Testimonials

“The Government of Cambodia is committed to the scientific conservation and sensitive development of Banteay Chhmar temples and the entire site, which spans over 12 km. … We look forward to a successful private-public partnership with GHF and the successful conservation and long-term protection of Banteay Chhmar.”
His Excellency Chuch Phoern,
Secretary of State for the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts

“As a founder member of the Global Heritage Fund’s Cambodian Corporate Council ACLEDA Bank feels very proud to be associated with the project to preserve the unique temple complex at Prasat Banteay Chhmar. This important site is a testament of the golden age of the Ankorian period and an inspiration to all Cambodians today of what can be achieved through harmony, respect for each other and upholding all that is good in the Khmer culture. This is the light which which illuminates our own corporate philosophy and guides our conduct in the Cambodian community.”
- Mr. In Channy, President & CEO, Acleda Bank plc

Human Impact Stories From Banteay Chhmar

Interviews by James Hooper and Tath Sophal, October 2009

Nil Loeurn (61) Homestay owner, Farmer and Housewife
Born in 1948, Nil Loeun arrived in Banteay Chhmar in 1975 as part of the Pol Pot regime’s project of relocating people from their village of birth, in the view that this would make them less distracted and more productive workers. Loeun had originally been told she would be making mosquito nets and scarves for the local population, but within two years, like so many at the time, she was working in the rice fields to produce food for an increasingly hunger-stricken population. By the late 1990s she had married Siev Sem and raised 4 children – 3 boys and 1 girl. In 2007 they decided that, to add to their income and to help pay University fees for their eldest son in Phnom Penh, they would ask to join CBT Banteay Chhmar. “At first we were nervous because we thought our home was too simple to be considered” says her husband Sem. “Now we feel like we have a larger family when people come and it makes us proud”. They say that being part of a community based tourism organisation has increased their social circle as well as providing much-needed income. They enjoy the regular meetings held by members of the tourism committee and are excited by the prospect of speaking better English and increased tourism opportunities that GHF is creating at Banteay Chhmar. “When we first learned that GHF would be restoring the temple we were worried that villagers would be made to leave, like in the past”. “Now we are very happy that GHF is protecting the temple as well as the people of Banteay Chhmar.”

Khot Sino (38) Carpenter and Farmer
Having been born and raised in Banteay Chhmar, 38 year old Khot Sino has seen the evolution of the area and is taking every opportunity to support his family that this presents. Having been trained in carpentry at a community project near the Thai border in 1999, Sino now lives in the workshop that he has built himself, a one-roomed establishment housing his wife and two children as well as his ageing mother. He is taking a government-funded course in pig-farming and hopes to add this to his number of qualifications including bee-keeping, carpentry, rice-farming and (when it’s available) fishing. Sino uses an antiquated diesel generator to power his lathe, on which he turns numerous vessels from local timber, especially from the bases of tree trunks which give a fine mottled character to the wood. He would like to dedicate himself to creating better and better products, but while tourism in Banteay Chhmar is still low, he must earn money wherever he can. Sino puts this low level of tourism down to the difficult access, and looks forward to the road improvements that are set to be completed by 2013. “GHF are helping CBT to become a strong organisation before more tourists come, and this is very good – without agreements between CBT and the local and provincial officials we have no strength. GHF have helped us to get these agreements so we feel more confident now. If more tourists come I will sell them better products, and maybe some of my pigs if I have any!” He is proud of Banteay Chhmar but would like his children to be able to go to university in Phnom Penh so that they can earn better livings for themselves. For now they play on the timber piles nearby, looked after by their grandmother.

Peak Mabb (28) Unskilled Labourer
Mabb, 28, was working in a garment factory near Phnom Penh before the global financial crisis hit the Cambodian garment industry. Mabb had to leave his job and return to Banteay Chhmar to live with his family. Fortunately GHF were expanding their workforce at the time and Mabb signed up. “When I started they asked me if I was fit enough for the hard work that I’d have to do – I said yes, and that I wanted to learn about working with stone too.” Mabb is pleased to have found a job in his home town that is teaching him new skills – even though he’s had to start at the bottom, identifying and moving stones into a comprehensible layout for identification by more trained staff. He is enjoying learning this process from the older members of the workforce and being part of the team at Banteay Chhmar.

Neiv Bunteat (20) Unskilled Labourer
Bunteat left school in the 8th grade and was working in the rice fields around Banteay Chhmar from age 15. He’s very happy to be working with GHF because his monthly salary isn’t dependent on harvests and yields, so he feels secure in his job. He’s also proud to be working at a place that has been in the local and national news, and on the television. He’d like to learn more about conserving stone as a professional, and isn’t so interested in who built the temple or when it was built. “I’d like to work at Banteay Chhmar for many years so that when I’m an old man I can retire and watch people coming to visit the temple and admire it”.

Svey Sophal (48) Draughtsman
Sophal originally was hired to draw plans of the fallen stone blocks for the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in 2008. He now works for GHF, and the complexity of the work he’s doing makes him wonder at how sophisticated the Angkorian engineers must have been. Married since 1986 and with 4 children (only one of whom is married), Sophal says that his work with GHF during the week allows him to also work in the rice fields at weekends, so he can support his family.

Chan Vanak (22) Stone Conservator
Vanak’s family were dispossessed of their lands as refugees and so rather than work in the rice fields Vanak had previously earned a living selling fish and vegetables from village to village on a scooter-powered market stall. Now that he is being trained by SACRA in stone conservation, he is able to work for GHF while his father and mother continue the business. His friends think that Vanak has a great job and he agrees with them, especially because now he hopes to marry his girlfriend and settle in Banteay Chhmar. He likes the work team at Banteay Chhmar and wants to stay here, but would like to ask Mr. Jeff Morgan at GHF for more materials for repairing cracked stone, because there are so many!

Mr. Nhok Lo (30) Head Draughtsman and Manager
Mr. Lo met John Sanday in 1998 and worked with him at Preah Khan, Ta Som and then Bakeng. The first time he started working with John he was totally unskilled, like many of the younger workers at Banteay Chhmar. Gradually he was able to start doing more complicated jobs and taking on more responsibilities and now he is in a very responsible position on the site. For him, Banteay Chhmar is different to all the sites that he’s worked at because of the human impact on the monument – stones have been moved from their original position, some have been looted and others have been smashed by treasure hunters. This makes a very complicated picture that is testing everyone’s skills as conservators, and their ability to read the site as a whole. Lo thinks the project at Banteay Chhmar is important for Cambodia as a nation, but many local people are still unaware that Banteay Chhmar is as important as Angkor Wat and Bayon. He thinks that GHF’s contribution to improving the local infrastructure will make a big difference to them.

Mok Ngam (66)
Ngam, the eldest member of the GHF team, worked for the Ecole Francais d’Extreme Orient (EFEO) before the Pol Pot regime, then met John Sanday after the regime ended and work at Angkor was able to recommence. He feels proud to do his work and feels that he understands the mind of the Khmer people who built the temple because he has spent his life working on their monuments. He would like to see Banteay Chhmar conserved but realises that he will probably not live to see the last of the work completed! He feels responsible for sharing his knowledge with the young workers, and for carrying out the emergency propping around the temple that must be done to avoid collapse – something he is very concerned about.