Cambodia 2011 Peace Project Event (Part1 The Story)

Previ Hear Journal 

From the 9th of November until the 28th of 

November 2011 

“BLUE BUDDHA” by dominique 

---------------------------------------

PREVI HEAR JOURNAL 2011 ! The Peace Project 


Historical 

Background 

to Previ 

Hear 

Conflict 

Thailand- 

Cambodia 

Border 

Dispute 

Thailand and Cambodia 

are neighboring countries 

in Southeast Asia with 

a long common border 

and a history of wars and 

disputes between them. 

The latest border dispute 

erupted into violence in 

October of 2008 and April 

of 2009, as troops from 

both nations exchanged 

fire over ownership of an 

ancient temple and the 

surrounding land. Besides 

the border dispute, the Thai 

government expressed 

extreme displeasure when 

Cambodian Prime Minister 

Hun Sen recently praised 

former Thai premier 

Thaksin Shinawatra 

and offered a him a 

job. Hun Sen appointed 

Thaksin, who convicted 

on corruption charges in 

Thailand, as an economic 

advisor. Thaksin was 

overthrown by the Thai 

military in a coup in 

2006. Clashes continued 

into 2011 as the two 

neighbors continue 

their disagreement over 

whose territory the Preah 

Vihear Temple belongs 

to. The religious and 

historically important 

shrine, is a Hindu temple 

that reflects the beliefs 

of the monarchs who 

ruled what was then 

the Angkorean empire, 

is located on the top of 

a 1,722-foot cliff in the 

Dangrek Mountains, 

about 150 miles north 

of the Cambodian 

capital of Phnom Penh. 

October 3, 2008,-- 

Thai and Cambodian 

troops exchanged fire 

with each other on 

the disputed territory 

near the Preah Vihear 

Temple. The fighting 

lasted for nearly only 

a few minutes, leaving 

two Thai soldiers and 

one Cambodian soldier 

wounded. October 6, 2008 

Two Thai soldiers were 

wounded by exploding 

land mines in the border 

area after entering a 

little more than a half 

mile into Cambodian



territory. October 14, 2008 

, Cambodian and Thai 

forces opened fire on each 

other in the border area, 

leaving three Cambodian 

soldiers dead and two 

Cambodian and seven 

Thai soldiers wounded. 

One wounded Thai 

soldier later died of his 

wounds. The Cambodians 

claimed to have captured 

13 Thai soldiers during 

the battle, but the Thais 

denied this. April 2, 

2009,-- Fighting between 


forces left at least 3 Thai 

soldiers and 2 Cambodian 

soldiers dead. Cambodia 

claimed 4 Thai soldiers 

were killed, 6 wounded, 

and 10 captured. 2 

Cambodian soldiers were 

also reported killed in the 

border clash. January 31, 

2010,--Fighting between 


forces left one Thai soldier 

dead. April 16, 2010, 

Cambodia and Thai Forces 

opened fire on each 

other near Cambodia’s 

northwestern border in 

a clash which lasted for 

a quarter of an hour,. 

There were no reports 

of casualties in this 

incident. February 4-9, 

2011--Fighting between 


forces result in deaths 

among both the Thai 

and Cambodian military 

forces. Civilian deaths 

were also reported. As 

of midday on February 

5, firm numbers of dead 

and wounded are not 

available, as both sides 

report widely divergent 

numbers. It appears that 

total deaths hover around 

ten. February 6--Both sides 

fired mortar and artillery 

rounds across the border. 

Cambodia reported that the 

Preah Vihear Temple itself 

sustained damage from 

Thai artillery. February 

7--Thai forces attempted 

to recover casualties from 

the previous day’s fighting, 

and again, combat with 

Cambodian forces resumed. 

Cambodian Prime Minister 

Hun Sen called the 

situation as a “big skirmish 

or a small war.” February 

8--Cambodian troops 

reinforced their positions 

around the temple. 

February 9 -- Cambodian 

Prime Minister Hun Sen 

referred to the recent 

fighting as a war, stating 

that “Thailand created this 

war. [Thai Prime Minister] 

Abhisit must be responsible 

for the war.” Hun Sen also 

said “This is a real war. 

It is not a clash.” April 7, 

2011,--Thailand admitted 

using Dual-Purpose 

Improved Conventional 

Munition (DPICM) during 

the earlier fighting. This 

class of weaponry is 

commonly referred to as 

cluster munitions. April 22- 

28, 2011--Renewed clashes 

along the disputed border 

erupted on April 22 and 

continued into the next day. 

Initial reports from Thailand 

indicated that casualties 

totaled eight dead and 32 

wounded. The renewed 

fighting between Thailand 

and Cambodia involved 

rocket launchers and 

artillery. Cambodia claimed 

that Thai aircraft overflew 

Cambodian territory during 

the fighting, as well as 

claiming Thailand was again 

using cluster munitions. 

As of 4/28/2011, casualties 

in the April fighting came 

to: Thai military: 7 dead, 35 

wounded Thai civilians: 1 

dead Cambodian military: 8 

killed, 17 wounded, one MIA 

The renewed fighting comes 

after several weeks of peace, 

and a resumption of peace 

talks between Thailand and 

Cambodia.



Hu Bunthy 

Aged 52 A 52 year old Motor Tuk 

driver with an always smiling polite 

face every night brings dominic 

home from working at coffee shop 

at 11 

Cast of Characters 

Sim So Pert 

Artist from Siem Reap. 33 years 

of age. Married to (Lin) Prom 

Sothrerny 

Chheng Sambo 

26 years of age Director 

of Photography DMC Media 

Communicator Royal 

University of Phnom Pen 

Akram Ly Nev 

Motor tuk driver Reservist in 

First Cambodian army. Married 

with two children. One is 3 is boy 

and Second 2 is girl. 

Mr Brown, Mor Bora 

Single with fiancee aged 34. 

Financee in Kambu Cchanang 

Province Batyyta,m bong Province. 

Saving 3000 dollars for dowry. 

Srey Pich One 

Artists assistant 17 years of 

age (actually 22 years of age!) 

Sra Aem District Previ Hear 

Mountain 

Ly Sokheng 

25 years of age Director 

of Photography DMC Media 

Communicator Royal 

University of Phnom Penh 

Tith Mao - Mr Happy 

Times 

Siem Reap Guide Translator and 

Moto Tuk driver 41 years of age. 

Worked as organizer receipt keeper 

and sound recordist. 

Dominic Ryan 

artist and Director of 

Peace Project



Prior to 

Departure 

I had already been 

planning a journey to 

Previ-Hear since early 

May to visit the temple 

on the Cambodia-Thai 

border. The Thai-Khmer 

war of 2011 had started 

and finished after only a 

few days in February. All 

that was left was lingering 

tension, fox holes, 

binoculars and military 

instillations. On June 

23 I visited Previ-Hear 

temple with my friend 

Tith Mao and realised 

that I could do another 

Peace Project event there! 

But when I came there 

were no tourists. Well, at 

least three tourists each 

day came. I was one of 

them. Meanwhile, the 

Cambodian government 

had been building bitumen 

four-lane highways and 

tourist counters, and ticket 

machines in expectation of 

building another Angkor 

Watt tourist theme park in 

Previ Hear. When I arrived 

all I saw was kalashnikovs 

and bamboo huts. 

My two day excursion 

proved, in my mind’s 

eye, that I could paint an 

image of peace and bring 

the two sides into the No- 

Mans- Land to sign the 

UDCR on the temple site. 

If I received a permit! 

Upon arriving, I realized 

it would be possible to do 

something others had 

not done before. Maybe! I 

could get in there, make a 

film about the process and 

build a bridge relating to 

peace. 

During our trip we had 

spent two days visiting 

the mountain, taking 

photographs and talking 

to the soldiers. Then 

three weeks later we 

approached the Previ-Hear 

Government Authority to 

ask for permission to paint 

an image on the site. Tony 

Nan from the Apsarra, the 

representative in Siem 

Reap had written some 

notes and passed my 

documents for permission 

on to the authorities 

asking if I could paint on 

the site. 

There were different 

organizations to approach. 

A german called Nico’s, 

from the Meta House, 

a German cultural 

organization in Phnom 

Penh had given me the 

referral of two media 

students who have since 

become camera men. 

Their names were Sambo 

and Sokkheng. 

With Tith Mao, a Khmer 

guide from Siem Reap, I 

was intending to find a 

team of people and build a 

bridge for a peace event. In 

early October the permit 

came through a day after 

we had asked to start. 

We then rescheduled the 

commencement date. Mao 

rang me in Laos with the 

news, 

‘You got it. The second 

date has been accepted. 

You can paint there from 

the 8th until the 28th of 

November.’ 

PREVI HEAR JOURNAL 

2011 ! The Peace Project 

PREVI HEAR JOURNAL 

2011 ! The Peace Project 

‘ That would be enough 

time,’ I thought. In early 

November, after ten days 

in preparation with Mao 

in 

Siem Reap searching 

for an art assistant 

from some of the artists 

stationed close to the 

Angkor Watt, we finally 

settled on a musician. So 

Pet was his name. And he 

was also an artist. 

Meanwhile Sambo 

and Sokkeng in Phnom 

Penh were looking at 

permits for the event and 

assessing what equipment 

we needed before 

traveling to Sra’Aem. Most 

of the days had been spent 

with Sambo, Sokkeng 

and a female assistant 

called Aone at the Foreign 

Correspondents Club. It 

overlooked the Mea Kong 

and was positioned on 

Riverside. We spent one week, from 

2nd of November through to 9th, 

going through equipment, visiting 

the Phnom Penh Royal University 

and looking at renting equipment 

from their Media department.


PREVI HEAR JOURNAL 2011 ! The Peace Project



DAY ZERO 

Wednesday, 

9th of 

November 

2011 

Phnom Penh 

to Sra ‘Aem 

----------------------------- 

It’s seven-forty-five in 

the early morning and the 

temperature is twenty-six 

degrees Celsius but the 

humidity feels like a wet oven. 

The streets of Phnom Penh 

are empty except for cats, 

stray dogs and garbage. Only 

the night’s left-overs linger 

on the curbs and the early 

birds on their way to offices 

pass us here. People look like 

cockroaches beginning to 

wriggle out of their burrows. 

It feels good to be leaving 

the hotel and embarking on 

another Peace Adventure. We 

pass from the Riverside into 

the teeming back streets. The 

driver seems to know where 

he’s going. Where I am going 

I’m not so sure! It’s a maze 

for me. 

The wind is in my hair 

and Aone is beside me. I 

just picked her up from her 

house. I travel with her, the 

assistant for the film Blue 

Buddha to the Air-Asia office 

to buy the ticket for my 

return flight to Australia. 

The tuk tuk draws up. I get 

out while the other two 

wait. The woman at Air- 

Asia office does not take 

credit cards for my ticket, 

so it’s necessary to pay 

quickly. Then I can receive 

a return flight to Australia 

after the Blue Buddha 

project. I have been away so 

long. I need to sit at fifteen 

meetings and sort through 

tax returns. So Australia 

feels like I’m returning to 

the Dentist. Previ-Hear feels 

like I’m going in for a heart 

transplant. They’re both bad, 

but Ill live through each! 

The city’s population is 

still waking up. The boys, 

Sambo and Sokkheng will be 

waiting at the bus station. 

Then the tuk tuk take 

us from Riverside to the 

Central bus station where 

we waited in a huddle with 

Sokkeng and Sambo for the 

journey to begin but the 

bus to the Provincial town 

of Previ-Hear doesn’t come. 

Our bags are heaped in a 

mound around us like four 

travelers around a campfire. 

We have to carry the twelve 

bags of camera equipment 

with us to Sra’Am. 

Sokkeng and Sambo have 

the two Canon 5D Mark 2s in 

two nap sacks. A Chloroziel 

Camera mount. There are 

also Edirolll tape, rollers and 

tripods. Aone, my female 

assistant has helped with the 

logistics and says good 

bye to us at the station. 

We wait awkwardly 

in the out-door area 

until the bus arrives 

surrounded by beggars, 

suit- cases, loud hailer 

announcements and 

children with running 

noses. The bus does 

not leave at eight-fortyfive. 

It does not leave 

at nine- forty-five. 

Eventually the bus for 

Previ-Hear comes at 

ten-thirty, and we put 

everything into the 

upstairs compartments. 

Tith Mao and the art 

assistant, So Pert are 

meeting us and coming 

from Siem Reap by van. 

As we drive my 

thoughts are a cocktail. 

‘We had done 

preparation of drawings 

in Laos before I came. 

Tamar, the art assistant 

from Vientiane Laos 

and I had drawn up the 

Buddha image in pencil 

on the large canvas. 

Having prepared it we 

were ready and waiting 

to begin. Nokyak, the 

graphic designer 

from Laos and I had 

developed the image 

of reconciliation about 

peace. I had then rolled 

it and placing it in 

tube flown from Wattai 

airport to Siem, Reap.” 

Both crews are 

scheduled to meet at the 

same time. Mao will bring 

the easels which have been 

constructed by carpenters 

in Siem Reap, the painting 

stand and the canvas, 

which has already had the 

Blue Buddha stenciled 

in. From Phnom Penh 

to Sra'Aem by bus and 

taxi it was a blur of taxis 

and lakes. Everything is 

swamped by water. We pass 

the Tonle Sap Lake, then 

drive up towards Siem 

Reap. We don’t stop there 

but just pass on through 

to the outskirts. Slowly the 

landscape begins to change 

as we journey North. First 

it’s lush tropical trees 

and foliage which is soon 

replaced by hills and small 

shrubbery. As we journey 

North it becomes and more 

more barren. The palm 

trees are replaced eucalypts 

in places. Boulders and red 

clay replace paddy fields. 

The rice paddies give way to 

cattle grazing. Mountains 

emerge. We meet a 

family on the bus that 

are traveling on the way 

to Previ Hear Mountain. 

Their son is stationed up 

there as a corporal. They 

have plastic bags full of 

food, potatoes, rice and 

dead decapitated chickens 

to give him. The father is 

on crutches and seems 

crippled. The daughter is 

possessive of him and helps 

him as they get off at each 

stop. 

We arrive in Previ- 

Hear and negotiate with 

people drive us to Sra’Aem 

where the other crew 

Tith Mao and So Pert are 

waiting. Or so we think. 

Before this is to happen, 

we arrive in Previ-Hear. 

It is a one-horse-dump, 

masquerading as a town. 

Maybe there is one bank, 

two restaurants, thirtyfive 

noodle shops and 

seventy-five motorcycle 

garages, with as many 

people in cycles driving in 

circles nowhere. At least, 

that’s how it seems to me. 

We’‘re culture-shocked 

and zonked from the trip. 

We cannot get a bus to 

take us on to Sra’Aem.. I 

do the math. It doesn’t add 

up! We are waiting on the 

side of the road with our 

bags heaped in a mound. 

Sokheng goes off. Then 

Sambo. Then they return 

with the news. 

‘There is no bus until 

tomorrow, at three in the 

afternoon.‘ 

‘I'm not waiting till 

tomorrow,’ I tell Sambo. ‘We 

must pay whatever price 

they demand and go today.’ 

Eventually we negotiate 

with the single taxi driver 

in this one horse town. 

The standard price for 

taxis is 25 dollars for a 

trip top Sra Aem, but he 

is the only taxi drover in 

town so he calls the shots. 

It turns out to be fortyfive 

or fifty dollars. He's 

no Mother Theresa. He 

wouldn’t even know who 

Mother Theresa is. He has 

greasy side burns and a 

Cambodian version of a 

Cadillac with a cracked 

windscreen. He drives 

fast towards Sra’Aem, 

staring blindly at the road 

ahead of him without 

turning to talk to us. I 

don’t talk to him. I don’t 

even look at him. This is 

my way of addressing the 

fact he is greedy and does 

not deserve what we are 

giving him. The family 

with the man on crutches 

and daughter come with 

us. We pay for their trip! 

On our arrival, I give the 

money to Sokkheng, who 

in turn hands it to him. I 

don’t even want to see his 

face. The next moment, I 

have turned my back on 

him and I’m in another 

world. He is still in his 

body and that is enough 

punishment. 

Sambo, Sokheng and 

I, finally arrive in Srae 

Aem from Phnom Penh 

at seven-thirty in the 

evening . An hour later 

come the arrival of Tith 

Mao and So Perti by car 

from Siem Reap. The 

guest house is the only 

one in Sra’Aaem. It has



forty rooms and is used by 

the Cambodian military 

to bring their prostitutes 

for sex. Its not full and we 

can check in. For us, it is a 

luxurious home away from 

home. The bags arrive. I 

meet Candy, the Taiwanese 

owner’s sister. She’s cute, 

half-cosmopolitan and 

the other-half shouldn’t 

be here but in a place like 

Australia. She’s not and 

she’s got to deal with it. We 

bond because she has an 

iPhone. The owner looks 

like a sleepy patron, who 

has smoked too much 

marijuana. He hardly 

speaks Khmer and neither 

does his sister. The work of 

the hotel is done instead by 

his wife, a Cambodian who 

looks like she wears not 

only the pants but the army 

camouflage fatigues, does 

all the hard labour and the 

books! They always leave 

it to the women to do the 

work! 

Then my friend Tith Mao 

and So Pert arrive with 

the equipment from Siem 

Reap. They seem excited 

but shy. The van is paid by 

me and, after it leaves, we 

unpack. 

‘It is all beginning!’ I 

think. ‘The feeling is one of 

excitement. We are on the 

way!’ 

I begin to walk around 

the hotel and restaurant 

to explore. There are 

two areas to the Sok San 

restaurant and it’s guest 

rooms. Two passages lead 

off the rooms which are all 

one story. It took us a day 

to got here and now it is 

time to unwind and debrief, 

discussing what we need to 

do. Soon I go off to bed. The 

were a lot of things in store 

for me. One was that little 

do I know, that that was 

also the last day I would 

ever see Aone. 

DAY ONE 

Thursday, 

10th of 

November 


Sra ‘Aem 

The first day. I wake 

up, staring at the ceiling, 

thinking, 

‘I'm in Sra’’Aem. Wow, I 

can feel the coolness after 

the humidity of the South. 

I’m here!’ 

There are distant clatters 

of dishes, laughter and a 

radio somewhere in the 

background. I roll over. The 

next thought is, 

‘It will take three or four 

days of doing nothing 

before we do something. 

We need to reassess our 

position, and look at what 

we must do. The day is 

going to start with setting 

everything up.’ 

After coffee, I begin. The 

idea is to bring a six meter 

by two meter canvas image 

of the Buddha floating in 

the sky. Either side will be 

two texts. One is in Khmer, 

the other in Thai. One is on 

the left- hand-side and or 

the other one on the righthand-side. 

Underneath 

will be a picture of Previ- 

Hear, the temple. We will 

paint the the picture at 

the summit of Previ-Hear 

temple. Mao and Sopert this 

morning are going to climb 

the mountain and once up 

there prepare the easels 

with wood. So we have to 

take the wooden easels that 

I had built in Siem Reap up 

to Previ-Hear temple. 

I stumble across to the 

breakfast area and shout, 

‘Another five coffees.’ 

That’s my drug. They 

don’t understand my 

English and instead 

look blankly at me. The 

waitresses laugh because 

I am foreign and cannot 

speak Khmer. I’m a 

stumbling, mumbling 

foreigner! They are 

flirtatious but shy. The 

first one is called Nana, 

the second Alin and third 

is Jay jay, which mean 

sister, I discover how to say, 

“Another 

coffee” which is “Moy 

teta!” in Khmer. I sit down 

at the white, oval 

Formica tables and write 

a series of lists for each 

person. The boys also do 

the lists of all the camera 

equipment, which we have 

to take. 

Mao comes over to me 

and says, 

‘We need to transport the 

easels but I’m not exactly 

clear how we will get up the 

mountain. ‘ 

Mao begins to looks at 

rental of trucks. In Siem 

Reap he had been given 

the contact name of a 

man called Bunthy who is 

a former military driver. 

He also has some motor 

cycles and can rent a 

truck from the military for 

the day. 

I say to Sambo and 

Sokkheng that the 

posters and lists need 

to be written up in 

the restaurant, while 

equipment lists need to be 

typed up by the two boys. 

In between the coffees, I 

am thinking, 

‘I need to find a group 

of assistants and riders 

to organize and transport 

crew. Mao can then begin 

to move the equipment to 

the mountain. Mao has to 

be taught how to use the 

sound equipment, which 

is called an Ediroll. He also 

needs to prepare how to 

dump the tapes into hard 

drives.’ 

We make a list of what 

must be bought. I write 

down: 

“Buying plastic 

tarpaulins, glass 

containers for paint and 

turpentine.’ 

Then I shout across the 

breakfast table, ‘ Hats! 

Yes, we need hats ‘cause 

of the powerful glare 

of the sun.’ Four hours 

later, Mao triumphantly 

returns and reports what



has been been achieved. He 

has already transported 

the wood up the mountain 

and assembled the easels 

with hammer, nails and 

saws. There are three 

easels. Before he came I had 

visited Siem Reap and had 

them measured and cut so 

that they could be quickly 

assembled in a day up here. 

The look on his face says, 

“It went well.” 

Another four hours 

later, we are searching 

for archive footage on 

the Khmer conflict from 

February to insert into the 

film as well. We look at the 

necessity of buying three 

cartouches of cigarettes for 

soldiers and the protocols 

of bribery or gifts. The list 

involves getting umbrellas 

and turpentine. We need 

to look at either renting 

motorcycles or trucks and 

also building a clapperboard. 

It has begun! 

The day ends by going 

out and seeking a small 

restaurant in the centre of 

Sra’Aem. The town is small 

by any standards. I keep 

asking how many people 

live here but they just shrug 

their shoulders. 

‘Nobody knows,’ I think, 

judging by the number of 

shops and restaurants, 

‘Maybe a thousand people 

live here.” 

“Sok San” is the Chic 

Restaurant and hotel at the 

end of the town. By Phnom 

Penh standards it’s a dump, 

but here it’s luxury, par 

excellence. It caters for the 

military, that’s all. There 

are lines shops built with 

lean-to timber. I’m looking 

at everything as we cruise 

down the street. Its a good 

feeling. The stars are out. 

The wind is in my face and 

I’m on the back of a motor 

tuk, driving into the night. 

‘Everything is on stilts 

and the roads are propped 

up fifteen feet from the 

ground level. I guess 

it must rain a lot here, 

but November is not the 

month! There made of 

teak,’ I think, ‘and the 

shops are filled 

with Army disposal 

camouflage jackets, flick 

knives, T Shirts that say 

“LOCK AND LOAD.” 

Kalashnikovs, Colt Fortfives 

for sale and 

Zippo lighters. Rambo 

this and Rambo that! 

Everything is either black 

or foliage green or dark 

mahogany brown. That’s 

the color palette. ‘ 

----------------------- 

DAY TWO 

Friday, 

11th of 

November 

2011 Sra 

‘Aem 

I wake up to the 

sound of birds 

warbling. Are they 

red robins, starlings 

or Birds of paradise? 

I’m not so certain as to 

where I am or where 

the birds are coming 

from. It’s early and 

there is a grey sky 

with purples ripples 

streaming through 

the blinds. I look over 

the sheets. Mao is 

sleeping next me or 

rather did. Last night 

was our first night 

together. So Pert, the 

art assistant is in the 

bed next to us. Across 

the passage are Sambo



and Sokheng. Right now, Mao ands So 

Pert are practicing Thai-Cambodian 

boxing moves in the bedroom like 

an imaginary punching bag and the 

wrestling on the Tee Vee is on in the 

background. 

I hear Mao command So Pert, 

‘No! You do it like this. Just hold 

your body in this position then contort. 

Straight, block then release. ‘ 

At least that’s my translation! 

The showers are cold but it’s kind of 

humid. Coffee and “Moi Teta” are the 

rules of the day. The four Cambodian 

crew here think the hotel is luxury but 

for the decadent westerner, it’s “okay.” 

After coffee, I begin to draw up 

the storyboard. Mao leaves for the 

mountain with So Pert to begin to 

building wooden easel for the picture to 

rest on. I spend the first half of the day 

scribbling, scribbling at the breakfast 

table only to realize that the idea of 

doing a storyboard is premature. 

I think, 

‘Maybe it’s not such a good idea, 

because everything here is going to 

change. Instead I better just sketch it 

in.’ 

So somewhere in my archives will be 

some cleverly refined drawings that are 

scrapped. 

‘It reminds me of the Gaza Storyboard 

which went nowhere fas. but is great a a 

visual novel.‘ I think! 

At twelve-fifty I go with Sokheng and 

Sambo to buy sun hats, camera bags 

in second-hand army disposal store in 

Sra’Aem. Meanwhile Mao and So Pert 

continue to drive up the mountain. 

We test the camera with Sokheng and 

Sambo and also the Chlozoriel camera 

mount. Sambo teaches Mao how to use 

the sound recorder. Then, there is the 

discussion of what must be one the next 

day. We shoot the film downstairs. We 

find a small outside annex behind the 

Sok San restaurant full of old toilet paper 

half-filled garbage and washing and 

during the twilight discuss my plans for 

the new and complete project - ‘BLUE 

BUDDHA.’ 

I speak into the Apple iPhone 

dictaphone a few times, but it doesn’t 

seem to work so well. 

DAY THREE 

Saturday, 12th of 

November 2011 Sra 

‘Aem 

The previous evening, I discussed with 

the four crew about our need to seek 

transport soon. It’s a potential problem 

that is quietly simmering. Getting hotter 

but it is only tepid now! The others 

don’t notice. They are like kids. They 

just expect it all to fall into their laps 

without having to do anything about 

it. AlI I know is we don't 

have wheels and we need 

them tomorrow. It’s a one 

and a-half-hour ride up to 

the top of the mountain 

and then another oneand 

a half back. If we 

don't fix the problem soon 

cost effectively and time 

efficiently the project 

will stumble. I had asked 

Mao to find a car and van 

before we came. He didn’t. 

Then we couldn’t find a 

motorcycle to rent here the 

last two days or a truck. No 

one wants to rent them. 

We need to change to a 

truck from a motor bike at 

the base of the mountain. 

Once we pass the last check 

point we rent a Previ Hear 

truck that costs me twentyfive 

dollars to go up. Then 

another twenty-five to go 

down. It’s business to them 

and money out the door for 

me! 

At ten this morning, 

Mao receives a phone 

call. It’s also an answer! 

After making a series of 

phone calls, he has found 

the bird closest to home. 

It is not the blue bird, but 

it will have to do. He has 

found two more motor 

took drivers through 

Bunthy, the man who had 

rented us a truck to bring 

the equipment up the 

mountain on the first day. 

There is Hu Bunthy. 

He is a fifty-two-year-old 

Motor Took driver from 

Sra’Aem with an ever 

smiling face. Each night 

he brings me home from 

working late at the coffee 

shop at eleven. Then there 

is the second driver, Mr 

Bora or Mr Brown as we 

like to call him. He’s thirtyfour, 

single, and is trying 

to save, indeed even doing 

so, three thousand dollars 

for his dowry before he 

marries. His twenty-oneyear-old 

fiancée lives in 

Battambang Province. The 

last driver is called Akram 

Ly Nev. He is the third on 

the team and a reservist in 

the First Cambodian army. 

He's married with two 

children. The first kid is a 

three-year-old boy and the 

second a two-year-old girl. 

So now our team has 

wheels. At least, kind of. 

We will use the bikes to 

drive us from the town 

of Sra Aem as far as the 

last check point each day. 

Then the three drivers will 

piggy-back us up to base 

of the mountain. To get to 

the base we need to drive 

through three check points 

before we arrive. There 

are khaki-clad soldiers 

lounging around smoking 

cigarettes and waving, 

with propped kalashnikovs 

resting on tables waiting 

at each check point as we 

pass. Sometimes they ask 

us to pull over. Sometimes 

not. Mao has the permit 

to paint the picture which 

makes them seem relaxed. 

He hands it to each soldier 

at each check point. We got 

multiple copies made.The 

permit is our passport! 

He rides shotgun with 

So Pert on the first bike. 

Next there is Sambo and 

I, followed by Sokkheng 

taking up the rear. So we 

are usually three on a bike. 

