nATionAL MusEuM of cAMBoDiA DATABAsE PRoJEcT

KHMER LAnGuAGE & cuLTuRE sTuDY PRoGRAM

ouTREAcH AcTiViTiEs

new Directions 19

suMMER JunioR REsiDEnT fELLoWsHiP PRoGRAM

cKs-sRi LAnKA WoRKsHoP

cKs LEcTuRE AnD sEMinAR sERiEs

feature Article 20-23

cKs nATionAL MusEuM of cAMBoDiA inVEnToRY Bonus

senior fellows 24-27

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Welcome to cKs 3

Lois DE MEniL, PREsiDEnT

Director’s note 4-5

MicHAEL suLLiVAn

Members & Benefactors 6-7

oLiViER BERniER, VicE-PREsiDEnT

The cKs Library 8-9

Program & Activities 10-18

souTHEAsT AsiAn sTuDiEs cuRRicuLA DEVELoPMEnT PRoGRAM

PuBLisHinG & TRAnsLATion

confEREncE & WoRKsHoP

Photo: Khmer Bronze Garuda Boat-Prow ornament, 12th century

The center for Khmer studies

in focus

Mission Statement

cKs sTAff

Michael sullivan Director

nop sovanna finance officer

Tith sreypich Administrative officer, siem Reap

oum Daraneth Head Librarian

Mam Vannary Research Librarian

sim Puthea Administrative officer, Phnom Penh

Yem Yoeun Publishing and iT coordinator

Michel Rethy Antelme Editor, Siksacakr Journal

Board of Directors

Lois de Menil, Ph.D., PresidentAnne H. Bass, Vice-Presidentolivier Bernier, Vice-PresidentDean Berry, Esq., secretary and General counselGaye fugate, Treasurer

Prof. Michel Rethy Antelme, inALco, ParisProf. olivier de Bernon, Ecole francaise d’Extreme orient, ParisEmma c. Bunker, Denver Art MuseumProf. Kieth Rethy chhem, universities of Vienna & ulmDouglas clayton, Phnom Penh, cambodiaDarryl collins, siem Reap, cambodiaProf. Penny Edwards, university of california, BerkeleyProf. Bion Griffin, university of Hawai'iProf. Anne Hansen, university of WisconsinJacques Hennessy, RomeProf. Kamaleswar Bhattacharya, ParisRobert Kessler, Denver, coProf. Alan Kolata, university of chicagoProf. Andrew Mertha, cornell universityProf. John Miksic, national university of singaporesteven Pesner, Esq., new York, nYMary L. Porter, Houston, TXDr. Dawn Rooney, Bangkok, ThailandProf. son soubert, Royal university of fine Arts, cambodiaThe Hon. Benny Widyono, Ph.D., united nations (ret.)Bonnie Burnham, chairman EmeritusProf. Thak chaloemtiarana, cornell university, Trustee Emeritusselma Ertegun, new York, nY, Trustee Emeritus

Michael sullivan, Ph.D., Director, ex officio

The Center for Khmer Studies supports research, teaching andpublic service in the social sciences, arts and humanities inCambodia and the Mekong region.

CKS seeks to:•Promote research and international scholarly exchange byprograms that increase understanding of Cambodia and itsregion,•Strengthen Cambodia’s cultural and educational struc-tures, and integrate Cambodian scholars into regional andinternational exchange,•Promote a vigorous civil society.

CKS is an American Overseas Research Center supported by aconsortium of educational institutions, scholars andindividuals. It is incorporated in the state of Delaware, USA.It receives partial support for overhead and Americanfellowships from the US Government. Its programs are pri-vately funded.

CKS is the sole member institution of the Council ofAmerican Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) in

Southeast Asia.

CKS’s programs are administered fromits headquarters in Siem Reap and

from Phnom Penh. It maintains asmall administrative office in

New York and a supportoffice in Paris, Les

Amis du Centred ’ E t u d e s

Khmeres.

children reading outside the new research center

CKS is a member of CAORC(council of American overseas Research centers)

2 in focus

cKS was a challenge from itsinception. Founded in2000, CKS’s mission is to

promote the study of SoutheastAsia at U.S. universities, andsimultaneously, to contribute tothe formidable task of rebuildingCambodia’s higher educationsector, which was deliberatelydestroyed during the KhmerRouge genocide. There can be no

progress, no relief from poverty without the capacity high-er education institutions provide to train intelligent, well-educated future leaders.

We began by establishing research fellowships for U.S.scholars, using their opportune presence in Cambodia toengage these senior scholars in leading training programsin several key areas for Cambodian university students andjunior faculty. Major foundations welcomed this initiativewith seed funding. Eleven years later, we have a substan-tial alumni group— the CKS Society of Fellows, includingCambodian, American and international scholars. Overtime, we also built from scratch a modern research library,a place of free and open inquiry. Located on the groundsof Wat Damnak, a Buddhist pagoda in central Siem Reap,it is the only such library in the region and the secondlargest in Cambodia. Its facilities are remarkable, its atmo-sphere quiet and welcoming, amidst the dusty bustle ofdowntown Siem Reap. It is a place open to all, to think andto search, a favorite place for local young people.

A challenge from the outset was for CKS to become part ofthe network of prestigious international research institu-tions whose missions parallel our own, and which arejoined together in the Council of American OverseasResearch Centers (CAORC), with headquarters inWashington. CAORC institutions promote scholarshipthat ensures that there are U.S. experts who speak the lan-guages and understand intimately the cultures of countriesand regions around the world. They put U.S. scholars intocontact with their international colleagues and with schol-ars from the country in which they are located. This glob-al effort is essential in modern society, to government aswell as to businesses, and to the quality of education andculture, as those of us who lived through the grim periodof the Vietnam War, with its dearth of American experts onSoutheast Asia, well remember.

As an American Overseas Research Center, CKS receivessupport for fellowships from the State Department’sEducation and Cultural Affairs division, and has receivedpartial support of overhead from the Department ofEducation under the Higher Education Act. Congress rec-ognizes the essential contribution of AORCs. Over time,major foundations slowly phased out support after their

enthusiastic initial seed funding, and some switched focusto other regions and goals. CKS has been able to grow andprosper with the assurance of CAORC’s access to corefunding. Private contributions extended our reach toFrench scholars, whose traditional expertise in the area haslong made Paris a capital of Southeast Asian scholarship.We now collaborate closely with the major French institu-tion in Cambodia, the renowned French School of the FarEast (EFEO) on projects and workshops, and with theInstitut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales–‘Langues- O’. A French scholar from Langues- O foundedand edits our annual trilingual journal, Siksacakr. Otherprivate contributions from the U.S. and France made possi-ble a remarkable undergraduate summer program inSoutheast Asian history and Khmer language forCambodians, Americans and French undergraduates, anda fellowship program for French scholars, paralleling theone for U.S. scholars. American and international scholarsmeet each other under the umbrella of CKS. YoungCambodian scholars learn how to work as research schol-ars and connect with colleagues. They join enthusiastical-ly in our seminar and lecture programs.

The impact of the financial crisis has unfortunately result-ed in steep cutbacks in U.S. government funding. CKSrelies increasingly on private contributions to sustain itsmission. The Department of Education responded toCongress’s request for cutbacks, in spring 2011, by simplycanceling all grants up for renewal in 2011, including theHigher Education Act. This affected all U.S. internationaleducation programs, without distinction, including over-seas research centers and U.S. university centers.

CKS’s dedicated Board of Directors stepped up once againto the challenge, and voted both to increase their own per-sonal contributions and to double the target for this year’sannual giving and the programs it will sustain. Theseinclude, among others, an intensive Khmer language pro-gram and a Southeast Asian Studies training program thatprepares Cambodian junior faculty to develop a curricu-lum for new courses on the region at their universities. Thecorrosive effects of regional nationalism are visible in thepress daily, as border disputes escalate to army face-downsalong Cambodia’s borders with neighboring Thailand andVietnam. Never has it been more important to sensitizeeducated young people of the region to their common his-tory and culture.

Please join our Board and our young Cambodian staff intheir commitment to CKS’s cross-border initiatives in inter-national education. We are a place of welcome, of freeinquiry and of hope for the future.

Lois de Menil, Ph.D.

President

WELcoME To cKs!

Lois de Menil, President

in focus 3

DiREcToR’s noTE

After the fanfare and excitement ofH.M. Sihamoni, King ofCambodia’s visit in 2010, we

quickly settled down to begin the job ofimplementing the next phase of theCenter’s development. Based on theprevious year’s evaluation, we took thelessons learned and sharpened the focusof our programming and activities. Wecreated a renewed vision of how best tomeet the challenges of our threefoldmission: to promote scholarly exchange,increase understanding of Cambodiaand its region and help strengthenCambodia’s cultural and educationalstructures. A central aspect of thisvision has been the development of newways in which we could integrateCambodian scholars into regional andinternational exchange.

