Fifteenth Plenary Session - unesdoc - Unesco

KH/CLT/2009/RP/21 

Phnom Penh, 

August 2009 

Original: English

International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor 

Comité international de coordination pour la sauvegarde et le développement du site historique d'Angkor 

co-chaired by / coprésidée par 

Mr/M. Jean-François Desmazières 

Ambassador 

Ambassadeur 

Embassy of France 

Ambassade de France 

Siem Reap – December 1, 2008 – Sokha Angkor Resort 

Siem Reap – 1 er décembre 2008 – Sokha Angkor Resort 

Plenary Session 

Session plénière 

Mr/M. Katsuhiro Shinohara 

Ambassador 

Ambassadeur 

Embassy of Japan 

Ambassade du Japon 

English

• UNESCO Office Address: 38 Samdech Sothearos Blvd 

P.O. Box 29 

Phnom Penh 

Cambodia 

Tel.: (855) (23) 426 726 

(855) (23) 723 054 / 725 071 

(855) (12) 556 277 

(855) (16) 831 520 

Fax: (855) (23) 426 163 / 217 022 

E-mail: bh.lim@unesco.org 

p.delanghe@unesco.org 

apsara.ddta@online.com.kh 

• Standing Secretariat in Paris Mr Azedine Beschaouch 

Permanent Scientific Secretary 

International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and 

Development of the Historic Site of Angkor 

Fifteenth Plenary Session—December 1, 2008 

in Phnom Penh 

Mr Philippe Delanghe 

Mr Lim Bun Hok 

Ms Chau Sun Kérya (ANA) 

STANDING SECRETARIAT 

Comité international de coordination pour la sauvegarde et 

le développement du site historique d’Angkor 

Quinzième Session plénière – 1 er décembre 2008

15 th Plenary Session / 15 e Session plénière 




TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Quinzième Session plénière – 1 er décembre 2008 

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I. OPENING SESSION .............................................................................................................. 5 

I.1 Statement by the Co‐chairman for France, HE Mr Jean‐François Desmazières, Ambassador of 

France...................................................................................................................................................... 5 

I.2 Statement by the Co‐chairman for Japan, HE Mr Katsuhiro Shinohara, Ambassador of Japan ....... 6 

I.3 Statement by the Representative of the Royal Government of Cambodia, HE Mr Sok An, Deputy 

Prime Minister, Chairman of the APSARA National Authority................................................................ 7 

I.4 Statement by the Representative of the Director General of UNESCO, Madame Françoise Rivière, 

Deputy Director General for Culture....................................................................................................... 9 

II. RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION ....................................................................................... 10 

II.1 ICC Activity Report and Implementation of Previous Recommendations, by Mr Azedine 

Beschaouch, Scientific Secretary of the ICC .......................................................................................... 10 

II.2 General Activity Report of the APSARA National Authority, by HE Mr Bun Narith, Director General 

............................................................................................................................................................... 13 

II.3 Introduction to the APSARA National Authority’s Forestry, Cultural Landscapes and Environment 

Management Department, by HE Mr Chhor Thanat, Department Director......................................... 16 

II.4 Setting up of the Bayon Information Center, by Mr Philippe Delanghe, Culture Program Specialist, 

UNESCO Office in Cambodia ................................................................................................................. 19 

II.5 Report on the Museum Seminar Held in Siem Reap on November 27 and 28, 2008, by Madame 

Chau Sun Kérya, Director, Cultural Development, Museums and Heritage Norms Department, 

APSARA National Authority................................................................................................................... 21 

II.6 ICCROM Cooperation with the APSARA National Authority and the National Authority for Preah 

Vihear for the Collection of Heritage Artifacts and Training Cambodian Specialists in Cultural Heritage 

Conservation/Restoration, by Mr Mounir Bouchenaki, Director General, ICCROM............................. 23 

II.7 Report from the ad hoc Group of Experts for Conservation, by Professors Mounir Bouchenaki, 

Giorgio Croci, Pierre‐André Lablaude, Hiroyuki Suzuki......................................................................... 25 

II.8 QUESTIONS‐ANSWERS on the Reports on Project Activities Conducted by International Teams 

(reports distributed).............................................................................................................................. 30 

II.9 Contribution from Professor Dr Joachim Metzner, Rector of the Cologne University of Applied 

Sciences ................................................................................................................................................. 33 

II.10 Cooperation Between the National Institute for Research in Preventive Archaeology (INRAP) and 

the APSARA National Authority, by Madame Nicole Pot, INRAP Director General, France ................. 34 

III. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ......................................................................................... 35 

III.1 French Cooperation: Regional Heritage Training Center Second Graduating Class, by Madame 

Anne‐Marie le Guével, Administrator, Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine ................................... 35 

III.2 New Zealand Cooperation: Angkor Management Plan, par HE Mr Uk Sameth, Deputy Director 

General, APSARA National Authority .................................................................................................... 39 

III.3 German Cooperation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ): Green Belt 

Project, by Mr Martin Orth, Project Director........................................................................................ 39 

III.4 Australian Cooperation: "Heritage Management Framework" Project, by HE Madame Margaret 

Adamson, Ambassador of Australia in Cambodia................................................................................. 42 

III.5 Report from the ad hoc Group of Experts for Sustainable Development, by Messrs Jean‐Marie 

Furt, Tetsuji Goto and François Houllier ............................................................................................... 45 

III.6 Systemic Approach to Using Biosphere Reserves as Learning Laboratories for Sustainable 

Development, by Dr Ockie Bosch; Director, School of Natural and Rural System Management, 

University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia...................................................................................... 48 

III.7 Projects of Small, Medium and Large Size Projects That Fit in With This Approach in the Angkor‐ 

Tonle Sap‐Siem Reap Ecosystem Complex, by Dr Natarajan Ishwaran, Director, Division of Ecological 

and Earth Sciences, UNESCO................................................................................................................. 50 

General Discussion ............................................................................................................... 51 

IV. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS ................................................................................................... 54 

IV.1 Points of information .................................................................................................................... 54 

V. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ICC ...................................................................................... 58 

V.1 Presentation of the Recommendations, by the ICC Secretary....................................................... 58 

V.2 Approval of the Recommendations by the ICC.............................................................................. 61 

V.3 Date of the Next Technical Session................................................................................................ 61








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VI. CLOSING SESSION ............................................................................................................ 62 

VI.1 Statement by the Co‐chairman for Japan, HE Mr Katsuhiro Shinohara, Ambassador of Japan ... 62 

VI.2 Statement by the Co‐chairman for France, HE Mr Jean‐François Desmazières, Ambassador of 

France.................................................................................................................................................... 62 

VI.3 Statement from the Representative of the Royal Government of Cambodia, HE Mr Sok An, 

Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the APSARA National Authority ................................................. 63 

VI.4 Statement by the UNESCO Representative, Mr Teruo Jinnai, Representative of UNESCO in 

Cambodia .............................................................................................................................................. 64 

List of Participants ................................................................................................................ 65 

APSARA NATIONAL AUTHORITY............................................................................................ 71 

NOTICE: The languages used during the sessions of the ICC are English, French 

and Khmer. In the English language record of the discussions, all material 

spoken originally in French or Khmer is therefore a translation. Presentations 

and comments made originally in English are indicated by [OrigE] at the beginning 

of the contribution. The insertion [OrigK] shows that the original statement was in 

Khmer.





I. OPENING SESSION 

I.1 Statement by the Co-chairman for France, HE Mr Jean-François 

Desmazières, Ambassador of France 

“Honorable Deputy Prime Minister, 

Honorable Senior Representative of His Majesty the King, Oum Weachiravuth, 

His Excellency the Minister of Tourism, 

Honorable Governor of the Province of Siem Reap, 

Madame Françoise Rivière, Representative of the Director General of UNESCO, 

Honorable Ambassadors, 

Ladies and Gentlemen: 




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RECORD OF THE DISCUSSIONS 

It is my pleasure now to open this 15 th Plenary Session of the International Coordinating 

Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor that 

follows on the heels of this morning’s fine plaque setting ceremony to signal the inclusion of 

Angkor as part of mankind’s World Heritage. 

I would first like to thank HE the Deputy Prime Minister for his exemplary support of 

this international committee by telling him that all of us here are grateful for his presence, 

seeing therein a token of the value that the Royal Government of Cambodia puts on the 

work done by this very unique Committee. In the words she addressed to the Prime Minister, 

Madame Françoise Rivière pointed out how important the ICC is, this special form of 

international cooperation, in the eyes of UNESCO. By saying this, Madame Rivière puts us 

under obligation. Fortunately we have two Co-chairmen to cope with this heavy responsibility. 

Fifteen years, fifteenth session, fifteenth year . . . That’s an anniversary! To mark this 

anniversary, we felt it would be good to put down in writing the operating rules of the ICC 

to make it truly exemplary. A set of statutes or internal regulations will therefore be passed 

out by the Secretariat. The document contains nothing new. It simply puts down in a Cartesian, 

orderly manner the ICC’s operating procedures. I think that that is important so we 

can all feel at ease and it will help our secretariat services to run smoothly. These statutes 

outline the duties of the Secretariat: who is the Scientific Secretary, who are the ad hoc 

experts, what they do, etc. We pick up on the rules governing APSARA and apply them to 

study and research on the Angkor site. It’s not a matter of anything goes, but everything is 

organized. And we see the objectives of the Plenary Session, the Technical Session and the 

Quadripartite Meeting spelled out in a way that is clear for everyone. 

