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

Yike Is Khmer Traditional Performance

 

Khmer in Early 1900s

Yike is Khmer traditional theatre with the ancient music and singers. It was thought to originate since Funan period in the first century of Khmer Kingdom. Yike is not only popular among Khmer people, but Cham people also loves it as both Khmer and Cham share the same root of history as the center for trade in Southeast Asia between the ancient kingdoms from today China and India. There were many intermarriages between local people and royal family to the traders, academicians and royal families from ancient kingdoms in India today. There were also the international relation with Royal House of the ancient kingdoms in China for religion and leadership.

During 1960s, Khmer loved seeing Yike Performance and artists were very influential to people in Cambodia. Many Khmer literature were used to create Yike Performance while people would like to relax after working on their farm and rice field during big events like Khmer New Year, etc. There were some Yike songs created as well for local people to learn and sing. A lot of masterpieces from Yike Theatre Group during that period remains till today even their artists were tortured by communist group in Cambodia during 1975-1979 with the support from neighboring communist and big communist country. Only few artists survived the regime and Yike is still known in Khmer National Radio during 1980s and 1990s, but today there is less popularity due to the influence for the modern multimedia such as TV and YouTube for foreign performance. Besides Khmer people in Cambodia, there are millions of Khmer communities living in neighboring countries such as South Vietnam (before is South Cambodia or French Cochinchina) and northeastern Thailand (part of the ancient Khmer Empire) who love seeing Yike performance, especially millions of Khmer Krom people in today Southern Vietnam (South Cambodia) totalling to 21 provinces.

Khmer overseas in USA, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Laos, some other parts of Thailand (Ratchaburi, Prachinburi, Kanchanaburi, Suphanburi, Sa Kaeo, Krung Thep (Bangkok), Chanthaburi, Trat, etc), France and Germany also support Yike performance online watch with YouTube Channel as well. We hope that Yike will be well-preserved and popular again among Cambodian youth and young Khmer living overseas. "Yike is our heart and soul, let's watch it!"

By: Steung Khiev