At the first check point 

we seek permission 

from the officers at the 

check point to film up 

the mountain road. The 

women refers us to the 

Major who is faceless at 

the end of a telephone line 

at the military police office 

somewhere that is not the 

check point.The women’s 

name is “Sre Pich.” She 

will later become “the 

second Sre Pich.” Oddly 

enough the second one we 

meet will become the first! 

Sokkheng takes the call 

and rings the commander. 

The others loiter outside 

beside the outpost waiting 

for an answer, smoking 

cigarette and exchanging 

jokes. Everyone is happy 

because the are getting 

paid and they just have 

to move everyone round. 

After half-an-hour of 

questioning in Khmer he



answers, 

‘ NO!’ The voice on 

the end of the phone to 

Sokheng is blunt, polite, 

but definite! Definitely 

NOT! Sre Pich smiles 

sheepishly and then 

attends to another permit 

holder. I look at the others 

who are still joking. 

I am thinking, ‘Oh wow, 

this is how it’s going to be!’ 

This is the first day 

when I begin to realize two 

things. ‘To keep the crew’s 

morale up I have to feed 

them very well. Luckily it’s 

super cheap here so I can 

afford to fill eight face here 

until they are bloated. For 

an anorexic, bulimic artist 

thats going to be hard. But 

easy on the pocket. There 

is a restaurant next to the 

roundabout in Srae‘Aem 

we have dubbed “The Soup 

Kitchen.” Fifteen dollars 

and everyone is Fred 

Astaire, Oops I mean FED!’. 

It’s not exactly heaven as 

far as sanitation goes but 

everyone is happy.’ And 

that’s fifteen dollars to 

feed eight people! The next 

thing I realize is, 

‘Everyone is exchanging 

jokes all the time. It’s all a 

laugh. The serious peace 

project will need to weather 

the humor, but at least I get 

it done. I have to be patient 

and understand that it 

doesn’t matter. They are 

here to help me with the 

humor!’ 

After the last recent 

depressing telephone call, 

we climb back 

onto the motor bikes 

and drive in convoy to 

the transit point ready to 

change vehicles. The road 

for the next fifteen miles 

goes straight and ends 

with some ridges which 

divide Cambodia from 

Thailand. They loom huge 

and picturesque. There 

are colors of viridian and 

ochre brown dappling the 

horizon.. Sap green too. 

On one mountain lies the 

Preah Vihear temple, but 

I am not sure which it is. 

From what I have been told, 

it’s made of solid granite 

and the temple was cut 

from the stone right out of 

the mountain side. A set 

of steps have also been cut 

seven hundred years ago 

leading up to it. It is called 

‘the Ancient Staircase!’ As 

I look from the speeding 

motorbike I think, 

‘There are definitely NO 

tourists around.’ 

The steps up the 

mountain are carved from 

the same stone but the 

access to the mountain and 

through the ancient stair 

case is not the way we want 

to go. 

At the summit we inspect 

the site and decide on 

where the painting and 

easel must go. Mao has 

already has assembled the 

wooden stands. The guys 

collect together and move 

them onto the correct 

positions. This is our first 

day when we choose a 

site for the painting and 

sort through the painting 

equipment. As evening 

descends we make the 

first return trip down the 

mountain. Here there are 

palm trees and men in 

foxholes. I can see small 

anti- personnel carriers 

and men in observation 

booths with binoculars 

looking across in Thailand 

and the border. We can 

see a road, an observation 

tower, some fix holes and 

cement bunkers and the 

Thai flag fluttering. Then 

we return as darkness 

descends to Sra'Aem to the 

lean-to wooden shops to do 

internet and photocopying. 

When we drive in to 

Sra’Aem, it’s twilight. There 

are people milling around. 

Families and soldiers 

and shop keepers. The 

usual. Its a town of threethousand 

people, I imagine. 

Maybe more, including the 

soldiers stationed on the 

border. They are the town’s 

business. Not us!There are 

obscure lights lining the 

shops and hand-painted 

signs outsides. It reminds 

me of a border town on the 

Amazon river. But nobodies 

selling fish. The trading 

which goes on here are for 

the soldiers. . We pass a few 

Karioke bars, two tumbled 

down massage booths and 

tiers of lights from street 

restaurants. There is a 

market and a vacant lot full 

of litter which doubles on 

the weekends for a boxing 

stadium. During the week 

days they use it for the 

buses and on the weekend 

for boxing. 

DAY FOUR 

Sunday, 

13th of 

November 


‘Aem 

It’s seven-fifty am. I crawl 

out of bed past the file of 

ants 

trekking to the bathroom, 

past the sleeping boys and 

to the cold white tiles and 

the cold shower. The air 

con is on but the moment 

I leave the room I feel 

the putrid humid heat 

outside. 

‘Oh gee, I’m still in 

Cambodia!’ is the first 

thought which attacks 

me like the ants. 

It’s only after four 

coffees that I begin to feel 

like have kick- started 

the day. Even before the 

sun has risen the drivers 

are waiting in the dawn 

for us. They are quiet, 

murmuring amongst 

ourselves. This is the 

first time we have driven 

with the motorcycle 

riders together. We 

will be a team. We ride 

in the early morning 

light en mass to a small 

carpentry shop on the 

outskirts of town. To get 

the sound synchronized 

with the images, we need 

a clapperboard for the 

sound recording. Or at 

least I think we do. Three 

days later I understand, 

‘we don’t.’ It’s a disaster, 

but this morning at 

eight, I 

think we do. It’s now 

eight Ay Em in the 

morning. We drive into 

the town, past the roundabout 

searching for a 

new clapperboard and 

roller. Mr Bora is 

pillioning me. Five 

kilometers outside town 

we pull up. It’s just “a 

flea bitin” tin-shed with



banana plants dying in 

the backyard from lack of 

water and a family camped 

from the shade watching 

a flickering color El Gee 

television. The husband 

does the carpentry. The 

kids are like blow flies. 

I can see a mixture of 

cornices, structural and 

ornate carvings. 

There is a shy girl here 

that walks past the family. 

She’s awkward, silent 

and cute. She is wearing 

grey trousers and a redand-blue 

check shirt. 

Almost boyish. She seems 

younger than the thirty 

years we are told she is. 

Older than she looks. The 

owner then explains. 

‘This is Go Go. She's deaf 

and dumb, but not blind!’ 

So her name is is “Gogo” 

which means ‘ Can’t 

hear.’ That’s clever! Why 

doesn’t it mean “TALKS 

A LOT!” The family here 

gives us 

a thirty second life story 

‘speel.’ She has worked all 

her life in the rice fields, 

and lost her parents in the 

war. She is now thirty and 

remains unmarried. It’s 

the victim story but who 

is listening? Dominic, of 

course. 

I think, ‘Who would want 

to marry a dumb and deaf 

girl with no education 

at the end of nowhere? 

Answer! A dumb and deaf 

guy with no education at 

the end of nowhere!’ 

She stares back at us with 

deep dark hair and brown 

molasses eyes. The eyes are 

smiling. 

I think, 

‘She’s cute.’ 

I connect to her without 

language. For me, that’s 

easy. She is funny, dry 

and we talk in a comic 

exaggerated sign language, 

while everyone else ignores 

us and smokes cigarettes 

and laughs. I immediately 

decide to help he., 

‘Maybe I can put her in 

the film and pay her.’ 

It’s my mothering 

instincts. The theatrical 

mime between us finishes 

and the crew give us a look, 

which says, 

“ It’s time to move along.” 

Then we return to 

the town to buy head 

phones for the sound 

recorder. Since Sambo 

had not checked them 

in Phnom Penh. INstead 

he had decided that his 

headphones would work. 

They don’t. We need to buy 

new ones. 

By ten AM we have 

begun to film the series of 

arrival shots on a motor 

cycle on the dirt roads. In 

the distance Previ-Hear 

mountain looms foreboding 

and seemingly innocent 

under the topaz blue sky. 

Mr Bora lends me his 

clapped out Honda twohundred-and-fifty 

Cee 

Cee motorcycle to ride. I 

ride it as a prop. As the 

sun steals into the midmorning 

sky, the heat 

throbbing from the dirt 

road looks dry. 

‘Ouch, it’s burning my 

skin,‘ I shout. I’m already 

peeling. There are two 

streets in this refugee 

town. One is along a dirt 

road. There are red signs 

saying that the area off the 

road is mined. Little red 

and white oval signs are 

hammered with tacked 

nails to tree trunks. The 

overgrowth has concealed 

it. Two hours later we 

drive towards the the 

natural village and film 

one family and my arrival 

there. 

Inside the wealthiest 

shop in the street full 

of cordial bottles, old 

newspapers and rolls of 

dusty silk we meet the 

mayor. He is the rich guy 

and spokesman for the 

others. Why are the rich 

guys always spokesmen 

for the poor? I can’t work 

it out! 

He agrees to our request 

to film in his town but with 

one condition. 

“Please don’t film 

anything expensive on the 

street. We are supposed 

to be poor and we will not 

receive any help from the



government, if they think 

we are not.’ 

Mao is niggling me. I 

think, ‘Oh God, the crew 

need to eat again. What is 

this food addiction?’ I never 

eat, but I am beginning to 

realize one stupid epiphany, 

‘Everyone else does. You’re 

the weirdo. Dominic. To 

keep everyone happy, I 

have to feed them.This is 

the rewards system.’ So we 

drive back into “town” and 

do lunch at the Massage 

restaurant in Sra Aem. 

After the lunch I recline 

in a dentists chair that 

doubles as a massage chair. 

For five dollars the waitress 

picks the wax out of my ear. 

That’s expensive wax! 

At two in the afternoon 

we are filming the roads 

again. Then at five we 

return for clapper board. 

It’s not ready yet. Then we 

return that evening back to 

the Hotel Sok San. 

It is now evening as the 

sun sets. Mao wants to take 

the boys for a massage but 

they decline. Sambo says, 

‘The women here are 

old grandmothers and I 

don’t want a grandmother 

rubbing my back.’ 

At nine I drive out to 

escape the family!That 

evening I meet the lesbian, 

called Bouy. She is near 

the centre in a restaurant. 

I have gone to relax away 

from everyone and write 

The Word. But she is a 

distraction. I see her first. 

She’s tall and thin, not 

quite beautiful but close 

to handsome. Bad for 

a woman. Her name is 

Bouw. It sounds like a dog 

barking. “Bow Wow Wow 

theory?” She tells me she 

has not had a boyfriend 

for six years. So she hasn’t 

told me she’s lesbian but 

I deduce that. But maybe 

she’s lying about the 

boyfriend. Everyone does 

here. They change their 

life stories as quickly as 

they change the washing 

or their nickers. She’s 

twenty-five and comes 

from Kambuchan. 

I return home and see 

the guys in their rooms 

listening to their Ipods 

or on Facebook. One last 

time we discuss the next 

day’s activity. The three 

waitresses are still in the 

restaurant. One waitress 

is called “Jay Jay” which 

means Sister. “Alin” is the 

other. “Na Na” is the third. 

That is all I remember. 

Everyone has left accept 

for one table. Someone 

else is cleaning up. I refocus. 

The girls are drunk 

with two military brass 

general or colonels or 

corporals or “whatever’s” 

holding court. It’s Geisha 

theory. They get drunk 

with the officers, then they 

get paid with tips. Two 

hours later they will get 

laid and then they get 

paid more. A big black 

shining Mercedes with 

tinted windows and the 

engine lazily idling is 

waiting beside a sombre 

driver in the courtyard. 

It’s time I went to bed.



DAY FIVE 

Monday, 

14th of 

November 


‘Aem 

It’s morning again. 

Repeatedly. Groundhog 

Day! Morning, morning, 

morning. 

Then I hear Mao say, 

‘Good Morning Dom.” 

Yes, it’s groundhog day. 

Sometimes I would prefer 

the day to 

begin with a afternoon 

but then it would be plain 

‘ole hot.” And one thing 

I hate more than I hate 

morning is hot. The heat 

burns even if you are not 

aware of it. I step outside 

the hotel and stare up 

at the sky. It’s nearly 

seven-thirty am but my 

skin prickles. The heat is 

burning holes through my 

skin, or so it seems. It feels 

like God is an evil twelveyear-old 

kid with a big 

magnifying glass, burning 

insects on the playground 

and we are the insects. 

So let’s start with 

morning, but it’s boring. 

It’s the usual coffees and 

waking up. The drivers 

are already waiting, 

murmuring amongst 

themselves in the halflight 

of dawn. They are 

waiting early as usual. 

After assembling in 

the courtyard with the 

equipment, we drive en 

masse towards the South, 

down the main road. After 

half-an-hour we stop and 

film on the street near 

Mr Bora's house around 

ten in the morning. A few 

hours later we find a poor 

pagoda and we visit it. It’s 

part of the pilgrimage I 

am making to see the area 

around Previ- Hear. 

I think, ‘I want to 

understand why what has 

happened has happened 

here. Why is there war 

here?’ 

I was full of questions for 

the head monk. Just a kid 

with a headful of questions 

but no magnifying glass. 

The questions were basic 

and simple. 

“What is the origin of 

evil? How can we make 

peace in the world? If you 

had a thousand hours to 

make peace with your self 

what would you do? “ 

He looks at me blankly 

as if I am asking some 

weird questions about 

having sex with midgets! 

I then repeat in Khmer 

and English together the 

words. 

“My name is Dominic. 

I have travelled far I have 

come for an answer. The 

question is- How can we 

make peace in war?” 

In Khmer goes 

something like this - 

“Chues khnhoom ki 

Dominic. Khnhom ban tvei 

dom ner mok tyrus derm 

bey chorng sur tha. Tei 

tver doj mdech derm bey 

oy pi pob lok mean soin ti 

pheap.” 

Then the head monk 

realizes he is the star 

and starts adjusting his 

bald head! Maybe it’s not 

shiny enough. He has the 

attention and cameras 

of the foreigner and the 

crew are and the cameras 

trained on him. He clears 

his throat and looks 

serious as if he is about 

to deliver “the Sermon on 

the Mount.” Everyone is 

waiting, looking at him. 

He looks at us and opens 

his mouth. He begins to 

talk. But he doesnt stop. 

Five minutes is fine. Then 

ten ten minutes then 

fifteen. My eyes glaze 

over because I realize I’m 

going to fall asleep. He is 

completely unaware of our 

response. He is in fourth 

gear and can’t think of 

reversing. There is NO 

reverse! 

I’m thinking 

‘I can see that this is 

his big moment. Why? 

Because he does not stop 

talking. He’s talking and 

talking and talking.’ 

I want to say, ‘Cut! Cut! 

Cut!’ but it’s a sensitive 

situation. He IS the head 

monk and we are mere 

mortals. At last he finishes 

his sermon. I have already 

told the guys to stop 

filming but pretend we 

are still filming so he is 

not offended. It is a poor 

pagoda. No windows, a flock 

of dogs hanging around. 

Just joking! I end up by 

asking practical questions 

about how the monastery 

is built. Which parts exist? 

How is it divided? Do they 

have an administration 

office? 

‘ No, there is no 

administration office here. 

What you can see is what 

exists.’ 

‘There’s a kitchen, kind 

of. ‘ I see looking across at a 

corrugated irobn shed. 

I can’t see the office 

but I can see a lot of flies. 

There are flies everywhere. 

A child is asleep on the 

wooden floorboards but it 

looks like it is dead. Maybe 

it’s both. After all, this is a 

monastery. And then they 

start asking for money to 

rebuild the pagoda. 

We give them, a donation, 

bow low and thank them 

and then leave. Generally it 

is a satisfying experience 

and I’m only a cynical 

artist and want to write 

to something interesting 

in this journal. Then it’s 

back to the Kid with the 

magnifying glass! 

We then drive to the 

natural village. In the 

afternoon we divided into 

two teams. The others, Mao 

and Sophist and Bunthy 

leave us and climbed the 

mountain to prepare the 

wood easels. Mao, So Pert 

and Bunchy with Mao 

drive there to climb the 

mountain and erect the 

last remnants of the easels. 

These had been assembled 

in Siem Reap by a group 

of carpenters which Mao 

and I had used to construct 

the wooden frames. That 

was another story I would 

prefer not to go in. Suffice 

to say, I ordered twohundred 

kilos of wooden 

frames for my paintings. 

Paid for them and then it 

turned out to be a dud. We 

couldn’t transport them 

to Australia because they 

were declared raw wood. 

One logistics guy from 

Siem Reap offered to do it 

for ten thousand dollars. 

That’s a cheap price! 

As dusk is falling we 

drive to Mr Bora’s house. It 

is twenty kilometers from 

town. In the sequence I 

cruise up on the motorcycle 

needing somewhere to 

stay. The motor-tok driver 

explains as I walk in, 

‘This is my water; this is 

my fire for you; and this is 

my house for you.’ 

That evening I notice that 

one of the rooms has seven 

beds like a fairy tale from 

the Brothers Grimm. It’s 

another day and we check 

the footage. The sound is 

bad and crackles.



DAY SIX 

Tuesday, 15th of 


‘Aem 

At last! Today we begin the painting of 

”Blue Buddha” on the mountainside or 

rather, sandwiched between the mountain 

and the temple. We drive in convoy twentyfive 

kilometers to the base of Previ Hear 

through three checkpoints with soldiers 

lounging holding guns. Mao is carrying the 

permit like the Magna Carta in his sweaty 

hands on one of the bike. As we get to each 

check point it is inspected by the soldiers 

at each one. Once they were satisfied, they 

flagged us on and at ten we arrived at the 

tourist pick up check point. I think, 

‘I can’t see any tourists here.’ 

Each day I count the groups. 

‘ Maybe three of four groups.’ 

We collected a pick-up truck and 

drove up the mountain along 

an ochre dirt road. The dust is 

flying up into our faces and there is a 

south wind. 

Although Mao and Sopert had 

visited the mountain a few times this 

was my first since I had arrived. I can 

see the mountain and a glint of the 

temple from thebase of the mountain 

road. Half-way along the winding 

road a local instructs us to give a girl 

a lift half way. She’s fifteen years of 

age but has beautiful eyes and a long 

strong jaw. She is wearing a white hat 

like a parasol to shade the light. 

The temple sits on top of Pey 

Tadi, a steep cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains which straddle the border between 

Thailand and Cambodia. During different periods it has been located in Cambodia 

and Thailand in turn. Following Cambodian independence and during the Thai 

occupation of the temple site, it was listed as being in Bhumsrol village of Bueng 

Malu sub-district (now merged with Sao Thong Chai sub-district), in Kantharalak 

district of the Sisaket province of eastern Thailand. It is one-hundred-and-ten 

kilometers from the Mueang Si Sa Ket district, the center of Si Sa Ket province. 

After the International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that it belonged to Cambodia, 

the temple was listed as being in Svay Chrum Village, Kan Tout Commune, in 

Choam Khsant District of Preah Vihear province of northern Cambodia. The temple 

is one-hundred-and-forty kilometers from Angkor Wat and three-hundred-andtwenty 

kilometers from 

Phnom Penh. 

As we climb the mountain 

different aspects come in to 

view. First it is the mountain 

itself. Then the dirt road with 

the builders, then the palm 

trees, grass huts and gun 

mounts as the soldiers with 

their spouses look at us as if 

we are an alien species. Then 

we pass the two tin sheds 

which masquerade as food 

courts. As we climb out of the 

pick up truck I can see the 

soldiers with the binoculars 

mounted on the green 

line which is the barb wire 

border between Thailand 

and Cambodia. As we pass 

them we deliver cigarettes 

to each group. I can see their 

faces alight like matches as 

they receive either a carton, 

a packet or as it disappears a 

cigarette. 

I am thinking, 

‘Now I can see the barb 

wire, the road from Thailand 

and a distant Thai flag 

fluttering in the breeze sadly. 

Finally it’s the temples or 

rather temples.’ 

The temple of Prasat 

Preah Vihear, one of the 

historical sights in this 

province. 

Historically, it is amazing. 

And it’s amazing we are 

here doing it! We now walk 

up a stone cobbled path 

between the buildings. 

Preah Vihear Temple is a 

Hindu temple built during 

the reign of Khmer Empire, 

that is situated on top of a 

five hundred and fifty two 

meter (1,722 ft) cliff in the 

Dângrêk Mountains, in 

the Preah Vihear province, 

Cambodia. In 1962, 

following a lengthy dispute 

between Thailand and 

Cambodia over ownership, 

the International Court 

of Justice in The Hague 

awarded the temple to 

Cambodia. 

As I gaze across a plain, I 

realize Prasat Preah Vihear 

has the most spectacular 

setting of all the temples 

built during the sixcenturies-long 

Khmer 

Empire. As a key edifice of 

the empire's spiritual life, 

it was supported and 

modified by successive 

rulers and so bears 

elements of several 

architectural styles. 

Preah Vihear is unusual 

among Khmer temples 

in being constructed 

along a long northsouth 

axis, rather than 

having the conventional 

rectangular plan with 

orientation toward the 

East. The temple gives 

its name to Cambodia's 

Preah Vihear province, in 

which it is now located, 

as well as the Khao 

Phra Wihan National 

Park which borders it 

in Thailand's Sisaket 

province and through 

which the temple is most 

easily accessible. On July 

7, 2008, Preah Vihear 

was listed as a UNESCO 

World Heritage Site. 

At the base of the walk 

to the temple, we ordered 

for food fifteen 

dollars per day and 

then at ten-fifteen we 

climbed the mountain. 

As we walk up one of the 

locals attaches himself 

to us and explains the 

place. He is holding a 

running commentary 

which goes: 

‘The temple complex 

runs 800 m (2,600 ft) 

along a north-south



axis facing the plains to 

the North, from which 

it is now cut off by the 

international border. It 

consists essentially of 

a causeway and steps 

rising up the hill towards 

the sanctuary, which 

sits on the cliff-top at 

the southern end of the 

complex (120 m/ 390 

ft above the northern 

end of the complex, 525 

m/1,722 ft above the 

Cambodian plain and 625 

m/2,051 ft above sea level). 

Although this structure 

is very different from the 

temple mountains found 

at Angkor, it serves the 

same purpose as a stylized 

representation of Mount 

Meru, the home of the 

gods. The approach to the 

sanctuary is punctuated 

by five gopuras. (These are 

conventionally numbered 

from the sanctuary 

outwards, so gopura five 

is the first to be reached 

by visitors). Each of 

the gopuras before the 

courtyards is reached 

by a set of steps, and so 

marks a change in height 

which increases their 

affect. The gopuras also 

block a visitor's view of the 

next part of the temple 

until they pass through 

the gateway, making it 

impossible to see the 

complex as a whole from 

any one point.The fifth 

gopura, in the Koh Ker 

style, retains traces of the 

red paint with which it was 

once decorated, although 

the tiled roof has now 

disappeared. The fourth 

gopura is later, from the 

Khleang/Baphuon periods, 

and has on its southern 

outer pediment. The third 

is the largest, and is also 

flanked by two halls. The 

sanctuary is reached 

through two successive 

courtyards, in the outer of 

which are two libraries.’ 

It’s a heavy, exhausting 

walk and the guys 

words just go in one 

ear and out the other. 

Luckily Mao is holding a 

dictaphone so that is why 

I am transcribing it this 

evening. 

As I walk up I realize 

one depressing fact. Our 

traveling time is going 

to eat into everything. 

We can’t sleep on the 

mountain. TAnd now they 

are not letting us in any 

case. We are going to have 

to travel each day from 

Sra ‘Aem to this site. First 

by motorcycle for thirty 

kilometers, then twenty 

by open-top truck, then 

another half-hour trip 

climbing the mountain 

on foot, then a crawl, then 

we have to set the easel, 

paints and painting up - 

everything. It’s going to 

be a “NIGHTMARE.” Forty 

minutes, then ten minutes, 

then another forty 

minutes, then thirty 

minutes, and then ten 

minutes. I don’t want to 

do the math. But I do. It 

amounts to one hundred 

and thirty minutes one 

way. Thats two-hours-andten 

minutes traveling one 

way and so it will be four 

hours a day. Fuck! 

Here we are at last. I’m 

looking at the sight of 

area where we will put the 

intended picture. It’s a lawn 

. We are seven-eighths of 

the way up to the main 

temple. 

I exclaim, ‘This is where 

it should be! Perfect.’ 

The site is a lawn 

sandwiched between the 

first and second gopuras. 

‘ So we are close to 

heaven but not there yet!’ 

Mao says. I laugh! We move 

the wood and easels into 

the centre of the field which 

Mao has assembled there 

two days ago. I decide and 

shout to the others, 

‘This will be base camp.’ 

I want to film us 

discovering the site when 

it is virgin and direct the 

two camera operators, 

Sambo and Sopert, to 

point the cameras, as we 

descend a set of steps at the 

fourth Gopura. As they do 

this, a man with a sloppy 

linen hat, dressed in an 

ill fitting black suite and a 

goofy smile is sitting cross-legged on the 

sixth step of a stair case leading up top 

the first Gopura watching us. He smiles 

sheepishly.and watches our antics. 

I think, ‘ He looks like ‘a kind of ‘ tourist. 

Maybe he is impersonating one.’ At first I 

ignore him, but at the same time he was 

there in the 

periphery of my vision, but our focus 

was on doing an arrival. I can see he has 

an old Kodak camera hanging from his 

neck on a leather strap. 

I have stopped thinking about the 

strange tourist watching us and instead 

we begin to reassemble the easels and pin 

the image of the Buddha to the wooden 

easel with a staple gun. I have already 

sketched it with my helper in Laos five 

weeks before. We prepare the wood for 

painting and then search for the place to 

erect the painting. We realize we need to 

find someone to act as a security guard. 

At this point the ill-fitting black suited 

tourist walks over. 

Without introducing himself, he 

explains, 

‘I am the security on the mountain . 

The group and you two must stop what 

your are doing and put your cameras 

away immediately.’ 

He then adds, ‘I have telephoned my 

superior. He will be here in a few hours.’ 

(By the way, this was being translated 

by Sokkheng for me.) 

I think to myself, 

‘I guess these guys are like police 

man and parking inspectors combined. 

This is is his big moment to enforce the 

law.’ 

We discover later that his name is 

Mr Vanna. He has stopped us from 

painting. He has called to ask his boss 

what to do ands his boss will come. 

Mr Vanna, after stopping us from 

painting, he telephones to his superior. 

Mr Banna then turns to Sokkheng who 

has become the official translator of 

thje crew, ‘He is now walking up the hill 

towards us and in half an hour will be 

here to give us his explanation. It will 

take him only a brief amount of time to 

get there. ‘ 

Half an hour later a middle-aged man 

with brown sandals, dirty reflecting 

sunglasses and a pale blue shirt arrives 

half-an-hour later, huffing and puffing. 

It takes him a while to get his breath 

back and has to sit down on the grass. 

It is a tense moment and the boys 

look on with a mixture of anxiety and



displeasure. I am thinking, will take money and give it 

‘The area needs to the temple guard tonight.’ 

permission for everything.’ We handed him some 

He explains, 

crumpled dollar notes. 

‘You can film the I think it is around ten 

painting, but nothing else. US dollars and he smiles 

Absolutely nothing else. benignly. 

There cam be no filming of ( As it turned out the next 

the monuments.’ 

day, he dod not hand thje 

I breathe relief, because guard the money. He kept 

we can begin. It is 

it!) 

important that we film the As we return that night 

place and painting daily. in the open pick-up truck 

I have come to bring a sandwiched in the bag 

message about peace but Sokkheng has the idea 

also to tell a story to others of filming as the trucks 

about what happened. disappears into the dusk. 

As we leave, we discuss It’s late now. A fine moist 

with Mr Vanna, the security mist which is beginning to 

personnel, what must be descend. The sun is setting 

done about keeping the and as I rest in the interior 

sight clear and the art work of the truck, I talk to the 

secure. 

cameras about the days 

Through Sokkheng I events as a form of daily 

explain, ‘There will be an diary. It is the first time that 

art work lying in the open we have used this technique. 

in a half-war-zone.’ The camera shakes a little 

He points to behind but it gives us a beautiful 

where we are and answers, image as we descend 

‘There is a battalion of through the palm trees into 

Soldiers called the Previ the plain washed by scarlet 

Hear Temple Guard who opal dusk light 

are stationed in grass This evening I realize we 

hours with binoculars might run out of money fast. 

behind you thirty meters We discuss about Srey Pich 

to your left but out of eye and if we should take her. 

sight. There are also bomb I say, “Yes.” 

shelters and sand bags 

and machine guns which 

CANNOT be filmed.’ Mr 

Vanna continues, ‘One of 

the guards can help you. I



DAY SEVEN 

Tuesday, 15th of 


‘Aem 

It’s another morning. It was the usual 

grueling bumpity bumpity along the 

bitumen and then up the gravel and 

red dust one. We have to do the same 

on the return tonight! On the way, 

the convoy of motorcycles stop at the 

carpenter in his corrugated iron shed 

to pick up the roller and clapperboard. 

