Emerging from the shadow of death

Today, Cambodia is economically on her knees, gradually attracting foreign investors. The wounds of the past are still wide open and even the death of Pol Pot last year and the forming of a coalition of Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party with the Opposition is viewed with scepticism,
contends Christoph Kohler

THE tiny south-east Asian kingdom of Cambodia shares its borders with Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and the Chinese Sea to the south. During the Khmer Empire, lasting from 802 to 1432 AD, Angkor temples, one of the most remarkable heritages of the world were built. Following the collapse of the Khmer Empire, which was overthrown by forces of the Thai Kingdom in 1432, internal rivalries and constant warfare with Thailand plagued Cambodia. It was ruled by several weak kings until the arrival of the French in 1863. The temples were enveloped by the thick jungle and forgotten. As part of the French Indochina, Cambodia was virtually unaffected by the Franco-Viet Minh war and was regarded a "safe heaven".

Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, was a remarkable example of French Savoir vivre; a baguette for breakfast, a quick coffee in one of the cafe’s to watch people go by and a game "boulle" under the shady trees along a Boulevard. The entire period of French colonialism, until Cambodia’s independence in 1953, when King Norodom Sihanouk took the sceptre for the next 15 years, are remembered as more or less peaceful ones.

The saddest chapter of its recent past was opened by the Americans. Bombing of suspected communist bases in 1969 resulted in killing thousands of civilians. They finally invaded the kingdom together with the South Vietnamese in 1970, pushing the leftist guerrilla force Khmer Rouge back into the rural North. Soon after, the Khmer Rouge under their leader Pol Pot started a bloody insurgency against the ruling government, cleansing the North systematically until they finally marched into Phnom Penh on March 14, 1975, to give a call for revolution.

During Pol Pot’s reign, Cambodia’s people witnessed one of the most gruesome genocides the world has seen in this century. The Khmer Rouge eliminated an estimated one-third of the entire population, throwing the country back into the Dark Ages. Pol Pot’s vision, to turn Cambodia into a Maoist, peasant-dominated nation, was the death sentence for most educated people. Whoever was unfortunate enough not being able to flee the country in time was brutally tortured to death. After Vietnam "liberated" Cambodia in 1978, the Khmer Rouge have backtracked along their stronghold, the Thai border, fighting against the Vietnam backed government throughout the late 70s and 80s. In 1993, King Norodom Sihanouk was elected back into power, at a UN-administered election, only to be forced into exile in July 1997, after a bloody coup led by Hun Sen. The former Khmer Rouge hardliner, taking over the leadership of the country. The 1998 election has put him "officially" into power.

Today, Cambodia is economically on her knees, gradually attracting foreign investors. The wounds of the past are still wide open and even the death of Pol Pot last year and the forming of a coalition of Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party with the Opposition, is viewed with scepticism. The Angkor temples, a part of Cambodia’s ancient heritage, help to attract tourists to a country savaged by war.

Before travelling to any place in Cambodia, it is a good idea to check the security situation. Trying to explore off-beat areas is simply foolish. Phnom Penh is not safe after dark. Robbery at gunpoint is quite, common. Arms from AK-47 to rocket-launchers are cheaply and readily available. It is still not advisable to travel by train (Sihanoukville). Any travel other than Phnom Penh, around Angkor and Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s only Port and Beach-resort, should be avoided.

When you explore the Angkor temples off the main circuit, always take a local with you. The countryside is still infected by landmines. The main temple areas, however, are all clear. The safest way to travel is by plane. Coming from Vietnam, the Moc Bai border crossing is convenient, it takes only five hours from Ho Chi Min city (Saigon) to Phnom Penh. The borders with Laos and Thailand are neither legal nor safe.

Roaming through Phnom Penh is an experience. The French influence still lingers in its corners and it has, despite the grim, dreadful past, still a pleasing charm. The markets in Phnom Penh are lively and energetic. Strolling through the Russian Market you dive into a labyrinth of smells and sights. About every stolen motorbike in Phnom Penh finds its way into the Russian Market. The big, round Central Market has an excellent selection of fruits and vegetable and is well worth a visit. To cover longer distances around the city, about any guy on a motorbike will given you a ride. The going rate is $ 1.

Some spectacular Pagodas can be visited in the capital. About 95 per cent of the population of Cambodia follows Buddhism. Visit the Wat Phnom and the Wat Ounalom for a little meditation. In the silver Pagoda, the only part accessible of the Royal Palace, some find artefacts of the rich Khmer Empire can be seen. More artefacts and information about the Khmer Empire are displayed in the National Museum.

The killing fields at Choeung Ek are a silent reminder of Pol Pot’s cruelty. In the pagoda,erected in 1988, some 8,000 skulls of victims are displayed, sorted by gender and age. Having spent some time in this amazing country, meeting its lovely, good-hearted people it hurts tremendously to look into these skulls, staring into eternity. Another silent reminder of the holocaust is the $21 prison, formally a high school, which was turned into a high security prison during Khmer Rouge’s bloody regime. No museum could be more authentic than the horrifying rooms of $21, where no restoration in most of the rooms has taken place, leaving them full of screams of their victims.

If you want to taste Phnom Penh’s nightlife, "The Hard of Darkness" seems to be the place to be, frequented by the ex-pad community. Make sure to have a motorbike driver you can trust. You don’t want to look for a ride at 2 a.m. Phnom Penh’s Sofitel is the best address to stay, which even hosts a Casino on a boat docked on the nearby Mekong. Pleasant and cheap are the guesthouses around the little lake. Excellent to let your day finish in a hammock, drinking an ice gold Angkor-beer, and let your thoughts slip away into the streets of Phnom Penh.

Another option, besides flying to Siem Riep, is travelling by boat, leaving in the wee hours of the day along the Tonle Sap River. Sitting on the roof, the first two hours are magnificent, watching the lively shore. Siem Riep lies on the other side of the Tonle Sap Lake. Accommodation in Siem Riep, some distance away from the temples, is abundant. Guesthouses catering to any wallet, up to the grandeur of the "Palais d Angkor". The best way to get to the temples is on a motorbike. The entrance ticket is quite steep. Hinduism, Brahminism and Buddhism influenced the architecture of the Angkor temples. Angkor Wat, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, was built in the beginning of the 12th century. The sunrise is best seen from Angkor Wat, facing West, the ball of fire rises into the sky behind the impressive structure. The Wat symbolises an earthly model of the cosmic world, with the central tower reaching a height of 213 metres.

The Bayon, standing in the exact centre of Angkor Thom, was built nearly hundred years after the Angkor Wat as a Buddhist worship place. The overlooking, smiling faces, are images of the Bodhisattava Avalokitesvara, who, after reaching enlightenment, returned to earth to help the sufferings of all humanity. Wandering around the different galleries, one can see the awe-inspiring stone carvings and images of Shiva, Vishnu and Ganesha dominate the surrounding.

The melancholy of this country and the utter beauty of the graceful Angkor does not let got and lives on in your dreams. Cambodia, a country with an incredible heritage and the charismatic Khmer people look into the new millennium with a lot of hope in their hearts.