One new direction has been the estab-lishment of a Southeast Asia CurriculaDevelopment Program for youngCambodian university lecturers.

Giant puppets created by local children on the cKs lawn

Michael sullivan, Ph.D., Director

4 in focus

Research has shown that there are very few, if any, coher-ent Southeast Asian Studies programs currently availableat Cambodian universities. Our program is designed tohelp fill that gap by giving young Cambodian universitylecturers the opportunity to learn how to design curriculathat situates Cambodia in the broader field of SoutheastAsian Studies. The long-term goal is to facilitate the intro-duction of coherent Southeast Asian Studies curricula intoCambodian universities, which will lead to a greaterunderstanding of the importance of regional and interna-tional educational exchange. The program was successful-ly piloted in August 2010 and will run again this year inSeptember.

Another practical and new direction we have taken is theimplementation of our Khmer Language and CultureStudy Program, in collaboration with the Advanced Studyin Khmer (ASK) program run by the University of Hawai’i,Mānoa. Building upon last year’s experience, a group ofU.S. graduate students underwent a successful and inten-sive eight-week language skills acquisition course, includ-ing a cultural immersion component, that enabled them toput into practice their newly found language skills along-side the more advanced students from ASK. The programdemonstrates our commitment to promoting educationalexchange by helping equip individuals with the necessary

Khmer language skills and cultural understanding forstudy and research purposes.

As well as consolidating new practical directions with ourprogramming, we have also been reflecting further on theimplications that the dramatic societal changes occurring inCambodia have had for the field of Cambodian Studies. InJuly, CKS brought together senior and junior Cambodianand foreign scholars for an international conference enti-tled Transforming Cambodia Studies: Social Change andCultural Transitions Since 1979. The conference proceedingsrepresented a small but important step in re-framing ques-tions and understandings of contemporary CambodianStudies. This has important implications not just for loftyintellectual pursuits, but also for understanding the veryreal, practical world in which the Center is operating.Listening to the presentations and the sometimes exuber-ant and lively debates, one felt a sense of optimism andbelief that the Center for Khmer Studies is moving in theright direction.

cKs director and teachers with participants of the 2011 cKs Khmer Language and culture study Program

Michael Sullivan, Ph.D.Director

in focus 5

MEMBERs AnD BEnEfAcToRs

Participate in cKs’s growth by becoming a member. Your

contribution is essential to support our mission:

• support cKs’s Library fund: acquisition of books, equip-ment and computers, and the ongoing training of ourCambodian librarians.• support important cKs public outreach: free lectures,workshops and conferences, publications on contemporary andhistorical topics, and translation of essential educational textsinto Khmer. • Help cKs train junior faculty at the universities: to rebuildhigher education after its deliberate destruction in the KhmerRouge genocide.

Annual fund Membership categories:

• Director’s Circle ($35,000 and up) • Patrons ($20,000-$34,999)• Sponsors ($10,000-$19,999)• Supporting Members ($1,000-$9,999) • Members ($100-$999)

for credit card contributions, please use the attached form, orsee our website: www.khmerstudies.org/donate

for stock transfers, please call 212-980-6628

checks should be sent to:

Center for Khmer Studies149 East 63rd St., New York, NY 10065

For email information: center@khmerstudies.org

never has CKS done better:this is the good news. Ourprograms have proved

their worth, our students aregoing on to successful careers.Indeed, last January, at a gatheringof former participants in theJunior Faculty Training Program,it was heartening to listen to theseyoung men and women speak

with enthusiasm about the jobs they do now. And just astheir hard work has been rewarded, so we might expect oursuccess to bring us, financially, to a new, more secure place.

That is just what would have happened if it had not been forthe budget crisis in the United States and the consequentcuts made in many programs. Even if these cuts had beenmade rationally, we still would have done well, but theywere not. The U.S. Department of Education, from whomwe had been receiving funding, decided at the last momentnot to follow the other departments, who cut a percentageright across the board. Instead, in a startling decision, theDepartment of Education simply cut out the entirety ofthose programs, which were dependent on a competitionthat had not yet been, but was about to be, decided. Thiscompetition determined the allocation of funds to AmericanOverseas Research Centers - CKS is one of the most success-ful of these. There is very little doubt that our three-yeargrant would have been renewed. Instead all grants werecanceled. They would not have been if the results of thecompetition had been announced a few days earlier.

Of course, we still receive funds from a variety of sources,including notably, private donors. Thus the new librarywas built thanks to gifts from members of our Board, andits functioning is ensured by a generous yearly gift fromone of our private supporters. Other private and institu-tional donors make a number of our other activities possi-ble. Our fellowship programs continue, and the list of pastrecipients is an inspiring one: of those students who cameto CKS, many have become, or are becoming, specialists inthe field of Southeast Asian and Khmer Studies. As for thereputation of CKS among experts, it has not ceased to soar.

Still, we now find ourselves faced with the urgent need tomake up for those funds denied us and other researchinstitutions, by the Department of Education’s arbitrarycuts. Never has the support of individual donors beenmore important to us. We practice the most thoroughgo-ing frugality; our budget is a model of leanness, but weneed help. Money goes further in Cambodia than in theUnited States, so that every dollar you give us does a greatdeal of good. You have supported us in the past. Now weneed you more than ever. Thanks to you, in a mere elevenyears we have built a great institution. Please help us toproject our success into the coming year; by supporting usnow, in this difficult moment, you will help us immeasur-ably: even a small effort will do a great deal of good.

May we hear from you?

Join cKs!

Olivier Bernier,Vice President

U.S. contributions to CKS are tax deductible.

6 in focus

We are grateful for your support!

Director’s circle ($35,000 and up)

Robert and Lisa Kessler

Lois and Georges de Menil

Patrons ($20,000-$34,999)

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anne H Bass

selma Ertegun

nancy norman Lassalle

steven and Michele Pesner

Mary Lawrence Porter

sponsors (10,000-$19,999)Anonymous

Anonymous

olivier Bernier

John and Martha Howard (close friends

foundation)

Adam Roseman

supporting Members ($1,000-$9,999)

Abercrombie & Kent Group

Brook Berlind

Rosamond Bernier

W.L. Lyons Brown, Jr. charitable foundation

Emma Bunker

Marina couloucundis

Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz

Kate fickle

M. Gaye fugate

Goldman sachs

s. Lawson

Julian Lethbridge

Marc and Jacqueline Leland (Leland

foundation)

Benjamin de Menil

Elizabeth De Woody

Lisa Reid

susan Jeffries

Laurel McGee

Elizabeth and Richard Miller

Gerard Riedel

nancy schacht

Lloan and Hardwick simmons

susan shine shiva foundation

Mortimer stanley iii

orest szul

Young Presidents’ organization Group

Members ($100-$999)Edward Bass

Marion Becker

Justice stephen Breyer

nerou chang

Peter and Jeannette Ehrenkranz

Adeline frelinghausen

Pamela Gale

Robert Geniesse

Emmanuella Habsburg

Jeffrey Hansen

Michael ferguson Johnson

sambo Khim

Vera Kistiakowsky

Kate Medina

Donald owlsky

felipe Propper

Joy de Menil and Laird Reed

Edie silber

stephanie stokes

Adele and norman Taylor

Virginia Thors

A.Van Tooch

Doris Pattison White

institutional support

council of American overseas Research

centers

florence Gould foundation

u.s. Government, Department of Education,

Title Vi Program

u. s. Department of state, Dept. of

Education and cultural Affairs

The Van Waveren foundation

Thank You to our 2010-2011 Annual Donors!

support our Library ($10,000)

CKS ’s library is the largest free public library outside PhnomPenh. It offers unparalleled educational facilities to Cambodianstudents and public, as well as to visiting scholars.

sponsor the Translation of Educational Texts $5-10,000

In the absence of books in the Cambodian language, Khmer,CKS translates and publishes key texts. A donation of $10,000will defray costs for an average 300 page book and will beacknowledged in the publication.

Donate a new computer for our library reading room ($1,500)

connect CKS ’s library to the World Wide Web for 1 Year ($2,000)

Help to Digitize our library ’s collection ($5,000)

Place your name on a Bookcase containing approximately400 titles ($5,000)

Join the Director ’s circle and place your name on a plaque inthe new library ($35,000)

send a cambodian scholar to the 2012 Meeting of

the Association of Asian scholars in Toronto ($3,500)

sponsor an overseas cambodian student for the cKs/

university of Hawai'i summer in-country program ($3,500).

