Cambodia - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 566

Religion
The majority of Khmers (95%) follow the Theravada branch of Buddhism. Buddhism in
Cambodia draws heavily on its predecessors, incorporating many cultural traditions from
Hinduism for ceremonies such as birth, marriage and death, as well as genies and spirits,
such as Neak Ta, which link back to a pre-Indian animist past.
Under the Khmer Rouge, the majority of Cambodia's Buddhist monks were murdered
and nearly all of the country's wats (more than 3000) were damaged or destroyed. In the
late 1980s, Buddhism once again became the state religion.
Other religions found in Cambodia are Islam, practised by the Cham community; anim-
ism, among the hill tribes; and Christianity, which is making inroads via missionaries and
Christian NGOs.
Arts
The Khmer Rouge regime not only killed the living bearers of Khmer culture, it also des-
troyed cultural artefacts, statues, musical instruments, books and anything else that served
as a reminder of a past it was trying to efface. The temples of Angkor were spared as a
symbol of Khmer glory and empire, but little else survived. Despite this, Cambodia is wit-
nessing a resurgence of traditional arts and a growing interest in cross-cultural fusion.
Cambodia's royal ballet is a tangible link with the glory of Angkor and includes a
unique apsara (heavenly nymphs) dance. Cambodian music, too, goes back at least as far
as Angkor. To get some sense of the music that Jayavarman VII used to like, check out the
bas-reliefs at Angkor Wat.
In the mid-20th century a vibrant Cambodian pop music scene developed, but it was
killed off (literally) by the Khmer Rouge. After the war, overseas Khmers established a
pop industry in the USA and some Cambodian-Americans, raised on a diet of rap, are now
returning to their homeland. The Los Angeles-based sextet Dengue Fever, inspired by
1960s Cambodian pop and psychedelic rock, is the ultimate fusion band.
The people of Cambodia were producing masterfully sensuous sculptures - more than
copies of Indian forms - in the age of Funan and Chenla. The Banteay Srei style of the
late 10th century is regarded as a high point in the evolution of Southeast Asian art.