The roller board is finished but not the 

clapperboard. En route to the mountain 

we pick up the new arts assistant Sre 

Pich who is waiting one hundred yards 

from a bamboo restaurant. This is 

where she works and live half way up 

the mountain. She is fifteen, has not 

been to school for three years and does 

accounting for the restaurant. She looks 

twenty-eight. But a cool twenty-eight. 

She is wearing a white jacket with large 

velvet cuff links. Huge white glasses 

that are tinted, a pink sombrero lined 

with red on the rim, pale blue jeans. She 

looks like she has just walked out of a 

Hollywood studio rather than a grass 

hut. As long as she doesn’t break her 

nails she’s ready for a day of filming! 

Everyone is joking while we climb the 

mountain. That’s the flavor of the day. 

Once we arrive at the top of the 

mountain, we discover the bodyguard 

for the painting has not been paid by 

Mr Vanna the security man on the 

mountain. I am sure it was an oversight 

from the security man on the mountain. 

He is very busy. Immediately the crew 

begins to discuss the need to give 

money straight to the body 

guard to secure the picture. 

There is a fine layer of dew 

on the grass. The sun is 

quickly turning everything 

to dust. Sokkheng eturns to 

m and says, 

‘Next time we don't give 

it to the security personnel 

but rather to Mr Vanna.’ 

That evening we give the 

money to bodyguard. Its 

ten dollars and Mr Vanna 

we have decided to avoid. 

He is a soldier from the 

Previ Hear Temple Guard. 

They are stationed here on 

the mountain. Their pay is 

fifty dollars a month. He's 

fat with crooked teeth and 

is kind of shy. I estimate 

him to be twenty years. 

Each day that we bring 

the ten dollars his face 

explodes into a huge smile. 

But today is the first day 

and he just shuffles his 

feet and looks at the grass. 

Tonight he will sleep beside 

the picture. The painting 

easel is turned over and 

he will use it as a form of 

makeshift shelter. 

Srey Pich starts painting. 

In the afternoon while we 

are working a very kind 

faced tourist police officer 

ambles up. He introduces 

himself to the crew and 

doesn't leave. It appears 

he has little left to do. He 

is just there to watch, like 

everyone else. He is full of 

questions, His name is Mr 

Vuthy. We talk with him 

and the artists assistant 

and Sre Pich. He explains 

the nature of his life, how 

he has been here on the 

mountain for the last four 

years, his life and what 

happened during the 

bombing and war. 

We also test the roller in 

the field but it’s useless. 

The roller is badly made 

thwarts any form of use. 

At dusk we dismantle the 

picture and walk down the 

hill. It’s always dark when 

we get home. 

As we leave, we climb 

onto the truck I begin 

talking into the camera as 

my diary about the days 

events. 

In the fading half light 

we return to Srae’Aem. En 

route we deliver cigarettes 

to the military. 

Sambo says, ‘It feels 

like the Pope handing out 

wafers at mass.’ 

Sokkheng is the best 

person for communications 

and he is the one mostly in 

charge of organizing bits 

and pieces. 

DAY EIGHT 

Thursday 

17th of 

November 


‘Aem 

It’s morning again. 

I roll over and think, 

‘Another day and 

another twenty dollars. 

Same day - different day!’ 

Time has a way of 

bringing the moment 

back to us, again and 

again. 

Over breakfast, in 

the morning, one of 

the waitresses who 

was serving me coffee, 

walks away muttering 

under her breath. I can’t 

understand what she is 

saying. Then she returns. 

Her name is Nana. 

Now Nana is staring at 

my white clothes, not 

blinking. She has big



black irises and dark brown 

eyes. Then she starts to 

blink. Her blouse is pink 

and she has white linen 

slacks that are dirty and 

crumpled. 

I explain, ‘Everything is 

always white that I wear.’ 

‘Why white?’ I think, ‘Oh no, 

now I have to explain that 

the white is for peace.’ So I 

say, ‘White is for peace.’ 

She looked blankly at 

me. Dumbfounded, without 

understanding. For her I 

am just another eccentric 

foreigner. At least, I’m not 

fat, but only eccentric. She 

kind of understands but 

not really. 

Then out of the blue into 

the orange, she shouts, ’ 

Give me one of your white 

shirts.’ ‘Why? I asked. 

‘Because I want to have 

it!’ ‘And?’ ‘I will cut it up 

and give each cut piece to 

one of the staff,’ she 

explains. I think, 

‘There are six waitresses 

and cooks.’ 

Next I order another 

three coffees and after 

the next “next” the crew 

of seven are on our way. 

It is always “Moi Teta for 

Dominic.” I.e., (‘One more!') 

Before I know it, we are 

on the bike convoy and in 

the pickup ready to climb 

the mountain. Then as we 

are about the enter the 

first hill gradient, we pass 

a slightly battered and 

forlorn yellow sign which 

says, 

“THE ANCIENT 

STAIR CASE.” 

I had not noticed it 

before. As we pass the sign, 

I change my mind and 

decide to see what the sign 

meant. Sam,bo explained it 

was the oroginal stairway 

to the mountan temple. 

We then drive to pick up 

Srey Pich. I tell the driver 

to return to the Stair Case 

and for the boys to film our 

arrival scene at the ancient 

stair case. 

We take the detour, 

dismount. Sambo and 

Sokheng then film us - 

Dominic, Srey Pich and Sop 

Pert walking up to base 

of the mountain. There 

are a series of stone steps 

which look like they have 

been transported from 

an Angelina Jolie “Tomb 

Raider” film set. The signs 

in red stencil says - 

DANGER - 

Unexploded Mines - 

Do not walk OFF THE 

PATH 

A little blue ribbon goes 

up both sides of the steps 

like a scene. 

I think, 

‘I guess if we walk 

across the line, we become 

MacDonald's between 

two slices of bread! And 

judging by thew number 

of one lkegged men in 

Cambodia this is real.’ 

The birds are 

twittering. There 

are eucalyptus trees 

scattered in places and a 

blue topaz sky over head. 

We walk and we repeat 

the movement a few 

times. 

Then, on the stone 

stair way, we pass a 

group of army fatigued 

soldiers who are running 

down the mountain 

stairs carrying knap 

sacks. They look like they 

are exhausted. Their 

faces are swelling, rashes 

from the heat and are 

panting out of breath. 

We have only climbed 

the first fifty meters and 

continue to shoot the 

arrival scene. After an 

hour filming, a blue beret 

tourist guard ambles up 

and whispers in Sambo’s 

ear something. 

‘Yes, it’s the Khmer 

mumble,’ I think. 

Sambo’s face draws pale 

as he explains that we 

need to go. ‘I have been 

told by one of the tourist 

offices our Mr Vanna has 

called. ‘‘Generally 

they are sleeping in the 

wooden booth below.’ 

I understand. Mr Vanna 

had called his colleagues 

and told them to tell us 

to return. Immediately. 

We packed our kits and 

jumped into the truck to 

return to the painting 

site. As it was, we had not 

climbed the mountain or 

filmed any strategic or 

important sites of military 

significance. 

Sokkeng replies as he 

sees some figures in the 

distance, 

‘Mr Vanna has come 

with the tourist police 

to stop us from filming. 

Maybe to arrest us? ‘ 

We didn’t need to 

change the memory card. 

aS we had not filmed but 

only reconnaisanced. We 

had not dome anything 

but tested the camera. 

Immediately we returned 

to the Previ Hear Temple. 

There we were met by 

Mr Vanna and the tourist 

police. They had driven 

up the mountain on their 

motor bikes. They were 

stone faced and blank. 

But they were also polite 

and excused themselves 

for interrupting us. I 

walked over from the easel, 

introduced myself and 

explained that I was the 

persaon responsible here 

fir the painting. I held my 

hands clenched behind my 

back and said, 

‘It is alright. I am happy 

to cooperate and anything 

we say is clear.’ 

But meanwhile I’m 

thinking, 

‘ Oh God, we’re going to 

be arrested! ‘ 

I snatch a look look 

across at Sokkheng. He’s 

sweating and seems pale. 

‘I guess its not going to 

be the Killing Fields.” 

‘Well, arrested for what?’ 

I said. ‘We were looking at 

the site and thinking about 

filming there.’ But the only 

footage was here and some 

shots of the base of the 

mountain. I then walked 

away and Sambo and 

Sokheng handed over 

the two cameras. It was 

one of those tense polite 

blue sky moments when 

the blue sky is about to 

open up and crash in 

on you. Mr Vanna took 

the two cameras like he 

was buying a packet of 

cigarettes, snatching 

them off us. After fifteen



minutes of gazing through 

the viewfinder perusing 

the footage which had 

been recorded digitally 

he handed the cameras 

back. He then called to 

his boss. He walked away 

and sat on a large cube 

of granite that was part 

opf the fourth temple and 

spoke to him briefly at a 

distance of fifty feet. I could 

see him walking backwards 

and forwards looking at 

the ground. After he had 

done this, he put down the 

telephone and walked away. 

Without answering us or 

giving us any idea what was 

to happen, I decided to ring 

his boss. 

I then ring his superior 

and there is a heated 

discussion of the telephone. 

He accuses me of not 

informing them of where 

we had gone. 

I am thinking, 

‘Unless you are a tourist 

who visits for thirty 

minutes Preah Vihear this 

site is really out of 

bounds. “Do not stray 

off the path” has more 

meaning than I first 

thought.’ 

On the phone I 

explain, ‘I promise to 

write a special letter 

of request to film ask 

footage 

from soldiers 

filming permission. 

‘ I then apologize for 

the sixteenth time. 

Reluctantly he allows 

us to continue filming 

directly. ‘ But it must 

only be the painting!’ 

he adds. I am thinking, 

‘ We had not been told 

NOT to visit the area, 

and as far as I am, 

concerned the sign 

said “Ancient Stair 

Case.’ It was the rear 

way to the temple. We 

had only sat at the base. 

Later I discovered 

from they others that 

this was where the 

soldiers kept their 

kalashnikov-guns, weapons, 

anti-aircraft stuff, ICBM’s 

and cruise missiles. 

(For the Nobel Peace 

Prize assessing team for my 

nomination, reading this, 

I’m just joking!) 

‘ Okay, I have to survive 

somehow and this is the 

way.” “ You name it, they had 

I suppose and that was why 

we were given strict orders. 

On the return, after the days 

painting, I begin talking 

onto the cameras as a form 

of diary. It’s hard to get the 

words together, but I do. My 

faced is peeling from the 

days spent under the sun. 

And I am exhausted as are 

the others from continuous 

traveling. The painting goes 

slowly. We have painted 

the blue bits of the blue 

Buddha. Sret Pich fills in 

the paint and So Pert and I 

move it 

around. It’s that simple. 

That the evening we 

check our cameras and sit 

together to 

write a letter to the 

authority. Sokheng and 

Sambo attempt to translate. 

This is it here. 

It was a very positive day! 

DAY NINE 

Friday, 18th 

of November 

2011 Sra ‘Aem 

Cambodia 

This morning over 

breakfast we continue 

correcting the letter for 

the Previ Hear Authority 

to film. It is inscribed and 

written here in full at the 

bottom of the journal entry 

minus the coffee stains and 

crumpled paper. Sokheng 

translates the document 

into Khmer over breakfast 

noodles. 

‘Sharmi sharmi!’ he 

laughingly shouts. 

I think, ‘The word means 

egg noodles, but I believe 

it’s a joke for small penises, 

because whenever he says 

it everyone breaks into 

laughter. Unfortunately t 

has never been explained 

to me.’ 

Meanwhile, with his 

motorcycle gently idling 

Mr Brown is waiting in the 

morning mist. Sokheng 

and I jump onto the 

bike and cruise past the 

roundabout in the centre 

of Sra’Aem, driving to the 

shack which doubles as 

both a Fuji film shop, a 

Xerox copier and out the 

back a PC in a polystyrene 

and canvas booth with an 

Epson printer that has 

seen a lot more better 

days than it has now. Here 

we print the letter for Mr 

Vanna. 

At nine-fifteen, we 

leave in convoy to climb 

the mountain. Our group 

comprises three bikes and 

four of us on the bikes. 

Sambo, Mao. So-Pert and 

Sokkheng. We pick up Sre 

Pich on the mountain once 

wed have changed into the 

truck. Up there we hand the 

first printed document to 

the tourist police. After the 

laborious ritual of setting 

up, the day is filled by 

painting the Blue Buddha 

and 

filming the locations on 

the mountain side. The 

image is slowly developing. 

We begin with the drapes 

and the Buddha’s face. 

Because of time constraints 

I have chosen to get Sre 

Pich and So Pert to help me. 

They fill it in. I move the 

paint around. The image 

is of a fat Blue Buddha



floating in a topaz blue 

sky with a thin strip of 

the temple of Previ Hear 

beneath him. I think, 

‘Either side will have 

letters inscribed about 

peace. The stencils have 

already been printed in 

Vientianne and are ready 

to be applied once we have 

finished the painting. Thai 

language goes on the right 

hand side. The Khmer 

text goes on the left with a 

translation of the 

Universal Declaration for 

Conflict resolution. Our idea 

is to paint the image, and 

then invite the military to 

carry it into the No-Man’s- 

Land. It is probably not 

going to be that simple, but 

the painting of a thousand 

skies begins with one brush 

stroke.’ 

We have cheap Chinese 

paints which I bought in 

Phnom Penh that we are 

using. The brand says 

Windsor and Newton but 

it’s made in a suburb of 

Shanghai. I realize it’s 

inferior quality after the 

second hour, but it’s too 

late. It’s so transparent, no 

matter how much I paint, 

it just disappears into the 

canvas. Now it’s too late to 

do anything about this. 

I think, 

‘My next mistake is 

believing I could buy 

turpentine in the town. I 

can’t. Damn it!’ 

We drive to three stores. 

They don’t even know what 

it is. I draw pictures of 

turpentine. Do pantomines 

and try to translate but 

to no effect. The sun is 

burning my forehead. 

‘It’s sun stroke time and 

I’m the potato chip!’ In two 

days time we will be using 

diesel to clean the brushes 

and as an ersatz 

fake painting medium 

everything. On top of 

that, there is no painting 

medium. A tourist with a 

group of Canadians stops 

en route up the mountain 

to chat and admire the 

picture on the mountain. 

One guy, Joe gives us his 

card. It reads 

READ CARD 

On the mountain Sambo 

and Sokkheng continue 

to film Dominic talking in 

his daily diary on truck. 

As dusk descends with 

a mixture of grey and 

purple washes and the the 

jungle gives way to palm 

tress and red mud dirt 

roads athe truck drives 

onto the sun set, I ring the 

Minister of Information. 

The astaic on the other 

end starts and stops. It’s 

a waste of time. Mr Keyth 

Kanderith is supposed 

to be both friendly and 

approachable. I dial three, 

then four times but the 

number just rings out. On 

the fifth I ring him and he 

says hurriedly, 

‘Sorry - I am in a 

meeting. Please ring back 

in an hour.’ 

We are nearly back in 

Sra’Aem, when I ring back 

within the prescribed 

hour. The number rings 

out again. 

That evening, as we 

are sitting down at the 

guest house a Japanese 

man in his thirties with 

spectacles wanders up, 

moving from table to 

table. He appears to be 

a new guest at Sok San. 

He looks lost and even a 

little confused. He ambles 

over to our table, asking 

us first stuttering if 

anyone speaks English, 

then how he can get up 

to the mountain.We have 

to explain about the 

shuttle system and that 

no one can travel up there 

without a pick up truck. 

It’s the new rules. He is a 

journalist writing Budget 

guide to back-packing in 

Cambodia. 

I am thinking, ‘It’s really 

low budget because he can’t 

afford the pickup truck up 

to the mountain summit. 

He seems sweet but on a 

“shoe string” budget.’ 

I suggest he accompanies 

us on the tomorrow and I 

will pay. He has a crumpled 

business card which he 

pushes into my palm. I 

look at it without thinking 

or reading it. I seem to 

remember that it refers 

to a freelance Journalist. 

After he gives it to me, he 

leaves, to move from table 

to table, asking advice. He 

then requests Sokkeng 

to translate for him to 

the concierge. Sokkheng 

throws me a look of help 

as if to say he’s about to 

be taken hostage and then 

disappears towards the 

front desk. 

Once Sokkheng has 

returned, he decides. 

‘Our best move is to place 

Mr Vanna on our best side. 

We need to improve our 

relations with him.He is the 

security on the mountain 

and he is only doing his job. 

Without him we cannot do 

anything.’ 

I reply, It’s true we did not 

have a permit to film, but 

I did not know we needed 

one. Can we trust him. ‘We 

help him and he will help 

us! Lets invite Mr Vanna 

for a drink to build public 

relations.’ Mr Vanna comes 

in the evening to Sok San. I 

satellite around him while 

Sokkheng sits with him and 

with a few beers, tries to 

both placate and influence 

him. He softens. We hand 

him twenty dollars and he 

says he will maybe turn a 

blind eye and let us film as 

long as we tell him which 

locations we can film. We 

give him the letter and 

some money. This is how 

the letter looks: -------------- 

---------------------------------- 

16th of November 2011 

The President of the 

Preach Vihear Authority 

Dear Sir I recently 

wrote to you requesting 

permission to paint an 

image 

of Preach Vihea on the 

temple site. The image also 

has an image of Buddha 

and a message of peace 

on it. This permission was 

granted and I thank you 

for your understanding 

and kindness. I am now 

half way through finishing 

the painting. I would like 

to send a photograph of 

the painting to you when 

it is finished, situated on 

the site. Many people have 

admired it. 

For the purposes of my 

art I need to document 

the process of making 

the art and seeing it in 

the area we make it in. I 

would like to photograph 

and film with video the 

temple grounds and the 

temple to give a better 

understanding of having 

the possibility of making 

this art in this beautiful 

area. I have only ten days 

left here so if permission 

is granted it would be 

appreciated that it be 

given soon. 

I always take large 

amounts of video and 

photographs which I used 

in the archives. This has 

helped me very much to 

communicate the message 

of peace in my art work. 

Without the photographs 

or video I cannot keep a 

proper record of what I do. 

If we record by video I 

would like to assure the 

President of the Preach 

Vihea Authority that: 

1. I will not use the 

material for commercial 

purposes. 2. I will not lend 

or give the footage to a 

second party. 

3. No disrespect to the 

heritage and culture of 

this world heritage site 

will occur.



4. The video will be used 

as archive material and 

any changes to this will be 

notified in writing to the 

Preach Vihea Authority. 

5. No damage will 

occur to the site area. I 

consciously clean the area 

as well including tourist 

paper, etc. 

6. Immediate payment for 

this permit will occur upon 

it being granted. 

The areas I would like 

to film and photograph 

are the first, second and 

third temple with the artist 

walking up through them 

with his assistants along 

the path. 

If I make a film about this 

it will be long after I am 

dead and famous. I will also 

notify you of any changes 

in the future. 

Sincerely and with 

thanks, 

Dominic Ryan 5 Bedford 

Street Collingwood 3066 Vic 

Australia 

DAY TEN 

Saturday, 

19th of 

November 


Sra ‘Aem 

6 am 

The clock is ticking. We 

are running out of money, 

running out of time and 

running out of patience. 

I have to get it this Blue 

Buddha 

Project completed. How I 

don’t know how. Everyone 

just looks at me with 

expressionless faces as if 

to say, “How?” waiting for 

the next order. Its unreal! 

Mao sleeps with me in 

the same bed and Su Pet 

snores on the other. Its 

Boys Only here!Tith Mao 

and Sokkeng rise with me 

at at 6 in the morning. 

There is small diamonds 

of dew on the tiles and 

the cafe girls are already 

chattering and clattering 

plates in the restaurant 

in Soksan Guest House as 

we trudge across to the 

breakfast area to begin 

our day. I learn the words 

Moi Teta which means One 

More! (for coffee!) Its an 

adventure and I breathe it 

all in. This morning it will 

take us one hour to travel 

to the bank which doubles 

as a Western Union to 

collect more money, then 

one hour waiting there, 

then another hour nback 

to Sre Aem Then forty 

minutes to the base camp. 

Then 20 minutes to climb 

the summit. Then we can 

start. God!. There is only 

one Western Union in 

Previ Hear town. It is 75 

or maybe 100 kilometers 

away. Not to be confused 

with the temple. 

7.15 am 

We hire a taxi and it 

takes 55 minutes or 

maybe an hour.The driver 

is dressed in jeans and a T 

short that says Hollywood 

in Khaki! He speeds 

skidding on the corners 

as he climbs into fourth. 

We pass bent eucalypts, 

and farm houses. Rice 

plantations and bison in 

mud baths. Bending palms 

and red ochre roads. The 

groves of psalms sway 

against the mountain 

skyline that is painted in 

pastel hues of blue.. Dust 

kicks up. We drive across 

stagnant rivers. The car 

hits pot holes and jolts 

as the exhaust explodes. 

The cracked windscreen 

is now covered in grime 

and smudged insects. 

Too many to count. I am 

sitting with Mao in the 

back seat that is a torn 

fake leather . The lap 

top computer notebook 

which 8 weeks later 

would soon be stolen in 

Moscow. I don’t know that 

now., In fact I don’t know 

anything..... Im working 

on the manuscript of the 

Word as we drive. I have to 

do something. I notice as 

the driver looks straight 

ahead that he has a felt 

cowboy hat and green 

horse-rim glasses. Once at 

the bank we wait for it to 

open. First we go for coffee 

near the bus station.. 

Then try to get money from 

the bank Acleida at Previ 

Hear Town bank. Vesna 

has sent me 2000 dollars 

from Australia. I have 

transferred it originally 

into her account. The 

cash will keep us alive for 

another two or four days. 

But it will go quickly. So we 

must try to fix the problem 

as quickly as possible. It 

takes an hour in the bank. 

Although it seems like 

four. We put the Receive 

document in scribbled with 

signature and ID and the 

ten digit MTCN number. 

And wait. And wait some 

more. Nothing happens. I 

wait again! The seats are 

uncomfortable blue plastic 

cupped like inverted eggs. 

The bank is now filling 

up with awkward farmers 

and fidgeting mothers and 

students. As we wait longer 

the hall fills up even more. 

Mao walks across to the 

glass-paneled booths and 

enquires why it is taking 

so long. The women at 

the computer puts down 

her mouse and looks up. 

“I am sorry. There is only 

one computer here, Sir!” 

Now I am agitated and 

think that it is not coming. 

Never! I am unsure what 

has happened. Without the 

money we will be lost. And 

we have none now! I am 

about to ask again when the 

woman calls my name. A 

quicj exchange and with the 

cash in my pocket we are 

speeding back to Sre Aem. 

Its a 4 hour ATM here! ----- 

---------------------------------- 

------------- 

12.15 am 

Straight from the drive 

from Sre Aem to Previ Hear 

and we hurriedly collect 

the equipment. Some of 

the boys have already left. 

Some waiting. We drive in 

motorcycle convoy from the 

small military town to the 

temple site stopping at the 

base camp to be collected 

by the open top tray truck.



This is the ritual We are 

going to be late today. The 

last twenty minutes is in 

an open topped tray truck 

under the harsh sun. En 

route we stop off to see 

GoGo. Her name is GoGo 

which I am told means 

hear hear. She is dumb and 

deaf. I like her and want to 

use her more in the film. 

She is cute and photogenic 

and kind. At her house the 

carpenter’s wife explains 

to Sambo that she has gone 

to the fields for a few days 

planting rice. She will only 

return in three days. And 

no mobile phones to call 

her. We leave quickly move 

on up the mountain in the 

morning. ---------------------- 

------------------------------ 

1-15 pm 

After another 40 

minutes from Srae Am 

to Previ Hear temple in 

motorcycles pillioned by 

Mr Bora and Mr Bunthy. 

Then at the base of the 

mountain carrying knap 

sacks with the camera 

gear it is another ritual. 

30 minutes stopping every 

second moment to give 

cigarettes to the soldiers 

who, linger in this cease 

fire. Prepared, we have 

three or four cartouches of 

cheap Cambodia cigarettes 

for them. The soldiers are 

bored and listless and 

staring across the valley 

at the Thai side holding 

their machine guns and 

kalashnikovs like farming 

implements. The the 

border is closed. They have 

that long hot summer 

lackadaisical quality. From 

half a kilometer away 

the Thai flag flutters and 

worn binoculars train on 

every move. We can see 

dug outs. But nobody. It 

looks empty and quiet! 

We climb the mountain 

and are at the summit 

by 12-45, having lost 

half a day. On the side of 

the hill I see Mr Vanna 

who Sambo walks across 

to and hand hands him 

our printed letter. The 

polite request. Please see 

yesterdays diary entry! 

He takes the letter as 

if its an empty pizza 

box and smiles. I dont 

understand what he 

says. He always smiles 

at me. But it is a creepy 

smile. He still has the 

dummy camera in the 

battered leather case 

that looks like it belonged 

in the Smithsonian 

museum not round a 

real tourist slung around 

his neck and cheap dark 

sunglasses. He really 

looks the part. A fake 

tourist. He explains 

that he is going to Siem 

Reap to hand the letter in 

to his higher authorities,. 

Yesterday we explained we 

would help him with money 

for his efforts. 

During lunch we eat 

with Sre Pick. Food sent up. 

The wind has picked up in 

intensity. its brought up by 

a women in a big parasol 

and sits with us while we 

eat. ----------------------------- 

----------------------- 

3 pm 

After a strong gust of 

wind. The wooden easel 

collapses. We run towards 

the wooden chassis that 

has smashed into pieces. 

. There is a crash. Our 

massive blue buddha 

painting which I am going 

to paint a peace declaration 

on on the 9th day is torn 

and a small part flaps like 

a twisted sail in the wind. 

Back and forth. by the air 

during lunch A wind blows 

and the painting like sail 

falls crashing with an 

empty thiud o the ground. 

Even though we have 

enough rocks . A small 

flash We decide to continue. 

Sokeng finds a soldier who 

ambles up. e asks footage 

from soldier s and they 

show us what is on the 

mobile phone. He has some 

footage on his mobile phone 

but the boys cant extract 

it.... 

-------------------------------- 

-------------------- 

4 pm 

On the summit Dominic 

hands Sokkeng 20 

dollars. We continue the 

painting. Su Pert does the 

background and sky. Im 

beginning to do sections 

of the buddha. His smile 

and part of the face. The 

temple will come second 

last. Then the two texts. 

SRe Pick softens some 

of the tones and appliers 

more paint rto the sky. 

Just filling it on. An extra 

pair of hans helps. She 

is not lazy and is good to 

have around. I like her. 

We have a good friendshp. 

Maybe more But she is 

young and it is explained 

she is only 16. But she 

looks older. After our visit 

to Sraem it was later told 

rto us that ther family had 

lied to us and that she was 

really 22! 

We clamber like stiff 

gymnasts Film into the 

rear of the Ford truck 

tray of the truck . as 

drive down the mountain 

talking to Mr Diary on 

truck as they descend 

through the jungle to 

Sraem.It is like reportage 

of the days events and a 

good way to debrief. We 

feel sunburnt and a little 

weary red from standing 

for 5 hours in the sun.. 

The wind tousles our hair. 

the microphone is held by 

Mao. It is the back tray of 

the truck. As we descend we 

really feel as if we are part 

of a strange adventure. 

At the bottom of the 

mountain there is a 

desiccated block of e 

cottages all linked together. 

From a distance as I sit on 

the tray I see him smiling 

sheepishly through black 

sunglasses and picking 

his teeth. I cant tell if he’s 

earnest or not. The smile is 

maybe fake like him. I think 

never trust a big smile. 

It is a gift or payment for 

helping us. and when we 

drive down Sokkeng finds 

Mr Vanna waiting outside 

his rooms at the base. 

Painting and location. to 

soldiers.