Today’s Plenary Session, an annual event, is held to determine the major policy directions 

of the ICC, adopt the recommendations that were made consensually at the Technical 

Session and identify future strategic initiatives. For this reason you can understand that the 

Co-chairmen will give priority attention to inviting the ambassadors to speak at the Plenary 

Session, given their role as representatives of the member countries and given the policysetting 

role of the Plenary Session. We have here today the Ambassador of Germany, the 

Ambassador of Australia, and the Ambassador of United States of America, along with the 

Thai delegation. Some problems were experienced with air travel, and we would like to








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thank all who made it. Cambodia is not so far away and this made it easy for everyone to 

be on hand. 

I would now like to give the floor to my colleague chairing the meeting on behalf of 

Japan for his opening address.” 

I.2 Statement by the Co-chairman for Japan, HE Mr Katsuhiro Shinohara, 

Ambassador of Japan 

[OrigE] 

“His Excellency Mr Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, in charge of the Council of Ministers 

and Chairman of the APSARA National Authority, 

His Excellency Mr Thong Kong, Minister of Tourism, 

His Excellency the Senior Representative of His Majesty the King, Mr Oum Weachiravuth, 

Ms Françoise Rivière, Deputy Director-General of UNESCO for Culture, 

His Excellency Mr Bun Narith, Director General of the APSARA National Authority, 

Excellencies, Ambassadors, 

Dear Colleagues, 


It is a great pleasure and honor for me to be here as Co-chairman of the 15 th Plenary 

Session of the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development 

of the Historical Site of Angkor. As all of you know, the Angkor site was inscribed on the 

World Heritage List in 1992, and taken off of the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2004. 

Today, the World Heritage plaque was officially mounted at the Angkor site, 16 years after 

its inscription. Considering the difficult circumstances surrounding the establishment of the 

nation after the end of the civil war, a time when so many things had to be done, it is clear 

now that great effort was put into rehabilitating and conserving the Angkor monuments. 

I would like express my sincere respects to all those who have contributed to the protection 

of Angkor, to the Royal Government of Cambodia, especially the APSARA National 

Authority, to the international committee, and to the various technical and research teams. 

Needless to say, Angkor has become one of the most attractive World Heritage Sites globally 

and now attracts a large number of tourists. 

Nevertheless, Angkor’s status as a World Heritage Site is not eternal, but is one that 

must be maintained by great and constant protection efforts. We have to remember this 

fact and keep on working. Regarding the continuing efforts in the protection of the Angkor 

sites, I would like to stress the importance of the following points as reiterated by successive 

Chairpersons: 

1. Further strengthening of the functioning of the APSARA National Authority, drawing on 

the good experience acquired during the listing of the Angkor site and during the site 

management. 

2. Human resources development of Cambodian experts in the area of conservation and 

development of cultural heritage sites. 

3. More serious grappling with sustainable development issues such as environmental protection 

in both the protected sites and the surrounding area, provisions to attract 

tourism, and as a result an access for the Cambodia population to the great economic 

benefits of this, and the prevention of damage to the monuments and their environment 

that can be caused by mass tourism. 

Once again, I would like to underline the great efforts of the Standing Secretariat to 

make a clear difference between the Technical Session and the Plenary Session, which is 

where we talk about policy-oriented matters. More time here is allocated for general discussion 

and analysis. Therefore I expect and hope for the active exchange of opinions and 

values input during this meeting in order to make this Plenary Session a productive and 

effective one.








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The ICC is a precious opportunity, gathering representatives of the Royal Government 

of Cambodia, of various donors, as well as experts together at one time. On this occasion, 

before and after the ICC meeting, a museum seminar, a seminar on archeology and the 

third Water Colloquium will be held. The result of the museum seminar will be reported in 

today’s session. According to recent practices, technical issues that cannot be discussed 

only in the ICC can be dealt with outside of the ICC. However, the outcomes of these meetings 

are linked to the ICC and provide valuable inputs to the discussion of the ICC and they 

contribute to further motivating the ICC. I would like to welcome this trend and express my 

gratitude to the Standing Secretariat of the ICC for this arrangement. Thank you for your 

attention.” 

I.3 Statement by the Representative of the Royal Government of Cambodia, 

HE Mr Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the APSARA National 

Authority 

“Honorable Co-chairmen, 

Her Excellency Madame Françoise Rivière, Deputy Director General of UNESCO, 


Excellencies, 


On June 4, 2008, the morning of the first day of the 17 th Technical Session of our International 

Coordinating Committee, His Majesty the King Norodom Sihamoni condescended 

to preside at the consecration ceremony for the Baphuon temple’s Reclining Buddha image. 

This morning, Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen honored the APSARA National Authority as 

well as all members of this Committee gathered here at its Plenary Session by presiding at 

the solemn ceremony consecrating the exceptional universal value of Angkor, heritage of 

mankind. 

The august presence of His Majesty the King and the eminent gesture of His Excellency 

the Prime Minister, highlight the prestige with which Angkor is held by the Khmer 

nation and the deep devotion of the Cambodian people with regard to its age-old heritage 

of civilization and culture. 

Furthermore, it is widely recognized that this ICC is a valiant proponent of conservation 

and development with regard to the Angkor site. It is a leader as far as balanced 

management and unflagging monitoring of World Heritage Sites is concerned. This has 

been the motive for its 15 years of activity, since its very first session held in Phnom Penh 

on December 22, 1993, just two months after the Tokyo Conference. And because we are 

now at a noteworthy anniversary point, I would like to extend to Their Excellencies the Ambassador 

of France and Ambassador of Japan, Co-chairmen of this Committee, my heartfelt 

congratulations and wishes, and this of course also holds for all members of this Committee. 

Long life to the ICC for Angkor! 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen: 

It is my pleasure to wish a warm welcome to Madame Anshu Vaish, General Director 

of the Archaeological Survey of India. Her attendance here is a guarantee of the continuity 

of India’s important contribution to showcasing the Angkorian heritage through the activities 

being carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India at Ta Prohm. 

I am also delighted to greet Professor Dr Joachim Metzner, rector of the Cologne University 

of Applied Sciences. He wanted to take a firsthand look at what has been 

accomplished over the last ten years and more by the German GACP team in cooperation 

with the APSARA National Authority. Given the extensive contribution that Germany is mak-








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ing at Angkor, in particular through the ‘Greenbelt Project,’ I have no doubt that Cologne 

University and GACP will keep up the good work they are doing. 

I would like to speak through the offices of Their Excellencies Messrs Jean-François 

Desmazières and Katsuhiro Shinohara, our Co-chairmen, to express our sincere thanks to 

France and Japan for their efforts to continue expanding the ICC’s circle of friends. The result 

is that Mr Michel Clément, Director of Architecture and Heritage with the French 

Ministry of Culture, and Mr Yoshio Ando, Director of the Japanese Multilateral Culture Cooperation 

Division, are attending this meeting for the first time. 

I could go on mentioning others and indeed the list would have been even longer if it 

wasn’t for the recent air traffic upsets that prevented a number of eminent personalities 

from joining us. 

Therefore let me be brief and greet all of the heads of delegations and our colleagues 

on scientific bodies or in other expert capacities. Your presence is valuable in so many 

ways, despite the fact that with the direction given by our Co-chairmen and UNESCO, the 

Plenary Session has its unique role to play with no duplication of what is done by the Technical 

Session of this Committee. 

Honorable Co-chairmen, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen: 

As usual, our ICC is called upon to look into issues that have a direct relationship to 

the future of the Siem Reap-Angkor region. First and foremost is the future of the site and 

the monuments. And in keeping with the recommendation of the World Heritage Committee, 

management of these monuments needs to be improved, strengthened and 

streamlined. I have given instructions to the APSARA National Authority to proceed along 

these lines and any suggestion from the ICC will be welcome. 

The future of the people is also at stake. The park is 41,000 hectares in area and 

home to a population of some 100,000 people. In harmony with the direction given to the 

Royal Government by the Prime Minister, everything is being done and will continue to be 

done to alleviate poverty and diversify sources of income generated by agricultural activity. 

In this respect, it bears stressing that efforts are being put forth to promote a wholesome 

environment in Angkor Park and maintain its water resources, forest cover and land. 

For this reason the restructuring of the APSARA National Authority’s General Directorate 

has enshrined the importance of the departments in charge of water, forestry, environment, 

communities as well as agricultural development. These activities are moving along 

in parallel with efforts in the likewise vital areas of tourism and cultural development. 

And as you well appreciate, in order for development to be sustainable, continued attention 

must be given to living conditions and the quality of life. Crucial in this area is the 

safety of persons and property. The APSARA National Authority therefore now has a Department 

of Public Order to deal with this. 

Excellencies, Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen: 

Such is the framework for all that is being done at Angkor and for Angkor. I invite the 

ICC to always keep this backdrop in mind as well as the objectives that it underpins. Obviously, 

though, we also have to focus on the specific points outlined on today’s agenda. 

