Restoration of cultural and religious life People's Republic of Kampuchea

prk students meak chanthan , dima yim (3d left , standing) @ frankfurt der oder (east germany) in 1986.

one of main official acts of prk partial restoration of buddhism state religion of cambodia , temples gradually reopened accommodate monks , resume measure of traditional religious life. in september 1979 7 old monks officially reordained @ wat unnalom in phnom penh , these monks gradually reestablished cambodian sangha between 1979 , 1981. began rebuilding community of monks in phnom penh , later in provinces, reordaining prestigious monks had been formerly senior monks. not allowed, however, ordain young novices. repair works started in 700 buddhist temples , monasteries, of 3,600 had been destroyed or badly damaged khmer rouge. mid-1980 traditional buddhist festivals began celebrated.

the dk had exterminated many cambodian intellectuals, difficult obstacle cambodia s reconstruction, when local leaders , experts needed. among surviving educated urban cambodians have helped struggling country feet, many opted flee socialist state , flocked refugee camps emigrate west.

the prk s administration technically unequipped , state bureaucracy had been destroyed khmer rouge rebuilt slowly. prk managed reopen ecole de formation des cadres administratifs et judiciels, in 1982 , 1986 training programmes conducted. rebuild nation s intelligentsia, number of cambodians sent eastern bloc countries study during prk s reconstruction period. despite efforts in educational field, prk/soc struggle general lack of education , skills of cambodian party cadres, bureaucrats , technicians throughout existence.

cambodian cultural life began rebuilt under prk. movie houses in phnom penh re-opened, screening @ first films vietnam, soviet union, eastern european socialist countries , hindi movies india. films did not fit pro-soviet designs of prk, such hong kong action cinema, banned in cambodia @ time.

the domestic film industry had suffered severe blow, large number of cambodian filmmakers , actors 1960s , 1970s had been killed khmer rouge or had fled country. negatives , prints of many films had been destroyed, stolen, or missing , films did survive in poor state of quality. cambodia s film industry began slow comeback starting kon aeuy madai ahp (khmer: កូនអើយ ម្តាយអាប), known krasue mother, horror movie based on khmer folklore ahp, popular local ghost has distinction of being first movie made in cambodia after khmer rouge era.

the restoration of cultural life during prk partial though; there socialist-minded restrictions hampering creativity lifted towards end of 1980s under soc.