We need You!

in focus 7

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THE cKs LiBRARY: REAcHinG GLoBAL fRonTiERs

for the past four years, the CKS Board and LibraryCommittee have been concentrating their attention onour new building: choosing and discarding plans,

selecting builders and materials, picking woods, colors,designs, and generally trying to make the space as usefuland pleasant as possible. A year after its opening, thebuilding can be considered a resounding success - morereaders have filled the increased number of seats. We nowhave both an official and unofficial reading room; while theofficial one has almost doubled in size, the terrace of thenew building is often just as crowded. Its popularity hasmuch to do with the availability of WiFi and the sereneviews of greenery and frangipani trees that enhance the

peaceful atmosphere. Scholars have also begun to use ournew, spacious carrel room for their research, whilst semi-nars and meetings take place in a bright and airy seminarroom.

into The Digital Age

Thanks to the generosity of Board members and friends ofthe library, as well as the energy and competence of ourlibrarians, and the hard work of the CKS staff and director,operations on the ground are going well. With the newbuilding completed, we can now turn our attention frombricks to bytes, as we plan to extend the reach of the library

A monk browsing the bookshelves in the cKs library

8 in focus

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THE cKs LiBRARY: REAcHinG GLoBAL fRonTiERs

into the ether. Our catalogue is already available online,but it stands alone, and must be consulted specifically by aresearcher. Our next step would be to integrate it into acomprehensive research tool such as Webcat. This is a cat-alogue of catalogues, which can tell the user where thebook he or she is searching for is available. For example, ascholar might discover that the only existing copy of theNational Bank of Cambodia’s report for 1960, or twentyyears of records of water levels in the Tonle Sap, both ofwhich are absolutely necessary to finish their research, areon our shelves. Thanks to Webcat, we can expect a visit inperson, or possibly a remote request for a particular item.In short, such an integration of our catalogue will make it

A monk browsing the bookshelves in the cKs library

Research Librarian, Mam Vannary in the cKs reading room

easily accessible to more people wherever they are aroundthe globe. It will also allow us to discover what is uniquein our inventory, and thus to design an intelligent digitiz-ing program to make it more widely available.

A center for Global Acquisitions

While CKS does its best to reach out, sometimes it is niceto be reached for: The Library of Congress has a world-wide acquisition policy, and we are at present discussingthe prospect of becoming the Library of Congress’s officialagent for the area of Indochina. This has come aboutthrough our membership in CAORC, the Council ofAmerican Overseas Research Centers, and being consid-ered for this role is a tribute to CKS and our librarians.

Retaining A Local Edge

In its wisdom, the CKS Board decided that our next acqui-sitions should concentrate with particular energy on mapsand documents that concern local history. Siem Reap iswhere we are headquartered. It has changed enormouslysince CKS was founded in 2000, and will surely changefurther. It is therefore an obvious subject for us to docu-ment, using all forms of media available. Some acquisi-tions have already been made; besides often being objectsof beauty, maps are particularly relevant here, where, forinstance, discussions between the Kingdom of Siam andthe French Quai d’Orsay to establish the borders ofCambodia went on for more than fifty years - borders thatare still challenged by Thailand today.

With so much to look forward to, we are ready to embracethe challenge of the digital age that lies before us.

Jacques Hennessy, ChairmanCKS Library Committee

in focus 9

it has been widely recognized that no distinct SoutheastAsian Studies courses are taught at Cambodian univer-sities. This lacuna in the curriculum prompted CKS to

develop a course on Southeast Asian Studies, drawing onthe successful model of the Junior Faculty TrainingProgram (JFTP), supported by the Rockefeller Foundation.This new initiative incorporates academic materials devel-oped over the five years of the JFTP, together withresources produced by the young scholars participating inthat program.

This year, the course served as a pilot project with a two-pronged approach: to develop curricula for SoutheastAsian Studies courses, and to foster the skill sets requiredto teach young Cambodian students at the undergraduatelevel. The first objective focused on equipping lecturerswith knowledge and skills to teach Southeast AsianStudies courses in the Khmer language to fourth-yearundergraduates at Cambodian universities. The secondobjective concurrently addressed the underdeveloped aca-demic skills that exist among university students, by incor-porating specific study skills lessons throughout thecourse. These include facilitating student-centered learn-ing, developing analytical questioning, using referencesystems, learning about the perils of plagiarism, and rec-ognizing primary and secondary data sources and how touse them.

Training the Lecturers

The project was organized in two different phases; first, thetraining of trainers, and second, undergraduate studenttraining. The first phase of the project was thus tailored toprovide further training, with a specific focus on SoutheastAsian Studies, to a small number of lecturers who hadalready gone through the Junior Faculty Training Program.Out of twenty applicants, fifteen were selected to partici-pate in the course, based on the merit of their applicationsand commitment to teaching undergraduate students.Between August and October 2010, these participants metthree times a week at the CKS Phnom Penh center to com-plete a total of thirty-six training sessions.

Dr. Kate Frieson, a Visiting Scholar specializing in

Southeast Asian Studies, provided the training for this pio-neering course. Dr. Frieson’s fluency in Khmer, extensiveexperience in teaching Southeast Asian Studies, and previ-ous involvement in the Junior Faculty Training Programmade her a natural choice. The course was organizedaround four main themes with a practicum component,each composed of nine sessions:

1. Conceptualizing Southeast Asia2. The History of Southeast Asia3. Contemporary Southeast Asia4. Curricula Development on Southeast Asian Studies

Academic study skills were incorporated into each of thethemes to address the challenges of critical thinking, logicand reasoning, presentation of ideas, and forming habits ofacademic reading, writing and interactive presentations.

The course sessions were enriched by the attendance ofguest lecturers. These included Prof. Lindsay French, whogave a lecture on the concept of borders and their meaningfor the study and mapping of Southeast Asia. Prof. JudyLedgerwood addressed the issue of rice and the concept ofspace in Southeast Asia, as well as gender concepts in

Dr. Kate frieson instructing the trainee lecturers during a seminar

souTHEAsT AsiAn sTuDiEs cuRRicuLA DEVELoPMEnT &AcADEMic sTuDY sKiLLs PRoGRAM (A PiLoT PRoJEcT)

Program & Activities

10 in focus

Southeast Asia. A lecture on colonial power in SoutheastAsia was given by Prof. Eve Zucker, while Mr. Chean Menspoke about the religious complexity of mainlandSoutheast Asia.

At the end of these sessions, participants were required tocreate an academic curriculum for Southeast Asian Studiesas a model to be used for a fourth-year university course inthe Khmer language. Each individual participant was thusrequired to develop a topic chosen within a thematicframework and using a wide range of materials, beforepresenting it to their peers and to the instructor for con-structive comment and feedback.

Given that many university students do not have sufficientknowledge of English to access advanced texts, it wasimportant to select topics that were supported by readingmaterials in the Khmer language. Participants wereencouraged to use as much as possible materials translatedinto Khmer, such as those produced by CKS. Theseinclude published anthologies of articles from the JFTP, AHistory of Cambodia by David Chandler, Southeast Asia: AnIntroductory History by Milton Osborne (the main textbookfor the course), articles from Siksacakr, as well as other relat-ed materials available in Khmer.

Training the fourth-Yearundergraduate students

The second phase of the training was for those lecturerswho successfully completed the first stage of the course, totrain fourth-year undergraduate students using the curric-ula they had developed. To this end, students either com-pleting their fourth year of study or recently graduated inthe social sciences, were recruited from various universi-ties based on their academic achievement. This part of thecourse was structured similarly to the first phase, with the

twenty-seven selected students meeting for a series oftwenty-five sessions. Between November 2010 andFebruary 2011, students therefore received an impressivefifty hours of instruction.

The program solicited rigorous performance from both lec-turers and students. In order to achieve their teachinggoals, each lecturer prepared reading materials based ontheir assigned topics and distributed them to studentsprior to the lecture. They were also required to preparetheir lecture notes and presentation in Khmer, and to deliv-er the lecture by applying interactive pedagogical meth-ods, alternating between lecture presentation, Q & A ses-sions, and open discussion.

The student-centered design of the course was geared tostretching students’ learning approaches as well as aca-demic knowledge. Students were often asked to formgroups to discuss selected reading materials, debateimportant theories and concepts, and make presentationsbased on critical readings of the various topics they hadcovered during the course. Such techniques proved to be anew and rewarding experience for Cambodian universitystudents.

Student performance was measured based on a number ofcriteria, including class attendance and participation,assignments and quizzes, a midterm exam and a final termpaper. For this, students were required to propose a topicrelated to Southeast Asian Studies, and present their com-pleted paper to the class for feedback at the conclusion ofthe course. A team of lecturers then evaluated the papersaccording to set standards. All students passed with flyingcolors, and were rewarded with a certificate of completionby CKS.