I therefore wish you every success in our proceedings and thank you very much for 

your kind attention.” 

Comment by the Co-chairman for France: “Excellency Deputy Prime Minister, I thank you 

for this position statement. On behalf of all in attendance, I thank you for the good wishes 

that you expressed both for our proceedings and our assembly. And do not let me overlook 

thanking you for stating at the outset the religious and political significance of the Angkor








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heritage in the eyes of the Khmer people. The work done by this Committee must indeed 

be inspired and guided by this dual religious and political significance.” 

The Co-chairman for France went on to give the floor to the representative of the 

Director General of UNESCO. 

I.4 Statement by the Representative of the Director General of UNESCO, 

Madame Françoise Rivière, Deputy Director General for Culture 


His Excellency Mr Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the APSARA National 

Authority, 

Honorable Senior Representative of His Majesty the King, 


Excellencies, 


I am particularly delighted to be with you today in opening the proceedings of this 

ICC meeting. Despite the heavy workload I face both at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris 

and with international commitments, I felt I just had to keep my promise to attend this 

Plenary Session of the Committee. This way I can look at some vital points with you regarding 

Angkor monument conservation and development in the Siem Reap-Angkor region 

and take stock of what has been accomplished since the last ICC meeting I attended two 

years ago. 

Let me first of all join in paying tribute to Deputy Prime Minister Sok An for his regular 

attendance at the proceedings of the ICC. It has already been mentioned that the ICC came 

into being 15 years ago and obviously without the continued presence of the APSARA National 

Authority represented by the Deputy Prime Minister, things would not have come this 

far. So this is something I am very pleased to see. When I was here at your meeting two 

years ago, I expressed the wish that programs at Angkor include detailed attention to museums 

and collections of heritage artifacts. This has gone full circle, inasmuch as senior 

staff members of the APSARA National Authority have productively spent a lot of time 

working on this matter. Less than a week ago, this Authority teamed up with UNESCO to 

hold a seminar on museums and issues involving education, training, communication and 

the promotion of cultural affairs based on museums. On behalf of UNESCO’s Culture Sector, 

I can assure you that this joint activity will continue. 

Two years ago, I raised another matter, and that is to allow concerns for conservation 

and heritage restoration to increasingly give way to issues involving sustainable development 

and what we just heard about APSARA’s restructuring, setting up the ad hoc group of 

experts for sustainable development. Your agenda sets the whole afternoon aside for sustainable 

development issues, which shows that this has been taken into account. As I see 

it, we are no longer as acutely concerned with monument conservation. The ICC has done 

its job and has mobilized the international community. Things must be kept going with the 

international community, but new problems involving sustainable development, scientific 

issues, water resources management, and proper use of natural resources now need to be 

given very close attention. I am happy to see that the Sciences Sector of UNESCO has now 

become deeply involved in the proceedings of the ICC and its safeguarding work on the 

Angkor site. 

Another point that I highlighted was the need for an up-to-date version of the Committee’s 

statutes or internal regulations that have been in effect since the first conference 

in Tokyo. This has been done and we just heard that these statutes have been passed out. 

I had also expressed the wish that a clearer distinction be made between the discussions 

and decisions of a policy nature handled at the Plenary Session and those that are of








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a more technical nature handled by the Technical Session. Progress is being made and this 

is seen in that the agenda for this session allows more room for the ambassadors, in other 

words input from the various members of the international community. 

I might make a point here that I feel has great significance for the future. HE Mr Sok 

An referred to the decision of the World Heritage Committee when it met in Quebec City 

last July, regarding the management of Angkor. As His Excellency stated, this management 

needs to be improved, strengthened and streamlined. It couldn’t have been put any better. 

So I express the wish that the APSARA National Authority will do its very best to follow 

through on this. 

Honorable Co-chairmen, Excellencies, 

I was supposed to be brief, and the agenda will provide opportunity to make other 

remarks and suggestions. I wish you full success on the proceedings of today’s ICC meeting 

and thank you for your kind attention.” 

Remark by the Co-chairman for France: “Thank you very much, Madame. In the United 

Nations system, the Member States always have the last word. But in our ICC, UNESCO 

enjoys a prominent place because it serves the ICC. It has both moral and scientific authority. 

We need both authorities, moral and scientific, and so we enjoy working with you and 

enjoy a great sense of security as we do. 

The agenda has been distributed. It follows the usual division between research and 

conservation with ten points for this morning’s session and seven for this afternoon on sustainable 

development, after which we will have recommendations to adopt. Time has been 

set aside for individual expressions, comments or reactions, and although we are in a participatory 

democracy, direction is needed to keep things on schedule. So I move that we 

consider the agenda adopted, and that we go right into the section on research and conservation 

by giving the floor to Professor Azedine Beschaouch, Scientific Secretary of the ICC 

for his report. 

II. RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION 

II.1 ICC Activity Report and Implementation of Previous Recommendations, by 

Mr Azedine Beschaouch, Scientific Secretary of the ICC 

“As you know, in harmony with the decision made at the Tokyo Conference and 

confirmed at the Paris Conference, your Secretariat first of all provides secretariat services 

for the Co-chairmen. The Director General of UNESCO has routinely reminded us of this for 

the benefit of the Co-chairmen and this Committee. Your Secretariat’s first line of duty is 

towards the two Co-chairmen. 

The work of the Secretariat covers three aspects—administrative, technical and 

scientific. I will not go on at length this year about the administrative aspect, because both 

the Co-chairman for France and Madame Françoise Rivière for UNESCO, highlighted the 

important point do be done this year, and that was the finalizing of the statutes. A month 

ago we worked on this. The Secretariat was honored to spend a full working session with 

our two Co-chairmen to finalize the statutes or internal regulations. The working rules of 

this Committee have nothing to do with intergovernmental commissions such as those 

established under the UNESCO General Conference or the Executive Council. There are 

many such committees under these conventions, such as the 1972 World Heritage 

Convention. It was under that convention that this Committee was formed. It is an ad hoc 

committee for this international action at Angkor.








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So you now have this set of statutes for your information. This year, the administrative 

aspect came to the fore with regard to the preparing of this instrument, as wished by 

the Co-chairmen and Madame Françoise Rivière, in her capacity as the UNESCO representative. 

As for the technical aspects, we remember that the Technical Session held last June 

asked us to facilitate this via our ad hoc experts. This is an opportunity for me to say that 

without our ad hoc experts, no technical activity could be carried out at the secretariat level. 

We stay in touch with all of the experts by corresponding with them or meeting with 

them whenever we can get together. The restructuring of the UNESCO Secretariat that the 

Co-chairmen wanted, gives an even greater role to the UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh. Allow 

me to thank my colleague, Mr Teruo Jinnai, because now he is devoting part of his time 

to things that the Secretariat is expected to do on behalf of the ICC. 

We were therefore able to work on Angkor Wat, the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery 

in particular, on Ta Phrom, as well as a number of sites outside of the World Heritage 

Site. You remember the wish expressed a year ago that technical work and monitoring be 

done on Koh Ker. This site is certainly of interest to the ICC and international community at 

large. The Republic of Hungary will make an official statement today announcing that country’s 

plan to join us in this international action. This shows that although 15 years have 

gone by, the list of participants is still growing. Angkor is still of interest to various countries 

who are coming to share in the work being done by the APSARA National Authority 

and all the other countries and institutions represented here. 

Further regarding the technical side of things, we looked at all aspects of development 

and sustainable development: the water problem, the problem of safeguarding the environment, 

as well as safeguarding both the natural and cultural landscapes that were 

considered when Angkor was put on the World Heritage List. It includes not just an ancient 

world heritage—the monuments and their exceptional universal value—but also the surrounding 

cultural landscapes. 

Those are some things that we were very busy with, and let me inform you that your 

Secretariat was honored to work along with the APSARA National Authority and its Chairman, 

Deputy Prime Minister Sok An. The new structure was lined up with assistance from 

UNESCO who shared with the APSARA National Authority its long experience in setting up 

heritage services, conservation services and cultural development services. This experience 

has been gleaned on a worldwide scale. This expertise was made available to the APSARA 

Authority and we are happy to say that this structuring of the Authority can rightfully come 

across as something unique in the world. It includes not only the monuments, but also the 

forests, water, agriculture, local communities, tourism, cultural development and public 

order. 

In his opening statement, HE the Deputy Prime Minister talked about the Department 

of Public Order. Your Secretariat, and myself in particular, looked into this. My own long 

experience was acquired on another World Heritage Site, the one in Carthage. Our problems 

often occurred between Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, when people took 

advantage of the down time of our administration apparatus, to build without permits. And 

this is starting to happen here as well. People wait for the weekly day off to do their building. 

Here, we’re dealing with 41,000 hectares. And let me say, that from the technical 

standpoint, we are daily becoming aware of the enormity of the job. 

This is something that we will explain to my colleagues on the Secretariat and 

Mr Teruo Jinnai, UNESCO Representative in Cambodia, letting them know that we are








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aware of it. We appreciate that the job is a big one. This department is, however, headed 

by an army general who has a full brigade available to him to handle the difficulties, which 

are a daily affair. So while we are complying with the decisions made by the World Heritage 

Committee, it is up to the APSARA National Authority to enforce this decision, as well as to 

explain the enormity of the job. Your Secretariat is watching things and is keeping our Cochairmen 

briefed on the challenges involved. 

