Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE CHUNCHIET
Cambodia's
chunchiet
(literally “nationality”) or
Khmer Loeu
(“upland Khmer”) are one of
the ethnic minority groups found scattered throughout the hinterlands of Cambodia,
Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and parts of southeastern China. The chunchiet live
primarily in the remote villages of Rattanakiri and Mondulkiri provinces, although small
communities also inhabit parts of Stung Treng and Kratie provinces, and a few live in the
mountains of southwest Cambodia, near Koh Kong. It's estimated that the chunchiet make
up one percent of Cambodia's population, although in the highlands of the east and
northeast they have always been the majority, at least until the recent influx of Khmer from
the rest of the country.
The chunchiet, like the Khmer, are regarded as
indigenous
inhabitants of the country.
Smaller in stature and darker-skinned than the Khmer, they divide into more than thirty
distinct tribes, ranging from comparatively large groups such as the Tampoun, Kreung-Brou,
Jarai, Stieng and Phnong, all of which number in the thousands, to much smaller tribes,
including the Kavat, Lun, Peahr and Meul, which are believed to number fewer than a hundred
each. Every group has its own
language
, each with several dialects; additionally, none of the
chunchiet tongues has a written form. Traditional garments are used only on ceremonial
occasions, from which strangers are normally excluded. Indeed, relatively little is known about
chunchiet rituals and ceremonies, though it is known that
animism
and
ancestor worship
are central to the chunchiet belief system.
Unfortunately, the traditional way of life is now nearly extinct. Repeated attempts have
been made to bring the tribes round to the Khmer way of life. The French recruited them to
work in the rubber plantations and on road-building projects, while the Sihanouk
government tried to restrict them to farming fixed plots. In the mid-1960s, government
troops seeking the guerrilla Khmer Rouge -
who had
fled to the jungles of Rattanakiri
- burned down chunchiet villages. Indeed, bombed by the US in the early 1970s and
continually harassed by Lon Nol soldiers, the chunchiet were ripe for recruitment by the
Khmer Rouge, although those who did join them were most likely siding with them against
a common enemy rather than sharing their ideology.
Today, in theory, chunchiet lands are state-owned and cannot be sold to private
Cambodians, but since 2001 tribal lands have been sold, sometimes by village headmen, to
savvy Khmer who have cleared the land for farms. Latterly, the government has allowed
economic land concessions (ELCs), which permit ground to be
cleared
for plantations.
According to Cambodian law, ELCs can only be used to clear non-forested land, but regardless
of this, vast swathes of forest have now been cleared to make way for plantations of rubber
and cashew; according to a report by Global Witness (see p.227) this is a way of flouting the
rules regarding illegal logging. The consequence for the chunchiet is that the forest on which
they have long relied for their livelihood has been largely destroyed. Appeals for the return of
their land has been to no avail. Some still manage to eke a living out of the land, others have
found work locally in tourism, while some have been forced to abandon their traditional way
of life entirely.
Although many villagers have become accustomed to foreign visitors, they remain shy and
modest - some may even see your presence as voyeuristic, so it's always better to visit in the
company of a local guide. It's also worth noting that the chunchiet do not like having their
pictures taken and are embarrassed by shows of public affection and by exposed flesh (bare
legs, arms and so on).
4
calls; you can also call abroad using VoIP at the internet
shops. Domestic calls can be made at the cheap-rate
booths near the market.
Police
Just north of the Independence Monument
(
T
012 308988).
Shopping
A few dealers in and around the market sell cut
and polished local gemstones (see p.228), which you can
get made up into jewellery for around $15-20; you'll also
find a few rings and pendants. The gemstones here are
hardly world-class, but there's no evidence of fakes being
passed off as genuine. Even so, it's not wise to pay a lot of
money for a stone you like unless you have some
knowledge of gemology and know what any particular
stone is worth.
Swimming
Non-residents can use the pool at
Terres
Rouges
for $5/day.