DAY ELEVEN 

Sunday, 20th of 


Sra ‘Aem 

At 7.05 am I awaken. 

to the staccato saw-like 

snores of Mr Tith Mao, 

aka Mr Happy Times, 

sleeping beside me in the 

hotel guest room suite of 

the Soksan Guest House. 

“Aghhhhh eh hoar...” 

I open my eyes a 

mouse’s-tail-crack to peer 

across the grimy bed sheet. 

Five feet away from the 

bed is is a lime green wall 

with hand marks, a framed 

photograph of Angkor 

Watt in faded orange and 

green and a brass coat 

rail that is bent. A gecko 

scuttles up the wall doing 

a Batman and then I see 

more movement out of 

the corner of my left eye. 

Across from us in our 

marital bed....(well it seems 

like it,) I witness Su Pet, 

the artist’s assistant, who 

is cross-legged, upright on 

his bed, silently hitting the 

keyboards on his electronic 

piano. There’s no sound 

coming from the synth. I 

can hear his fingers pa-patpatting 

on the key boards. 

He has rose red head 

phones squeezed, rocking 

back and forth, miming the 

words cradling the synth 

in his arms. It is not a 

Moog synthesizer and this 

is definitely not Clockwork 

Orange. I awake to a sense 

of relief and think to 

myself, “Well, we have the 

money from yesterday so 

we can continue. At least 

for a few days.” 

I stumble over to the 

bathroom a yard away 

and turn the chrome tap 

counterclockwise. Itsa 

shower! A quick cold rain 

over my sweating body 

and then I dress in whites 

and step outside enter the 

sauna of the early morning 

humidity. I stagger down 

the passage and step into 

the glare of the day. The 

restaurant girls giggle as 

I weave my way over the 

tables. Tith Mao stumbles 

out a few minutes later. The 

hotel owner’s sister, whose 

name is Candy from Korea 

is also up. Oops, I mean 

she’s from Taiwan. Her 

brother owns the hotel ( 

or rather his wife does.) 

He just has the money! 

She wanders over halfasleep, 

rubbing the sleep 

from her eyes. She wants 

my Facebook page but 

it’s too early for chit-chat 

and Facebook seems like 

another planet to Previ 

Hear. I stare at her and 

think, 

“Oh, she is attractive 

but she has a red swollen 

pores over her cheeks 

and she definitely needs 

a new boyfriend or a 

boyfriend AND another 

life. A life definitely not 

here. I only need three 

coffees and then I can 

think clearly. No, let me 

rephrase that. Then I can 

think. “ 

The motorcycle drivers 

wait motionlessly like 

silver statues against 

the dusk on the drive at 

the head of Soksan Hotel. 

Incidentally its the only 

hotel in town, although 

three months later a 

new one will be built. 

An exhaust pops and 

startled I gaze up from 

the steaming coffee. They 

are now revving ready to 

take us up the mountain. 

We had received a phone 

call the night before to say 

Go- go had returned to her 

home arriving early and 

was expecting us. While 

planting rice in the hot 

midday sun fields, someone 

must have got word to her 

“a film crew with big money 

are splashing it her way.” 

After the third coffee and 

everyone else’s mammoth 

three-course- breakfast 

we drive in convoy to the 

house of Go-Go. Go-Go, 

the deaf and dumb child 

is on the way to the Previ 

Hear Temple. We arrive at 

the corrugated iron leantoo 

around 9 -36.236655 

am. The building casts 

a long shadow across 

swaying sword grass. I 

stride in. The floor is made 

from a packed earth, and 

decaying pine rafters 

creak overhead. There are 

the iconic chickens with 

tufts and matted feathers 

running around in figuresof-eight 

squawking and a 

broken pestle and mortar is 

wedged between two fortyfour 

gallon drums. Mangy 

toffee colored dogs circle 

us like jackals while the 

locals or rather neighbors 

sit outside chewing on dried 

grass tufts waiting for the 

action. I end up with her 

doing a language exchange 

with my hands. She does 

the same. She has never 

learned sign language. So 

its her ad-hoc-Cambodianfudge-it 

version. Its one of 

the first times I have spoken 

to a dumb-and-deaf person 

and definitely the first oncamera. 

But I know it will 

look spectacular and with 

her charismatic smile, 

chocalate brown irises and 

open face we cant go wrong. 

She invites me in to the 

house and gives me a quart 

of a glass of dirty water 

and we try to talk with our 

hands. Then I curl upon the 

floorboards and go to sleep. 

The carpenters we used 

to make a clapperboard are 

there or rather next door 

so its easy for us to order a 

wooden stretcher to repair 

the ripped Blue Buddha 

picture. We walk across 

to their house next 

door and explain to 

them. Sokkeng and 

Sambo do. I just mutely 

stand and wait. It will 

be a wooden stretcher. 

My idea is to stretch 

the painting over this 

wood frame and apply 

a canvas so that the it 

does not tear again. 

Once it is on this 

stretcher in two or 

three days time I will 

prime it with water 

to stretch it so that it 

becomes taut. All the 

imperfections are then 

erased. It becomes taut 

like a drum and the 

winkles evaporate. I 

can then concentrate 

on repairing the two 

gashes. Like a torn 

sail spluttering in a 

blustering hurricane 

it was blown in two 

yesterday. Now we 

must repair it. A 

big scar! Or in other 

words simply move on. 

We are using whatever



comes to hand. Sometimes 

I run out of paint and spent 

the morning trying to find 

turpentine. I ended up with 

diesel or petrol as we could 

not buy any turps ion town. 

Four hours drive to Siem 

Reap! Or Chinese Windsorand-Newton 

oil paint! Of 

course, when I had asked 

Mr Tith Mao to bring three 

extra bottles of turpentine 

with him from Siem Reap 

he didn’t understand. 

Chinese whispers or just 

plain Lost in Translation. 

After filming at Go-Go’s 

house we drive to the check 

point. Here we change 

from motorcycle convoy to 

the open-topped truck. At 

the check point is another 

girl with the same name 

as our assistant. Sre Pich. 

She is always there when 

we buy the ticket. We pick 

up the second Sre Pich, 

the art assistant, who is 

waiting half-way up the 

mountain by the side of 

the dirt road and then 

drive up to the mountain’s 

summit. She looks great 

and is wearing the same 

clothes as usual with her 

wide-brimmed straw hat 

with the burgundy red 

sash and big white sun 

glasses which makes her 

look so beautiful. En route 

at the half-way point to 

the summit we disembark 

and walk the final 500 

meters carrying camera 

equipment, new easels 

ready for for the painting. 

Sokeng one of the two 

camera person again 

asks for film footage from 

the soldiers who are all 

lingering around bored 

waiting fir another war or 

another order or another 

packet of cigarettes. They 

just shake their heads 

looking indifferent or 

show us 

fuzzy telephone blurs 

with rata-tats. 

Standing in front of the 

huge easel and the paints 

and scurrying people with 

cameras and parasols I 

scratch my head and with 

my head turned cocked 

toi the left think to myself, 

‘The day is painting 

with Su Pet and I. 

sometimes Sre Pich 

carries paints or holds 

the parasol. It feels like a 

Western man’s folly to me. 

Rather than an epic Peace 

Project adventure. “ 

We return down the 

mountain in the open 

topped truck as the 

sun descends. It is so 

magical. The setting sun. 

The gun emplacements. 

The Khaki soldiers. The 

temples. The red dust and 

the mountain ranges. 

It all seems to coalesce 

into a great landscape 

painting. That evening 

Mr Bunthy drives me off 

for relaxation so I can 

work on The word and the 

manuscript i have called 

The Labors of Oscar while 

the boys sit and watch 

Soccer. We are now a little 

opver half-way through the 

Blue Buddha Peace Project. 

DAY TWELVE 

Sunday, 21st of 


‘Aem 

A shrill cawing startles 

my sleep. I don’t know what 

it is? Bird song ... but what 

bird? An Elvis feathered croon? Tith Mao 

is rustling the sheets. He turns and hugs 

me. I read this as a wake up call. As usual 

we are in the Sokzan Guest House. Day 

twelve. It’s cool outside. 15 degrees. Early 

morning. 7.16 am to be precise. Crystal 

dew like natures of pearls christen the 

grass and granite stones outside. There 

are pools of glistening dew on the tiles 

too. Faint coughing emerges from behind 

a closed door. A body rustles. Outside our 

door a Khmer cleaner’s broom m sweeps 

in flick-flacks.... Tith Mao opens hie eyes. 

He is the first to wake. Then Dominic’s 

eyelid breaks open. Sambo and Sokkeng 

emerge first. Pulling on socks and 

skipping. A large breakfast greets them 

with a clatter of plates. I think again, 

“I wish I was someplace else, but I'm 

not. Money is going fast and I’m going 

faster nowhere. It’s all a down hill slide 

from now on,” I think to myself. When 

the motorcycle riders arrive at 7-50 we 

leave the guest house to travel in convoy 

up the mountain. Through the town we 

silently past the secondhand war fatigue 

shops full of Glock T shirts, Bowie Knives, 

cross bows and barber shop shaving 

blades. Past the FM Army radio station 

tower that stands crooked like a leaning 

tower of Pisa, three Karaoke Bars and 

five army battalion barracks. Then we 

hit the open road, past Gogos tin shed 

home with sword grass swaying and the 

pale pastel blue mountains loom in the 

distance. After 45 minutes we arrive



at the base of mountain 

when Sambo suddenly 

turns with his face 

blanched, stammering, 

then stuttering then 

swearing. “Oh shit, I forgot 

my memory card for the 

camera.” 

He immediately jumps 

on on the Honda bike and 

rides back with Mr Brown 

at the helm. We wait until 

he returns. Kicking dust, 

ABC cans, Singh beer. 

Talking. Jokes. Half-anhour 

later he returns 

sweating but his face is 

beaming. He has it and 

we can begin filming. 

It is a small sequence 

where I dismount from 

the motorbike to the 

checkpoint and greet Su 

Pert, to get on a truck. 

Once the filming is done 

Dominic we drive the truck 

up the mountain. The 

driver whose name is Mr 

Mab makes problems by 

asking money repeatedly. 

We stop halfway and film. 

Then pick up Sre Pich. 

Then he says it will cost 

us an extra ten dollars. We 

stop again and he says this 

will cost us another fifteen. 

And so on.... 

When we arrive at the 

mountain halfway point 

at a kind of cradle there 

os the army base camp 

just beneath the Previ 

Hear Temple. Here there 

is the usual ritual of 

paying everybody. I feel 

like the Pope, Pope Dom 

distributing cigarettes, 

High Fives, Angkor and 

Marlboros to forlorn 

bedraggled soldiers 

standing beside tin sheds 

with potbellied spouses and 

crying grubby children. 

On the summit there is the 

usual ritual of painting and 

location. Ring Karina with 

Mao in the evening. 

That evening as dusk 

is falling we pack up. We 

visits to a historical site 

with Mr Vuthy I think 

that means halfway down 

the mountain where the 

caves are. He discusses 

the shelling and where 

the bullets hit the historic 

site of Previ Hear. He talks 

about the day the shelling 

began and what happened. 

Who started it. 

We unroll the canvas off 

the stretcher then roll it 

into tube to carry it down 

the mountain. Normally we 

would lie it flat on its back 

ad pay the soldier to body 

guard it for the evening. 

Then it travels with us in 

pick up and on motorbikes 

to Sra’ Aem to fix and finds 

tailor. 

We have to be out of here 

and leave the mountain 

by 6. It’s a curfew. We cant 

sleep on the mountain. 

They won’t let us. Its not in 

the rule book. So we must 

do this crazy pilgrimage 

every night of driving up 

and back. It takes two hours 

to get there but we cant two 

hours up and and a half 

back. 

Dusk has fallen. It’s 

only shadows. We are late 

arriving down. My face 

is wind and sun burnt. 

Ten meters away from 

the parked Nissan pickup, 

there is a cloaked 

figure waiting at the last 

check point. It’s a sombre 

shadow. Melancholy and 

uncomfortable. The figure 

is waiting by the side of 

the road, hiding in the 

shadows. Then his eyes hit 

the moonlight. They glisten. 

It is Mr Vanna, the security 

guard and Intelligence 

Officer and Spy for The 

Previ Hear Army Battalion. 

He is waiting for us at the 

check point to receive the 

money we are going to 

pay him. It is 40 dollars. 

Sokkeng pushes it into his 

open palm. We stand way 

in the distance but witness 

the exchange. He promises 

to help us but nothing 

happens. 

DAY THIRTEEN 

Monday, 22nd of 


‘Aem 

I climb out of bed. Wake 

Mao. Beads of dust carried 

by rays of sunlight cascades 

through a half-drawn grey



gun metal curtain. It is a 

grim plastic louver. Greasy. 

The grubby window pane 

looks onto a bland corridor. 

Then comes the daily ritual 

of black coffee served by 

Sopet the girl waitress 

who acts as a drunken 

mistress to the soldiers 

in the evening.Coffee for 

breakfast and sex with the 

clients in the evening. I can 

hear coughs and footsteps 

ion the corridor. The boys 

are awaking. By 8.15 am we 

are driving by motorcycle 

in convoy to the carpenter’s 

house that sits next to 

Go-gos to pick up planks 

of wood at a cost of ten 

dollars to build the picture 

stretcher. 

On the way before we 

mount the pick-up truck 

Sre Pich I smiles a wide 

watermelon smile and then 

hands us the printed pay 

slip which says, ticket for 

the mountain. With white 

shining teeth and jet- black 

hair, her name in Khmer 

means diamond and today 

she is sparkling like one. 

I look at her twice and 

observe. She has a blue 

T shirt which says Play 

Boy in gold diamente. It 

should be 24 carat! Her 

hair is unbrushed ands 

she blinks with bright 

brown molasses eyes. I 

think, 

”She’s cute but its 

always money, money, 

money. And it all adds 

up, trust me. The bookkeepers 

will have a field 

day with this project when 

I get back home.” 

She waves a wan flick 

of her wrist and the next 

moment I have turned 

and I can see the boys 

with their khaki hats 

waiting ion the back of the 

van. On the drive up on 

the pick-up truck we pick 

up (no pun intended) Sre 

Pick I who is standing by 

the side of the road in her 

straw hat and then as she 

climbs into the front cabin 

the boys film Dominic and 

Sophert the art assistant 

in the rear of the truck 

talking, with the wind in 

the hair....while the red 

dust is thrown up in our 

faces. We can’t speak to 

each other in the same 

language, so its always a 

case of sign language and 

awkward embarrassed 

smiles. The Cambodia 

government is building 

a large by-pass road for 

both military and tourist 

access up the mountain. It 

weaves circuitously like a 

snake. Now its red dust and 

workmen in torn denim 

shirts and sunny bandanas 

that make the workers 

appear as terrorists wave 

as we take a big sinuous 

corner as the road climbs 

the mountain before it 

hits jungle. I think the the 

building of road was one of 

the reasons why the war 

started but I am not sure. 

In the distance across 

the plain the shadows give 

way to the clear lines of a 

mountain range with the 

wind in my hair and Su 

Pert riding shotgun as the 

truck changes gears. The 

range looms high above 

all the other mountains 

until only it is in our 

vision.. As we reach the last 

rise this Hindu-inspired 

11th century temple, 

perched atop a mountain 

escarpment, hugs the 

border between Cambodia 

and Thailand. According 

to Sanskrit inscriptions, 

the temple was once called 

Sri Sikharisvara, meaning 

“Glorious Lord of the 

Mountain”, a dedication to 

the Hindu god Shiva. As we 

travel higher we see behind 

us small artillery, broken 

and onion colored sandbags 

and grey tank turrets and 

artillery shapes which 

have been mobilized only a 

couple of kilometers away. 

A Thai flag flutters silently 

in the middle-distance. It 

is quiet. Deathly still. Only 

cicadas and a rustle from 

some leaves. 

At the base of the summit, 

we carry the wooden slats 

and the Canon 5D Mark II 

camera gear in knapsacks, 

with soldiers helping us up 

the mountain. 

By 10-26 am we have 

begun our climb up. Halfway 

we pass a disheveled 

soldier without military 

insignia but just dirty green 

khaki carrying a PKM 

machine gun. The oil on the 

gun metal barrel sparkles. 

We are still distributing 

cartouches of Cambodian 

cigarettes. By the last 

twenty meters it is just one 

single cigarette at a time to 

rather than a packet. At last, 

exhausted and carrying 

umbrellas, picnic hampers 

and camera equipment 

the ten of us reach the 

temple site. I look around. 

The temple complex runs 

800 m (2,600 ft) along a 

north-south axis facing the 

plains to the north, from 

which it is now cut off by 

the international border. 

It consists essentially of a 

causeway and steps rising 

up the hill towards the 

sanctuary, which sits on the 

cliff top at the southern end 

of the complex (120 m or 

390 ft above the northern 

end of the complex, 525 

m or 1,722 ft above the 

Cambodian plain and 

625 m or 2,051 ft above 

sea level). Although 

this structure is very 

different from the 

temple mountains 

found at Angkor, 

it serves the same 

purpose as a stylized 

representation of 

Mount Meru, the 

home of the gods. 

The approach to the 

sanctuary is punctuated 

by five gopuras (these 

are conventionally 

numbered from the 

sanctuary outwards, so 

gopura five is the first to 

be reached by visitors). 

Each of the gopuras 

before the courtyards 

is reached by a set of 

steps, and so marks a 

change in height which 

increases their impact. 

The gopuras also block a 

visitor’s view of the next



part of the temple until they 

pass through the gateway, 

making it impossible to 

see the complex as a whole 

from any one point. The 

fifth gopura, in the Koh 

Ker style, retains traces of 

the red paint with which 

it was once decorated, 

although the tiled roof 

has now disappeared. The 

fourth gopura is later, from 

the Khleang-Baphuon 

periods, and has on its 

southern outer pediment, a 

depiction of the Churning 

of the Sea of Milk. The third 

is the largest, and is also 

flanked by two halls. The 

sanctuary is reached via 

two successive courtyards, 

in the outer of which are 

two libraries. 


“But now they just look 

like old ruins. The books 

have long gone. The monks 

have gone and so have 

the roofs. Just as soon 

this picture will no longer 

be here. Only the grass, 

the wind and the porous 

dry stone with the moss 

covering it will remain. 

Oh and the insects and 

soldiers....” 

Once we have arrived on 

the summit we roll out the 

picture and apply the newly 

repaired picture to the 

stretcher. The sun is high 

in the sky by now and there 

are, as usual, a few if not 

one or two tourists. I can’t 

see Mr Vanna. So lets make 

that one less tourist! 

We begin painting. Sre 

Pich II is holding umbrella 

and in the afternoon the 

paint tins. Mr Bora soon 

starts holding another 

umbrella and begins 

whistling a Cambodian 

song about Battambong. Su- 

Pert follows my actions and 

when we do the painting 

together he follows my 

every command. He’s slow 

but he’s enthused by the 

project at least. Dib dab... 

We had sought out another 

artist in Siem Reap who at 

first I believed was more 

mature and a master in his 

own right. But I decided he 

was going to be difficult. I 

thought to myself, 

“I need someone flexible, 

open and energetic. 

Younger! The old man 

was going to be too selfimportant, 

and too much 

a problem. Su- Pert on the 

other hand is keen to learn 

and enthusiastic.” 

As he begins work I look 

across at him and think, 

“So-Pert is so easy 

going and laid back. 

Today he has asked t for 

his wife to visit. He’s cool 

and not so interested in 

other women. So its nice 

to see a married man 

keep to himself.” 

We take the wood out 

we have brought for the 

easel to create a stronger 

painting. At lunch Sre 

Pich drops the camera on 

a rock by accident and I 

think we have a problem 

now. But it maybe minor. 

After lunch filming at 

the historical site, Mr 

Vuthy explains about 

the site. Apparently he 

has to ring his superior 

to find out if he can do 

the interview. He has 

received permission from 

his Captain to speak on 

camera. He’s one of the 

tourist police here and 

lives on the top of the 

mountain. He’s another 

one on our payroll. 

He coughs and looks 

embarrassed. Maybe 

he has never been on 

camera. Then he pauses 

and walks away. 

Standing with me in the 

ruins he explains, 

“Preah Vihear Temple 

is an ancient temple 

built during the reign of 

Khmer Empire, that is 

situated atop a 525-metre 

(1,722 ft) cliff in the 

Dângrêk Mountains, in 

the Preah Vihear province, 

Cambodia.” 

I look around. and think, 

“It only looks like 

crumbling stones. Broken 

and jagged.” 

But if I squint I can 

imagine it as if it was 

yesterday and my mind 

wonders again, 

”How the fuck did they 

build this massive temple 

in the middle of nowhere 

on the top of nowhere? 

With what and by whom? 

Monks? Soldiers could not 

do this. And Cambodians 

now definitely can’t.” 

We walk past the to ruin 

passing some Japanese 

tourists with orange 

back packs. The sun is 

descending and it will be 

night soon. 

I stare into the distance 

across from a granite table 

rock balancing on a rocky 

crevice. Here there is a 

view for many kilometers 

across a plain, Prasat 

Preah Vihear has the most 

spectacular setting of all 

the temples. But from 

where we are we can only 

see the plain. The blue 

mountains punctuating 

the horizon and the sun 

setting. 

Mr Vunty is halfway 

through the talk when 

Sambo stops and explains 

that sound recorder 

memory card is full. 

So we must write down 

the rest of what he has 

to say. So this is what we 

wrote: 

“In 1962, following a 

lengthy dispute between 


over ownership, the 

International Court of 

Justice (ICJ) in The Hague 

awarded the temple to 

Cambodia. As a key edifice 

of the empire’s spiritual 

life, it was supported and 

modified by successive 

kings and so bears 

elements of several 

architectural styles. 

Preah Vihear is unusual 

among Khmer temples in 

being constructed along 

a long north-south axis, 

rather than having the 

conventional rectangular 

plan with orientation



toward the east. The 

temple gives its name to 

Cambodia’s Preah Vihear 

province, in which it is 

now located, as well as the 

Khao Phra Wihan National 

Park which borders it in 

Thailand’s Sisaket province 

and through which the 

temple is most easily 

accessible. On July 7, 2008, 

Preaha Vihear was listed as 

a UNESCO World Heritage 

Site. 

Construction of the first 

temple on the site began in 

the early 9th century; both 

then and in the following 

centuries it was dedicated 

to the Hindu god Shiva 

in his manifestations 

as the mountain gods 

Sikharesvara and 

Bhadresvara. The earliest 

surviving parts of the 

temple, however, date from 

the Koh Ker period in the 

early 10th century, when 

the empire’s capital was at 

the city of that name. Today, 

elements of the Banteay 

Srei style of the late 10th 

century can be seen, but 

most of the temple was 

constructed during the 

reigns of the Khmer kings 

Suryavarman I (1002– 

1050) and Suryavarman II 

(1113–1150). An inscription 

found at the temple 

provides a detailed account 

of Suryavarman II studying 

sacred rituals, celebrating 

religious festivals and 

making gifts, including 

white parasols, golden 

bowls and elephants, to his 

spiritual advisor, the aged 

Brahmin Divakarapandita. 

The Brahmin himself 

took an interest in the 

temple, according to the 

inscription, donating to it a 

golden statue of a dancing 

Shiva known as “Nataraja”. 

In the wake of the decline of 

Hinduism in the region the 

site was converted to use by 

Buddhists.” 

“ Wow! That was a 

mouthful.” 

He smiles sheepishly as if 

he is about to bow and then 

takes an awkward step back 

and then before I can say 

Lickety Split he is gone. 

“ I guess being here 

everyday you get know a lot 

about the place. Or its part 

of his job.” 

On the way down as the 

truck travels we film the 

daily debrief. Red dust. 

Wind and pastel mountains. 

Jungle and soldiers in 

khaki. I want to add the 

philosophy about war and 

what Im doing and talk into 

the camera. How they don’t 

want me. My epiphany. 


“Throughout the world 

I have seen governments 

such as the ones in Cyprus, 

Israel Kosovo Chechnya 

condone violence and 

terrorism. They oppose 

with laws, propaganda, 

rhetoric and armies 

the overthrow and 

usurpment of power by 

others with the use of 

force. But when I come 

to a war with a message 

of peace, they ignore 

this message at best and 

oppose it at worst. They 

do everything they can to 

see that it never occurs. 

They make every possible 

effort to reduce the 

message or have it not 

heard. They listen politely 

but then closes their 

eyes and turn a deaf ear. 

Jesus said, “Blessed are 

the peacemakers.” But it 

often seems like conflict 

and disagreement are 

unavoidable and the 

governments who are in 

power are reluctant to 

seek peaceful solutions. 

Serious, divisive conflict 

is everywhere- within 

families, in the church, 

and out in the world. And 

it can seem impossible 

to overcome its negative 

force in our lives.” 

On the way back down 

from the mountain for 

dinner the wind picks 

up and my peaked hat 

catches the wind ;like a 

sail. So I loose my hat on 

the drive down. We had to 

turn around to pick it up. 

It’s a little white gimme 

hat with a broad peak. 

Back on my head we are 

again driving. 

In Sraem we stop at the Massage 

restaurant (as I have dubbed it.) It’s 15 

dollars for everyone and we can feed 

12 people. Buffet style feeding them is 

like feeding all the stray cats. They hang 

around with gawky smiles. 

Here there is a barbers chair and 

halfway through the meal the waitress 

asks if I want my ears cleaned. There 

is a massage room next door. In the 

restaurant! And and a kind of buffet with 

cockroaches and flies lingering lazily. 

Thats why its so cheap I guess. I feed the 

few of twelve here. Its next to the roundabout 

in the centre of the town. 

That evening My Bunthy tales me off 

to a restaurant and I write my book. Still 

picking through a sixteenth draft of The 

Word. I scribble it early in the morning 

and late at night. The waitress Bouw I 

have taken a shine too. But I suspect she 

has a boyfriend in the military. The boys 

wash and dive to a boxing match . 

Mao takes the other boys to a massage 

but but every body pauses and laughingly 

explain, “We don’t want grandmothers.’ 

Sambo is outside and always on the 

phone. He is talking intensely to his 

girl friend and has a slightly serious 

expression on his face. His brow is 

wrinkled. Sokkeng girl friend Danny is 

a Karaoke-bar girl inPhnom Penh and 

Working hard, so We Went 

to massage 

he is concerned that she will be lost 

to that world and the gangsters who 

wander around it. Well that happened 

to me .... My friend Aone from Phnom 

Penh has texted me to say her boyfriend 

has arrived in Cambodia. She was 

only a friend but I know now that 

it will be harder to see her. I take it 

philosophically. But she was nice. Instead 

I ring Karina, a new friend I have met on 

the bus from Poipet to Phnom Peng. A 

country girl from Kambunchenan. 

Then the boys decide they want to see 

a boxing match in town. We don’t go in. 

Its on the round-about in the centre of 

the town. A hung tarpaulins. The boys 

are in down time are divided between 

the soccer and the boxing.





We’re lucky that the Blue Buddha Project’s keep going on. 

DAY FOURTEEN 

Tuesday, 23rd of 


‘Aem 

6 am 

Something I can’t see I 

can feel. And its crawling 

across the stained and torn 

bed sheets. 

“Oh Yuck!” I scream. 

Pushing the sheets 

away from me I grimace 

because I have awoken 

to the hushed scuttle of a 

black shiney insect. I see 

its coffin-black slime trail 

and then, as if I have been 

pulled spluttering from 

an ugly dark dream, my 

heart skips a beat and I 

remember - “Jumping 

Jehosopharts! We’ve 

already run out of money. 

Tomorrow I can’t pay 

anyone. The project stops 

today.“ 

The radio is on. I can 

hear the glimmer of crisp 

English phrases from the 

BBC somewhere down the 

hall. “Another world!” I 

think. The voice is sketchy 

and static. It drops in and 

out, then returns. “BBC 

World Service.” There are 

snatches about the Arab 

spring. “After 11 months 

of protests in Yemen, 

the Yemeni president Ali 

Abdullah Saleh signs a deal 

to transfer power to the vice 

president, in exchange for 

legal immunity.” 

The previous years 

this day Tuesday, 23rd of 

November had also been 

weird but I guess every day 

can be. 