The other technical point has to do with helping the APSARA National Authority to 

organize training seminars. ICCROM and UNESCO have been busy with this in the past 

year. A special report will be made to you. The Secretariat worked with the APSARA National 

Authority to design the program and get it up and running. You will have a report 

today on what has been done in the past year with regard to museums as well as for training 

in collections and heritage artifacts. 

Now for the scientific aspect, which is also fundamental. Our role as Secretariat is in 

keeping with your constant wish, although the Co-chairmen and Madame the Deputy Director 

General have consistently expressed the wish that anything technical always be 

supported by a scientific approach, and that it keep the way open for a scientific approach. 

We are in a field where discoveries are being made that can lead to revisions from the 

standpoint of history. It is therefore vital to keep the senior management staff and personnel 

of the APSARA National Authority constantly abreast of scientific thought worldwide, 

and UNESCO is the repository of such information. 

We are therefore attempting to see to it that each department and all the teams here 

present will keep on sharing their experience with the APSARA National Authority and also 

make sure that scientific information gets around. It is important that this great work site, 

the only one of its kind in the world right now, become, scientifically speaking, a work site 

where information in the scientific meaning of the term can be shared as quickly as possible 

with all the people working with the APSARA National Authority. We are doing so through 

the International Documentation Center that is now operating within the APSARA National 

Authority with the assistance of UNESCO. 

I have hereby touched on an activity that you will be made aware of whenever an 

individual report is made, enabling your Secretariat to put down in writing such and such a 

recommendation, if you agree with it, or add any pertinent piece of information. In other 

words, our fine record of achievements this year, one that has topped other years, is due to 

the wishes expressed by our Co-chairman, by Madame the Deputy Director General, and 

that is to say, that your Secretariat work more collectively. That has been done. You 

wanted the Secretariat to be more closely tied in with the APSARA National Authority. 

We’ve done that. So let us collectively express our thanks to HE the Chairman of the 

APSARA Authority, Mr Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, to the Director General of the 

APSARA National Authority, HE Mr Bun Narith, to each of the department heads and to the 

directors, because we felt that we were trusted. This trust is very meaningful to us and we 

hope to do even better to prove ourselves worthy of it. Thank you for your attention.” 

Remark by the Co-chairman for France: “Thank you, Professor Beschaouch. This is an opportunity 

for us to thank the Secretariat, UNESCO and APSARA as a group, for the 

tremendous work they are doing. And let me also take the opportunity to praise your thoroughness, 

your disciplined thinking and your unfading talent as an educator.” 

An important point on the agenda of our ICC meeting is the general activity report of 

the APSARA National Authority that will be presented by HE Mr Bun Narith, Director General 

of APSARA. Excellency, you have the floor.”


II.2 General Activity Report of the APSARA National Authority, by HE Mr Bun 

Narith, Director General 







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“Excellency, Honorably Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the APSARA National Authority, 

Honorable Co-chairmen, 

Excellencies, 

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen: 

The 15 th Plenary Session of the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding 

and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor was honored to witness this 

morning the World Heritage emblem plaque laying ceremony presided over by Samdech 

Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia and by Madame Françoise 

Rivière, Deputy Director General of UNESCO for Culture, in the presence of a full host of 

national and international observers. 

The prestigious roster of guests is evidence of the importance and attention that the 

Royal Government of Cambodia is giving to the Angkor site that has now been officially 

consecrated as being inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List and thus part of mankind’s 

heritage. 

I would like to extend my greetings and heartfelt thanks to all the experts and participants 

at this Plenary Session who made every effort to be here despite problems due to 

the airport shutdown in the neighboring country. That is evidence of your commitment to 

the work the ICC is doing and your obvious interest is much appreciated. 

We are most honored to have with us Madame Françoise Rivière, a great aficionado of 

Angkor and Cambodia. We are also most happy to be back with our Co-chairmen, the representative 

of His Majesty, King Norodom Sihamoni, the ambassadors, our familiar friends 

as well as participants here for the first time. Among those who we are happy to see again 

are Madame Francine d’Orgeval, Mr Pierre Lanapats and Mr Natarajan Ishwaran. Among 

new arrivals, we greet Madame Anne-Marie le Guével, Administrator of the Cité de 

l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, Madame Nicole Pot, General Director of INRAP, Dr Ockie 

Bosch from the University of Queensland, Australia, and Dr Joachim Metzner, rector of the 

University of Cologne in Germany. 

The APSARA National Authority has been very busy since the Technical Session held 

in June 2008 implementing the new subdecree on the restructuring of the institution. It is a 

pleasure to distribute to the international participants gathered here the English and French 

versions of this subdecree translated from the official Khmer document. 

1. Protected zones: The APSARA National Authority immediately gave consideration to 

the concerns expressed in the report of the 32 rd Session of the World Heritage Committee 

that was held in Québec, Canada. Several meetings were held with the departments 

in charge to strengthen protection measures for the zones involved. The intervention 

team of the Department of Public Order and Cooperation, notably General Dom Hak and 

General Sith Saroeun, in cooperation with the Angkor Park Land Planning and Habitat 

Management Department have been consistently surveying things and taking immediate 

action to control any illegal activities discovered. These people need our 

encouragement and commendation in their challenging mission. 

2. Conservation work: The Angkor Monument Conservation and Preventive Archeology 

Department went to work to replace broken or missing statues on Banteay Srei temple 

and on the Angkor Thom southern gate, in order to recreate the historical environment 

of these sites. 

3. Road infrastructure: The APSARA National Authority’s Road Unit put in the Siem Reap 

town by-pass to help traffic-flow and enable heavy vehicles to use cut-off roads. It also 

repaired and widened the road along the moats of Angkor Wat temple to make it easier








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for tourist and other vehicles to move through Angkor Park. South Korea funded construction 

of the by-pass road running east and west of Angkor and recently hardsurfaced 

a 15-km stretch of this thoroughfare. Allow me to express my deepest gratitude 

to the government of Korea. 

4. Tourist amenities: 

a. Work is now underway on the Banteay Srei ‘parvis’ or approach area. The visitor 

center and interpretation center are starting to take shape. Work on leveling off 

the parking lot area was interrupted due to late rains, but earthmoving work will 

resume this week. 

b. Pending completion of studies for developing the Ta Prohm temple approach area, 

a parking lot has been put in at the eastern entrance of the monument, to enable 

vehicles to be parked in an orderly fashion. 

c. Three new washroom facilities are going to be put in soon. The Banteay Srei approach 

area will have a second one built. The parking lot at the eastern entrance to 

Ta Prohm will now have washroom facilities. And toilets will be built near Bakong 

temple. 

d. Studies for the Angkor Wat temple approach area have moved along well. Interdepartmental 

consultation meetings have enabled us to come up with an installation 

plan for the various intake and management structures, including shops, the visitor 

center, interpretation center, etc. As soon as the needed space has been freed up 

for all the amenities we have on the drawing board, infrastructure work can get 

underway. 

5. Tourism management: A balanced redistribution of guards who have up till now been 

under the Angkor Monument Conservation and Preventive Archeology Department has 

been made. Forty percent of them have remained in this department and 40 percent 

have been moved to the Tourism Development Department to assist it with its job of 

managing tourists in the monuments. The remaining 20 percent have been assigned to 

the Forestry, Cultural Landscapes and Environment Management Department to provide 

protection for the Angkor Park forests. The guards wear distinct uniforms depending on 

whether their assignment is to protect the monuments or forests or provide visitor assistance. 

This way, visitors can call upon different officers stationed in the temples as 

their need may be. The Tourist Police Unit back up the guards. 

6. Environmental management: The APSARA National Authority now has a department 

to handle environmental resources, in particular, reforestation, landscape upkeep and 

ISO 14001 certification. HE Mr Chhor Thanat, Deputy Director General in charge of this 

department, will be making a detailed presentation of the structures that he has put in 

place to care for the work under his department’s jurisdiction. 

7. Water management: Very positive progress has been made in work being done to 

rehabilitate the Western Baray. Studies are underway relating to site work to develop 

nature tourism featuring bicycle paths and traditional modes of transportation on both 

land and water. Research has been done to put in a botanical garden on the Northern 

Baray, along with heritage trails to be put in for nature lovers. 

8. Urban development: Studies carried out in cooperation with the Association internationale 

des maires francophones (International Association of Francophone Mayors - 

AIMF) are expected to yield a project for drainage of canals in Siem Reap town complementary 

to work being done under funding from the Agence française de 

développement (French Development Agency - AFD) and this will provide a basis for 

putting in the rainwater and sewage water drainage system. The planned work will help 

improve conditions for people living in town that is subject to sporadic flooding and subsequent 

traffic turmoil. 

9. Cultural development: The department was privileged to receive assistance from a 

scholar in the person of Professor Sahai, an eminent specialist in Khmer inscriptions. He 

is making his skills available to the cultural itineraries unit now in charge of this activity.








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Work is progressing well on the building that will house the on-site ceramics museum at 

Tani. This project is being co-financed by the government of Japan and the Royal Government 

of Cambodia subsequent to the discoveries and excavations made in 1996 by 

teams of APSARA National Authority, Nara Institute and Sophia University researchers. 