Workshop on southeast Asianstudies course and curriculumDevelopment

On December 17, 2010, CKS organized a workshop to pre-sent this pioneering pilot project to officials from theMinistry of Education, Department of Higher Education,Cambodian Accreditation Committee, and lecturers fromdifferent universities. The purpose of the workshop was toobtain feedback and recommendations from relevant par-ticipants, in order to further a common curriculum onSoutheast Asian Studies for all universities, and also toestablish collaboration with partner universities to expandthe program in the future. The outcome of the workshopwas especially positive, with all partner universities find-ing this initiative to be of utmost importance and relevancefor the future of university teaching in Cambodia. It isCKS’s vision that this course help to fill the curriculum gap,and be incorporated widely at Cambodian institutions ofhigher learning in the near future.

Participants developing new southeast Asian studies curricula during

a training session

in focus 11

PuBLisHinG & TRAnsLATion

Abig part of the Center’s commitment to strengthen-ing Cambodia’s cultural and educational structureshas been, and continues to be its Publishing and

Translation Program. Steadily over the last few years theCenter has built a reputation for publishing high qualitytranslations and other reading materials that make impor-tant contributions to replenishing stocks destroyed duringthe Khmer Rouge period. CKS Khmer-language versionsof David Chandler’s History of Cambodia, and MiltonOsborne’s Southeast Asia: An Introductory History are stillavailable in bookstores in most major Cambodian townsand cities. Our series of seven readers, containing contem-porary Khmer translations of academic articles used dur-ing our training programs, are widely applied inCambodian universities and other institutions of learning.We also publish materials in English and French as well asKhmer, including proceedings from conferences, mono-graphs, original research and our very own trilingual,peer-reviewed academic journal Siksacakr, Journal ofCambodian Studies.

Khmer-language translation of Benny Widyono's Dancing in Shadows: Sihanouk, the

Khmer Rouge and the United Nations in Cambodia

Voices: ith channacKs Junior fellow, 2011

My name is ith channa, a graduate of The

Royal university of Phnom Penh. since

graduating in June 2010, i still take time to

further my studies as much as possible.

Therefore i was very happy when, in

november 2010, i got the chance to take a

course at the center for Khmer studies

alongside another twenty-six students,

whilst also completing a TEsoL course in English teaching

methodology.

Before i began my studies at cKs, i received a copy of the aca-

demic program, which informed me about what classes i could

look forward to. i was so surprised after i realized that we would

receive instruction on an impressive fourteen topics, taught by

twelve different lecturers, even though the course would only run

for three months.

By participating in this program, i noticed some dramatic differ-

ences from my experiences at university. in particular, the teach-

ing methods at cKs inspired students to feel motivated to study.

i not only came to listen and take notes, but i was also encour-

aged to use my thinking skills and share ideas. We were

assigned with a variety of activities, such as group discussions,

assignments, presentations, and above all, successful comple-

tion and defense of a research paper. This gave me a lot of

scope to express my own ideas. Thus, both in response to the

class requirements, and in order to succeed, i had to be active,

committed, and challenge myself.

if i compare my time before coming to cKs, i feel i have gained

so much from participating in the southeast Asian studies

Program. cKs didn’t just improve my knowledge; it also built up

my confidence, dedication and thinking skills. it especially guid-

ed me in how to successfully write a research paper. Although

only a relatively small task, i feel that writing a research paper,

something i had never done before, was one of my biggest

achievements.

now i work as a translator and reporter for DAP news center.

Having had the opportunity to be a part of this program, i would

like to say a big thank you to cKs for giving me the chance to

broaden my knowledge and research skills. in addition, i would

like to thank the cKs lecturers and facilitators for their immense

help, which inspired me to become a successful student.

12 in focus

Recent Projects

In keeping with our commitment to publishing materialsin the Khmer language, in May 2011 we launched our lat-est book translation project, Dancing in Shadows: Sihanouk,the Khmer Rouge and the United Nations in Cambodia (origi-nally published by Rowman & Littlefield). With permis-sion from the author and the original publishers of theEnglish language version, CKS began the project in March2010. A specialized team was assembled, including twotranslators, Mr. Touch Soputhy and Thol Dina, editors Mr.Vong Sotheara and Ms. Chea Bunnary, the project supervi-sor Mr. Chean Rithy Men and publishing coordinator Mr.Yem Yoeun.

The book, written by Prof. Benny Widyono, is a personalmemoir of his experiences as a senior member of theUnited Nations Transitional Authority (UNTAC) - respon-sible for organizing multiparty democratic elections inCambodia between 1992-3 - and his later role as the UnitedNations Special Representative for Political Affairs inCambodia between 1994-7. As a memoir, the book waswritten in a very accessible style, allowing the translationteam to complete the project in a little over twelve months.The book generated a great deal of interest among

Cambodians, who have limited access to books in theKhmer language that deal with this recent period ofCambodian history.

CKS chose the Royal University of Phnom Penh as thevenue for the book launch. It was encouraging to see somany young Cambodian students eager to get their handson a copy. Many young Cambodians have very faint rec-ollections, or no personal memories of UNTAC at all. Forthese students, the book provides a particular viewpointthat allows them to think critically about a momentous andhighly contentious period of their country’s history.

Interest in the book was not only confined to Cambodianstudents. A couple of days after the official book launch,the author, accompanied by the CKS director, was invitedto present copies of the book to the Cambodian PrimeMinister, Hun Sen. The P.M. was very appreciative, andthanked CKS for the good work it is doing in the field oftranslations. New and exciting translation projects arealready in the pipeline, and will begin shortly.

Early in the fourth year of my Bachelor of

History degree, i had the chance to join a

three-month training program run by cKs

in southeast Asian studies. This very inter-

esting course greatly enriched my universi-

ty studies, which were also focused on the

theme of southeast Asia at the time. The

course provided me with the valuable

opportunity to acquire new ideas from professional lecturers.

Moreover, cKs supplied many kinds of study materials to stu-

dents before the start of the course, making me well prepared,

and equipping me with many ideas to discuss in class.

During the program, students were encouraged to work in

groups and hold discussions on academic topics that i had never

encountered before. This technique allowed me to take part in

valuable debates where i could express my ideas. As a result, i

grew as a confident individual, who dared to share ideas in a

group setting - something i had never done before. furthermore,

the course taught me how to properly carry out research, and

gave me the task of completing a small research topic. Even

though it was small, it was an academic one. Professional lec-

turers evaluated my research paper, commenting on it carefully.

consequently, the program afforded me the opportunity to gain

new experiences, as well as earn priceless feedback and advice

from qualified professionals, thus improving my future research

endeavors greatly. As a result of this experience, i was able to

earn runner up position for a research paper writing competition.

Attending the southeast Asian studies Program has been one of

the best opportunities and experiences i’ve encountered.

nowadays i work for an nGo as a writer. As such, conducting

research and interviews are essential elements to fulfilling my

writing goals. it is true that i learnt such skills from my lecturers

at university, but it is also greatly thanks to the cKs southeast

Asian studies Program. it broadened my ideas and encouraged

me to become more deeply involved in social affairs.

furthermore, cKs not only expanded my knowledge, it also guid-

ed me in a new way of thinking. Before i attended the course, i

had only wished to pursue my Master’s degree. However, now i

feel it essential that i pursue it, as what i encountered was a

plethora of knowledgeable people who i have come to regard as

my role models. My future success can undoubtedly be attribut-

ed in part to cKs, after all, the center has guided me in the right

direction.

Voices: Touch sokhacKs Junior fellow, 2011

in focus 13

on the morning of July 7, 2011 over one hundred peo-ple gathered together in the CKS conference halleagerly awaiting the first day of the CKS conference

to begin: Transforming Cambodia Studies: Social Change andCultural Transitions since 1979. The conference was orga-nized by CKS in collaboration with senior scholars fromthe Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Northern IllinoisUniversity, the Consortium of Southeast Asian Studies atthe University of California, Berkeley, and the Center forSoutheast Asian Studies, University of Wisconsin,

Madison. Within the field of Cambodia Studies, a confer-ence that attempted to examine the multiple and dramaticsocial, political, economic and cultural transitions thatCambodian society has undergone since 1979, from multi-disciplinary points of view, was long overdue. The pur-pose was to bring together both younger and seniorCambodian and overseas scholars to begin a process ofdialogue and exchange of views, in an effort to gauge theways and extent to which Cambodia Studies has been, andis being transformed.