The World service 

continues,”On this day in 

2001 was the Convention 

on Cybercrime which 

was signed in Budapest, 

Hungary. 2003 was 

the Rose Revolution: 

the Georgian president 

Eduard Shevardnadze 

resigns following weeks 

of mass protests over 

flawed elections. 2004 The 

Holy Trinity Cathedral of 

Tbilisi, the largest religious 

building in Georgia, is 

consecrated. In 2005 on 

this day Ellen Johnson 

Sirleaf was elected 

president of Liberia and 

becomes the first woman 

to lead an African country. 

In 2006 there were a 

series of bombing which 

killed at least 215 people 

and injured 257 others in 

Sadr City, making it the 

second deadliest sectarian 

attack since the beginning 

of the Iraq War in 2003. In 

2007 on this day the H.M.S. 

Explorer, a cruise liner 

carrying 154 people, sinks 

in the Antarctic Ocean 

south of Argentina after 

hitting an iceberg near the 

South Shetland Islands.’ 

“ A mini Titanic.” I think. 

“There were no fatalities. 

In 2009 the Maguindanao 

massacre occurs in 

Ampatuan, Maguindanao, 

Philippines.” 

Meanwhile yesterday 

Vesna Jovanoski, the 

Macedonian- Australian 

book keeper from Mill Park 

in Melbourne has sent me 

more money via Western 

Union to keep the Blue 

Buddha Project going. 

“Please send money! Lots 

please...” read the email! 

“Please send 5000 dollars 

to Cambodia!” but alas 

she sent it to Laos! Right 

person but wrong country. 

After breakfast we drive 

to Previ Hear town from 

Sra’Aem to collect the 

money. By taxi it takes 

one hour. But we still need 

to rise at 6 am in order 

to return to Previ Hear 

mountain by 12 midday. 

Six hours spent doing too 

little. Driving! But without 

this trip we can do nothing. 

Without this money 

pilgrimage everything will 

collapse. The taxi windows 

blur from condensation 

with eucalyptus trees that 

snap past us like vertical 

match-sticks. Slip, slip, 

slip.... This time the driver 

speeds at 110 kilometers an 

hour and it seems to take 

less time than the last trip. I 

muse to myself, 

“In the future I will need 

the finances to coordinate 

these issues so my mind 

can concentrate on the 

creativity. I always believe



that but lack of 

finances mean I need 

to juggle my tasks. 

Now its juggling a 

million lists.” 

Daybreak, bird 

song and Honda 

motorcycle horns. 

People are waking up. 

As we cruise through 

Previ Hear town the 

engine coughs and 

the red ochre dirt and 

crackling dead leaves 

streets blow up onto 

the windscreen like 

an old man spitting 

out phlegm from 

emphisemia. The 

street is empty except 

for five stray dogs, 

billowing empty chip 

packets made from 

shining cellophane 

and motor cyclists 

going nowhere fast 

but somewhere slow. 

I need a strong coffee 

to wake up. We stop 

in the only coffee 

shop in town open 

at this hour. Its next 

to the bus station. 

The station is really 

only a vacant lot that 

fills up with buses by 

8am. People with scarves 

and blank expressions 

come up to us asking if 

we are leaving by bus for 

Phnom Penh! The waitress 

with black eyes, a swivel 

to her hip and a crying 

child tugging her dress 

is making yellow noodles She was part of the 

and watered soup but also film and our work. Six 

cafe with condensed milk. months later Sambo was 

Once happily caffeinated, told she was 24 years of 

we search for a cake shop age and already engaged 

to order Sre Pich’s birthday to a thirty-nine year old 

cake. Her 16th birthday! doctor. I suppose this 

She tells me she has never was the families way of 

had a birthday party before insuring she remained 

in her life. So as a result of engaged. But it is always 

my unfailing generosity disappointing when 

or the fact she’s a good families lie to you. Kids, 

assistant and the boys need yes, but when they are good 

a wrap party I decide we will respectable families who 

do this. 

lie to your face, I hate it. 

“Change her life,” as But that’s what I see. The 

we order it with icing good respectable families 

sugar candy droplets. “ are usually mortgaged up 

We will have it in Soksan to their assholes trying 

restaurant a few days before to present an untroubled 

finishing. It can be a wrap middle-class face to the 

party for the crew as well. I rest of the neighborhood 

will foot the bill, as they say.” , their peers, bosses and 

Then we take the orders lovers. 

from the people there for a Anyhow we order for 

cake for Sre Pich’s birthday. the birthday girl Srey Pich 

The family had told us her the three layered sponge 

age was fifteen. I accepted cake with a thick green 

their answer without icing that looks like it 

question, but thought, “As should be used as mortar 

far as I am concerned she for the Sydney Harbor 

looks twenty-two. Maybe Bridge cake. The words 

twenty-five. But hey, whose read “Happy Birthday Sre 

counting? And in this world Pich,” scrawled in flowing 

people grow up fast here, wedding script across it 

that’s for sure!” 

in Fluorescent Acid Night 

Club pink. 

We are the first clients 

inside the bank. Its cold 

and empty. I can hear the 

echo of our footsteps. . I tap 

my feet in impatience. Mao 

happily stares at his cheap 

Nokia phone. He thinks that 

if he looks at it hard enough 

it will materialize into an 

iPhone. We sit and wait. 

Impatient and fidgeting I 

pull out the white Apple 

notebook computer and 

begin work on my book- 

The Word. 

Little did I know the 

title would soon change 

and a month later the 

computer would be stolen 

in an Audi in Moscow by 

a low level bratva. Such 

is life! We wait and wait. 

Forty minutes pass. Tick 

tock! No one comes to our 

attention or aid. There is no 

ANZ withdrawl ATM here 

in Previ Hear town. The 

nearest ANZ is three hours 

away by bus in Siem Reap. 

Two hours by car. Slowly 

the bank with its scuffed 

yellow linoleum floor and 

crusty certificates in sepia 

comes to life. On the walls 

I see glossy prints of the 

Director of the World Bank 

shaking hands with an 

Alceida CEO grinning. 

He’s bald, of course with 

a tweed jacket and looks 

like this expedition will 

go into his scrap album 

next to the photos of him 

in the Sechelles with his 

secretary. 

Mao grins,” It sounds 

like Alqueda, doesn’t it.” 

Slowly the bank fills with 

embarrassed and hushed 

customers. 

I look around the bank 

hall. Its semi-modern. But 

that just means it looks 

like it comes from the 

nineteen-seventies. Not 

2011. There are sap green 

plastic chairs. Military 

corporals, old grannies 

with wrinkled brows, 

brown and wrinkled from 

too much sun, rice-paddie 

farmers who have come to 

deposit savings and small 

business men with cheap 

plastic attache cases. As 

I am waiting with it’s one 

computer in the Alceida 

Bank a chaotic rattle of 

doors and scufflles occurs. 

Confusion. The drawnout 

wait is suggesting 

that the staff don’t want 

to give us the money. Mao 

has his head squashed 

against the perspex looking 

at a spectacle. There is a 

secretary buried deep into 

her screen. Mao translates 

for me what she says. 

“On the form we have 

received it says your name 

is Dominic Ryan but your 

passport says Dominic 

Rupert Charles Ryan.’ 

“Oh God.” I realize 

they don’t want to give 

me the money. “Four 

thousand dollars in this 

bank is probably half their 

deposits!’ 

Finally after much 

wrangling and arguing 

the money is handed over. 

Especially since as I claimed 

I had received money from 

the in this bank a few days 

ago from the same person 

with my name and passport 

the same. 

-------------------------------- 

-------------------- 

11am 

Two hours later we have 

returned and are now 

prepared to trek up to the 

summit to begin the daily 

November ritual of art, 

photography and peace. Out 

of breath we stagger up the 

granite steps, surveying 

the dusky horizon carrying 

the usual back packs 

of equipment along the 

mountain. As we climb I 

find out some interesting 

information. Sokkeng as 

an side mentions, “Did you 

know that the Cambodia’s



military leaders include 

Hun Manet, who received 

his diploma in 1999 from 

the U.S. Military Academy 

at West Point?” 

“No I didn’t!’ 

“Yes well two-star Lt. 

Gen. Hun Manet is deputy 

commander of the Royal 

Cambodian Armed Forces 

infantry, and director of 

the Defense Ministry’s 

U.S.-backed counterterrorism 

department.” I 

gasp. 

Yes, he is also the eldest 

son of Cambodian Prime 

Minister Hun Sen who was 

a Khmer Rouge guerrilla 

regiment commander 

under Pol Pot when they 

successfully fought against 

American troops, and 

U.S.- backed Cambodian 

General Lon Nol’s regime, 

in the early 1970s during 

the Pentagon’s regional 

Vietnam War.” 

“Yes well it sounds like 

nepotism or jobs for the 

boys.” 

We then divide into two 

teams. Sokheng returns 

with Srey Pich to film her 

home. Sop Pert and I set 

up the canvas while Sambo 

helping us and then films 

us. 

12-00 pm 

Pich’s house is on an 

incline half-way up the 

mountain. The new 

by-pass road crosses the 

house-stroke-restaurant at 

right angles by 

twenty meters. the 

building is made of 

corrugated iron and bark. 

THere is a small area for 

outside tables. Eucalyptus 

trees and 

bracken. The father has 

bought a a new pick up 

truck and walks with 

a limp as he nearly lost 

his leg to a mine. He still 

drives for the army 

and remains on their pay 

role as a staff sergeant. He 

always wears the 

military khaki uniform. 

But without any insignia. 

There are featherless 

chickens darting in zig 

-zags across the dirt floor of 

the 

porch and an old man 

with broken teeth chewing 

some kind of 

tobacco leaf . Rocket 

mortars diagionally leaning 

beside him and his 

skin looks like 

parchment Signs to the left 

and right of the house say 

“do not venture into 

the scrub as there are 

undetonated mines.” The 

boys return from the 

restaurant with Pich with 

stony faces and despondent 

looks. It appears that she 

does not want them to 

film at her house. It’s a 

mixture of pride, shyness 

and a stubborn willful 

manner. Sokkeng explains 

that when they arrived 

at Sre Pich house on the 

mountain as they pulled 

out the camera gear Sre 

Pich had turned and said 

“Please do not not film.” 

She screws up her fsaceso 

it looks like a unewashed 

sponge. Her eyes go small. I 

thought she had agreed. It 

is always a case of Chinese 

whispers. Language 

misunderstandings. 

Anyhow its not the end of 

the world. 

------------------------------- 

--------------------- 

Sambo runs down from 

the steps, where we have 

lunch twenty meters away 

from the easel holding his 

phone skipping. He explains he has just 

received a telephone call from Mr Vanna, 

the Previ Hear Security personnel. 

Sambo says, “Mr Vanna has allowed us to 

film at the Ta Dy historical site painting 

location.” 

----------------------------------------------- 

----- 

3-00 pm 

We call to Mr Vuthy who in turn calls 

and asks permission from his Boss to 

talk on camera again. 

----------------------------------------------- 

----- 

3-15 pm 

I put my brushes down on the wooden 

palette and exlpain to So Pett to continue 

with the creation of the mortared section 

of the Previ Hear arch we are painting. 

We walk across to the site and film at 

the Ta Dy horizontal site with Mr Vuth. I 

ask him about what he witnessed in the 

conflict between Cambodia and Thailand 

where Mr Vuthy was present during this 

time.and what he saw. 

‘During the days of the fighting I woke 

up to shells exploding all 

around me. It sounded at first like 

crackers then I knew it wasn’t someones 

birthday! The enemy moved their tanks 

and armored personnel carriers along 

the mountainous jungle frontier. We 

could hear engine grinds and men 

shouting. Then sometimes we would 

see trees fall from across the valley or 

shudder as the anti-personnel tanks 

crossed through the undergrowth. 

During these days I could not sleep 

or call my family. I washed at the well 

where the temple carries the water. 

After four days of artillery and mortar 

shells exploding which killed seven 

of our heroic Cambodian soldiers we 

fortified our border positions. There 

were almost fifty or sixty-five Thai troops 

dead. Some people claim that Thai forces 

fired 75 mm and 105 mm shells “loaded 

with poison gas.” The bodies were quickly 

removed. I saw four bodies all looking 

like hanburgers. I copuldnt recognize 

them. For our dead and wounded we 

used stretchers and open pickup trucks 

to transport some of the injured soldiers 

to hospitalization during the weekend. I 

am only military police in charge of the 

mountain. As my military then installed 

more multiple- rocket launchers and other 

heavy weaponry to bolster our side. Thai 

forces during the weekend damaged the 

crumbling stone ruins of two of our small 

temples. They were called Ta Krabey and 

Ta Moan. Look around you.’ 

Here he pointed to some small 

pockmarks on the temple stones which 

looked like someone with a pick axe had 

broken a stone. I thought to myself, “This 

is hardly Dresden or Nagasaki! It was 

more like the neighbor breaking your 

fence! But a very expensive and beautiful 

fence. No retake. Its more like the neighbor 

damaging a work of art!” 

We took a few steps across green, 

verdant and grassy hillock. Looking down 

at my white sneakers and his polished 

army issue boots we could see mounds like 

holes. They had now grown over. The earth 

covered by grass he explained was a crater



shell. 

He continued to talk, 

“During this time, about 

20,000 villagers on our 

the frontier have fled to 

makeshift shelters, while 

camouflaged Thai and 

Cambodian troops continue 

to patrol the jungle. 

Cambodia wants to expand 

upon its 1962 success 

when the International 

Court of Justice in the 

Hague awarded Cambodia 

ownership over larger 

stone temple ruins at Preah 

Vihear, about 125 miles to 

the east, the Thai army said. 

The news reports were 

different to what Mr Vuthy 

said. “Cambodia would 

have seized the area, as 

they did in the areas near 

Preah Vihear temple,” 

Thai army spokesman 

Sansern Kaewkamnerd 

said. “So letting problems 

occur today is better than 

seeing it turn chronic 

in the future,” he said, 

explaining why Thai forces 

were defending the two 

smaller temples and nearby 

disputed territory. In 

February, Bangkok denied 

using cluster bombs but 

later reluctantly admitted 

to firing several clusterloaded 

bombs at Cambodia. 

DAY FIFTEEN 

Wednesday, 

24th of 

November 


‘Aem 

Its seven am in the 

morning. Well, at least 

around that time! 

Thick gluey grains of 

gunk are stuck to my 

eyelids. I stretch my arms 

and try to uncork the 

granules... My body feels 

it has five years of sump 

oil smeared across the 

legs and torso and a ton of 

bricks covering it. I’m all 

bruises and grease but its 

only tropics, nightmares 

and overwork, sand and 

maybe cockroaches in the 

sheets. A telephone rings 

in the room sounding like 

a vintage 1950’s phone. 

Inside Room 32B of the 

Sok San Guest House I 

awake, sober and alert, 

to Mr Happy Times - Mao 

who is dead-still beside me. 

Sweaty. Thick treacle sticky 

humidity outside. Spider 

gray geckos are climbing 

inside the dull grimy green 

walls like flies trying to 

escape the fly paper. A bed 

away the art assistant, So 

Pert, is snoring peacefully. 

Tomorrow, his wife arrives. 

I think, “He can soon snore 

with her,‘ and then other 

thoughts fill my head with 

gobble-de-gook! 

“The next day is today. 

The next moment is now. 

Soon this project, the people 

I have brought to Sre Aem 

together, and the painting 

up in the temple will have 

vanished....to disappear as 

quickly as they came into 

the sands of time. Soon 

the Blue Buddha painting 

will be only a memory 

mumbled by a few toothless 

Previ Hear Temple guards 

to their grandchildren as a 

bedtime story late at night 

while only the wind and the 

grass know the names and 

events of what happened 

here. Then the guards will 

also forget, grow old and 

die.” 

My mind races over 

issues relating to the 

painting and what is 

required. 

‘Oh, I forgot the previous 

day we had sent money 

to Jam my old girl friend. 

and of course there is 

the dilemma of having to 

return always to the bank 

and loosing six hours. Time 

is ticking. We have four days 

left. But at least we can 

continue with this money 

we retrieved yesterday.’ 

Walking down the 

corridor I see a silhouette 

of a figure slumped across 

a step. There are traces of 

dew as the sun languidly



rises in the sky. Soon that 

will be gone too. Its purple 

twilight set against the 

silhouette. I see the drivers 

waiting, smoking and 

chatting at the gate of the 

hotel and realize we need to 

leave soon. 

At the third check point, 

Sre Pich One is not there. 

Mr Buthy, one of the motor 

cycle drivers remains at 

the bottom of the mountain 

guarding the motorcycles, 

quietly smoiking and then 

waves with a gentle flick of 

his wrist. The pick-up truck 

on the road mumbles then 

back-fires and continues 

up the hill as we are film 

me and So-Pert talking in 

the truck. Before we leave, 

we give him lunch money 

and cigarettes. The pastel 

blue mountains ripple in 

the morning haze. The 

cracked and emaciated 

cement road curls like a 

snake up the backside of 

the mountain. It now sports 

broken tufts of dried grass. 

Next, in an explosion of 

wind, I loose my cap. The 

wind has picked it up as the 

truck scuttles over a bump 

around one of the many s 

curves to the summit. So 

my white gimme cap like 

a torn spinnaker is blown 

from the speeding tuck. A 

minute later the bloated 

onion- stained sandbags 

and gun emplacements 

come into view. Dirty 

children in faded blue 

denim and orange and 

bottle green T shirts run 

out towards the truck 

waving at the truck 

frantically as we take this 

turn. The sun is rising 

and I breathe in, saying to 

myself, 

“What a magnificent 

adventure! This moment 

we are the heroes in the 

dream of life!” 

The boys are still filming 

as we pass the children 

waving. Then I think of Mr 

Vanna and his creepy eyes. 

When I remember him I 

remember that we are not 

allowed to film anything. 

Ten minures later we 

are climbing, and having 

gone through the ritual of 

dispensing the cigarettes 

to the guards as they linger 

at different tiers of the 

mountain.. As we reach the 

summit, a soldier from the 

Previ Hear Temple guard 

emerges out from under 

the painting, having slept 

under the Blue Buddha 

picture which he had slept 

under the night before, 

sullenly waiting for another 

cartouche of cigarettes. He 

smiles sheepishly as we 

hand it to him. He takes it 

and walks away with a limp. 

His back is hunched and 

twisted. I think, “It’s beads 

for the natives. People are 

that primitive.” 

The restaurant girl at 

the base of the mountain 

with long black flowing hair 

and ringlets is now near 

us puffing from carrying 

up the mountain a babyblue 

plastic picnic hamper 

crammed with food for 

the crew. For lunchtime, 

Sambo spreads out out the 

blue torn tarpaulin we use 

to protect the painting at 

night and Sre Pich set out 

the plates with grilled fish 

and white rice with ants 

crawling across it. Sre 

Pich asks me to sit next to 

her her. As we sit crosslegged 

together we share 

our lunch. Soon it will be 

her birthday. I think,”The 

party tomorrow is birthday 

present enough.” 

In the afternoon I film 

with the boys. Mr Mao is 

doing the recording. We 

talk about where we are 

painting. We want to escort 

the image of peace into the 

No-Mans-Land between 

the two sides. In the middle 

distance down the hill is a 

small nissan hut where the 

two sides congregate. An 

hour later up on the second 

tear level we are visited by 

a Buddhist monk in bright 

orange veil. He walks up 

to us with an odd saunter. 

We are the only attraction 

apart from the cold granite 

stones. So its hard to 

ignore us. He looks gay and 

carries an ultramarine 

blue tattered denim bag 

with silver Dement stars 

on it. His shaved head has a 

pimple on it. Bright green 

eyes look out like possums 

through bottleneck glasses. 

I tell him about what we 

are doing. “We are trying to 

make a peace conversation 

about peace between the 

Thais and Cambodians.” 

I show him the message 

and the Universal 

Declaration for Peace. 

Standing next to him. I pull 

out some printed pieces of 

texts in Thai and Khmer 

and the mock up image. I 

feel the intense heat prickle 

my skin, scorching my 

brow, while Sre Pich stands 

beside me, holding the 

parasol. He appears serious 

and wrinkles his brow. 

There is a twinkle in his 

eye. The monk nods with a 

jerk of his chin, blinks and 

smiles. If I was a different 

person I might think his 

enigmatic presence is 

“all knowing.” Now I just 

believe he is well meaning 

and doesn’t understand 

my English. By two in the 

afternoon between the two 

temples the once empty 

field is soon a brimming 

crowd of tourists. A 

delegation has arrived. 

Someone is carrying a flag. 

Now they have reached the 

summit ready to present 

offerings. Sambo whispers 

that its a delegation with 

a Cambodian film star. A 

murmur ripples through 

the crowd. Whispers. 

Rumors. Conjectures. 

Is she a film star with a 

minister walking up the 

mountain? A small woman 

in blue denims and Chanel 

sun glasses and a semi 

transparent veil with white 

skin smiles and then waves 

at me fifty meters away. I 

wave back with a shy flick of 

my wrist and then resume 

painting. 

In the afternoon while 

I continue to paint with 

So Pert, Mr Vuthy brings 

Sokheng, Sambo and Srey 

Pich to the cave. They 

are told, (not told but 

commanded,) “No cameras 

are allowed.” 

The boys return two 

hours later to explain. 

“This is a restricted 

military area. We went 

down the mountain 

through jungle and vines. 

There was no path. A few 

soldiers were guarding 

something. Smoking 

cigarettes. Then we 

entered a huge empty 

cover but we saw that it 

wasn’t empty. It was dark 

inside. Wet. Boxes. Lots 

of them. Maybe food.” 

In Sokheng’s words, 

“Its a hidden area. And 

mysterious place for the 

Khmer military.” 

“ Why mysterious?” I 

ask. 

“Its forbidden because 

this is where the military 

keep everything. Caves 

are the best. Underground 

caves even better. “ 

His brow wrinkles. He 

looks scared because he 

knows Mr Buthy can be 

jailed or fired from his 

position as chief soldier 

having brought brought 

them to this position. 

Sambo then walks up 

and explains that he has 

problem. “I think I have 

lost some footage from the



camera. So we may have 

lost some....” On the way 

back close to the the last 

check point we are due to 

give Mr Vanna some money 

and Sokkeng says,” No lets 

not bother he did nothing 

for is today. I agree but it 

was a mistake. 

That evening we stop 

and film in what is called 

the Natural Village. In the 

evening at Soksan one 

of the waitresses comes 

up to me and suggest we 

sleep together. She wants 

to visit me. Its always 

only money. I explain that 

its not appropriate but 

again I think she doesn’t 

understand. 

DAY SIXTEEN 

Thursday, 25th of 


‘Aem 

A rubbery felt thud 

echoes down the empty 

corridor. Then I recognize 

it for what it is. A foot 

is shuffling. The mute 

sound of scraping on a 

dry wooden crevice can 

be heard. Then comes the 

clatter of rusted metal. 

Sambo has awoken, and is 

knocking at the door of our 

guest room. 

A faint rap sounds again. 

He shouts behind the 

locked door. “Time to leave, 

guys!” 

‘Okay! Okay, Im getting 

up.’ I mutter. “ I try to find 

my clothes searching in the 

half-light like a blind man. 

So Pert is not there though 

but only Mao. 

“I don’t care what is 

happening outside Previ 

Hear today.” I think. “In fact 

I am not so certain.” 

Then I continue, 

“Indeed I am so 

ensconced in the events 

here in Previ Hear that the 

outside world has retreated 

like a gecko up the walls 

into a crack! Only here 

and now are important.”As 

these thoughts tumble 

like rolling tires through 

my mind I suddenly hear 

voices outside the corridor. 

It was CNN bubbling down 

the hall. 

“CNN’s Simon 

Hernandez-Arthur here. 

The CNN Washington 

Bureau’s morning speed 

read of the top stories 

making news from 

around the country and 

the world. While Giffords 

serves dinner to troops, 

Rep. Gabrielle Gifford’s 

held her first constituent 

event Thursday since 

being gravely wounded 

in a mass shooting in 

January. The Democratic 

congresswoman and her 

husband, Mark Kelly, 

retired Navy captain and 

NASA astronaut, helped 

serve a Thanksgiving 

meal to military families at 

Davis-Monthan Air Force 

Base in Tucson. “ 

I stumble up the hall with 

a black plastic Panasonic 

television bolted to a ceiling 

panel glued to CNN world 

service. I look at it and 

then realize its not radio. 

Splotches of paint cover 

the plastic frame. There 

are snatches of Karaoke 

songs in the background 

in khmer round the corner 

mixed with bird song. 

The tv talking head 

continues. 

“Presidential candidates 

give thanks. Several of the 

Republican White House 

hopefuls issued statements 

Thursday, wishing a Happy 

Thanksgiving to supporters 

and thanking members 

of the military for their 

service. “ 

I hit the breakfast table 

and it’s still going. As 

I enter the open aired 

breakfast cafeteria style 

restaurant I hoarsely shout 

over to the waitress, So 

Pert,” Moi Teta!” I can’t see 

Su Pert the artist anywhere. 

“ Probably with his wife,” I 

think. 

The waitress is laughing. 

She looks like she slept 

with three guests. Her 

hair is standing on end 

as if its been electrocuted. 

Generally, the soldiers who 

sleep wirth the girls are 

high ranking- military. 

“This guest house - Sok 

San Guest House - is the 

brothel for the military, 

thats for sure.” I think, but 

not aloud. “They wouldn’t 

like it.” 

CNN meanwhile 

continues blasting. 

“Chicago’s former first 

lady dies. Maggie Daley, the 

wife of a former Chicago 

mayor, died Thursday 

night after battling 

breast cancer. She was 

68. Daley died about 6 

p.m. at home surrounded 

by family, including her 

husband, former Mayor 

Richard Daley, and her 

children, Nora, Patrick and 

Elizabeth,” said Jacquelyn 

Heard, Daley’s former 

spokeswoman and a family 

friend. “ 

After three strong black 

coffees I stand a little shaky 

in the red earthed driveway 

waiting for the others 

as they slowly drag their 

asses into the square ready 

for another days filming, 

motorbiking, peaceniking 

and everything 

else! Some are rubbing 

the crusty sleep from 

their eyes. Sokheng is 

yawning as I breathe in 

the crisp mountain air. 

Cicadas are chirping. 

Sambo is already waiting 

desperately texting. I think, 

“He has problems with a 

romance,” but I am not 

sure. The eucalyptus tress 

sway gently in the wind 

like Japanese No dancers. 

Their smell waft past my 

nostrils and I reminisce 

about Australia. Something 

else is also in the air but I 

am not sure what. One of 

the female escorts stumbles 

out from a room in her 

high heels and a black 

sequined mini skirt looking 

disheveled like a birthday 

present that has been 

opened too early and then 

discarded. She struggles 

with the strap on her black 

patent leather stiletto and 

then drives off silently into 

the dusk on a motorcycle 

courier. Smudged lipstick 

and a broken heel! 

We must leave soon. 

Around us is the sense of 

hurry and rush. In convoy 

we begin to move silently 

through the dusk twilight 

as the world wakes up



around us. The final sound 

of CNN rattles into the 

distance, as we leave. 

“Six people were killed 

when a plane crashes into 

Arizona mountain Six 

people, including three 

children, were killed when 

their plane crashed into 

rugged mountains east of 

Phoenix on a Thanksgiving 

eve trip, authorities said 

Thursday. County Sheriff 

Paul Babeu identified the 

dead as a father and his 

three children, plus two 

other men. All were Arizona 

residents and knew each 

other well, he said.............. “ 

A busy day or at least 

so it seems lies ahead for 

us all. Someone needs to 

collect Sre Pich’s birthday 

cake from Sre’Aem the town 

but I don’t remember who 

it is. Maybe its a courier. 

Whatever it will cost! The 

two Phnom Penh media 

boys film Dominic riding 

the motor bike from the 

natural village to the last 

check point. Then we climb 

the mountain, panting. Mr 

Vanna appears and then 

disappears like a Jackin-the-Box. 

He glances 

suspiciously at his Seiko 

watch and then at us, 

blinking myopically with 

creepy eyes. Then he is off 

on his way. 

I am standing with 

three camera men, a 

sound recordist, while Sre 

Pick holds defiantly an 

ultramarine blue umbrella. 