10. Human resources capacity building: A great deal of activity took place with regard 

to the museums sector: 

a. First was the training event handled by ICCROM experts on the theme ‘Conservation 

and Context—Collections and Their Heritage Sites’ in conjunction with 

UNESCO, ICCROM, the National Authority for the Protection and Development of 

Preah Vihear and the APSARA National Authority. Twenty-five museum and site 

conservators from all over Cambodia were able to attend these courses. I would 

like to greet ICCROM’s Director General, Mr Mounir Bouchenaki, and thank him for 

doing so much to have this training session take place. 

b. The second event highlighting museum activities took place just a few days ago, on 

November 27 and 28. The seminar entitled ‘Les Museums, outils pour le développement 

culturel, social et économique’ (Museums—Tools for Cultural, Social and 

Economic Development), cosponsored by UNESCO’s Museums and Cultural Objects 

Section, with the presence of Madame Nao Hayashi-Denis, officer for Asia and the 

Pacific, along with the APSARA National Authority’s Cultural Development, Museums 

and Heritage Norms Department, was attended by over 20 conservators from 

all of the national and private museums in the country. I would like to take advantage 

of the presence of Mr Laurent Lévi-Strauss to thank him most sincerely for his 

assistance in organizing this seminar. Let me also congratulate him for the 100 th 

birthday of his distinguished father, the eminent anthropologist and academician 

Claude Lévi-Strauss. 

c. It is also noteworthy that the Regional Heritage Training School opened its second 

class to provide training in heritage safeguarding for architects, engineers and archaeologists. 

11. Communication operations: The Communication Department is continuing its heritage 

protection awareness-raising activities with villages and schools. 

12. International cooperation: 

a. The bilateral community participation project with support from New Zealand will get 

underway soon. The administrative and financial procedures have been finalized and 

NZAID is in the process of recruiting specialists to work in cooperation with the appropriate 

departments of the APSARA National Authority. 

b. Australia, assisted by the UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh and the APSARA National 

Authority, is busy preparing the technical documents and financial procedures to enable 

a cooperation agreement to be signed with Cambodia in the near future. The 

‘Heritage Management Framework’ project is focusing on preservation activities, cultural 

development and tourism amenities. I must express my deep gratitude to HE 

Madame Margaret Adamson, Ambassador of Australia to Cambodia for her vigorous 

involvement in this project and taking the steps necessary with her government to 

obtain its financial contribution for the project. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to 

Mr Philippe Delanghe of the UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh for the hard work he has 

done in preparing the necessary paperwork. 

I would also like to announce that the Third Colloquium on the Issue of Water will 

take place tomorrow, Tuesday, December 2. and the discussion will continue an examination 

of things to be done for the long-term preservation of water resources in the Siem 

Reap-Angkor region. 

A final point of information is that the APSARA National Authority has finally been able 

to get 11 of its 14 departments under one roof. Previously, the offices of these departments 

were scattered all over Siem Reap in temporary quarters pending construction of the headquarters 

building. This was carried out successfully due to the commitment of Deputy Prime 

Minister Sok An, Chairman of the Authority, to enable the different departments to enjoy








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better working conditions. We would like to thank him for the high level of trust he displays 

in us and for his unflagging support, without which we would never have been able to carry 

out our missions for the preservation and sustainable development of the Angkor site. 

Thank you for your attention.” 

Remark by the Co-chairman for France: “Thank you very much, Excellency. It is important 

for us to hear from you, from APSARA, and thereby be apprised of the many jobs you have, 

over ten main points. We also thank you for passing out the subdecree detailing the restructuring 

that took place within APSARA. That helps the international community and the 

experts to appreciate what a broad range of things you look after and thus understand that 

this is not an easy matter to organize. 

We will have an opportunity to deal in greater depth with a number of points that 

APSARA is working on when we hear reports this morning and this afternoon from three of 

your eminent coworkers. I would like to give the floor right away to HE Mr Chhor Thanat, 

who is the director of the new Forestry, Cultural Landscapes and Environment Management 

Department. Please come up to the podium.” 

II.3 Introduction to the APSARA National Authority’s Forestry, Cultural 

Landscapes and Environment Management Department, by HE Mr Chhor 

Thanat, Department Director 

[OrigK] “On this solemn occasion, on behalf of my department and personally, I want to 

express my deep gratitude to the organizing committee of today’s meeting for allowing me 

to make this important presentation. 

Pursuant to Royal Decree No. NS/RKT/0295/12 dated May 19, 1995, an authority was 

established for the protection of the sites and to manage the Angkor region, known as the 

‘APSARA Authority’. At the outset, the APSARA Authority had just nine departments. However, 

its terms of reference have expanded and to successfully deal with them, based on 

Article 6 of Subdecree No. 50 ANKR/CK of May 7, 2008, the APSARA Authority, taking stock 

of its growing needs, increased the number of its departments to 14. The Forestry, Cultural 

Landscapes and Environment Management Department is among these 14 departments 

and its duties and jurisdiction are included in the same subdecree (Article 13). 

Since its inception, our department has been handling operations previously under 

two former departments, Water and Forestry. Keenly aware of its responsibility for the task 

assigned it by the APSARA Authority as well as to ensure the successful carrying out of its 

functions, the Forestry, Cultural Landscapes and Environment Management Department 

delegates a number of responsibilities and decision-making powers to its senior managers 

that work out of five different offices, namely (see Annex 1): 

1. Forestry Affairs Office. 

2. Environmental Protection Office. 

3. Cultural Landscapes Management Office. 

4. Arboriculture and Botanical Gardens Office. 

5. Planning and Cooperation Administration Office. 

As can be readily seen, the description forestry, cultural landscapes and environment 

management are not only part of the name of the department, but also define a close operational 

relationship. The following tasks now permanently come under this department: 

a. Forestry management 

There have recently been a number of violations in this respect, and many trees have 

been lost. Forestry management and control of forestry violations led this department, in 

keeping with the recommendations of HE Mr Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, Senior Minister, 

Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Chairman of the APSARA Authority, to








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establish nine surveillance areas. These areas are further subdivided into 14 stations that 

employ 132 forest rangers. In cooperation with the other competent authorities, including 

the provincial, district and commune authorities, forest rangers, environment officers, heritage 

police, military provost, NGOs and in particular the APSARA Authority’s Department of 

Public Order and Cooperation, our staff provides surveillance in Zone 1, covering an area of 

13,725 hectares (see APSARA Authority map, Annex 2), protecting it from forestry violations. 

We have now completed an Angkor temple forest classification and inventory process 

in order to properly evaluate things and provide effective management. At the same time, 

we made a study of some forestry zones where trees had been cut to the ground with the 

aim of making plans to reforest them or care for young trees that have already taken root. 

(Annex 3). 

In order to achieve more satisfactory results, we organized some information dissemination 

campaigns to raise the awareness of people living in the area supervised by the 

APSARA Authority in order to get across to them the value of the forest. Despite these efforts, 

a number of people driven by their own ambitions or other influences are repeat 

forestry offenders. Guilty persons are tracked down and turned over to the law courts, although 

this is not really part of our job. 

The department is faced with many challenges in carrying out its duties. As is commonly 

recognized, our workers have not been properly trained and are not skilled in the 

field of awareness raising campaigns. We lack technology, material resources and a budget 

for proper information dissemination, which is one reason for which the outcome is not always 

in keeping with our expectations. 

To properly carry out our work, our department is planning to hold additional training 

sessions and provide means of transportation—vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles—as well as 

radios to help our staff communicate both in protection interventions and information sharing. 

This will enable them to handle events in a timely way. We will also be using illustrated 

folders for public distribution as various training sessions sponsored by our staff take place. 

Most of what has just been mentioned is still on our department’s wish list. Our department 

would like to inform the members of the international community of our needs 

and hope that some donors will be in a position to provide support so that we can successfully 

manage the forests in the area under the APSARA Authority’s jurisdiction. 

b. Management of cultural landscapes 

If you close your eyes when you hear the words cultural landscapes, picture yourself 

in front of an ancient monument surrounded by forest under a bright, clear sky with occasional 

puffy white clouds, in which birds flutter about here and there.. You can sense that 

trees, forests and monuments are complementary in the natural esthetics that results. Furthermore, 

the leaves of the trees are like a giant parasol over the monument, protecting it 

from the heat of the sun or the harshness of inclement weather. At the same time, the 

many roots of the trees pick up water from the subsoil to sustain themselves, some of 

which they shed to provide the moisture needed to preserve the stone blocks that the monument 

is made of. The marriage between trees and monuments has been celebrated since 

Angkor was first discovered. But in some circumstances, we have to cut trees down. Which 

trees? Or to put it another way, why do we have to cut down trees? 

On the plus side, trees contribute to the esthetics of the monuments and attract 

visitors who want to come and see them. On the negative side, it can also be seen that 

some trees spell disaster for a monument. 

In this regard, let it be said that we never just cut down any old tree without first 

having a thorough study carried out by our group of experts. Trees growing right up 

against a temple or wall may have to be cut down (Annex 4). Such trees could cause great 

damage if they were to crash down on the monument. In other cases, roots penetrating








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deeply into a temple wall could cause it to fall. And in the interests of safety for tourists as 

well as the monuments, dead branches on some trees have to be cut off, and trees with 

trunk rot may have to be removed. 

