ANGKOR and I

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3 In the course of such a history, Angkor Wat and other archaeological sites of Angkor have been exposed to the ferocity of nature, caused by the tropical monsoon climate. Despite being stone structures, there are many archaeological sites wherein rainwater has caused foundations to sink, finally leading to their collapse and burial in the ground. It was the École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO) that drew attention to the global import of this archaeological site. Concurrently it has since 1907 directed the conservation and restoration activities related to the site, for purposes of displaying the glory of France. In 1961, I too as a fresh graduate assisted in the restoration work of the École française d’Extrême-Orient, for a period of about 10 months. However from 1970 onwards, due to the political turmoil and civil war that continued over a period of 24 years, all activity linked to the ruins was halted. The site was left untouched, and in due course it was buried within a dense jungle. What was most tragic is the fact that in 1975, the Pol Pot regime came into existence. Pol Pot, who became prime minister, sent urban residents to rural areas, forcing them to work and killing the intellectuals. It is said the victims numbered around 1.5 million. As stated in this text, most of my Cambodian conservation officer friends, who since 1961 had worked with me on conserving and restoring monuments like Angkor Wat, had died. At the fall of the Pol Pot regime, the conservation officers who managed to return to the Angkor Conservation Office were only three. Under the Pol Pot regime, the Japanese were unable to enter Cambodia. I however continued my study of the Angkor monuments in Japan and France. After the collapse of the Pol Pot regime, three Cambodian friends who had survived contacted me, and requested my assistance in the work of conservation and restoration. Precisely at that time, despite my being aware that it was hopeless, I succeeded in 1980 in entering Cambodia along with a Japanese television reporting team. It was