So Pert timidly holds a 

paint brush. In the grassy 

square cross stands the 

Buddha image. Big by any 

standards. The sun is hot 

and a faint breeze ruffles 

my collar. We are ready 

to apply the final layers 

of paint and have only 

two days left. There have 

been final touches to the 

Buddha‘s face. The clouds 

require touch ups and so 

does the masonry of the 

temple. At ten o’clock a 

gust of wind dramatically 

arrives and the easel 

shudders like a coughing 

man, in his death throes 

rocking back and forth. 

It gymbles like a leaning 

tower. Two inches to the 

left. Then three to the 

right. 

“Oops, its going to crash 

again,‘ Sambo shouts. 

The boys rush to catch it 

and they tenaciously cling 

to the 

wooden edges. As 

they grapple with the 

collapsing easel they 

begin singing. Mr Bora 

takes the lead. It is a song 

about Battambong. The 

boys stay holding the 

easel. I can feel the ache of 

sunburn on my forehead 

and my crispy skin fry like 

sizzling bacon. Then, if this 

is not the worst thing to 

strike the next moment we 

have run out of turps. 

Sokkheng shouts, “One of 

you must motorcycle to the 

nearest village. We need to 

buy petrol.” 

I sigh and think, “All we 

have are cheap crappy oily 

chinese paints and petrol. 

They don’t care. I do but this 

is the limit. It can’t stretch 

it any further. Not here. Not 

now.” 

At 12 midday the crew 

takes a break and we amble 

down and film at Sre Pich’s 

house while one drives 

to get more petrol! After 

returning again to the 

summit we begin preparing 

to apply the texts that say 

Universal Declaration 

for Conflict Resolution in 

Khmer and Thai. Its a decal 

transfer that was created 

in Laos. We must transfer 

it here. Thai and khmer 

letters. Tomorrow it will go 

on. That is the final step. 

In the afternoon we 

are graced by another 

unexpected visitor. A head 

pokes around a corner. My 

friend Bouw has come all 

the way up the mountain. 

She has a guide with her. 

She looks beautiful. I really 

like her. But I try to ignore 

her. There are twelve people 

around me. Gives me photo 

of her on the mountain. 

In the afternoon the three 

soldiers from Australia 

mounted. They have ridden 

up on motorcycles. One, 

Steve, is a sniper trainer for 

the Cambodia army. 

“The professor here,‘ he 

rants.The one man from 

Phnom Penh with pregnant 

khmer wife responds with 

the words well the... 

I see Bouw on the 

mountain. She 

surprises me. She has 

paid a guide and they 

are taking photographs. 

I want to talk but 

cannot. Instead smile 

sheepishly. She is there 

and its a very stressful 

day.. 

As we descend once 

again we film Dominic 

and So Pert on the 

truck talking. 

That evening Sambo 

on the telephone 

outside. Birthday with 

Sree Pich at restaurant 

Sok San. People drink. 

Mr Mao with his ABC 

bers , mutiplying 

like exponentially 

as his eyes waxed. 

That night we hld 

the birthday party 

Everyone is happy. Sre 

Pichs parents at the 

party. She has brought 

her sister and small



brothere while the father is on crutches. 

SomPerts wife s there. They have found 

a room and spent the time up the hall. 

Intially But no Mr Vanna Larter after 

dinner I was driven by Mr Bunthy to 

witness an altercation outside Bouws 

house. 

------------------------- 

DAY SEVENTEEN 

Friday, 26th of 


Sra ‘Aem 

Today is the third last day before we 

complete the Blue Buddha 

project. The psychological weight 

of the project hangs from mind like 

rusted chain-mail. It’s even palpable 

and smells - the sickly ozone sweet odor 

of unfinished business. I’m groggy as I 

wake, finger- crawling across the sheets 

searching for my watch. Sleep in my 

eyes. A stab of pain in my foot. The blood 

isn’t circulating. After muffled sounds 

in the corridor i still haven’t checked my 

watch but the water-stained sky like bilge 

water is grey. Its washed by lambentwhite 

clouds which tells me its not dawn 

yet. Cool dreamy dusk. The sun has not 

risen. Ten minutes later diagonal blades 

of early morning light slash through 

the blinds. I can see particles of dust 

floating against grubby plastic tiles. Mao 

and I arise from our bed, exit the hotel 

room Number 29 and scramble onto 

the motorcycles of our courier. Dazed 

and unsteady on the bike, I think, “The 

coffees aren’t working, that’s for sure.” 

I feel pain. The cold wind is freezing my 

dank hair. Squeezing my arms tightly 

around the driver, Mr 

Bora, like a boa constrictor 

I can see the purple goose 

bumps on my hands 

stand out like miniature 

volcanoes and the body 

hairs on my forearms 

bristle and twist in the 

rushing wind. The chrome 

exhaust begins cold, then 

heats up. it glints in the 

early sunlight. I am being 

pillioned by Mr Bora. 

“Moto dop,” as they are 

called here! As we drive at 

60 kilometer-an-hour in a 

line snaking towards the 

pastel mountain shrouded 

in fog he’s telling me about 

his wife-to-be who lives in 

Battambong, the second 

largest city in Cambodia. 

But i think, “Its a dump. 

Another dump!” 

His English is garbled 

and he swallows every 

second word as the 

wind, the silence and the 

engine grinds away. Its 

incoherent at times. 

“.....she’s twenty-free. 

Her name Kalinka. Her 

family rice- farmers 

thirty-five kilometers from 

the city - Battambong....,.a 

house...’ 

I think, “If you could 

call Battambong a city. Its 

hard for me to imagine 

the wedding with the 

tawdry ripped tarpaulins, 

the caravan of drunken 

guests. Smudged and and 

crumpled wax cups and 

mangy dogs. Mr Bora 

would be dressed in a 

penguin suit with slicked 

back gomaed hair smiling. 

The family all standing 

waiting to shake hands 

and happy about the 

dowry but indifferent to 

their suitor or daughter’s 

happiness. And of course 

the rice wine that works 

like jet propulsion fuel and 

kicks in with every guest 

after the first half hour.” 

Then I speak, “Oh, okay!” 

“ I need to pay five 

thousand dollars and she’s 

mine.” 

“Oh, that’s nice.” 

Meanwhile I am 

thinking, ”Its like buying a 

bright-fire-enginered 

Ferrari coupe. Fast. 

New. Shiny. And it will 

break in two years!” He 

replies but its hard to hear 

because of the wind 

“Yes, she’s a virgin.” 

And even harder to 

imagine. 

“Oh, even better. No 

damage!’ And I think, 

“Straight off the 

production line.” 

He smiles sheepishly 

and inside my mind I wish 

him happiness, 

success and all the best. 

(Ten months later the 

family dumped him as 

their daughters groom-tobe 

and rejected his offer. 

I guess it wasn’t enough 

money or he wasn’t good 

enough...or both or neither... 

who knows? I was going 

to become the token white 

guest as status symbol. He 

was going to be proud and 

Dominic a living breathing 

movie star! Still it would 

have been a pleasure to 

make him happy. I guess 

he didn’t have the money 

or had the money but 

the family thought his 

profession not suitable. It’s 

hard to know, but right now 

i didn’t know and didn’t 

care...) 

Forty-five minutes later 

we arrive at the base of the 

mountain, change from 

motorcycle to the open-tray 

Daihatsu truck and are on 

our way. 

There is the usual 

ritual of the long panting 

strides up the hill. The 

dispensing of the cigarettes 

to the ragged soldiers, all 

corporals or privates. The 

food in its white p.v.c. picnic 

hamper being carried by a 

body guard. The flies. The 

open arching azure blue 

sky. 

The tables and awnings 

and parasols and painting 

are all laid out. We pull 

the canvas into the open 

and start the final chapter 

of painting. Indeed the 

painting is finished. Only 

the final text in peace 

needs to be applied. Like 

sugar on the cake. “Are 

they going to stop us?” I



ask myself. We have to set 

out the words which have 

already been applied in as 

transfers to the canvas in 

one is in Khmer the other 

is in thai. The one in Khmer 

Cambodian language) on the 

left hand. As we start to paint 

the letters a small miracle 

happens. The soldiers from 

the Previ Hear Temple Guard 

have gathered around us. 

They are from the Seventh 

Military Battalion stationed 

in Previ Hear on top of the 

mountain. In fact their 

sandbagged bunker is three 

hundred meters behind 

us sloping on the summit 

towards the Thai border. 

There are corrugated iron 

roofs broken palm trees, 

a trestle table and dug out 

bomb shelter which no one 

is allowed to enter... (We’re 

civilians!) One staff sergeant 

and three lieutenants. They 

are dressed in dark dirty 

khaki military sits with AK- 

40’s. They look bored as if 

they want to do something. 

Sambo turns to me and 

explains, almost in a whisper, 

”These are the bodyguards 

for the Prime Minister of 

Cambodia.” 

I think, ‘They certainly 

look like I wouldn’t want to 

mess with any of them.” 

As I stare at them, we 

begin applying the labels 

which say in both Khmer 

and Thai the Universal 

Declaration for Conflict 

Resolution which I wrote 

in 2002 with Israeli and 

Palestinian Knesset 

members for Jerusalem. It 

goes like this - 

A UNIVERSAL 

DECLARATION FOR 

CONFLICT RESOLUTION 

Violence and war cannot 

solve the problems of 

Humanity. 

We call for an end to 

violence and killing among 

all races, religions and 

countries. Peace can only 

come through justice, 

equality and the respect for 

all human life. 

Conflict resolution can 

also be found through 

peaceful dialogue and 

the implementation of 

international laws. 

Punishment of innocent 

people including collective 

punishment cannot be used 

as defense of individuals 

or groups and will only 

intensify suffering and 

conflict. 

In every war there are 

innocent victims both dead 

and scarred whose lives 

cannot be regained. 

The killing of an 

innocent person cannot 

be justified as an act 

sanctified by God and 

Country. 

All people have the 

right to live in safety 

with dignity and security 

free from military 

occupation. 

Violence and war 

will only cause greater 

pain and suffering and 

reduce future chances 

for peaceful resolution of 

conflicts. 

Only through the 

awareness of human 

suffering and the 

compassion for others 

regardless of nationality, 

race, gender or religious 

preference will we bring 

peace to the Earth. 

They joke that the 

wooden table can be 

given to them. Instead 

of getting angry I 

agree. THey stand back 

awkwardly looking. 

First the Khmer text is 

applied by Dominic and 

So Pert. The soldiers 

read it and even 

understand. One by one 

they join us in applying 

the letters. Its like a big 

jig-saw puzzle. Here and 

now war is bing taken 

over by peace. it. There is 

a tremor of excitement 

running through the 

passers-by as well as the 

soldiers as they apply the 

transfers. Its beautiful. 

The sun is shining. There 

is a ripple from the wind 

as the grass sways to and 

fro. A few panting tourists 

have made the trek up 

to the summit and are 

standing gawking, open 

mouthed. Panting heavily. 

Sokheng is filming. 

Sambo is filming. I think, 

“Wow, it’s great. They do 

such a wonderful job. Sre 

Pick holds the parasol, 

while Mr Mao the tape 

recorder. A camera clicks. 

I am standing on the 

trestles table trying to get 

the transfers applied. The 

soldiers are helping as 

well in group of three. 

On this near last day, 

at 2-16 pm Mr Vanna, the 

security-tourist- spy for 

the mountain walks over 

with the same broken 

Leica camera hanging 

like a black plastic 

pendulum from his blackred 

neck. Broken leather 

straps. His grubby check 

shirt. A broken gap in his 

teeth. He is observing us. 

Mr Security! Then he sits 

down cross-legged in front 

of the painting as if its a 

movie screen waiting for the 

final end! the curtain call. 

He is all smiles. He gazes at 

me, squinting. His molassesblack 

eyes are smiling, 

but inside this smile there 

is something I cannot 

understand. Is it mockery, 

cruelty or kindness? 

Then I understand. I 

think, “He’s creepy. He’s 

smiling through clenched 

teeth, gazing at the 

theatrical display.” 

The soldiers continue to 

apply the transfers. They are 

laughing, 

guffawing. Making jokes 

in Khmer which Everyone is 

happy. The final lap we have 

to go. 

I can’t understand. Word 

by word, the message goes 

up. Its a beautiful message 

for both sides in a war - a 

small insignificant war 

nobody cares about. Peace 

and non-violence 

can do it! The message 

along with the painted 

transfers is going up. I had 

written to the authorities 

that it would be a message 

about peace. I had written 

that we wanted to do this. 

But we were not to know 

what would happen next. 

There were no signs on the 

hill saying - 

DO NOT WRITE OR READ 

IN THAI. 

or 

IT IS ILLEGAL TO WRITE 

THAI ON THE MOUNTAIN. 

Then as we begin 

to gingerly apply the 

Thai transfer a muffled 

commotion arises. The 

first letter is about to be 

placed on the large easel 

and painting! I can hear 

rustling and faraway people 

shouting. Feet pad. Hoarse 

panting above my left 

shoulder. I turn around. 

Sambo has clambered over 

and his skin is pale. His 

eyes big and moony. They 

glisten under the Topaz 

blue sky. Well, his skin is 

as pale as someone with a 

dark chocolate. The police 

are approaching us. In 

fact its not the police its 

the deputy director of the



Apsaara Authority. He 

is walking with his wife. 

He appears drunk. I walk 

across to him. tHe man 

who is short and stumpy is 

slightly swaying in sandals 

and shorts with his wife is 

standing beside him. He 

is on the path between the 

second and first temple. 

He declares, ‘It is not 

allowed to paint any words 

or documents in THAI on 

this mountain.It is illegal. 

You will be arrested and 

taken to the prison.” 

He is the Previ-Hear 

Director for the Tourist 

Authority. I think to myself, 

”How did he get there? 

Who is he?” 

As I stare at his feet I 

see big black toe nails. The 

nails look onion grey and 

gnarled like old tree bark. 

I explain that the message 

of peace requires to be 

written in all languages 

of the word. My words are 

being translated through 

Sokkeng as I speak them. 

His brown color on his face 

has been replaced by a 

mushroom grey pallor. His 

lower lip twitches. He hears 

me, but he doesn’t want to 

hear. He shouts again, “It is 

against the law!” 

I mumble quietly. ”We are 

only painting a message 

about peace.This message 

deserves to be shown and 

written. What is wrong with 

a message about p[eace. It 

does not advocate violence.” 

Sre Pick is looking at me 

with sad eyes. The cameras 

have been put down. turned 

off. He explains again. the 

issue. His eyes are defiant, 

but I cannot see them since 

he is wearing sunglasses. 

A ripple of ugliness washes 

through the crows. People 

have gathered. He then 

says. I will ring the police 

immediately and have 

you arrested you all if you 

proceed. He then turns to 

Mr Vanna as says, “Why 

has this happened? Why 

have you allowed this to 

happen?” 

“Your excellency, I 

was waiting for them 

to begin. The moment 

they applied the letters 

the police we ready to 

arrest them. It was only 

minutes away.” 

I stare in 

astonishment.I am 

confused and fail to 

understand. Then 

like a burning red 

dawn rising above the 

tropical landscape the 

realization burst into 

my tiny brain. 

We pack up and 

return to the village. 

DAY 

EIGHTEEN 

Saturday, 

27th of 

November 


Sra ‘Aem 

Today is the final 

day we return to the 

mountain of Previ 

Hear. Our task is to 

unpick the staples which hold the huge 

canvas to its wooden backing and then 

roll it into a cylinder. We will say our 

last goodbyes and take one snatched 

glimpse of where we have spent so 

much time. Now at the summit Sokkeng 

runs towards me over the rocky slope 

across a gentle incline at a 

canter. The white blistering 

sun casts a grayish light 

through the clouds behind 

him. The sword grass 

weaves like a distant friend. 

It has a bleached-out and 

dried-up look. Shattered 

granite boulders dot the 

grassy perimeter. The 

temple steps incline off 

to the right. Adjacent to 

him an emaciated soldier 

with drooping jowls sits 

everyday in front of the 

toilet block As Sokkeng 

gallops across the grass he 

snatches a glance at the 

soldier and then resumes 

running.. The soldier sports 

a torn suite and gaudy 

fake-gold epaulet. He is 

reclining on a deck tornchair 

like a circus clown 

on the Titanic. He smiles 

through cracked teeth, 

absentmindedly accepting 

crumpled rial from the 

tourists who disappear into 

the toilet canister. The flies 

buzz. He wanders over to 

pretend to wash the toilet 

block with disinfectant and 

a broken brush. Half-asleep 

the soldier looks up. 

Sokkeng exclaims, “Mr 

Vanna has not permitted 

us to film today. He says we 

must leave the mountain 

by four or risk arrest. He 

also said everyone here will 

go to the prison if any of 

the footage is shown to the 

public!” 

I nonchalantly nod and 

think, ”At least its finished. 

It’s a relief. Everything is 

finished.” 

The Blue Buddha canvas 

is lying face-down on the 

wooden supports in the 

grass near the first temple. 

Half of it sits on the easel 

looking happy. The other 

half sits in my mind like 

a half-eaten doughnut 

waiting to be digested. 

The Thai sentences for 

the declaration remain 

scattered across the earth 

as pieces of plastic stencils. 

A few blow in the wind like 

leaves waiting to be applied. 

Mr Happy Times, “Mao” 

bends down to collect them 

with his thick stubby fingers 

and stuffs them into a 

plastic shopping bag 

like scattered wedding 

confetti. I think, ” I guess 

that the Thai will not 

happen now. Its not how 

I envisaged the project 

ending, but instead it’s 

how it ended. We made a 

message for peace and 

nobody wants it. Its the 

usual way it goes. The 

people who are here are 

just are paid to do their 

job. Think inside the box 

and do what they are 

told to. One of the young 

soldiers, a corporal, who 

has guarded the picture 

every night runs across 

to us with his fat waddle, 

happy and smiling with 

moony molasses eyes. 

“You have been invited 

to afternoon tea by the 

the lieutenant.: 

I think, “It must have 

been my gift!” 

The invitation has 

come from the ones 

who had painted the 

picture or rather 

letters yesterday. As



the addresses it we roll the 

picture up, being careful not 

to smudge the wet paint and 

then slide it into the long 

powder blue P.V.C. cylinder 

with its caps either end. I 

can see shiny licorice black 

ants and insects stuck to 

the canvas glinting in the 

daylight like insects frozen 

in amber. The canvas roll 

is now a snake crawling 

into its home. Then we 

dismantle the easel and 

give the wood to the guards. 

We have ordered lunch 

for them and beer. As it 

arrives in two hampers the 

Previ-Hear Temple Guard 

gather around pushing 

each other politely. None of 

them speak English so the 

conversation is lost to me. I 

mumble in broken Khmer 

and broken English to the 

Lieutenant Commander 

who sits at the head of the 

table importantly waiting 

for another Thai strike. He 

explains how he visits his 

wife every four months. 

The soldiers laugh out loud 

when they hear our story 

with Mr Vanna, and then 

explain they will escort us 

down the mountain in an 

armed convoy to protect us 

from the scourges of the 

mountain security official. 

“You will be protected 

from the petty spy Mr 

Vanna!” 

Meanwhile a lens glints 

100 meters away. In the 

distance we see Mr Vanna 

smiling at the foot of the 

2nd temple. 

I think, “The word 

“smile” has been redefined 

by Mr Vanna. We have 

also heard that if we are 

not off the mountain by 

4 o’clock he will arrest 

us. The permit from 

Apsarra Authority expired 

yesterday, but technically 

the permit was for painting 

the picture. That was all. 

We can visit, but not create 

the art!” 

“We will be your 

bodyguards,” the soldiers 

shout! A Seiko watch 

chimes four. “ Arrested?” I 

think. 

It is nearly five-thirty. 

The sun is setting and the 

cylinder is propped in the 

rear pointing out at an 

angle like a bazooka on 

the way down. The jeep 

trundles down the snaking 

dirt road for the last time. 

That evening en route we 

stop half way between the 

mountain and Sre Aem to 

film a few parting shots of 

the small natural village. 

We drive the rest of 

the wood to Mr Bunthy’s 

home, carrying the 

cylinder and the excess 

wood on the side of one 

of the bikes and a small 

wagon attached to one of 

the bikes. That evening we 

unload it into his home . 

8 pm and we engage 

in a party with the Previ 

Hear soldiers at the beef 

soup restaurant. Everyone 

gathers here. Raucous 

laughter. Mirth.. Its a kind 

of wrap party the same as 

Sre Picks birthday party. 

Sre Pich and her family 

come. The soldiers come. 

Mr Mao. Sim So Pert and 

his wife. Hu Bunthy, Mr 

Brown, Mor Bora, Akram 

Ly Nev, Chheng Sambo 

and Ly Sokheng. 

Sokkeng is surrounded 

by the soldiers. He has 

a long suffering look as 

they drunkenly slap him 

on the back. They are the 

ones who had been the 

bodyguards for the Prime 

Minister Hun Sen. He 

smiles pathetically. They 

suggest they will escort 

him that evening to a 

brothel and sing Karioke 

girls. Sokkeg winces. He 

knows he will be the one 

to pay. Later that night Mr 

Bunthy drives me to see 

Bouw and I say goodbye. 

She was a nice friend. Two 

months after I returned 

she married an officer.

The NEXT Forty-eight days: ACCESS DENIED 


from the mountain. So there was one happy ending. Sre Pich on the other hand 

married a Doctor a year later. It turned out to be an arranged marriage and she left 

him four months later. An unhappy ending! “He forced me to have sex!” she cried to 

Sambo. 

--------------------- 

DAY NINETEEN 

Sunday, 28th of November 2011 

It is the last day. The crew leave tomorrow. There was some filming of the natural 

village and then we travelled by motor cavalcade top the house of to Mr Boras home 

and re-filmed the sequence where he explains - “This is my wood, this is my fire...” a 

second time. It was hard to recognize where his house was because all the landmarks 

surrounding the house had altered - they had changed the road so that a new dirt 

road had been laid outside the house. It was disorienting and from a continuity 

perspective landmarks had changed. The light the angles the time - everything 

were different. As the saying goes,” You can swim in the same river only once.” It 

was now an entirely different river. As I am visiting Mr Bunthy’s house again at a 

road side stall corner beneath rusted corrugated awnings, wooden floorboards to 

protect the pedestrians from the mud, shanty cowboy town style two meters a away 

I see a five-year-old boy looking at me. He has short cropped hair, black curly locks 

that look matted and a moony face with a terrified look. He then he bursts into tears 

sobbing. The child bursts into tears, blabbering hysterically.... Everyone around him 

is laughing and pointing 

to me. The adults explain 

that he has never seen a 

foreigner before. It is as 

alien as a three- headed 

Martian. AFTERMATH and 

the conflict 

The ongoing conflict 

between Cambodia 

and Thailand over land 

adjoining the site has led 

to periodic outbreaks of 

violence. A military clash 

occurred in October 2008. 

In April 2009, 66 stones 

at the temple allegedly 

were damaged by Thai 

soldiers firing across 

the border. In February 

2010, the Cambodian 

government filed a formal 

letter of complaint with 

Google Maps for depicting 

the natural watershed as 

the international border 

instead of the line shown 

on the 1907 French map 

used by the International 

Court of Justice in 1962. 

In February 2011, when 

Thai officials were in 

Cambodia negotiating 

the dispute, Thai and 

Cambodian troops clashed, 

resulting in injuries and 

deaths on both sides. 

Artillery bombardment 

in the area occurred 

during the conflict. The 


has claimed that damage 

occurred to the temple. 

However, a UNESCO 

mission to the site to 

determine the extent 

of the damage indicates 

that the destruction is a 

result of both Cambodian 

and Thai gunfire. Since 

February 4, both sides 

have used artillery against 

each other, and both blame 

the other for starting the 

violence. On February 5, 

Cambodia had formally 

complained in a letter to 

the U.N. “The recent Thai 

military actions violate 

the 1991 Paris Peace 

Accord, U.N. Charter and 

a 1962 judgment from 

the International Court 

of Justice”, the letter 

claims.On February 6, the 


claimed that the temple 

had been damaged. 

Cambodia’s military 

commander said: “A wing 

of our Preah Vihear temple 

has collapsed as a direct 

result of the Thai artillery 

bombardment”. However, 

Thai sources spoke only of 

minor damage, claiming 

that Cambodian soldiers 

had fired from within 

the temple. ASEAN, to 

which both states belong, 

has offered to mediate 

over the issue. However, 

Thailand has insisted 

that bilateral discussions 

could better solve the 

issue. On February 5, 

the rightwing People’s 

Alliance for Democracy 

called for the resignation 

of Prime Minister Abhisit 

Vejjajiva for “failing 

to defend the nation’s 

sovereignty”. An UNESCO 

World Heritage convention 

held in Paris in June 2011 

determined to accept 

Cambodia’s management 

proposal for the temple. 

As a consequence, 

Thailand withdrew from 

the event, with the Thai 

representative explaining, 

“We withdraw to say we do 

not accept any decision 

from this meeting.” 

Following a February 2011 

request from Cambodia 

for Thai military forces to 

be ordered out of the area, 

judges of the International 

Court of Justice by a vote 

of 11–5 ordered that both 

countries immediately 

withdraw their military 

forces, and further imposed 

restrictions on their police 

forces. The court said its 

ruling would not prejudice 

any final ruling on the 

where the border in the 

area between Thailand and 

Cambodia should fall. It 

could take the court many 

months or even years to 

reach that decision. Abhisit 

Vejjajiva (caretaker Prime 

Minister since the justconcluded 

Thai general 

election, 2011) said that 

Thai soldiers will not pull 

out from the disputed 

area until the military of 

both countries agree on



the mutual withdrawal. “It 

depends on the two sides 

to come together and talk,” 

he said, suggesting that 

an existing joint border 

committee would be the 

appropriate place to plan a 

coordinated pullback.” 

The Cambodia–Thailand 

border dispute began in 

June 2008 as the latest 

round of a century-long 

dispute between Cambodia 

and Thailand involving 

the area surrounding 

the 11th-century Preah 

Vihear Temple, located in 

the Dângrêk Mountains 

between the Choam 

Khsant district in the 

Preah Vihear province of 

northern Cambodia and 

the Kantharalak district 

(amphoe) in the Sisaket 

province of Northeastern 

Thailand. According to the 

Cambodian ambassador 

to the United Nations, the 

most recent dispute began 

on July 15, 2008 when 

about 50 Thai soldiers 

moved into the Keo Sikha 

Kiri Svara pagoda vicinity 

located in Cambodia’s 

territory at about 300 

meters from the Temple 

of Preah Vihear. Thailand 

claims that demarcation 

has not yet been completed 

for the external parts of 

the area adjacent to the 

temple itself which was 

judged to be Cambodian by 

the International Court of 

Justice (ICJ) in 1959. By 

August 2008, the dispute 

had expanded to the 13th 

century Ta Moan temple 

complex 14°20ʹʹ57ʹʹN 

103°15ʹʹ59ʹʹE 153 km 

west of Preah Vihear, where 

Cambodia has accused 

Thai troops of occupying 

a temple complex on 

Cambodian land. The Thai 

foreign ministry had denied 

that any troops had moved 

into that area until several 

were killed there in April 

2011. An agreement was 

reached in December 2011 

to withdraw troops from the



The Preah Vihear temple 

area has been the subject of 

often rancorous debate 

within Cambodia and 

Thailand and between the 

two nations since the late 

19th century. The temple 

complex was built during 

the 9th and 10th centuries 

C.E. under the auspices of 

the Khmer Empire. As the 

empire reached its zenith 

and began a slow decline, 

the Ayutthaya Kingdom 

began its climb to the 

modern-day state of 

Thailand. Siam and 

Vietnam conquered 

Cambodian territory in 

turn during the Ayutthaya, 

Thonburi and Rattanakosin 

eras. The Franco-Siamese 

treaty of 1867 forced Siam 

to renounce suzerainty 

over Cambodia with the 

exception of Battambang, 

Siem Reap, Banteay 

Meanchey and Oddar 

Meancheay provinces,[11] 

which were officially 

incorporated into the 

Kingdom of Siam. During 

the 1904 state visit of King 

Rama V to France, Siam 

agreed to cede the four 

provinces back to France in 

exchange for regaining 

Thai sovereignty over Trat 

Province and Amphoe Dan 

Sai of Loei Province. In 

1907 the Thai-Cambodian 

border was mapped by the 

French on behalf of a 

bilateral border 

commission. However, the 

resulting map displayed 

Preah Vihear Temple as 

being in Cambodia, 

contradicting the 1904 

agreement. Despite this, 

Thailand circulated the map 

for official use. The 

circulation significantly 

affects the current dispute. 