The department has just one tree-cutting unit at the present time. Our job is growing 

all the time and to be able to meet our needs, we should have at least three such units. 

Furthermore, those on the tree-cutting unit face great challenges, because a fall from 

atop a tree could be fatal. We have to use good, old-fashioned scaffolding. But our staff 

courageously goes about its important work despite the hazards. Accident insurance is not 

yet available for those working on these perilous missions. 

The department is short on the technology, resources, materials and budget it needs 

to insure its tree cutters against the risk of accidents as they go about their work at the 

tops of trees. We hope to get hold of some long-reach crane trucks, because some trees 

are over 40 m high. This would replace the scaffolding now used for tree trimming or removal. 

This would save time as well as reduce the danger facing those who do this type of 

work. 

With regard to the things we need, as was just stated, our department will develop 

some proposals for members of the international community to see if they could kindly help 

us out and let us know what they could do in support of the very noble cause of cultural 

landscape management. 

c. Putting in gardens 

Based on the recommendations of HE Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, we will be putting 

in four different types of gardens: 

1. Flower gardens. 

2. Aromatic herb gardens. 

3. Medicinal plant gardens. 

4. Botanical gardens. 

Right now we are planting aromatic herb along the road to Angkor Wat and we have 

studied three other locations. Phnom Bok is being given primary consideration, given its 

higher potential, compared to the two others (Annex 5). This is another area in which we 

are short of technical and material resources. The same can be said for the budget as well 

as staff specializing in botany. Our department is hopeful that members of the international 

community may be able to respond to our suggestions and provide some much needed 

support. We thank in advance any donors who are able to help out in this connection. 

d. Environment protection 

Right from the start of our efforts to ensure environment protection, the APSARA Authority 

had already received the ISO 14001 classification, but the department is not resting 

on its laurels. It is therefore developing strategies to manage the Siem Reap River (water 

management and commercial sand dredging), as well as forest cover (erosion and natural 

landscapes) along the banks of the river from Phnom Kulen to Siem Reap town. Meanwhile, 

patches of forest cover in Zones 3 and 4 are being cut down outright, or are suffering gradual 

destruction. An immediate study is needed to improve this situation. Action in this area 

would be something the province of Siem Reap would be proud of as it would allow us to 

show national and international tourists what we are capable of doing in the field of management 

and make them feel secure when they come to visit the various sites under the 

APSARA Authority’s control. 

To successfully protect the environment over such an extensive area, the department 

is in urgent need of support from the international community, and we would therefore be 

very happy to receive a positive response from you. 

All the work that has just been mentioned can only be carried out successfully with 

proper planning and an adequate provision of human and material resources and budget.








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We would also like to mention the possibility of having our experts make study trips to developed 

countries to broaden their experience and pick up basic information on botany, 

which initiatives will depend on the support given by the international community. 

In conclusion, what I just presented was intended to give you a basic idea of the situation 

confronting my department and the assistance it yet needs in various ways. We 

extend our heartfelt thanks in advance to you. Thank you for your attention.” 

Reaction of the Co-chairman for France: “Thank you, Mr Chhor Thanat, for this overview of 

the new Forestry, Cultural Landscapes and Environment Management Department. I am 

sure that all here, including representatives of the Member States, heard your appeal. We 

see that you are in charge of a very big team and that the team has been given a big job to 

do. So I think that for the countries belonging to the ICC, we need to keep in mind that this 

special APSARA department is also fulfilling a groundbreaking role, an exemplary role in the 

management of natural assets, natural resources and the environment in Cambodia. Your 

department must also be seen as a model entity that is worthy of support in practical ways. 

We will now have a five-minute announcement from Mr Philippe Delanghe on the 

Bayon Information Center, which will close this first series of presentations.” 

II.4 Setting up of the Bayon Information Center, by Mr Philippe Delanghe, 

Culture Program Specialist, UNESCO Office in Cambodia 

“It is a great honor for me to be with you and have the opportunity to say something 

about a very interesting new project, the Bayon Information Center. 

As a prelude, let me first of all express my appreciation to Professor Nakagawa, Waseda 

University and the APSARA National Authority for having launched this project. It is 

further evidence of the very close, quality relationship between the JASA team, Japan 

APSARA Safeguarding Angkor, and UNESCO. 

I would also like to thank the École française d’Extrême-Orient and Dr Christophe Pottier 

in particular, whose ideas contributed in no small way to developing this project, 

notably at a special meeting held a couple of months ago on this subject in the 

UNESCO/JASA project headquarters. 

And a word of thanks is also in order for the other international teams that have 

made their contributions to the project, among whom are the Sophia University Mission, 

GACP, ASI, WMF and the Sydney University team. 

Conservation efforts and restoration operations have been going on for centuries at 

Angkor, with a peak in the 16 th century for local initiatives and another in the 20 th century, 

during which time tremendous work was done with assistance from France. But only in the 

recent past have scientific activities been conducted at a truly international scale at the 

incentive of Japan and France and with the support of UNESCO, culminating in the establishment 

of the ICC in 1993. Since then, many teams have come to work at Angkor where 

they have been able to overcome mammoth challenges and bring to completion the extensive 

operations that we are familiar with. 

However, such scientific activities are rarely disseminated and explained to the general 

public. Despite 15 years of international presence, guidebooks and publications 

describing the Angkor site still say very little about it. There has been no venue where visitors 

to the site can find information about the work done by scientific circles on this 

extraordinary location. 

Professor Nakagawa first mentioned the idea of the Bayon Information Center exactly 

one year ago during the meeting that the UNESCO/JASA project steering committee held in








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the wake of the 14 th ICC Plenary Session. The idea was approved by the steering committee 

and financial support for it has since been received from the government of Japan. 

The Bayon Information Center will be located in the main hall of the UNESCO/JASA 

project office. It will feature a permanent exhibition designed for the public at large. The 

exhibition will include a series of displays highlighting activities carried out on the site by 

the various international teams, APSARA and other Cambodian institutions. Artifacts from 

archaeological excavations done at the Bayon by the JASA team will also be exhibited, 

along with an audiovisual presentation outlining major developments in the history of Angkor 

Thom and the Bayon. 

I will now use a brief PowerPoint presentation to give you some idea of how this exhibition 

is taking shape: 

[slide] Logo; [slide] layout of the UNESCO/JASA project office; [slide] UNESCO/APSARA; 

[slide] entrance. 

Visitors will first be invited to tour the first floor of the round-shaped building. To the 

right as they come up the stairway they will immediately see panels explaining the work 

done by UNESCO and APSARA. Then the different international teams will have the opportunity 

to put up panels to illustrate what they are doing at Angkor. 

[slide] A map of Angkor and chronological frieze. In addition to panels from UNESCO 

and APSARA, a large map will display the Angkor region and of course show the locations 

where the different international teams are working. 

[slide] 

Here is a sample panel. This first one is about JASA. Next is the GACP, followed 

by one from the Indian team ASI to the right. 

[slide] 

Another example, that of the WMF. All of these teams have submitted their contributions. 

[slide] This chronological frieze highlights all of the different operations that have been 

accomplished at Angkor starting from the 19 th century. 

[slide] Restoration operation, restoration procedure. 

[slide] First floor. Here we have an overview of the first floor entrance. 

[slide] 

This is the ground floor projection hall featuring an audiovisual presentation on 

the Bayon. 

[slide] 

Sacred mountain. History of the sacred mountain, and so on. Further panels explain 

the history and activities of the Bayon site. 

[slide] 

These are the buildings at the center of our office that will house the permanent 

exhibition. 

As you can see, 13 teams were invited by UNESCO to submit exhibition panels. Six 

have responded so far, including the JASA, of course. 

Work is now underway to convert the project office into a public space. This means 

putting in an approach area, designing the tour itinerary and securing the venue. Efforts to 

promote this center with local travel agencies have also gotten underway. 

We are absolutely convinced that this initiative will provide a unique opportunity to 

make known the national and international efforts that have been put forth for the benefit 

of the site and we invite the teams that have not yet done so to kindly respond with their








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contribution so that the exhibition can be completed as soon as possible. Thank you very 

much for your attention.” 

Question from the Co-chairman for France: “I must have missed something you said in 

your presentation, but could you just tell us where the center is located?” 

Reply from Mr Delanghe: “The center is in the JASA office, or UNESCO/JASA project office, 

which is located along the main road to the Angkor site. It is the road going past this hotel 

out to the Angkor site.” 

Remark by the Co-chairman for France: “Thank you for spelling that out. We are now confronted 

with a situation where we have to start, or at least the chairman has to start, doing 

something about the timing, because we have now gone beyond the academic quarter. So 

the first decision I am putting forward is that we hear right away the report on the Siem 

Reap museum workshop held on November 27 and 28, 2008 from Madame Chau Sun 

Kérya, director of the new Cultural Development, Museums and Heritage Norms Department. 

You have the floor.” 

