A Systematic Destruction of Cultural Sources

Destruction of Literary Heritage

The French School of the Far East (EFEO) conducted extensive research revealing the catastrophic scale of cultural losses. According to their findings, more than 90% of Cambodia’s manuscript literary heritage was destroyed during the wars that ravaged the country over two decades.

Major libraries in Phnom Penh, including those of the Buddhist Institute, the Higher School of Pali, and the Royal Library, were completely destroyed by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. This devastation not only resulted in material loss but also created an irreparable rupture in the transmission of Cambodian knowledge.

Destruction of Cultural and Religious Institutions

The Khmer Rouge systematically targeted institutions that preserved and transmitted Cambodian culture. Cities, hospitals, pagodas, and schools were emptied or destroyed, and the traditional education system was replaced with ideological indoctrination.

Buddhism was criminalized under the regime, leading to the destruction of numerous religious artifacts, monasteries, and statues.

The Systematic Elimination of Intellectuals and Artists

Unprecedented Targeting

The Khmer Rouge’s regime was uniquely ruthless against intellectuals. Unlike other totalitarian regimes that sought to control intellectual production, Democratic Kampuchea aimed to eradicate it entirely.

Speaking a foreign language or even wearing glasses was enough to mark someone as an enemy of the revolution, leading to the mass execution of artists, educators, and professionals.

A Policy of Total Annihilation

Documents from the S-21 extermination center reveal that the term "kamtech" was frequently used, meaning not simply "to kill" but "to destroy or reduce to dust." This concept reflected the regime’s aim to erase individuals and their cultural contributions completely.

Implications for Khmer Cultural Studies

A Disruption in Cultural Continuity

This massive destruction presents a major challenge for researchers. Any serious study of Cambodian culture must account for this forced discontinuity and the irremediable loss of primary sources.

Scholars must acknowledge that they are working with fragmented records, where the gaps are just as significant as the preserved elements.

Reconstructing from Fragments

Despite the scale of destruction, remarkable efforts have been made to preserve and rebuild cultural heritage. The cultural revival of Cambodia is a long-term endeavor, proving that the Khmer Rouge failed to erase the creative soul of the Cambodian people.

Valuing Testimonies and Alternative Sources

Given the scarcity of traditional sources, survivor testimonies and post-genocide artistic productions hold immense value. Artists like Vann Nath and filmmakers like Rithy Panh have worked extensively to document and depict the realities of the Khmer Rouge regime.

Conclusion

The study of Khmer culture cannot ignore the catastrophic rupture caused by the Cambodian genocide. This period not only obliterated cultural artifacts but also annihilated an entire generation of creators, severing centuries-old knowledge transmission.

Recognizing and integrating this rupture into scholarly analyses is not just a practical necessity but also an ethical duty to the memory of the victims and the authentic understanding of Cambodian cultural complexity.