Spirit Of Phchum Ben Endures In Banteay Meanchey Despite Challenges

By Vijian Paramasivam

BANTEAY MEANCHEY, Sept 21 (Bernama) -- As Cambodians begin major ancestral prayers today, the remote Prey Chan village in this province remains shrouded in fear and sorrow.

The lives of some 700 residents along the restive Cambodia-Thai border have turned topsy-turvy over the last three months since military clashes broke out between the two countries on July 24. 

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Once peaceful and flourishing farming communities in Prey Chan and Chok Chey villages have now turned into impoverished colonies.

Across the Kingdom, the Phchum Ben celebrations, an ancient two- week ceremony to pay homage to ancestors and will culminate in a three-day festivity that starts today. 

"I am living in fear, I have to abandon my own house, and I can't go back because of the barbed wire barricade. 

"There is so much stress living in the camp. I want to pray for peace during Phchum Ben to return home," 52-year-old food hawker Mul Malis told Bernama, during a media tour organised by Cambodia's Ministry of Information this week.  

Uncut sugar canes and wiry eucalyptus encircle the picturesque skyline of Banteay Meanchey province in Cambodia's northern central province. 

But this beauty is overshadowed by the harsh reality of the border conflict with its neighbour since the five-day military confrontation. 

Since the brief military conflict, all borders remain closed, severely impacting cross-border trade and tourism. 

Elders and youths crisscross adjacent monasteries to seek blessings as the Phchum Ben festival season begins in the surrounding villages, where local farmers rely on sugarcane, paddy and cash crops for their livelihood.

"We used to have plenty of border trade before, but now it has all stopped, and our people are trying to sell in local markets. 

"Even during Phchum Ben, many people are coming here to protect their land, villages and families. Many people have been staying in these villages for over 30 years, born and grew up here," Banteay Meanchey Governor Oum Reatrey told Bernama.

At the Prey Chan Pagoda, villagers congregated on Friday morning to offer food to monks and seek divine blessings, unperturbed by the conflict with their Thai neighbour.

"This year, many Cambodians from other provinces are also visiting the pagoda to pray for peace and support local villagers. Many are praying for normalcy to return, Cambodians don't want any war," the pagoda's chief monk Ngel Dy, who suffered a rubber bullet wound on his stomach during the latest confrontation, told this news agency.

With the support of China and the United States, Malaysia, as the ASEAN chair, successfully brought calm to the volatile situation. 

Both Cambodian and Thai governments signed a ceasefire agreement in Kuala Lumpur on July 28, while ongoing military-level negotiations aim to prevent further escalation of the conflict.  

Unmarked border areas have been a flashpoint for both countries, spanning decades that continue to irk bilateral relations and people-to-people ties. 

The May-to-October monsoon season drenched the villages with heavy rainfall and high humidity, showing little mercy to the residents.

However, it failed to dampen the spirits of the Cambodian villagers. 

In the isolated villages, located about 300 kilometres from the capital Phnom Penh, the religious Phchum Ben celebrations continue despite the edgy atmosphere.

--  BERNAMA