II.5 Report on the Museum Seminar Held in Siem Reap on November 27 and 28, 

2008, by Madame Chau Sun Kérya, Director, Cultural Development, Museums 

and Heritage Norms Department, APSARA National Authority 

“A seminar on the theme ‘Les musées, outils pour le développement culturel, social et 

économique’ (Museums—Tools for Cultural, Social and Economic Development) was held 

last November 27 and 28 with the assistance of Mr Laurent Lévi-Strauss, Director, and Madame 

Nao Hayashi-Denis, in charge of Asia and the Pacific, from UNESCO’s Museums and 

Cultural Objects Section. 

The seminar was prepared in cooperation with the APSARA National Authority’s Cultural 

Development, Museums and Heritage Norms Department, and attended by about 20 

conservators from all national and private museums in the country. I would like to summarize 

the recommendations made after two days of research, analytical thinking and 

discussion. Firstly, the general recommendations: 

Documentation and bibliographies: In cooperation with the Cambodian National 

Commission for UNESCO and the UNESCO representative office in Phnom Penh, expand the 

documentary and bibliographical collection on the subject of museums. To achieve this, it is 

recommended to network with UNESCO, ICOM, ICCROM and the Council of Europe. 

Training: Garner as much support as possible from UNESCO and ICCROM in this field. 

Also, hold a greater number of thematic seminars in Cambodia, right in the field. I would 

like to thank Madame Rivière who just announced that this type of seminar would continue. 

In terms of training, take maximum advantage of opportunities afforded under international 

cooperation arrangements, tour museums in Western Europe, including Germany, Belgium 

and Great Britain, Spain, France and Italy, and if possible in the United States—the Getty 

Museum in New York—etc.), as well as Japan. It is recommended to build a quality relationship 

with Egypt and China, given the great civilizations of these two countries and the 

current mushrooming of their museography. 

Typology: Museums are not limited to art and archaeology. The departments of the 

APSARA National Authority are invited to look into ways and means of enhancing the content 

of museums in Angkor, including displays of documents and artifacts relating to 

hydraulics and water engineering, forestry and history of the forest cover, agricultural production 

throughout the centuries, traditional handicrafts, oral and intangible heritage.








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Education: The role of museums in promoting cultural tourism has been demonstrated 

in many ways. But museums are first and foremost a tool for cultural development and 

should be used to help raise awareness among people for the need to preserve their national 

heritage. It is recommended in particular to strengthen ties between schools and 

museums and equip museums to the extent possible with state-of-the-art technology for 

awareness raising, educational activities and communication. 

Cooperation: It is recommended to strengthen links among museum conservators by 

establishing an association of museum conservators in the Kingdom of Cambodia and one 

for Cambodian museographers and their foreign counterparts by revitalizing the 

ICOM/Cambodia section. 

Following the general recommendations, the participants were put into three discussion 

groups to formulate special recommendations on the following themes that were 

analyzed. Ms Nao Hayashi-Denis led the first discussion on the theme of museums and 

public communities. The following conclusions were arrived at: It is important for each museum 

to be thoroughly familiar with its public. With that purpose in view, museums must 

develop specific, targeted programs to ensure greater public involvement, awareness raising 

of children and their parents and, more generally, dissemination of useful, meaningful 

information to the public. 

The second group headed by Mr Simon Warrack, dealt with the theme of artifact conservation. 

The following recommendations resulted: 

In order to improve conservation of collections in Cambodia, an obvious start is related 

to numbering and inventorying. It is recommended that an ad hoc meeting be held 

with national and international technicians dealing strictly with numbering and inventory 

work. The conclusions of that technical meeting would be submitted to the decision-making 

level for approval. Once a decision has been made, implementation would enable funding 

arrangements to be put in place and an implementation plan to be designed, with the time 

line being the year following the ad hoc meeting. 

Training is a further component, using exchange networks, seminars and courses, 

with the use of appropriate equipment and material. The premises where the collections are 

housed need to be improved, including the buildings, security measures and the environment 

of the collections. Another obvious must is community involvement. 

The third discussion group which I had the honor of moderating dealt with improving 

the way Khmer culture and daily life are displayed, using a museographic and scenographic 

approach. The recommendation is as follows: 

Cultural values showcased in museums must reflect the specific characteristics of 

Khmer history and identity. They must refer to symbolics and make Cambodia known to the 

world. Further, a link must be made between intangible heritage—traditions, habits and 

customs little known to the public—and tangible heritage in the form of monuments. This 

way will highlight the ethnological and anthropological aspects. The production must give 

attention to the authenticity of the documents and artifacts on exhibit. Intake spaces need 

to take various audiences into account: children, adults, national visitors, international visitors, 

disabled persons, etc. The esthetics, lighting and accessibility to information are 

prerequisites for good scenography. Thank you for your attention.” 

Comment by the Co-chairman for France: “Thank you, Kérya. I would like to invite you 

now, even though we have gone overtime, to take a coffee break. We need our strength 

and we need something to wake us up to keep going—ten minutes. We will then hear the 

two reports from the international experts and will put all the questions and answers and 

debate together in one session.”








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II.6 ICCROM Cooperation with the APSARA National Authority and the National 

Authority for Preah Vihear for the Collection of Heritage Artifacts and 

Training Cambodian Specialists in Cultural Heritage Conservation/Restoration, 

by Mr Mounir Bouchenaki, Director General, ICCROM 

“After the solemn ceremony of mounting the plaque marking the inclusion of the Angkor 

site on the World Heritage List, it is not without emotion that I reminisce about the 

official inscription of this site in Santa Fe, in December 1992. It was a cold, snowy day in 

Santa Fe. My friend, Azedine Beschaouch, made an outstanding defense of the application 

to have this site put on the list, and today we cannot but be most happy with the decision 

made by the committee. At the time, ICOMOS pointed out that there was no structure in 

place to manage the site, no legislation, no staff, and no research had been done, which 

meant that it was very difficult to put the site on the World Heritage List. And one of the 

major aspects also highlighted by our ICOMOS colleagues was the issue of training. Under 

this training program conducted, thanks to contributions from the States here present, in 

particular Japan, using Japanese Funds-in-Trust, of which I was in charge with my colleagues 

here at the UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh, Cambodian experts began to receive 

training. 

Obviously, as was rightly stated this morning by UNESCO’s Deputy Director General 

for Culture, Madame Françoise Rivière, more emphasis still had to be put on training in the 

area of conservation in museums. It was therefore to some extent with this in mind, that I 

spoke at the last meeting of the International Coordinating Committee for Angkor. I had 

had the opportunity to meet with the Chairman of the APSARA National Authority and officials 

on the Authority and it was announced that a cooperation arrangement could be put in 

place if the Cambodian authorities and ICCROM so agreed. It is my pleasure to announce 

today that this cooperation arrangement has gotten underway. 

We were able to reach an agreement with our colleagues at the UNESCO Office in 

Phnom Penh and my colleagues with the Museums and Cultural Objects Section at 

UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris, in particular Mr Laurent Lévi-Strauss and Madame Nao 

Hayashi. We have now launched this initial training operation between ICCROM and 

APSARA with the theme, ‘Conservation and Context—What Is Meant by Collections and Heritage 

Sites?’ With funding from UNESCO, the World Monuments Fund and the APSARA 

Authority, we carried out the exercise from October 13 to 24, 2008. Funding allowed 

26 participants to attend the course with supervision by professors and monitors representing 

nine different countries and 11 scientific institutions. [slide] Here is one of the professors 

who attended this course and who helped prepare the slides in English and that I am translating 

directly into French for the sake of cultural diversity. Mr Simon Warrack did all the 

background and follow-up work on this. [slide] And one of the special features of this course 

was its openness to the diverse institutions in Cambodia. This slide gives you an overview 

of the breakdown. 

[slide] As is the custom with ICCROM, the methodology used is to pair up the trainees 

and have them work together on the different themes as the training unfolds. Furthermore, 

the course focused on museums, which was one of the key objectives of the training session, 

but it also covered the link between museums and their archaeological context, i.e. 

the monuments. We also worked with the owners, in some cases the users of the artifacts, 

the religious authorities or monks here in Cambodia. It was determined during the course 

what is meant by artifacts, how they are defined, how collections take on their identity in 

the museum institutions, what legal framework or body of legal frameworks governs our 

work. As I just mentioned, we worked directly with collections in the museum facilities 

themselves. [slide] We chose the Angkor National Museum and Preah Norodom Sihanouk 

Angkor Museum. We also went out to a site, [slide] the one selected being Phnom Bakheng. 

Why Phnom Bakheng? Because it is a rather unique case study. It has a number of artifacts 

that are still on the site rather than being in a museum.








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Secondly, it is a situation wherein there is a very clear link between the monument, 

the artifacts and the community. You realize that much importance is given these days in 

all courses and training sessions on heritage conservation, to the parallel need of bringing 

in the local communities and not doing what I might call, an “elitist job,” wherein only specialists 

are in contact with the artifacts. 

And thirdly, decisions have to be made regarding the artifacts found on Phnom Bakheng. 

Again, why Phnom Bakheng? First, because one section of the temple has a walledoff 

room. [slide] The students were taken out to the site and were able to look through the 

cracks and see what was contained in the walled-off room. All of this was handled in close 

conjunction with the religious community. [slide] This picture shows the contents of the room. 