To that end, the conference was organized into several dis-tinct panels over three days. Altogether, nineteen paperswere presented by an international host of junior andsenior scholars from Cambodia, Thailand, Japan, andSouth Korea, as well as Australia, United Kingdom,Sweden, Germany and the United States. A variety of newperspectives were offered on topics that included:Aesthetics and Politics of Memory, Transforming Meaningsand Media in Religion, Rights and Laws, Transitions in

Gender, Transforming Community through Technologyand Migrations and Transformations.

Each of the panels and topics generated a good deal of inter-est from the audience; the question and answer sessions andsubsequent discussions were lively and engaging. The dis-cussions were guided by questions related to the impactthese transitions are having in Cambodia, especially interms of power relations, communal organization, identityformation and rural, urban and transnational migrations.

Overall, this conference succeeded in reviving dialogueamong a broad, multinational and multidisciplinary com-munity of scholars, and will help to further stimulatedebate and scholarly research in this field.

Board member Prof. Anne Hansen addressing the conference participantsconference attendees enjoying refreshments in the cKs gardens

Participants attending a presentation in the cKs conference hall

confEREncE

14 in focus

ARcHEoMETALLuRGY WoRKsHoP

in March 2011, the Center was delighted to be able to col-laborate with the École Française d’Extrême-Orient(EFEO), and the Authority for the Protection and

Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap(APSARA), with support from the Friends of KhmerCulture (FOKC), in organizing the first ever archeometal-lurgy workshop in Cambodia. Recent developments in theoverseas laboratory analyses of ancient metal artifacts fromCambodia have coincided with the broader undertaking offield archeometallurgy and metal conservation withinCambodia. This has resulted in a significant number ofCambodian and foreign scholars working concurrently inthe field of Cambodian archeometallurgy. Up until nowhowever, these scholars had not joined forces as a unifiedsub-discipline, thereby limiting communication betweenthem. The workshop organizers recognized that the com-bined potential of such studies to new generations ofCambodian archaeologists and cultural heritage managerscould thus be lost.

In an effort to remedy this, the workshop aimed to bringtogether experts, colleagues and students who share acommon interest in Cambodian metallurgy, from prehisto-ry to the historical period. Over a packed few days, pre-

senters talked about all aspects of archeometallurgy inCambodia, including survey and excavation of metal pro-duction sites, material science analyses, metal conserva-tion, and ethno-archaeological fieldwork. The purpose ofsuch presentations was to highlight recent studies in thefield of Cambodian archeometallurgy and stimulate futureresearch and collaborations, with a view to enhance andpropagate this new, emerging discipline.

Mr. it sopheap's bronze workshop near Vat Thmei, siem Reap, courtesy of Brice Vincent

Archeometallurgy workshop, cKs conference hall

in focus 15

With the completion, in 2010, of the first CKS/LeonLevy Foundation project to develop a thoroughdigital inventory of the National Museum of

Cambodia's collections, the next step was to complementthis with a searchable database that could provide interac-tive digital access. Not long after the completion of theinventory project, National Museum Director, MadameOun Phalline and former director H.E. Hab Touch (nowDirector General for Cultural Heritage in charge of theGeneral Department of Heritage), began discussing thepossibility of creating a database with CKS Boardmembers Emmy Bunker and Darryl Collins.Those discussions resulted in a CKS grant pro-posal to the Leon Levy Foundation, which hadpreviously funded the Collection InventoryProject, and which again generouslyagreed to support the databaseproject.

Preparatory work began inJanuary 2011. Darryl Collinstook on the responsibility oforganizing and coordinatingthe project. The first phaseinvolved replacing old com-puters, updating necessaryhardware and identifyingsoftware capable of meetingthe needs of the muse-um. This entailedensuring that require-ments such as Khmerfonts, Unicode complianceand open-source softwarefor trilingual entries weremet. Recruiting staff withthe required levels ofcomputer skills to oper-ate and manage thedatabase was alsoessential.

Sourcing suitable software was far from straightforward,given the special requirements of the museum’s collection.After a lengthy search, involving numerous meetings anddiscussions with museum staff, local software designers,Harvard University Art Museum and the Freer SacklerMuseum at the Smithsonian, a ‘Collective Access’ softwaresystem was settled upon. The next difficult step was tofind in-country software engineers capable of adapting theCollective Access system to the needs of the museum.

Hiring a company from outside Cambodia would havebeen far from ideal, given the amount of work that neededto be done. Hence, after another lengthy search, and muchto everyone’s relief, in May, a local company Khmer-DevInc., headed by software engineer Matthieu Lagier, wascontracted to do the job. By June, all elements were inplace: there were new terminals and hardware, an appro-

priate software system installed, and a dedicateddatabase team composed of museum staff. This con-

cluded the first preparatory phase.

Work on the database is expected to takeanother two years before it can be tried, test-ed and become fully operational. This

lengthy but necessary process will betime well spent. An accessible

database is essential to maxi-mize the use of the excellent

work of the inventoryproject. Improvingaccess to the entiremuseum collection willbenefit many aspectsof the museum’s dailywork. Preparation ofexhibitions, conserva-tion of artifacts, pho-

tography and researchof works for publication,

as well as publicenquiries will allreap therewards of this

groundbreakingproject.

Thanks to the Museum collection inventory initiative,

the Ganesha featured above was displayed together

with other Angkorian bronze sculptures at the interna-

tionally acclaimed exhibition, Gods of Angkor: Bronzes

from the National Museum of Cambodia. After its debut

at the freer and sackler Galleries, the exhibition recent-

ly concluded its tour in August 2011 at the Getty

Museum.

Bronze 13th century Ganesha, national Museum of cambodia

nATionAL MusEuM of cAMBoDiA DATABAsE

PRoJEcT

16 in focus

The 2011 CKS Khmer Language and Culture StudyProgram, organized in collaboration with theUniversity of Hawai’i, Mānoa’s Advanced Study in

Khmer program (ASK) got underway in June. This was thesecond year the Center ran its intensive eight-week-longbeginners program. This year, eight participants, mainlygraduate students from a variety of universities across theUnited States, engaged in Khmer language skills acquisi-tion during morning sessions, followed by cultural activi-ties in the afternoon, where they put their newfound skillsto the test. In addition to field visits to local organizations,markets and museums, participants spent one week inhomestays in Kampong Chhnang province. Staying withhost families gave them invaluable insights into what life isreally like in a typical, rural Cambodian setting. Such acombination of challenging classroom language study,coupled with engagement and interaction with localCambodians stands the participants in good stead, as theyprepare to conduct in-country academic research.

Collaboration with the University of Hawai’i benefited theCKS participants by enabling them to apply for summerstudy abroad course credits. Part of the course require-ments for receiving credit involves the completion of asmall research project related to the participant’s broaderresearch interests. At the end of the program, participantssit an exam where their knowledge is tested in a rigorous

but balanced manner.

Based on participant feedback, the program structure isjudged to be effective in maximizing overall learning expe-rience and skills acquisition. All participants stressed theimportance of using what they had been taught in regularexchanges with native speakers. They also described howthe activities outside of the classroom, especially the home-stays, deepened their knowledge of the country and itspeople. They further pointed out that the Cambodiansthey engaged with also benefited from these exchanges, asthey gained some insights into the lives and interests ofpeople from outside Cambodia. In this way, the programfulfills its broader purpose in promoting and facilitating educational exchange, as well as equipping participantswith the tools necessary to conduct their research. We lookforward to running the program for a third time in 2012.

cKs and AsK 2011 Khmer Language Program participants

Khmer Language Program participants visiting Angkor Wat

KHMER LAnGuAGE

& cuLTuRE sTuDY

PRoGRAM

in focus 17

Siem Reap Giant Puppet Project

As part of our effort to reach beyond established aca-demic programs and into the local community, theCenter played host to the annual Siem Reap Giant

Puppet Project. The Giant Puppet Project is a local com-munity children’s arts initiative that provides a creativeoutlet for disadvantaged children. As well as helping todevelop a variety of skills, the project aims to foster inde-pendence and confidence in the children, while at the sametime building a sense of community spirit and cohesion.The children create giant puppets from scratch; each pup-pet creation represents and symbolizes a variety of uniqueeducational, cultural or environmental themes, such asroad safety, endangered species, hygiene, local culturalappreciation and environmental awareness. The childrenare guided and taught by student artists from PharePonleu Selpak Art School in Battambang province, the pro-

ject's Artistic Director, Jig Cochrane and Project Directorand co-founder Stuart Cochlin.

In February, over five hundred children participated inworkshops designed to stimulate the children’s imagina-tion and creativity. The workshops focused on traditionsand skills that were almost completely lost to a young gen-eration of Cambodians. Through the Phare Ponleu SelpakArt School, along with the many NGOs that work withthem in Siem Reap, the project aims to bring these craftsback to the forefront of society. Given the huge size of thepuppets, the CKS lawn and conference hall provided idealspaces for the workshops. Each morning for two weeks,the children would energetically gather together theirmaterials and begin to create their puppets; the resultswere big, bold and spectacularly colorful.