During World War II, 

Thailand took advantage of 

the 1940 French surrender 

to regain the French 

territories of Khmer and 

Lao which they had lost in 

the 1904 and 1907 

exchanges; Battambang 

Province of Thailand 

(modern day Battambang 

Province and Pailin 

municipality, Cambodia), 

Phibunsongkhram 

(modern day Siem Reap, 

Oddar Meancheay and 

Banteay Meanchey 

provinces, Cambodia), 

Nakorn Champasak 

Province (modern day 

Champassack Province, 

Laos and Preah Vihear 

Province, Cambodia) and 

Lan Chang (modern day 

Xaignabouli, Laos); (See 

map below) [11] Beginning 

in December 1940, this 

invasion started the 

French-Thai War. The 

Thai army and air force, 

better equipped and 

outnumbering the 

Colonial French forces, 

easily won on land. The 

French achieved a 

decisive naval victory at 

the Battle of Koh Chang. 

The Japanese forcibly 

mediated the conflict, 

fearing that the invasion 

would affect their 

colonies in Southeast 

Asia.[13] A general 

armistice was declared 

on January 28, 1941. On 

May 9 a peace treaty was 

signed in Tokyo, with the 

French being coerced by 

the Japanese into 

relinquishing their hold 

on the territories 

demanded by Thailand. 

Map of Cambodia and 

Thailand, showing the 

location of the temple On 

December 7, 1941, a few 

hours before the attack 

on Pearl Harbor, Japan, 

demanding the right to 

move troops across 

Thailand to the Malayan 

frontier, launched the 

invasion of Thailand. 

After six to eight hours 

of battles, Thailand’s 

Prime Minister Plaek 

Phibunsongkhram 

Background 

ordered a ceasefire. Shortly 

thereafter Japan was 

granted free passage, and 

on December 21, 1941, 

Thailand and Japan signed 

a military alliance with a 

secret protocol wherein 

Tokyo agreed to help 

Thailand in regaining 

territories lost to the British 

and French colonial powers, 

in exchange for which 

Thailand had to assist 

Japan in its war against the 

Allies. After World War II, 

Thai Prime Minister Pridi 

Phanomyong agreed to 

return the captured 

territories to France, as a 

condition for being 

regarded as neither an 

aggressor nor a member of 

the Axis Powers so as not to 

suffer a similar fate to 

Germany, Japan and Italy, 

and admission to the newly 

created United Nations. 

Initially both the UK and 

the Soviet Union willingly 

regarded Thailand as an 

aggressor. The US chose to 

intervene politically for 

reasons involving the Free 

Thai Movement and 

prevailed on its wartime 

allies to change their 

stances as a result of the 

returning of occupied 

territories. Upon 

Cambodian Independence 

and the French withdrawal 

in 1953 Thailand occupied 

Preah Vihear Temple in 

1954. In 1962 the 


Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, 

Netherlands, awarded 

ownership of Preah Vihear 

Temple to Cambodia by a 9 

to 3 vote, stating that the 

1907 map clearly showed 

Preah Vihear as being in 

Cambodia. The court only 

ruled that the temple belong 

to Cambodia, and did not 

rule on the surrounding 

adjacent lands. Thailand 

reacted angrily, as the 1907 

map and ICJ ruling did not 

follow the watershed line at 

Preah Vihear despite clearly 

following the watershed for 

hundreds of kilometers 

along the surrounding 

Dangrek Mountains as had 

been the agreement of the 

bilateral border 

commission. Thailand 

eventually reluctantly 

handed over the temple but 

virtually no surrounding 

areas, claiming that the 

border has never been 

officially demarcated here. 

The ownership dispute 

reappeared in recent years 

after Cambodia submitted 

an application to UNESCO 

requesting that Preah 

Vihear be designated as a 

World Heritage site. 

Thailand contended that 

the application requested 

such designation for land 

surrounding the temple 

that Thailand considers 

belong to it. In the interest 

of cross-border relations 

Cambodia withdrew the 

application, and in 2008, 

after winning support 

from Thailand, submitted 

a modified map requesting 

the designation only for 

the temple but not the 

surrounding land. The 

Preah Vihear temple issue, 

both its location and 

listing, has become the 

subject of nationalist 

political posturing in both 

Cambodia and Thailand: 

The People’s Alliance for 

Democracy (PAD), a Thai 

protester group, has 

turned the temple into a 

cause célèbre wedge issue 

in its battles against the 

People Power Party 

government of Prime 

Minister Samak 

Sundaravej in their 

attempts to unseat the 

former (57th) and current 

(58th) Cabinet of 

Thailand.[14] [15] In 2006 

the PAD led street protests 

that led first to the Thai 

general election of April 

2006, won by then-



incumbent former Prime 

Minister Thaksin 

Shinawatra’s Thai Rak 

Thai Party and then to the 

military coup of June 

2006, which ousted 

Thaksin Shinawatra. 

Prime Minister Samak 

Sundaravej is commonly 

seen as a proxy for the 

self- exiled Thaksin 

Shinawatra. The 

Cambodian People’s Party 

(CPP) government of 

Prime Minister Hun Sen 

used the possibly 

coincidental timing of 

UNESCO’s annual meeting 

and the listing of the 

temple as a World Heritage 

site in its campaigning for 

the July 27, 2008, 

parliamentary election. 

[15] Timeline[edit] Leadup 

to the fighting[edit] In 

January 2008, the Thai 

Defense Ministry from the 

56th Cabinet of Thailand 

protested Cambodia’s 

attempt to register the 

temple as a UNESCO World 

Heritage Site without 

agreement from Thailand. 

[16] In March 2008, 

Cambodia informed 

Thailand of their plan to 

register Preah Vihear 

Temple as a World 

Heritage Site. In April 

2008, Thailand (the 57th 

cabinet) and Cambodia 

planned a talk on the 

issue before the 

registration. Thailand 

insisted that it would 

support the registration of 

the temple but that the 

process ‘must not affect 

the disputed borderline’. 

[17] On June 18, 2008, 


made a joint communique 

regarding the temple! The 

registration.[18] On June 

22, 2008, Cambodia closed 

the border crossing to 

Preah Vihear in response 

to Thai protests held at the 

border crossing. The 

protests were championed 

by anti-Thaksin 

opposition figure, selfdeclared 

bankrupt Sonthi 

Limthongkul, who claimed 

the government of Thai 


Sudaravej had gained 

business concessions in 

Cambodia in payment for 

ceding Thai territory to 

Cambodia when 

negotiating the Preah 

Vihear site map that would 

be presented to UNESCO 

in Quebec, Canada.[15][19] 

On June 30, 2008 the 

Nation newspaper in 

Bangkok published an 

editorial online highly 

critical of the People’s 


for its use of Preah Vihear 

temple in its campaign 

against the People Power 

Party government of 


Sudaravej.[20] On July 2, 

2008, as UNESCO began 

its annual meeting in 

Quebec, Canada, the 

Bangkok Post online 

published a Deutsche 

Presse-Agentur (German 

Press Agency) report 

that erroneously stated 

that Preah Vihear 

partially sits on Thai 

territory.[21] Following 

the Thai government’s 

decision to support 

Cambodia’s bid for World 

Heritage listing, anti- 

Thaksin Shinawatra Thai 

opposition figures 

mounted a legal 

challenge against Thai 

Foreign Minister 

Noppadon Pattama. The 

Thai Constitutional Court 

finally upheld the suit on 

July 7, 2008 in an 8–1 

judgment that the 

foreign minister’s joint 

communique with 

Cambodia was 

‘unconstitutional’.[22] 

[23] Whilst UNESCO met 

in Quebec, Canada, there 

were about 20 Thai 

people standing and 

protesting outside 

holding sign “Noppadon, 

you are a LIAR” and Thai 

flags. On July 8, 2008, 

thousands of Phnom Penh 

residents marched through 

the streets in celebration of 

the inscription of Preah 

Vihear temple by UNESCO. 

On the same day, the 

Municipality of Phnom 

Penh held an evening 

outdoor concert at Wat 

Phnom to celebrate the 

inscription of Preah Vihear 

temple by UNESCO earlier 

in the day. The concert was 

nationally broadcast on 

CTN, emceed by Cambodia’s 

biggest television star and 

featured traditional Khmer 

performances as well as a 

fireworks display. Despite 

persistent rain, thousands 

of Cambodians attended. On 

July 10, 2008, Thai Foreign 

Minister Nappadon Pattama 

resigned over the listing of 

Preah Vihear by UNESCO. 

His resignation followed the 

8-1 judgment by the Thai 

Constitutional Court that he 

had violated Article 190 of 

Thailand’s 2007 

Constitution, which calls for 

a public debate and Cabinetlevel 

approval before any 

such authorization can take 

place. On July 14, 2008, 

8,000 Cambodians filled 

Phnom Penh’s Olympic 

Stadium Indoor Arena for a 

concert hosted by Deputy 

Prime Minister Sok An and 

simulcast on Bayon 

Television. Sok An had just 

returned from UNESCO’s 

annual conference in Quebec, 

Canada, where Preah Vihear 

was inscribed as a World 

Heritage site.[25] On July 15, 

2008, cross- border tensions 

flared after Cambodian 

authorities arrested three 

Thai nationals who had 

attempted to plant the Thai 

flag near the temple. Several 

dozen Thai soldiers were 

claimed by Cambodian to 

have subsequently crossed 

the border. One Thai soldier 

lost his leg to a land-mine 

detonation.[26][27][28] 

Thailand maintains that its 

troops are deployed to protect 

its sovereignty and ensure 

that any protests by Thais 

near the temple remain 

orderly, although a 

senior Thai military 

official acknowledged 

that the troops were on 

“disputed” ground. On 

July 16, 2008, Thailand 

increased the number of 

troops stationed in the 

border region[29] 

adjacent to Preah Vihear 

temple. On July 17, 2008, 

the total number of 

troops at the temple 

increased to over 1,000, 

with some of the 400 

Thai troops in the area 

occupying a Buddhist 

pagoda near the temple 

and claimed by 

Cambodia. Thai forces 

have denied they are 

inside Cambodian 

territory. In a letter to 

the Thai Prime Minister, 

Cambodian Prime 

Minister Hun Sen called 

for the immediate 

withdrawal of Thai 

troops and protesters 

from the area. On July 

18, 2008, the Thai 

government handed 

Cambodia a letter from 


Sundaravej insisting 

Thai troops are deployed 

on Thai soil. In a letter 

to Hun Sen, the Thai PM 

said Cambodian troops 

and buildings on the 

disputed 4.6 km2 (1.8 sq 

mi) area were a



“violation of Thailand’s 

sovereignty and territorial 

integrity”, but that his 

government was “resolved 

to seek a just and peaceful 

solution to the situation.” 

On July 19, 2008, the Thai 

and Cambodian 

governments sent more 

troops and heavy guns to 

the disputed border ahead 

of high- level talks 

scheduled for July 21, 2008 

between the Cambodian 

defense minister and 

Thailand’s supreme 

military commander.[36] 

On July 21, 2008, 

Cambodian Defense 

Minister Tea Ban and Thai 

Army commander 

Boonsrang Niempradit held 

talks in Thailand. The talks 

achieved no outcome.[37] 

On July 22, 2008, Thailand 

rejected the assistance of 

ASEAN in resolving the 

border dispute. Thailand’s 

statement came as ASEAN 

foreign ministers began a 

meeting in Singapore. The 

BBC reported that 

Cambodia had requested 

UN assistance in resolving 

the border dispute. The 

previous week the 


denied it had made such a 

call after similar news 

stories were published.[38] 

On July 23, 2008, a 

spokesman for Cambodia’s 

prime minister suggested 

that Cambodia may take 

the case to the 


Justice, as was done in 

1962. On July 24, 2008, 

Cambodia announced it 

would postpone its request 

to the United Nations until 

the bilateral negotiation at 

Siem Reap in July 28 was 

finished. Cambodia and 

Thailand held the meeting 

on July 28 without any 

results. Reportedly, both 

sides are in favor of a troop 

withdrawal, beginning with 

Thailand’s army; the date 

when Thailand would 

withdraw its troops was not 

agreed on, however.[39] On 

August 1, 2008, Bun Rany, 

wife of Cambodian Prime 

Minister Hun Sen, 

conducted a Buddhist 

ritual at the temple; 

thousands of Cambodians 

also joined the ritual. On 

the same night, the anti- 

Thai government People’s 


(PAD) led thousands of 

their supporters in a rival 

ritual, by praying Suttas 

that the Gautama Buddha 

gave to his monks; they 

claimed this was to prevent 

any negative effects from 

the Cambodian ritual. 

Many Thais accused Bun 

Rany of conducting black 

magic aimed to weaken 

Thailand.[40][41] [42] On 

August 1, 2008, The Nation 

newspaper in Thailand 

published an editorial 

criticizing Cambodia for 

calling on the international 

community to help resolve 

the Preah Vihear stand-off. 

[43] On August 3, 2008, 

Cambodia claimed that 

Thailand occupied a second 

Angkorian-era temple 

complex, Ta Moan Thom 

and Ta Moan Touch, at 

14°20ʹʹ57ʹʹN 

103°15ʹʹ59ʹʹE on the 

border of Oddar Meanchey 

Province.[44] On August 5, 

2008, Kriengkrai 

Sampatchalit, Thailand 

Fine Arts Department 

director replied to 

Cambodia, claiming that 

“The Prasat Ta Moan Thom 

Temple is located just about 

100 metres from the 

border on Thai soil.” 

According to the Thai 

authorities, the Ta Moan 

Thom complex is in 

Thailand territory as 

evidenced by the Fine Arts 

Department’s registration 

of the ancient ruin as a 

Thailand national 

archaeological site 73 

years ago in 1935, despite 

the ruin being located 300 

meters south of the border 

watershed ridgeline. Tharit 

Charungvat, Thailand 

ministry’s chief spokesman 

said, “Thailand has not 

boosted the number of its 

troops [in Ta Moan Thom 

Temple].”[7] Thai Army 

chief Anupong Paochinda 

said Thai troops would 

remain at Ta Moan Thom 

because the temple is in 

Thailand. [45] On August 7, 

2008, ASEAN reported that 

both Thailand and 

Cambodia have withdrawn 

their troops from the Ta 

Moan Thom temple area to 

their original bases, 

according to AFP.[46] Thai 


Sundaravej reportedly is 

expected to visit the area 

near the Preah Vihear 

Temple, but not the Temple 

itself, according to 

Cambodian sources. 

Cambodia and Thailand will 

hold a second foreign 

ministers’ meeting in 

Thailand on August 18, 

2008 to seek a peaceful 

solution to the 25-day-long 

military standoff over the 

border dispute. [47] On 

August 14, 2008, both 

nations’ militaries agreed 

to reduce troop levels at 

Preah Vihear Temple prior 

to a meeting between their 

foreign ministers.[48] In 

September 2008, Cambodia 

accused Thailand of 

sending troops to occupy 

the Ta Moan Thom and Ta 

Kwai temples. Thailand 

responded that the temples 

belong to them and are part 

of Surin province and that 

The Thai Fine Arts 

Department have done a 

registration of the ancient 

ruins since 1935.[49] 

Clashes[edit] October 

2008[edit] On October 3, 

2008, Thai and Cambodian 

troops exchanged fire with 

each other on the disputed 

territory near the Preah 

Vihear Temple. The fighting 

lasted for nearly three 

minutes, wounding two Thai 

soldiers and one Cambodian 

soldier.[50] On October 4, 

2008, commanders of the 

two countries met at their 

disputed border area amid 

accusations that each side 

had caused a border 

skirmish on the previous 

day. Hosted by the 

Cambodian commander in 

the area Srey Dek and his 

Thai counterpart Colonel 

Chayan Huaysoongnern, the 

two sides called for the 

situation to return to 

normal.[51] On October 6, 

2008, two Thai soldiers were 

wounded by landmines in 

the border area after 

allegedly wandering one 

kilometer into Cambodian 

territory.[52] On October 13, 

2008, Cambodian prime 

minister, Hun Sen, issued an 

ultimatum to Thailand to 

withdraw troops from a 

disputed border area by 

noon Tuesday, October 14. 

Hun Sen said Thai troops 

had advanced on a border 

area called Veal Intry (Eagle 

Field) near the temple in 

an attempt to occupy 

Cambodian land near 

Preah Vihear. “They must 

withdraw,” he said. 

Thailand’s Prime 

Minister, Somchai 

Wongsawat, said he had 

ordered the army to 

“take care of the 

situation so there is no 

violence.” “We do not 

object to redeployment 

so there is no 

confrontation,” Somchai 

told reporters, adding 

that he was not aware of 

Hun Sen’s deadline.[53] 

On October 14, 2008 in a 

televised interview, 

People’s Alliance for 

Democracy leader (and 

future Foreign Minister) 

Kasit Piromya called Hun 

Sen “crazy”, a “slave”, 

and a “nak leng” 

(commonly translated as 

“gangster”).[54] On 

October 15, 2008, 

Cambodian and Thai 

forces opened fire on 

each other once again in 

the border area, leaving 

three Cambodian 

soldiers dead and two 

Cambodian and seven 

Thai soldiers wounded. 

One of the Thai wounded 

had sustained fatal 

injuries and died one 

week later.[55] The 

Cambodians claimed to 

have captured 10 Thai



soldiers during the battle, 

but the Thais denied this. 

Still, Reuters published 

photos of the soldiers being 

held by Cambodian troops. 

[56] Although commanders 

from both sides were trying 

to negotiate a cease fire, 

Thailand urged Thai 

nationals to leave Cambodia. 

[57] On October 18, 2008, a 

Thai soldier was 

accidentally killed by his 

own weapon at Phu Ma 

Khua. [58] November 

2008[edit] From November 

25 to December 3, 2008, the 

People’s Alliance for 

Democracy executed 

“Operation Hiroshima”: the 

seizure of Suvarnabhumi 

Airport. During occupation 

of the airport, PAD leader 

Kasit Piromya gave a speech 

in which he said “I will use 

Hun Sen‘s blood to wash my 

feet,” recalling the historic 

incident where King 

Naresuan of Siam did the 

same to King Lovek of 

Cambodia.[54] The siege 

ended when the 

Constitutional Court 

dissolved the government of 

Somchai Wongsawat, 

resulting in the rise to 

power of Abhisit Vejjajiva as 

Prime Minister and Kasit as 

Foreign Minister. April 

2009[edit] On April 2, 2009, 

a Thai soldier stepped on a 

mine and lost his leg in the 

border area.[59] On April 3, 

2009, fighting between Thai 

and Cambodian forces left 

at least three Thai 

soldiers[60] and two 

Cambodian soldiers dead, 

another five Thai soldiers 

were wounded.[61] Just 

days before this clash, 

Cambodian officials said 

that up to 100 Thai soldiers 

crossed into Cambodian 

territory and did not leave 

until Cambodian soldiers 

showed up and asked 

them to leave. The Royal 

Thai Army denied the 

claim and said that Thai 

soldiers had not gone 

anywhere they were not 

permitted to be. 

Cambodia’s Prime 

Minister Hun Sen then 

warned Thailand for the 

second time that if they 

(Thai soldiers) cross 

again, Thai soldiers 

would face fighting again 

with Cambodian soldiers. 

He said, “I tell you first, if 

you enter (Cambodian 

territory) again, we will 

fight. The troops at the 

border have already 

received the order.” 

January 2010[edit] On 

January 24, 2010, 


forces opened fire on 

each again in the border 

area. As Thai Rangers 

shouted at Cambodian 

soldiers asking their 

purpose in crossing over 

to the area, the 

Cambodian soldiers fired 

M79 grenades and 

automatic rifles at them, 

Col. Nut said, which left 

two Thai soldiers 

wounded.[62] On 

January 25, 2010, 


troops exchanged 

gunfire twice on Sunday 

morning at the contested 

border near Preah 

Vihear temple. The 

Cambodian soldier 

subsequently fired eight 

RPG (B-40) rockets into 

Thai territory.[63] On 

January 30, 2010, soldiers 

from the two countries 

exchanged fire for two or 

three minutes on Friday 

evening.[64] On January 

31, 2010, A Thai soldier was 

killed in clashes between 

Thai and Cambodian forces 

in the disputed border area 

troops from the two sides 

fought for about 15 minutes 

late Friday after about 20 

Thai soldiers crossed into 

Cambodian territory and 

refused to leave when 

confronted by Cambodian 

soldiers. Cambodian 

Defense Ministry 

spokesman Lt. Gen. Chhum 

Socheat said one Thai 

soldier was killed, with 

Cambodian troops firing 

AK-47 assault rifles and 

B-40 rocket propelled 

grenades.[65] April 

2010[edit] On April 16, 2010 

Cambodian and Thai forces 

opened fire along their 

border about 150 km west 

of Preah Vihear. The clash 

lasted for about 15 minutes, 

but there were no reports of 

casualties, Cambodian 

Defence Ministry 

spokesman Chhum Socheat 

told AFP. “While our troops 

were patrolling the border, 

the Thai soldiers opened 

fire at them. So our troops 

fired back,” he said. He said 

troops from both sides fired 

rockets and grenades as 

well as rifles, but calm 

returned after a meeting 

between Cambodian and 

Thai military commanders 

in the area.The Thai 

military confirmed the 

shoot-out.”It was a 

misunderstanding and 

nobody was injured in the 

clash,” said a Thai Army 

officer who asked not to be 

named. February 2011[edit] 

On February 4, a skirmish 

in a gray zone in the 

overlap of Thailand and 

Cambodia territory called 

Phu Makua hill (Thai: ʹʹ 

ʹʹʹʹʹʹ) started with an 

exchange of fire from 15:15 

to 18:00 (GMT+7). Later, a 

ceasefire was called by local 

forces. One Thai civilian in 

Ban Phumsrol village (Thai: 

ʹʹʹʹʹʹʹʹʹʹʹʹ) of Sisaket 

Province’s Kantharalak 

district died 

instantaneously and 

seven or more buildings, 

including Phum Srol 

School, were hit by 

Cambodian artillery 

rounds. Three houses 

were set ablaze.[66] The 


claimed 16–33 Thai 

soldiers were killed, 26 

wounded and four 

captured, with two tanks 

destroyed.[67][68] Thai 

news stations reported 64 


killed and two tanks, 16 

armoured vehicles, six 

artillery guns and four 

multiple launch rocket 

systems were destroyed. 

[69] Independent sources 

confirmed that three 

Cambodians, including 

two soldiers, and a Thai 

villager were killed, [70] 

also 10 Cambodian[71] 

and eight Thai soldiers 

were wounded and four 

Thai soldiers were 

captured.[72][73] On 

February 5, both sides 

exchanged firing again, 

starting from 06:25 

(GMT+7) in three 

skirmishes at Chongdonawn 

(Thai: ʹʹʹʹʹʹʹʹʹʹʹʹ). 

The Thai army confirmed 

one Thai sergeant was 

killed by shrapnel and 

four soldiers wounded in 

the clash.[74] In the 

afternoon, both sides 

signed a ceasefire with



four conditions: 1. stop firing; 

2. don’t increase army atsite; 

3. don’t cause an 

accident; 4. more 

communication.[75] On 

February 6, despite signing a 

ceasefire earlier that day, 

renewed clashes occurred in 

the evening. According to 

reports, the fighting 

extended over 10 kilometres, 

from Phum Srol village to 

Phu Makhua mountain. At 

08.17 hours, Cambodia 

troops opened fire at Thai 

military personnel 

stationing at Phu Ma Khua 

and Phlan Yao as well as 

villagers in Thai territory 

using rocket propelled 

grenades. Several Thai 

villagers have reportedly 

been injured. Baan Phum 

Srol school director 

Boonruam Pongsaphan 

stated that “I believe that this 

is no longer a 

misunderstanding. This is 

war because the Cambodian 

side is firing into residential 

areas, not military zones”. 

Thousands of villagers from 

Kantharalak were evacuated. 

[76] Cambodia claimed that 

more than 20 Thai soldiers 

died in the clashes.[77] In 

the evening, Thai troops 

reportedly attacked 

Cambodian lines by trying to 

cross into Cambodia’s 

territory despite the earlier 

cease fire agreement. There 

were reports saying that 

Cambodian troops captured 

Don Tuan temple that is 

over 10 km from the 

previous clash sites and 

Don Tuan temple is located 

in Thai territory.[78] It has 

also been reported that the 

heavy shelling of Preah 

Vihear Temple by Thai 

forces has caused part of it 

to collapse.[79] Since the 

start of the fighting, 

Cambodian troops had been 

entrenched in the 

900-year-old ruins of the 

temple in a camp made up 

of several bunkers. They 

had been positioned high 

on a ridge with a 

commanding view of the 

Cambodian plains but 

highly vulnerable to fire 

from Thai positions just a 

few hundred meters away. 

[80] On February 7, around 

two in the morning, the 

artillery fire finally 

stopped. However, 

sporadic fighting 

resumed later in the 

morning, after Thai 

troops attempted an 

operation to recover 

casualties from the 

previous day’s heavy 

fighting.[70] Clashes 

ceased again at 11 am. 

Both sides blamed each 

other for the incident. 

[81] Cambodian civilians 

living near the contested 

area were evacuated by 

Cambodian authorities. 

[82] The People’s 


called for Prime Minister 

Abhisit Vejjajiva to step 

down.[83] Cambodia 

called for a UN Buffer 

Zone at the Thai border. 

[84] Cambodian Prime 

Minister Hun Sen 

described the situation 

as a “big skirmish or a 

small war”.[85] Later that 

day, independent sources 

stated the toll for the 

previous three days of 

fighting to be 10 killed: one 

soldier and one civilian 

from Thailand and four 

soldiers and four civilians 

from Cambodia.[70][86][87] 

34 Thais (30 soldiers and 

four civilians) and 45 

Cambodians (soldiers and 

civilians) were wounded. 

[88][89] The four captured 

Thai soldiers were released. 

[90] On February 8, there 

was no reported shooting 

incidents. However, 

Cambodian troops 

reportedly used the fragile 

ceasefire to dig into new 

positions and to set up 

sandbags.[91] A Thai 

soldier, who was severely 

wounded during the 

shelling on the 6th, died of 

his wounds at 

Sapphasithiprasong 

Hospital.[92] On February 

9, Hun Sen officially called 

the recent clashes a war, 

stating that “Thailand 

created this war. [Thai 

Prime Minister] Abhisit 

must be responsible for the 

war” and “Our war with 

Thailand will be taking long 

time”. He also made it clear 

that there would be no 

more talks without a third 

party, stating that “There 

will be no more bilateral 

talks, and all negotiations 

will be participated by the 

third party.”[93] In a later 

statement, he said ““This is 

a real war. It is not a clash”. 

[94] Hundreds of 

Cambodian troops camped 

near the battleground, 

effectively strengthening 

their hold on the temple. 

[95] On February 15, a new 

skirmish occurred. The 

shooting incident lasted for 

a few minutes. Although 

local media reported that 

five Thai soldiers were 

wounded, the army stated 

that only one soldier was 

injured during the fighting. 

[96] On February 16, the 

clashes intensified. During 

the day, three clashes 

occurred (5 am, 8 pm and 

10 pm), but there were no 

reported casualties on 

either side. Thai Army 

spokesman Colonel Sansern 

Kaewkamnerd stated that 

the Cambodians started it 

all with the use of mortars 

and rocket-propelledgrenades, 

forcing the 

Thais to retaliate.[97] 

However, Phay Siphan, a 

spokesman for 

Cambodia’s Council of 

Ministers, denies his 

country’s troops fired 

first. He said Thai soldiers 

attacked first. Both sides 

blame the other for 

starting the fighting. 

