at jogging, badminton and mini marathon. 

She had been very active for her singing career from 1964 to 1975. Her first famous song is Steung Khiev (Sangker River), written by Mr. Pov Sipho. Most of her songs is with Sinn Sisamouth, the most famous male singer in Cambodia. He helped her from sadness and be strong for singing career. Besides that, she was also the female parachutists for modeling the women in the troops as well.

Sothea was forced to leave Phnom Penh to Pnhom Sruch, Kampong Speu on 17 April 1975. She was said to live as normal people in the village marrying a local man and lived with her family during Khmer Rouge. Unfortunately, she and her family was captured and killed in April 1977 due to people noticed her and surrounded her without attendng the Khmer Rouge Meeting. Thousand of her songs still remain and video below from youtube is her best songs. Don't forget to listen to relax and best wish for her to RIP.

By: Steung Khiev

Covid-19 and Cambodia Struggling Economy in 2020

 

The Very Quiet Scenes of Local Theatre Educational Center, Phare Ponleu Selpak

Covid-19 is the worth epidemic for the world and Cambodia. Billion of people were suffered from the Coronavirus outbreak since the early 2020 and economically lost for their daily life. Million of people lost jobs or income as less people travelling and border closing.

Cambodian people who depend on agriculture saw a big loss with this outbreak and pandemic life. There is still ongoing report of Covid-19 cases within the country and people are hard to find enough incomes during this period, especially everyone who depends on the international tourism.

Businesses in the international tourism are closing some and art performance are no show anymore after many events cancelled. Phare Ponleu Selpak is one of them which suffered economically and artists are hard to support themselves. 

People who depend on salary are seeing a financial crisis as some are laid off and some working in very low income jobs. They are affected mentally and physically while the price of the food and products are going up. Sellers along the road get less customers as less people travel during the news of local communities' Covid-19 outbreak. 

If it takes that longer period, more people will find no way to support their life. Crimes will be increased and local people will be suffered more. We are really concerned for Cambodia and the world that this might be the third cold war for our people to struggle. Who develop and study about this virus? Who will be responsible for the hardship of these people? Humanity is till there yet or not? 

We hope Cambodia to recover soon and businesses and trades will increase more for our people to sell their agricultural products. We wish for factory who love to develop the factory to create the final products from our raw agricultural crops. We wish to have more rice mill and rice market for Cambodia to trade on. Let's contact Cambodia for your wish to trade rice; our farmers will be happy if more trades are available.

By: Steung Khiev