This year, the United States Ambassador to Cambodia,Carol Rodley, happened to be visiting the Center whenthese workshops were underway. She was surprised anddelighted by the children’s energy and creativity, not tomention the puppets themselves. At the end of the project,the children paraded the puppets around Siem Reap in afun-packed, light-filled and highly exciting evening of cel-ebration, bringing the center of Siem Reap to a virtualstandstill. Hundreds of spectators lined the route to cheerthem. The event is becoming so popular that internationaltour groups now mark the event in their tour calendars.CKS is proud and privileged to contribute to such a worthyand unique project.

festive Khmer dance and music accompanied the Giant Puppet Parade through

siem Reap

cambodia's endangered birds was one of the themes for this year's puppet project.

coMMuniTY ouTREAcH

18 in focus

summer Junior Resident fellowship

Program 2012

since 2004, CKS has been proud to support overninety undergraduate Junior Fellows fromCambodia, France and the United States, with the

generous backing of the Henry Luce and Florence GouldFoundations. Next year, with our own annual fund sup-port, CKS will continue to host American, Cambodian andFrench Junior Fellows for six weeks during the summermonths. Based in Siem Reap, participants will attend dailylectures, volunteer in local service programs, and take afield trip to Phnom Penh. The Cambodian authorities willalso make available free passes to the Angkor monuments.While living and studying together, Jr. Fellows will alsoconduct a short individual research project focusing on atopic ranging from Angkorian history and politics, to art,culture or religion.

cKs-sri Lanka Workshop, January 2012

In an effort to extend CKS's outreach in Southeast AsianStudies, the Center submitted a joint proposal with theAmerican Institute for Sri Lanka Studies (AISLS) toCAORC, requesting support for a collaborative workshopin January 2012, entitled Colonial Legacies and Contemporary

Scholarship in Sri Lanka and Cambodia. Its aim is to juxtaposeand contextualize the two countries’ shared experiences ofcolonial rule and their lingering effects on society. TheCenter is also considering a proposal to hold a furtherworkshop, in May 2012, entitled, Gender Issues in Southeast

Asia, with the University of Cambodia. The CKS websitewill be updated with further details. www.khmerstud-ies.org.

cKs Lecture and seminar series

Following our successful lecture and seminar series inPhnom Penh, CKS plans to expand this program to itsSiem Reap headquarters in 2012, where CKS Fellows, invit-ed scholars, as well as a broader network of Cambodianand international researchers from the fields ofCambodian and Southeast Asian Studies will present theirwork and lecture on their field of expertise. These lectureswill be open to the general public.

ne

w D

ire

cti

on

s

in focus 19

cKs nATionAL MusEuM of cAMBoDiA

inVEnToRY Bonus

fEATuRE ARTicLE:

Emmy Bunker

20 in focus

The Center for Khmer Studies Collection InventoryProject of the National Museum of Cambodia (NMC),initiated by Shelby White and funded through the

Leon Levy Foundation, has become an essential tool for thestudy of Khmer metallurgy. Its success, largely thanks tothe careful oversight of CKS Board member Darryl Collins,enabled some 8454 metal artifacts to be identified andrecorded in digitalized form; each piece is accompanied bycomments from resident French scholars of the past, andmore recent visiting scholars, providing valuable informa-tion related to provenance and date.

Until recently, Khmer sacred bronzes have had limitedscholarly attention compared to architecture and stonesculpture. Although many bronze NMC artifacts have notbeen scientifically excavated, they can still serve as cultur-al documents if we can only learn to read and interpret thevisual information they provide, especially foundry ear-marks. Particular casting characteristics displayed by somebronzes reveal technical features that may suggest a moreprecise provenance, production date and often an image’soriginal appearance before its various clothing appendageshad been lost.

For example, one impressive piece that came to light dur-ing the inventory project is the late Baphuon-style bronzemale image from Phnom Bayang, Takeo Province (fig.1).This bronze displays unusual casting features that suggesta production site located in the Korat region, accepted forseveral other technically related Baphuon-style figures(Bunker and Latchford 2011: figs 7.22a,b).

The Phnom Bayang figure was first published by Boisselierin 1955 in a rather poor frontal photograph (pl. 107 A. Ga2993). Martin Lerner noted the similarity of style betweenthe Bayang figure and a Baphuon kneeling female image inthe Asia Society collection that was found in the Koratregion, suggesting that the Bayang figure may have origi-nally been cast in the Korat region, possibly even the samefoundry (Felton and Lerner 1988: 226, no. 10).1 The PhnomBayang figure has recently been published with betterillustrations in the Gods of Angkor (Cort and Jett 2010: 103-5, fig. 51) and Khmer Bronzes: New Interpretations of the Past(Bunker and Latchford 2011: figs. 7.22a, b), making thestyle and technical features more easily understood.

It has been suggested that the Bayang image was intendedto represent Shiva, but the lack of a third eye makes theidentification questionable (Cort and Jett 2010: 50, fig. 20;

p.103). Instead, its regal appearance and hand positionscould indicate the embodiment of a significant royal per-sonage, such as has been suggested for the enigmatic gild-ed male figure in The Metropolitan Museum, tentativelydescribed as a “deified king” by Lerner (Bunker andLatchford 2011: 238-239, figs. 7.14 a, b).

Emmy is a Research Consultant in the Asian Art Department, Denver Art Museum and a

CKS board member. She is also co-author of a recent book with Douglas Latchford on

Khmer Bronzes.

fig.1. standing male image, gilded bronze, h. 57 cm., national Museum of cambodia,

Ga 2993.

in focus 21

The Phnom Bayang figure has alsobeen tentatively associated with theMahidharapura family from the upperMun Valley. Such an association wouldexplain the late Baphuon style, if theimage had been commissioned after1080, when Jayavarman VI, the firstMahidharapura ruler, gained theKhmer throne (Cort and Jett 2010: 50).The Bayang region had been Shaivitesince its foundation in the seventh cen-tury and, according to a stele inscrip-tion dated 1107, the name of the villagewhere this image was discovered wasShivapura, confirming a local Shaiviteassociation (Bruguier et al 2009: 155-56).

The Phnom Bayang figure is clothed ina characteristic Baphuon-style dress: alow-riding sampot chang kben, consist-ing of a cloth sampot wrapped aroundthe waist with one end twisted, pulled(chang) through the legs (kben), andtucked in at the back, where an elabo-rate butterfly-shaped bow completesthe appearance. A careful examinationreveals that the bow, the chignon-cover,and the diadem were all cast separatelyand attached mechanically. At somepoint in time, the bow was removedand reattached upside down, an errorthat has been corrected here in anenhanced photograph (fig. 2) (Bunkerand Latchford 2011: fig. 7.22 b). Thearms are also separately cast, and slot-ted into the shoulders where they aresecured by pins, all production meth-ods that evolved during the latereleventh century and continued in thetwelfth.

The figure also displays a wide mouth,enhanced by a moustache with promi-nent turned up tips. The whole figureis cast integrally with its base that has apendant tang that fits into a larger base.The addition of pendants hanging fromthe back of the pectoral necklace aswell as in front is a late eleventh post-Baphuon-style characteristic, indicat-ing that the Baphuon style extendedbeyond 1080 into the beginning of theAngkor Wat period, as already sug-fig. 2. Reverse of figure 1.

22 in focus

gested by Lerner (Felton and Lerner 1988: 226, no.9).

In terms of casting, the Phnom Bayang figure is lost waxcast with a core, supported by an iron armature. An x-rayof the head reveals extensions of the armature that securethe separate conical hair cover on top (fig. 3). Anotherextension of the iron armature supports the diadem at theback of the head, and appears as a small iron protuberanceon the heads of several Baphuon images, that are recordedas having been found in the Korat region, such as the Shivaimage in the National Museum of Australia; the dvarapalain The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fig. 4); and the “dei-fied king” in The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Bunkerand Latchford 2011: figs. 7.3, 7.4 and 7.15 a & b respective-ly). The presence of an iron protuberance on the back ofany Baphuon-style head indicates that the image original-ly wore a diadem that would have changed their appear-ance significantly from the way they look today minus thediadem. The fact that these images were also found in theKorat region suggests that they may represent a local Koratfoundry tradition rather than one that was practiced intemple foundries in the Angkor region.2

These new ideas have been made possible by the rediscov-ery of the Phnom Bayang male figure through the CKSCollection Inventory Project, the identification of the fig-ure’s complex armature system through an X-ray by PaulJett of the Freer and Sackler Galleries, and confirmation ofan iron protuberance on images in their respective collec-tions by Donna Strahan of the Metropolitan Museum ofArt and Sarah McHugh of the National Museum ofAustralia in Canberra. It is such scholarly cooperation thatallows this kind of reinterpretation of the past today.