Cambodia wants 

international help to 

prevent further fighting, 

while Thailand says the 

issue should be resolved 

bilaterally. [98] The same 

day, unconfirmed reports 

claimed that Vietnamese 

tanks were moving 

towards the Cambodian– 

Thai border.[99][100] 

However, Hun Sen 

strongly denied it.[101] In 

an agreement reached at 

a meeting of ASEAN in



Jakarta, Cambodia and 

Thailand agreed to allow 

Indonesian observers to 

monitor disputed border 

territory by up to 40 

military and civilian 

observers. “This is an 

observer team, not a 

peacekeeping or peace 

enforcement team. The 

observer team will be 

unarmed,” Indonesian 

Foreign Minister Marty 

Natalegawa said.[102] April– 

May 2011[edit] On April 7, 

Thailand admitted using 

Dual-Purpose Improved 

Conventional Munition 

(DPICM) during the clash, 

which has been identified by 

the Cluster Munition 

Coalition (CMC) as a type of 

cluster munition.[103] 

These contain up to 

hundreds of small grenades 

or “bomblets” that scatter 

over vast areas, and are 

banned by the majority of 

countries under the 

Convention on Cluster 

Munitions. Thailand has not 

signed the pact but has 

publicly pledged not to use 

such weapons.[104] The 

CMC said this was the first 

confirmed use of cluster 

munitions since the 

Convention became 

international law.[103] On 

April 22, 2011, a five- hour 

clash erupted along the 

border between Phanom 

Dong Rak District of Surin 

Province, Thailand and the 

Banteay Ampil District of 

Oddar Meanchey Province, 

Cambodia at the Ta Moan 

temple complex 

14°20ʹʹ57ʹʹN 

103°15ʹʹ59ʹʹE 153 

kilometres west of Preah 

Vihear and at Ta Krabey 

temple complex 15 km 

east of Ta Moan, with 

reports that both sides 

used rocket launchers, 

machine guns, and rifles. 

According to the Thai 

Army, the fighting 

erupted after dawn and 

continued for over half an 

hour. Four Thai and three 


reported killed and eight 

Thai and six Cambodian 

soldiers were reported 

wounded.[9][105][106] On 

April 23, 2011, the 

fighting with mostly longdistance 

shelling 

resumed about 6 am and 

halted by noon. A 

Cambodian defense 

ministry statement accused 

Thai aircraft of entering 

Cambodian airspace. The 

statement also said Thai 

forces had fired 75- and 

105-mm shells loaded with 

poisonous gas into 

Cambodia’s territory, an 

allegation that could not be 

independently verified and 

that Thailand rejected. A 

Cambodian field 

commander claimed that 

the “poison smoke” caused 

several soldiers who inhaled 

it to lose strength in their 

arms and legs. Col. Suos 

Sothea, deputy commander 

of the artillery unit, said 

that six rounds of cluster 

shells had landed in villages 

about 20 km (12 mi) inside 

Cambodia, but caused no 

casualties since residents 

had already been evacuated. 

Col. Tawatchai 

Samutsakorn, commander 

of Thailand’s 2nd Army 

Region, denied absolutely 

that cluster bombs or 

poison gas had been 

employed. Tawatchai said 

one Thai soldier died, 

bringing the two-day 

casualty toll to four dead 

and 17 wounded, and that 

15,000 civilians had been 

evacuated from the area of 

fighting. Cambodia’s Suos 

Sothea said three soldiers 

from his country had been 

killed, bringing Cambodia’s 

two-day death toll to six. 

[104] According to vicepresident 

of the Cambodian 

National Committee for 

Disaster Management, Mr 

Nhim Vanda, roughly 5,000 

residents had been 

evacuated to a safe shelter 

in the Samrong district of 

Banteay Meanchey 

province, some 30 km from 

the fighting zone.[107][108] 

On April 25, 2011, the 

fighting continued, after an 

almost full-day break. On 

April 26, 2011, the fighting 

resumed for a fifth day. The 

fighting had now spread to a 

nearby temple.[109][110] By 

this point, five Thai soldiers 

were killed and more than 

35 wounded, and eight 


killed, 17 were wounded and 

one was missing.[111][112] 

[113] On April 27, 2011, a 

Thai civilian was reported to 

had been killed in the 

fighting.[5] On April 28, 

2011, two more Thai soldiers 

were confirmed killed in the 

fighting.[114][115] The same 

day, Thailand and Cambodia 

finally agreed upon a 

ceasefire. Cambodian 

spokesman Phay Siphan 

said that “We will abide by 

the ceasefire from now on 

and local commanders 

will meet regularly to 

avoid misunderstanding”. 

[116] On April 29, 2011, 

the ceasefire was broken, 

as one Thai soldier was 

confirmed killed in the 

fighting.[117] A Thai 

military spokesmen said 

11 Thai soldiers were 

hurt in the clashes with a 

total of 58 soldiers 

wounded since the start 

of the fighting.[118] On 

April 30, the fighting 

resumed for a 9th day. 

However, there were no 

casualties.[119] On May 1, 

a Cambodian soldier was 

killed. The death toll had 

reached 17, including: 

nine Cambodian and 

seven Thai soldiers and 

one Thai civilian. 95 

Thais, including 50 

soldiers, and 18 

Cambodian servicemen 

had been wounded since 

the start of the fighting.



[120][121] According to 

Thai army spokesman 

Col. Prawit Hukaew, the 

two sides had engaged 

each other with 

automatic weapons 

overnight Sunday. 

According to Thailand, 

no Thai troops was 

killed in the clashes. 

[122] On the afternoon, 

the Cambodian Ministry 

of Defense issued a 

statement which 

condemned Thailand 

for ten straight days of 

armed conflict; “The 

repeated invasions of 

Thai troops into 

Cambodia have caused 

gradual damage to 

Cambodia, it is an 

unacceptable act”.[123] 

On May 2, the two sides 

engaged each other with 

automatic fire, but no 

casualties was reported. 

[124] Cambodia also 

filed a case at the 


Justice on that day.[125] 

On May 3, a Thai soldier 

was killed during 

skirmish in Surin, 

bringing the death toll 

on the Thai side to 12. 

[126] Cambodia claimed 

Thailand had fired 

50,000 shells during the 

clashes.[127] On May 4, 

a ceasefire was agreed 

upon, and the border 

was re-opened for trade. 

[128] On May 5, Thai 

prime minister Abhisit 

Vejjajiva made it clear 

that he would not allow 

any international troops 

at Preah Vihear, unless 

Cambodia withdraw its 

forces from the disputed 

territory. He claimed the 

presence of troops in 

the area was a violation 

of the 2000 

memorandum of 

understanding between 

Thailand and 

Cambodia[129] On May 

7, Thailand and 

Cambodia agreed to 

appoint Indonesia as 

observers at the 

disputed border.[130] 

[131] July 2011[edit] 

Following a request 

from Cambodia to order 

Thai troops out of the 

area, the judges of the 


Justice by a vote of 11–5 

have ordered both 

countries immediately 

to withdraw their 

military forces from 

disputed areas 

straddling their border, 

and imposed 

restrictions on both 

their armies and police 

forces. A “provisional 

demilitarized zone” 

would make Thai troops 

leave positions they 

have long occupied, and 

Cambodia’s to leave the 

temple’s immediate 

vicinity. The court also 

called for officers from the 

Association of Southeast 

Asian Nations to be allowed 

into the area to observe the 

cease-fire as called for by 

the UN Security Council last 

February. Both sides said 

they were satisfied with the 

decision. Thai foreign 

minister Kasit, speaking 

outside the court, said that a 

withdrawal of armed 

Cambodians from the 

temple complex “has been 

our consistent position.” 

Further noting that the 

decision is binding on both 

countries, he added that 

Thailand would withdraw 

her forces and facilitate the 

observers’ deployment, and 

further agreed to allow 

unhindered supplies to 

Cambodian civilian 

personnel at the temple 

complex. Cambodian 

foreign minister Hor 

Namhong said a 

demilitarised zone would 

mean “a permanent ceasefire 

... tantamount to a 

cessation of aggression” by 

Thailand. He also said he 

was satisfied with the 

dispatch of truce observers, 

which he said Cambodia had 

been seeking since last 

February, but made no 

reference to the demand for 

Cambodian troops to 

abandon the temple 

grounds. The court said its 

ruling would not prejudice 

any final ruling on the 

where the border in the 

area between Thailand 

and Cambodia should fall. 

It could take the court 

many months or even 

years to reach that 

decision.[132] But Abhisit, 

caretaker Prime Minister 

since the justconcluded 

Thai general election, said 

that Thai soldiers will not 

pull out from the disputed 

area until the military of 

both countries agree on 

the mutual withdrawal. 

“We need to talk to the 

Cambodians as the 

Cambodians also have to 

pull out their troops,” 

Abhisit said at a news 

conference in Bangkok. 

“So there has to be some 

kind of mechanism to 

verify, to do it in an 

orderly manner. And 

therefore it depends on 

the two sides to come 

together and talk,” he 

said, suggesting that an 

existing joint border 

committee would be the 

appropriate place to plan 

a coordinated pullback. 

[133] On July 23, one 

Cambodian soldier was 

killed along the 

Cambodian-Thai border 

while another was 

wounded. A local military 

commander stated that 

the soldiers death was a 

result of clashes 

provoked by Thai troops. 

Pok Sophal, a commander 

for the Oddar Meanchey’s 

Trapaing Prasat district, 

stated that “We had an 

appointment for the 

meeting [between the two 

sides], and when we were 

walking, they opened fire 

at our soldiers”. Thai 

spokesman Phay Siphan 

stated that the 

government was 

investigating the 

incident, but dismissed 

claims of armed clashes. 

[134][135] September 2011 

Football diplomacy[edit] The 

general election resulted in a 

decisive victory for the Pheu 

Thai Party, with their leader, 

Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, 

replacing Abhist as Prime 

Minister on August 5, 2011. 

Many United Front for 

Democracy Against 

Dictatorship (UDD – also 

called “Red Shirts”) members 

were elected to the House of 

Representatives (“MPs” in 

press reports.) Core UDD 

leaders arranged with 

Cambodian PM Hun Sen for a 

friendly football match to be 

played in Phnom Penh’s 

Olympic Stadium on 

September 24.[136] MP–and– 

UDD leaders Jatuporn 

Prompan and Natthawut 

Saikua were prohibited from 

leaving the country due to 

pending charges arising from 

the 2010 Thai political 

protests, so an attorney 

petitioned the Criminal Court



for permission for them to 

travel to Cambodia for the 

game.[137] Former Thai 

premier Somchai 

Wongsawat led the Thai 

side. Cambodian premier 

Hun Sen led his side to a 

10–7 victory, following 

which he announced that 

“the nightmare era” 

between Thailand and 

Cambodia was over. Former 

foreign minister Kasit 

Piromya rejoined that Hun 

Sen should not think that 

he could benefit from close 

ties with ousted former 

Thai premier Thaksin 

Shinawatra and the ruling 

Pheu Thai Party. “Don’t 

think that you will get at 

our natural resources and 

territory by be-friending or 

playing football with the 

Pheu Thai MPs,” he said. 

[138] December 2011[edit] 

On December 15, armies of 

both sides exchanged 

gunfire along the border in 

Koh Kong Province. The 

armed clash erupted at 

1:45 pm in Zone 329 in Ta 

Min mountain after a Thai 

helicopter tried to land in 

Cambodian territory. No 

injuries or deaths was 

reported. The source said 

the Cambodian soldiers 

opened fire to prevent the 

Thai helicopter entering 

Cambodia and that the Thai 

soldiers responded with 

heavy gunfire. It was the 

first armed clash since 

Thailand’s new government 

was formed in August.[139] 

Civilian effects[edit] After 

the initial attack on 

February 4, 2011, the 

Cambodian army fired 

rockets using BM-21 multilaunch 

rocket systems into 

the town of Sao Thong Chai 

located about 5 km from 

the border. As a direct 

result, primary schools, a 

local hospital, and 4–5 

houses were destroyed. 

[140] Only minutes before 

the hit, the local authority 

had issued a warning to the 

locals to evacuate and close 

the school. Despite this, 

there was one civilian 

fatality and at least 34 

injured from the attack 

by Cambodian forces. 

[141] There are reports 

that 22,000 Thai 

citizens had to evacuate 

and abandon their 

homes. The Cambodian 

government blamed the 

Thai army for firing onto 

the world’s heritage 

temple causing severe 

damage. Whereas the 

Cambodian army settled 

that heritage temple as 

an army base. There is 

evidence, such as video 

and photo footage from 

Reuters[142] showing 

that Cambodian forces 

used the temple as a 

military base and fired 

machine guns and 

artillery. Thai soldiers 

responded by firing 

rifles at the Cambodian 

soldiers hiding on the 

temple.[143] However, 

there are only a few 

bullet scratches on the 

temple.[144] The AFP 

reported that 

Cambodian troops were 

stationed in the temple.[145] 

Thai army was accused of using 

cluster munitions against 

Cambodia during the border 

fighting in February. Thailand 

at first denied the allegation, 

but later admitted it had fired 

the weapons. The Cluster 

Munition Coalition says that 

should not be a justification for 

using weapons which are 

banned by more than 100 

countries. According to the 

campaigners, thousands of 

Cambodian villagers are now at 

risk of death or serious injury 

because of unexploded 

ordnance near their homes. 

-------------------------------



POSTSCRIPT 

Appendix I 

A UNIVERSAL DECLARATION FOR 

CONFLICT RESOLUTION 

Violence and war cannot solve the 

problems of Humanity. We call for an 

end to violence and killing among all 

races, religions and countries. Peace 

can only come through justice, equality 

and the respect for all human life. 

Conflict resolution can also be found 

through peaceful dialogue and the 

implementation of international laws. 

Punishment of innocent people including 

collective punishment cannot be used as 

defense of individuals or 

groups and will only intensify 

suffering and conflict. In every war there 

are innocent victims both dead and 

scarred whose lives cannot be regained. 

The killing of an innocent person cannot 

be justified as an act sanctified by God 

and Country. All people have the right to 

live in safety with dignity and security 

free from military occupation. Violence 

and war will only cause greater pain and 

suffering and reduce future chances for 

peaceful resolution of conflicts. 

Only through the awareness of human 

suffering and the compassion for others 

regardless of nationality, race, gender or 

religious preference will we bring peace 

to the Earth. 

Appendix II 

Letters and 

Correspondence 

Prior to 

commencement. 

Letter to 

Cultural Advisor 

to Previ Hear, 

Professor .S. 

Sahai 

Dear Mr Ryan 

I hope you have seen my book Preah 

Vihear : An Introduction to the World 

Heritage Monument published by 

UNESCO Office Phnom Penh. The book 

is available at Siem Reap Book Store, 

Phsar Chas, Siem reap by the side of 

Blue Pumpkin. When you are in Siem 

reap, please meet me, if I am locally 

available. I do not think you would have 

any difficulty in going to the site for 

painting for 10 or 12 days. When you are 

at Sre Aim you can contact the officers 

of Preah Vihear Authority. Especially 

meet H.E. Hong Soth, Director General 

Preah Vihear National Authority. I am 

pretty sure he will be convinced of your 

project and allow you to sleep at the 

mountain top. 

I am sending you one email contact 

to facilitate your work. Mr Long Kosal 

Director Tourism. Preah Vihear 

Authority Sincerely Sachchidanand 

Sahai 

From: odilon@netspace.net.au Subject: 

Permission to visit Tear Preahar Date: Mon, 

27 Jun 2011 11:41:50 +0700 CC: odilon@ 

netspace.net.au To: ssahai4@hotmail.com 

Dear Professor .S. Sahai 

I am an Australian citizen. Tony Nan from 

the Apssara Authority in Siem Reap told 

me to contact you. He explained you are 

the adviser of Preah Vihear authority. I am 

an artist and I wish to visit Tear Preahar in 

Cambodia and would like to make a painting 

on the site of the temple in late September 

. I need permission to paint this painting 

on the site.We will also have a Cambodian 

boy or two taking photographs of the work 

while it is being made. It may be exhibited in 

META House in Phnom Penh. META house 

is part of the German Culture wing of the 

Embassy. The art work will have the picture 

of the temple on it. There may also be maybe 

a picture of the Buddha or some words 

connected to peace. I was recently in Siem 

Reap as I am hoping to make a children's 

Home in the area. We also visited Preah 

Vihear with my Cambodia guide for two days 

in early June. I was impressed by the temple. 

It is beautiful. I would like to undertake in 12 

weeks time a painting expedition and make 

a painting at the temple site. 

I have a small charity and we are hoping 

to build a Children’s home in Siem Reap. I 

believe the UNESCO listing of Preah Vihear 

as an important world cultural heritage site 

clearly indicates it is part of Khymer Culture 

and the sovereign land of Cambodia. I was 

incidentally short listed for a Nobel Peace 

Prize some years back. 

Thank you and please let me know what 

is required to get permission to visit the site 

each day to paint. The picture would be on an 

easel - maybe 1 meter square. I would be at 

Preah Vihear for 12 to 15 days. We would stay 

in Sra’aem at a guest house. 

Thank you Sincerely Dominic Ryan 5 

Bedford Street Collingwood 3066 Vic 

Australia 

Document 

submitted to 

Previ Hear 

Authority 

To the Officers 

of Sri Aim 

Authority for 

Tourism 3 August 


Dear SIR /MADAM 

I am an Australian citizen. Tony 

Nan from the Apsara Authority in 

Siem Reap will assist us to contact 

you. I include a letter from the 

adviser of Preah Vihear authority 

who thought it was okay to do this.. I 

am an artist and I wish to visit Preah 

Vihear in Cambodia and would like 

to make a painting on the site of the 

temple. I need permission to paint 

this painting on the site.We will also 

have a Cambodian boy or two taking 

photographs of the work while it is 

made. It may be exhibited in META 

House in Phnom Penh. META house 

is part of the German Culture wing of 

the Embassy. The art work will have 

the picture of the temple on it. There 

may also be maybe a picture of the 

Buddha or some words connected to 

peace. I was recently in Siem Reap 

as I am hoping to make a children's 

Home in the area. We also visited 

Preah Vihear with my Cambodia 

guide for two days in early June. I was



impressed by the temple. 

It is beautiful. I would like 

to undertake in the first 

week of October a painting 

expedition and make a 

painting at the temple 

site. We will spend 21 days 

there. The people who 

will help us will be two 

Cambodian boys. Two will 

come with with cameras 

and one is an artist. 

I have a small charity 

and we are hoping to 

build a Children’s home 

in Siem Reap. I believe the 

UNESCO listing of Preah 

Vihear as an important 

world cultural heritage 

site clearly indicates it is 

part of Khymer Culture 

and the sovereign land 

of Cambodia. I was 

incidentally short listed 

for a Nobel Peace Prize 

nomination some years 

back. 

Thank you and please 

let me know what is 

required to get permission 

to visit the site each day to 

paint. The picture would 

be on an easel - maybe 2 

meter square. I 

would be at Preah 

Vihear for 12 to 21 days. 

The event will occur 

around early October. 

Thank you 

Sincerely Dominic 

Ryan artist and director 

of children’s charity 

5 Bedford Street 

Collingwood 3066 Victoria 

Australia 

odilon@netspace.net.au 

-------------------------------- 

Document of Arrival 

DATE OF ARRIVAL: 6 OCTOBER 2011 DATE OF 

DEPARTURE 20 OCTOBER 2011 

REASON FOR VISITING PREVI HEAR: PAINTING 

OF ART PIECE A 2 meter square picture of Tear Previ 

Hear and buddha to be painted outside on site on easel. 

Easel taken down each day 

NUMBER OF DAYS at Tear Previ Hear 10 -14 days. 

PEOPLE HELPING Dominic 2 Cambodians one foreign 

national 

EQUIPMENT ON SITE: Still cameras, to be realized, 

to record painting will be used. 

MISCELLANEOUS No touching of stones by 2 

Foreign Nationals. No dress worn that reveals body. No 

drinking of beer or smoking of cigarettes. 

PEOPLE TO VISIT - FOREIGN NATIONALS NAME 

1 DOMINIC RYAN BRITISH PASSPORT NUMBER OF 

PASSPORT 707620908 EXPIRY OF PASSPORT 26 

AUGUST 2020 FIROUZ MALEKzADEH AUSTRALIAN 

PASSPORT 

NUMBER OF PASSPORT EXPIRY OF PASSPORT 26 

AUGUST 2020 PEOPLE TO VISIT CAMBODIANS Name 

1 Name 2 

---------------------------------------------------- 

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY Dominic Ryan 

Dominic Ryan is an Australian Artist who lives in Melbourne, 

Australia. He has focussed much of his energy on innocent victims of 

war. In 1995 he visited Sarajevo during the war and erected a 

humanitarian billboard with an image about war and suffering in the 

Destroyed House of Youth. It had the words, “WE HAVE ALL SUFFERED ENOUGH.” 

The United Nations assisted him with this event. He was awarded the Liberty 

Prize for Human Rights in Sarajevo by the European Union. He has visited since 

that time, Cyprus and brought Mayors from the Divided City of Nicosia together 

with an image of peace. He visited Kosovo during the refugee Crisis in 1999. Among 

other areas he has visited are in Cambodia where he created art peace events at the 

Previ-Hear Temple in the Thai-Cambodian border. In 2007 he was short-listed for a 

nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. A 

film is being shot in China based on his 

life and art in 2012-13. 

---------------------------------------------- 

------ 

DOP BIOGRAPHY - 

Chheng Sambo 

945, Takmao District, Takmao 

Commune, Kandal province, Cambodia 

Nationality : Date of birth : Place of 

birth : Marital Status : Sex : 

Cambodian 01/09/1985 Prek 

Samrong village, Serey Pheap 

Commune, Kandal province. Single 

Male 

EDUCATION BACKGROUND 2007- 

2011 : 2002-2006 : WORK EXPERIENCE 

Graduated from Royal University 

of Phnom Penh (Major of Media and 

Communication focus on print and 

broadcasting media) 

Student at Hun Sen High School 

(Kandal Province) 

Working at Basac Orchid advertising 

agency as the activation officer (part 

time job) 

A radio producer for Youth for Peace 

organization focus on Khmer Rouge 

Issue on a program called “You also have 

a chance.” It falls on three radio stations: 

Radio National of Kampuchea, 102.5 River 

Radio, and 106.5 Saryka Radio 

A photographer freelancer for Care 

international organization 

Journalist freelancer for Phnom 

Penh Post Newspaper in section of LIFE 

STYLE and 7day. Working as a freelancer 

translator for international newspaper 

which is called Raksmey Kampuchea Daily 

Teacher of English at Newton Thilay 

School (NTS) Working as a facilitator for 

the Youth International Day for United 

Nation Volunteer (UNV) at National 

Instituted of Education Working as a 

Communication officer for Khmer Youth 

Social and Development Organization 

focus on “Youth Issue” including blog and 

newsletter. 

Working as teacher of English part time 

at Cambridge American School Worked 

for SME Organization as Information 

Assistant Worked with Care Organization 

as Computer teacher 

Produce a film documentary about “The 

extinction of wild animals: TIGER and its 

conservation”



Produce two minidocumentaries 

about 

“A profile of a rapped 

women during Khmer 

Rouge Regime & Drought 

leaves a community in 

Prey Sangkum, Prey Veng 

province: First no rain then 

no rice.” 

Doing internship at 

UNDP Equity weekly show. 

Produce a minidocumentary 

film about 

Khmer Rouge and 

Reconciliation on how 

to build a memory and 

the past living up to the 

present. 

Produced a minidocumentary 

film in the 

theme of “world press 

freedom day” on the topic 

of Cambodian Voice over 

the PRESS FOR UNESCO 

Did the internship at Radio 

Australia (ABC Radio) 

focus on news reporting 

about the SOCIAL Did 

the internship at Radio 

Voice of America (VOA) 

focus on variety news 

reporting News Reporter 

as a freelancer at a 

local magazine which is 

called popular magazine 

focuses on Social News 

and entertainment.. News 

Reporter as freelancer at 

Angkor Thom Magazine 

focuses on Social News 

and entertainment. News 

Reporter as a freelancer on 

web: www.khmernews.com 

Organizing a press 

conference of Freedom 

of Expression held by 

UNESCO and Cambodia 

Communication Institute 

Join the freedom of 

speech forum which is 

held by The Human Right 

Center. 

Joined workshop of 

Land Management Issue 

in Cambodia and the 

Investment and write an 

article related to the theme 

for CICP. 

Join the environment 

week photo competition and 

be a winner at Cambodia 

Center France 

Mission on the charity 

community service (Takeo, 

Kampong Speu, Kandal) 

-------------------------------- 

------------------- 

BIOGRAPHY 

Sokkheng 

Name: Address: Date of 

Birth: Telephone: Marital 

Status: Email: 

LY Sokheng #206, St 77 

BT, Chamrounphal Village, 

Sangkat Boueng Tom Pon, 

Khan Meanchey, Phnom 

Penh 

10/Nov/1985 010 710117 

single sokheng_dmc7@ 

yahoo.com 

Educational Background 

• 2008: Bachelor’s 

degree in English 

literature, the Institute of 

Foreign Languages, IFL. 

• 2011: 

Bachelor’s degree 

in Communication/ 

Journalism, the 

Department of Media and 

Communication, DMC. 

Work experiences • 2009 

: A media coordinator 

(volunteer) at UNESCO. 

I managed a team in the 

communities to produce 

one video documentary 

regarding “The World 

Press Freedom Day”; it 

is called “The Right to 

Access the Information”. 

: A German producer’s 

assistant. I worked as 

camera assistant. I assisted 

him to produce one feature 

video called “A Marriage 

between Cambodian HIV 

Woman and a German 

Guy”. It is funded by the 

German government. 

: A documentary 

producer (a school projectfunded 

by DED). I produced 

one video documentary 

regarding the Khmer 

rouge and its conciliation. 

It is called “The killing of 

Chams people”. : A threemonth 

internship at Plan 

International Cambodia. 

I produced one video 

documentary to advocate 

girl who live in the remote 

areas to keep on pursuing 

their study. It is called 

“Struggle for a Better Life” 

: I produced one video 

documentary related to 

climate change which is 

funded by Meta House. It is 

called “The old vehicle and 

the environment” 

• 2010 

• 2011: 

• Present Rewards 

• 2009: • 2011: 

Interests • Hobbies: 

• Character: Skills 

• Languages: 

• Computer: 

• Interaction: References Mr. Andreas 

Agrigo Mr. Nicolaus Mesterharm Mr. 

Khan Chenda 

A video documentary producer. I 

produced one feature video called “After 

Drought” which is located in Me Sang 

district, Prey Veng province. It was for the 

Action Aid project. : I produced a feature 

video called “Strike: The right tool to solve 

a conflict?” It is for my final production 

thesis at DMC. 

: A freelance film maker & research 

assistant 

A video documentary called “The Right 

to Access the Information” was selected 

to broadcast in Thailand and posted in 

the UNESCO website. A feature video 

called “After Drought” was selected the 

best video documentary among the other 

seven videos for the Action Aid. 

Reading news on the internet, traveling 

to different provinces or abroad, playing 

soccer and listening to music. 

sociable, flexible, adaptable, friendly, 

creative and compassionate. 

English, fluent in speaking, writing, 

listening and reading. : Khmer, native 

speaker. Microsoft Word, Excel, Power 

point, Video editing, Sound editing, Adope 

Photoshop CS4 and Adope Indesign CS4 

and Internet. managing the teamwork, 

organizing the meeting or conference, 

communicating with other people, writing 

report, blog, press release etc. 

Advisor and Lecturer of DMC Meta 

House director Lecturer of DMC and IFL 

012 697 894 010-312 333 016 820202 

----------------------------------------------- 

---- 

INFORMATION 

FOR VISITING PRE 

VIHEAR 

BY DOMINIC RYAN 

----------------------------------------- 

DATE OF ARRIVAL 7 

OCTOBER 2011 

DATE OF DEPARTURE 20 

OCTOBER 2011 

REASON FOR VISITING 

TEAR PREVI HEAR 

PAINTING OF ART PIECE a 2 meter 

square picture of Tear Preahear and 

buddha will be painted outside on site 

on easel. Easel to take 

down each day 

NUMBER OF DAYS at Tear 

Preahear 

10 - 14 days 

PEOPLE HELPING 

DOMINIC RYAN ; 

2 Cambodians who will take 

photographs One driver Cambodian 

ARTICLES TO TAKE TO 

TEMPLE AREA 

One easel 

One board 2 meter square. 

One canvas 

Paints 

Easel and board to be removed each 

day at sunset. 

-------------------------------------------- 

TWO CAMBODIA

Cambodia 2011 Peace Project Event (Part1 The Story)

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