Special thanks to John Stevenson for editing this article.

Endnotes

1 For illustrations of the Rockefeller kneeling female, see EmmaBunker and Douglas Latchford, Adoration and Glory: The GoldenAge of Khmer Art, Bangkok, 2004, pp. 238-240, no. 82.2 For a discussion of temple foundries and Khmer casting tradi-tions, see Bunker and Latchford 2011, pp. 117-121, and 234, 240.

References

1. Bunker, E and Douglas Latchford, Khmer Bronzes: NewInterpretations of the Past, Bangkok, 2011.2. Boisselier, J. L’art khmere et son evolution, Saigon, 1955 3. Felton, Wolfgang and Martin Lerner, Thai and CambodianSculpture from the 6th to the 14th centuries, Stuttgart, 1988. 4. Louise Cort and Paul Jett, eds. Gods of Angkor, 2010.5. Bruguier, Bruno and Juliette Lacroix. Phnom Penh et les ProvincesMeridionales. Phnom Penh, 2009, 155-56.

fig. 4. standing Dvarapala, h. 50.2 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, L 1994.48

(after Bunker and Latchford 2011, fig. 7.4 a, b)

fig. 3. X-ray of the head of figure 1, taken from the back, couresty of Paul Jett

in focus 23

Matthew Jagel is conducting Ph.D. research in theDepartment of History at Northern Illinois University. Hisproject, entitled Son Ngoc Thanh, The United States, and theTransformation of Cambodia, seeks to address the compara-tively less explored period leading up to DemocraticKampuchea, and the key players of that era. In particular,Matthew is researching U.S. – Khmer relations with one ofCambodia’s modern heroes, Son Ngoc Thanh, as the cen-terpiece. The research will attempt to answer how SonNgoc Thanh influenced the creation of an independentCambodian state, and what his role was in the years lead-ing up to the Communist Revolution. By analyzing thisman, this period in time, and America’s role with respect tothis newly autonomous nation, a better understanding ofthe geopolitical considerations that influenced Americanforeign policy can be sought. To achieve this, both exten-sive archival research and interviews will be employed.

Kosal Path is a lecturer in the Department of InternationalRelations and Political Science at the University ofSouthern California. His research project is entitledSurvival after Genocide in Cambodia: A study of SocialAdaptation in a Fragmented Society. This research aims toprovide insights into how the identity orientations of for-mer Khmer Rouge cadres and survivors reflect and impactreconciliation efforts currently pursued alongside theongoing trials of five surviving Khmer Rouge leaders inCambodia. Both qualitative and quantitative methods willbe employed, including in-depth interviews with formerKhmer Rouge personnel as well as survivors, to contributeto a better understanding in the field of transitional justicein a post-genocidal society. In addition, it will expose thesocial adaptation of survivors and perpetrators who coex-ist in conditions of social alienation. Ultimately, thisresearch will also provide the basis for policy recommen-dations as to how to put a broken society back togetherafter genocide.

Celia Rosta is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department ofAnthropology at the University of California, Riverside.Her project is entitled, Survival of an Art: The Revitalizationof Classical Dance in Cambodia. This research examines howand why the interaction between tourism and globaliza-tion, preservation and development has led to this particu-lar form of classical dance becoming the symbol ofCambodian culture. Furthermore, it illuminates how clas-

sical dance helps Cambodians cope with the painful expe-rience of the Khmer Rouge. Celia uses a variety of researchmethods, including ethnographic fieldwork, long-termparticipant observation, interviews and archival researchacross multiple sites in Cambodia. She explores the impor-tance of classical dance for Cambodian cultural reconcilia-tion, as well as economic growth through embodied expe-rience. This research also addresses the importance ofinternational support for Cambodian dance, the realities oflife for dancers, and how the transmission of this culturalknowledge creates embodied memories that allow for cer-tain kinds of reconciliation.

Pamela Corey is conducting doctoral research in theDepartment of History of Art, Archaeology and VisualStudies at Cornell University. Her research project title isThe Art of Place: Visuality and Urbanism in ContemporaryVietnam and Cambodia. Her research will investigate howsouth Vietnamese and Cambodian contemporary artistsperceive and represent their rapidly changing cityscape. Itwill also investigate how they resource spaces of the city,and in turn play a role in communal discourses and under-standings of locational identity. Using a comparativeframework, Pamela will draw on the contemporary effectsof key events and cultural turning points in the histories ofHo Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Phnom Penh in

French Fellows receive support through a grant from the Florence GouldFoundation. U.S. Fellows are supported by a grant from the U.S. Department ofState, Bureau of Economic and Cultural Affairs, through the Council of AmericanOverseas Research Centers

cKs sEnioR fELLoWs 2011-2012

classical dance at a Phnom Penh restaurant

24 in focus

Cambodia. In particular, she is focusing on how accelerat-ed processes of urbanization and globalization have cat-alyzed contemporary art development in late- and post-Socialist societies, producing new urban artistic subjectivi-ties. On-site interviews with artists, curators and culturalorganizations will inform a large part of this research.

Neal Keating is Assistant Professor in the Department ofAnthropology at The College at Brockport, StateUniversity of New York. His research project, entitled AnEthnographic Study of Indigenous Peoples’ Human RightsImplementation in Cambodia is a comparative ethnographicstudy of two indigenous groups in Cambodia. Neal’sresearch team is engaged in extensive interviews, partici-pant observation, co-design and conduct of a human rightssurvey in a Kui commune in southern Preah Vihearprovince, and a Bunong commune in southern Mondulkiriprovince. This research aims to empirically determinewhat the variable factors are that impact local understand-ings and conditions of human rights in indigenous com-munities and territories. The research specifically focuseson the human rights of these communities to self-determi-nation, and rights to traditional lands, territories andresources. The research team, drawn from the CambodiaIndigenous Youth Association and the Organization toPromote Kui Culture, will spend three months residingwith these communities.

Christina Firpo, Assistant Professor in the Department ofHistory at California Polytechnic State University, is con-ducting research spanning Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam,in her project entitled “Abandoned” Children: The Crises inRacial Patriarchy and Eurasian Children in Colonial Indochina1890-1956. This project, forming part of Christina’sresearch for her book, will explore the social, political and

cultural reasons behind the French colonial, government-led searches of the remote countryside for fatherless, bi-racial children. Christina investigates why the colonialgovernment removed, often forcibly, these children fromtheir Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian mothers. Sheargues that the removals of abandoned Eurasian childrenwere a colonial attempt at managing both the racial andgender order, by integrating them into the colony’s white-French population. This research will use primary sourcedocuments from Cambodian, Lao and Vietnamese nation-al archives to provide a broader understanding of theEurasian protection movement of abandoned Eurasianchildren in colonial Indochina.

Karen Greene is Visiting Professor in the Department ofHumanities and Social Science at Pannasastra University,Phnom Penh. Her research, entitled The Gift ofAbandonment, Good Governance and the Ethical Architecture ofChild Rights in Cambodia, forms part of an ethnographicbook project about care in urban and rural Cambodia.Founded on three years of intensive fieldwork, it followsthe teaching and implementation of child rights by expa-triate members of the international community and byKhmer involved in the democratization process in the1990s. It examines the ongoing productivity of that inter-vention as seen from a current perspective. Karen isexploring the Cambodian notion of personhood and theethics of the ‘gift’, especially that of a child in multi-ethicalCambodia. This research will expand the anthropologicalliterature of daily life in rural and urban Cambodia, whilstalso expanding the anthropological understanding of theeffects of both humanitarian intervention and the creativi-ty of Khmer in the process.

James Kirby is conducting postdoctoral research in theDepartment of Linguistics at the University of Chicago.Unlike languages such as Vietnamese or Thai, Khmer is nota tonal language. However, since the 1960s, linguists havedescribed some changes in speech patterns in certainKhmer dialects. This project, Sound change in Khmer: Anacoustic, auditory, and aerodynamic study explores the sug-gested emergence of a pitch-based contrast between cer-tain words in the colloquial speech of a number of Khmerdialects, including some spoken in neighboring Vietnam.The manner by which this change is taking place – as aresult of changes in the pronunciation of /r/ - has not beenreported for any other language. In this project, James isgathering audio recordings and collecting perceptualresponse data from native speakers of particular dialects ofthe Khmer language in both Cambodia and Vietnam, tobetter document and understand this unique process.

Julia Estève is a postdoctoral researcher from theUniversity of Sydney conducting fieldwork for her projectTowards a Religious Geography of Angkorian Cambodia: AStudy of the History of Buddhism in the Area of Kompong Cham

Eurasian charges of the federation des ouvres pour les enfants franco-

indochinois (foEfi) 1946-1954

in focus 25

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and its Surroundings. This project aims to study the historyand religious geography of the province of KompongCham and the surrounding areas, which contain Buddhistrepresentations from the pre-Angkorian to post-Angkorianperiod. The study of these representations will be com-bined with research of known Buddhist temples, and thestudy of inscriptions from the seventh to fourteenth cen-turies. The purpose of this research is to improve ourknowledge of the religious currents at work in Cambodia,and the identification of the Indian models they drewupon. The fieldwork will aid in assembling an exhaustivedocumentary corpus of Buddhist monuments, statuaryand inscriptions, resulting in the establishment of aBuddhist religious cartography for the region.

Jenna Grant is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department ofAnthropology at the University of Iowa. Her project,Picturing Medicine: Images and Geopolitics in Cambodia’s FirstMedical Journal, explores visions of contemporary andfuture medical science in the first Cambodian medical jour-nal, the Annales Médico-Chirurgicale de l’Hôpital de lÁmitiéKhméro-Soviétique. This journal, published between 1961and 1971 by the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital inPhnom Penh, contains case studies, reports, discussionsand a range of medical images that provide an insight intowhat Cambodian scientific medicine is and should be. Thestate-of-the-art hospital embodied one of the priorities ofthe post-independence Sangkum Reastr Niyum govern-ment, to promote national development through theimprovement of public health and the medical system.Jenna will engage in a close reading of the journal texts, aswell as conduct interviews and archival research in orderto trace the convergence of expertise, bodies, capital andtechnologies that made the journal possible.

Olivier Brito is a Ph.D. student undertaking a joint doctor-al program at the Université Paris Ouest Nanterre LaDéfense, The International Institute for Population Science,India and Burapha University, Thailand. His project isentitled Tourism and Begging, the Ambivalences of a Vital andStrategic Relationship: The Case of Children Begging fromTourists in Bombay, Bangkok and Angkor. Olivier aims toinvestigate the complex relationship between internationaltourism and begging children in a comparative study ofIndia, Thailand and Cambodia. His research focuses onthe extent to which tourism encourages begging, whilebeing an undeniable resource. Education, cognition anddemography will be focal points as the project firstexplores begging as a staged activity, a characteristicfound in both tourism and begging. Comparisons acrosscountries will result from an in-depth and detailed contex-tualization of begging and tourism within each locale. Thebroader issues of urbanization and migration will also beaddressed in this global study.

Ing Phouséra is a Ph.D. candidate at Université de Paris 1.His project is called, In the Aftermath of the Ashes: Essay onNecessity and Limits of the Undrawable in Comic Strips andPaintings in Cambodia’s Recent Tragic History. The represen-tation of the extreme violence of the Cambodian genocideis dealt with in the medium of paint and comic strips,which allow Séra to give a vision of what could have beenthe stories of the ghosts of his own people, and thoselinked to the history of his birthplace - Cambodia. Thisproject first looks at art as a form that can reactivate mem-ories and preserve them. The second layer of this researchexplores how, by his own artistic work, Séra can recordevents from photographs and maps preserved in placessuch as the Documentation Center of Cambodia and theNational Library. The third stratum draws on testimony

cover of the 1968 edition of the medical journal, Annales Médico-

Chirurgicales de l’Hôpital de l’Amitié Khméro-Soviétique

Cardiospasme by Mokchniouk et al in the 1962 issue of medical journal,

Revue Médico-Chirurgicale de l’Hôpital de l’Amitié Khméro-Soviétique

26 in focus

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from the Cambodian War, and then the exile period fromMay 1975.

Ludivine Roche is a postdoctoral researcher at Universitéde la Sorbonne. Her research is entitled Art and History atthe End of the Angkorian Period in Cambodia. Following onfrom her Ph.D. thesis, this project deals with the history ofCambodia between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries.It further examines the art from the end of the Angkorianperiod by enlarging the field of research to more monu-ments. Specifically, Ludivine is studying the figurativeornamentation of temples at sites such as Ta Prohm andPreah Khan, as well as temples further afield at BanteayChmar. The ultimate objective of this study is to first leadto a better understanding of the art from the fall of theAngkorian period, and then to make use of historical andreligious data found among the figurative ornamentationof monuments. This will help to clarify the cultural contextin which Cambodia existed during that transition period.

Caroline Herbelin is a researcher from Université Paris IVSorbonne. She is conducting postdoctoral research for herproject, Art and Handicrafts in Cambodia in the TwentiethCentury: Doctrine and Discourse. Caroline is focusing on thecolonial period, which will form part of a larger projectthat critically examines handicrafts across the twentiethcentury, up to current organization and perceptions of pro-duction. The research objectives will first address whyhandicrafts have been at the heart of Cambodian society

and politics - to a greater extent than in other SoutheastAsian countries - from the French colonial conquest to thepresent, possibly even inhibiting the development of anartistic scene. Secondly, Caroline will examine how arepertoire of handicrafts considered “authentic” was con-structed during the colonial period. How these repertoiresinfluenced the practices of artists and artisans in the shortand long run will also be analyzed.

Luc Benaiche is a doctoral student from Université deProvence. His project, entitled Justice and Prisons Under theFrench Protectorate in Cambodia addresses French colonialintervention into Cambodia’s affairs, from whichCambodia’s legal and prison system resulted after its inde-pendence in 1953. This research will draw on documenta-tion from the National Archives of Cambodia to gain a bet-ter understanding of the evolution of the legal system dur-ing the Protectorate period, its functioning or malfunction-ing, and the reasons for, and consequences of, changesimposed by the French. It will focus on the functioning ofprisons and detention centers, the daily life of detainees,the types of sentences handed out, and who this colonialrepression was directed at, and why. Finally, Luc will lookat the place of political repression in Cambodia in terms ofwhether it was a function of that particular period, andwhether it was a more general policy employed inIndochina, or specific to Cambodia.

Kompong chhnang prison

in focus 27

CAMBODiA

APSARA Authority (Siem Reap)Buddhist Institute (Phnom Penh)Center for Advanced Study (CAS, Phnom Penh)Norton University (Phnom Penh)The National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom PenhThe National Library of Cambodia, Phnom PenhPannasastra University (Phnom Penh)Royal University of Phnom PenhRoyal University of Fine Arts (Phnom Penh)Royal Academy of Cambodia (Phnom Penh)University of Cambodia (Phnom Penh)

U.S. AnD intERnAtiOnAL

American Association of Asian Studies, Ann ArborArizona State University, Tempe/PhoenixAssociation of Anthropologists, Hochiminh CityCalifornia State University, Long BeachCalifornia State University, SacramentoChiang Mai UniversityChulalongkorn University, BangkokCommittee on Research Materials on Southeast AsiaCornell University, IthacaEcole Française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), Paris, Siem ReapIPRAUS, Ecole d'Architecture de Paris-Belleville, ParisGraduate Institute of Development Studies, GenevaHumboldt University, BerlinInternational Institute of Asian Studies, LeidenInstitut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO), ParisInstitut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences-Po)Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), SingaporeNational University of SingaporeNew School University, New YorkNew York Public Library of Performing ArtsNorthern Illinois University, De KalbPacific Rim Council on Urban Development, Los AngelesResearch Institute of Contemporary Southeast Asia, (RICSEA), BangkokSchool of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), LondonSiam Society, BangkokSmithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.Southeast Asian Studies Regional Exchange Program (SEASREP), ManilaSouthern Institute of Social Sciences, Hochiminh CityState University of New York, Stony Brook UniversityThe J. Paul Getty Trust, Los AngelesUniversity of BonnUniversity of California at BerkeleyUniversity of California at Los AngelesUniversity of California at RiversideUniversity of ChicagoUniversity of Florida, GainsvilleUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaUniversity of the Philippines, ManilaUniversity of Southern California, Los AngelesWorld Monuments Fund, New York

cKs institutional consortium

Members, Partners and Affiliates

community outreach: siem Reap Giant Puppet Project

Cover photo: Unique ancient bronze Garuda boat-prow ornament, recentlydonated to the National Museum of Cambodia, also depicted in stone reliefs at

the Bayon temple

center for Khmer studies

Head office:

Po Box 9380

Wat Damnak, siem Reap, cambodia

Tel: (855) 063 964 385

fax: (855) 063 963 035

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Phnom Penh, cambodia

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Email: center@khmerstudies.org

Website: www.khmerstudies.org