Some of the objects were the basis for studies done by the students. They studied the state 

of conservation. They were asked to do specific evaluation and identification studies, meet 

with the elders as shown here, [slide] with a venerable, to ascertain why these artifacts had 

ended up in this location, what their value was and how the community perceives them 

today. So the group of students shared both in academic courses as well as in hands-on 

group work in which each was assigned a case study to present. 

That describes the spirit in which this extremely meaningful and innovative training 

session took place. It was part of the pattern of ICCROM’s work in the Asia region, such as 

the training programs that were put on in Bangkok in 2002 on prevention strategies, in 

2005 also in Bangkok on exhibitions, Kuala Lumpur in 2003 on flexible materials, Leiden in 

2005 on textiles, Manila on storage areas, and Hanoi in 2007, likewise on storage areas. 

Lack of training is a very major problem we are faced with, and not just in Asia. It’s a 

worldwide issue. In Vientiane the training focused on scientific principles and traditional 

knowledge in the framework of conservation. By having this course, Cambodia joined the 

club, so to speak, with training given to junior conservators, younger people in charge of 

museums and sites, which will certainly strengthen Cambodia’s position in this regional 

network. 

[slide] As I mentioned, we are working in an operation that is receiving funding assistance 

from the Getty Foundation. The project carries the name CollAsia 2010 and takes in 

several countries in the region where we work on a regular basis. 

For the future, we learned through our regular contacts with the UNESCO Office in 

Phnom Penh that the APSARA Authority would like to have an extended training operation. 

Actually ICCROM prefers long-term operations rather than one-off exercises. This year we 

got a 12-year program going in Cartagena, Colombia, that will include Latin America and 

the Caribbean. So we indeed want to work with the Cambodian authorities in a spirit of 

continuity and sustainability. The program I want to announce with the agreement of the 

Cambodian authorities is to pursue these activities at the regional level, starting in October 

2009. To begin, a four- to six-week regional program, perhaps in Siem Reap, will address 

the training of managerial level staff and conservators for the Preah Vihear site that was 

put on the World Heritage List this year. 

This would be a three-year curriculum, with a broad spectrum of activities, for a 

group of trainees who would get regular upgrading through this type of course.. The notion 

of cultural heritage, an extremely broad one, is now very fine-tuned. It is not limited to 

tangible artifacts alone, but includes all aspects tied in with intangible values. We feel that 

trainees who complete the program should receive recognition that will help them get employment 

and occupy a conventional role in society. 

I would like to conclude this quick presentation by again thanking the APSARA National 

Authority and in particular HE Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, my colleagues at the 

UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh, in the Culture Sector in Paris, and finally, Professor Roland 

Fletcher, who came to ICCROM in Rome to make a special presentation about the Angkor 

site. It brought to the attention of all my colleagues in Rome the tremendous scope of work 

being done here in Cambodia. Thank you.”








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Comment from the Co-chairman for France: “Thank you very much, Professor. We have 

now come to a second highlight on this morning’s agenda, and that is the report from the 

ad hoc group of experts for conservation. We will hear from Professor Mounir Bouchenaki 

and Professeur Pierre-André Lablaude, and perhaps also from Mr Beschaouch, who will fill 

us in on the status of the group of experts.” 

Remark from Mr Azedine Beschaouch: “I just wanted to let all of our colleagues know that 

it’s not that anyone was overlooked, but Professor Croci tried as hard as he could to get 

here but couldn’t because of the air transportation problems. And Professor Suzuki—I am 

sure the ICC Co-chairmen will agree—we will drop him a line because he has recently had a 

bout of fatigue and this prevented him from making this trip. We will wish him a speedy 

recovery. For this reason your Secretariat has split things between the two professors here 

present, Mounir Bouchenaki and Pierre-André Lablaude. We thank them for basically doing 

everything that four persons would normally have done. The reports that will be given are a 

collective endeavor. They will be forwarded to Professor Croci and Professor Suzuki, although 

they have already been briefed and gave us their feedback. The report that is being 

given today is made on behalf of the full group of experts.” 

Comment from the Co-chairman for France: “Thank you, Professor Beschaouch. We 

appreciate that the ICC ad hoc experts interact with one another. So now, we give the floor 

to the members of the group of experts present today in Siem Reap, who made it despite 

the air travel upsets we are experiencing. 

II.7 Report from the ad hoc Group of Experts for Conservation, by Professors 

Mounir Bouchenaki, Giorgio Croci, Pierre-André Lablaude, Hiroyuki Suzuki 

Professor Pierre-André Lablaude: 

“First on the list of several monument work sites that the two of us visited, is the Gallery 

of the Churning of the Sea of Milk, in Angkor Wat. HE Mr Ros Borath came along with 

us for the presentation made by Mme Constance von zur Muhlen and Mr Glenn Boornazian 

on the World Monuments Fund team in charge of the project, who I thank for the explanations 

they provided. 

Without delving into the whole background of this project, let me say that this part of 

the temple is one of its most precious, given the exceptional quality of its bas-reliefs. Despite 

two successive restoration campaigns that were undertaken on it during the 

20 th century, some disturbing pathologies recently came to light due to water infiltration 

through the gallery roof. This caused water percolation over the bas-reliefs themselves and 

over the extensive concrete applications put in during the last campaign, with the risk of 

stone damage due to the migration of soluble salts from this exogenous material in particular. 

The World Monuments Fund now plans to dismantle the gallery superstructures, i.e. 

the whole roof cradle that covers it and then remove all the recent cement additions, followed 

by consolidation and restoration of the whole structure, stone by stone. The roof will 

be reassembled with a lead foil moisture barrier inserted between each layer of stone, and 

in this way, prevent water infiltration from reaching the bas-relief. 

This particularly sensitive project required a number of technical readjustments over 

the last few years. I will not go into detail on this, but they were of such a nature that the 

ICC felt the need to suggest, or actually request, that a trial span be done on the monument 

itself in order to have a real-life basis for assessing the relevance of the technical 

solutions proposed. 

My colleague and friend, Mr Bouchenaki, and I took a long look at this control span. 

We are completely satisfied with the way things went with this span, although we are add-








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ing two minor additional recommendations for the attention of the World Monuments Fund 

team. The first has to do with the finished appearance of some of the lead components, 

albeit very small, that will be visible on the façade; do something so that this material 

blends visually into the continuity of the gallery elevation. The second recommendation has 

to do with a more fine-tuned adjustment to the sandstone slabs that form the upper masonry 

course of the gallery. In some spots, this adjustment requires a few inconspicuous 

cuts to the underside of these slabs. This spot modification will require that a very small 

amount of original material be taken from the monument, but it seems to us to be needed 

in order to ensure the quality of the outcome in terms of appearance and water-tightness. 

This is acceptable given the extent of the previous reworking that this section of the monument 

underwent. That concludes the report on the Churning Gallery, and the ad hoc 

group of experts feels it can now convey to the ICC a conclusively favorable opinion regarding 

extension of this project by the World Monuments Fund to the whole Churning of the 

Sea of Milk Gallery. 

The second monument that I would like to discuss is Preah Palilay, a lovely monument 

right in the middle of the Angkor Thom enclosure, a few hundred meters behind the 

Terrace of the Leper King. Unfortunately it is all but left off of tourist itineraries. This monument 

is typical of the often-spectacular combination of architecture and vegetation at 

Angkor, the interweaving of a specimen of cultural property and nature. There is often, 

however, the somewhat ominous threat that such plant growth can have on the conservation 

of the monument. 

The ad hoc group of experts was consulted a few weeks ago by the ICC Secretariat at 

the request of the APSARA National Authority on the actual risks posed by a dozen or so tall 

trees, most of them Tetrameles nudiflora or Dipterocartus malatus, some of them over 

30 m tall and whose roots have entwined themselves into the masonry structures of the 

temple. The group of experts had to make a particularly painful recommendation given the 

esthetic quality of the treescape. For safety reasons, we had to recommend that one of the 

tall trees be cut down and as of today it has been almost completed. The APSARA Authority’s 

tree-cutting department handled it. It was found that some trees have hollow trunks 

from top to bottom and in over 60 percent of their major branches. So having this tree cut 

down was fully justified. 

A final recommendation is in order, and that involves tree stumps. The stumps should 

not be removed, but just left where they are. This will keep masonry structures stable 

where roots are entwined. Stumps may naturally produce new shoots and this will provide 

ongoing tree cover for the monument, albeit at a reduced scale. Or the stumps will just die 

off on their own and rot away or be eaten by termites, which will be a natural, gradual way 

of eliminating the roots. 

The last site covered in this report is the Western Mebon that we visited late yesterday 

afternoon. This is the very picturesque islet out in the middle of the Baray. Although 

the monument appears rather modest in scale, it is of outstanding interest. Professor Roland 

Fletcher brilliantly described its value in connection with his research project supported 

by the government of Australia in partnership with the École française d’Extrême-Orient. 

Professor Fletcher’s point was the exceedingly high value of the undisturbed sediments in 

the pond on the western side of the island, that go back undoubtedly over a thousand 

years. He also explained the many historical and archaeological issues connected with this 

site in terms of the relative dating of its various components: the enclosure wall, the central 

islet, the Vishnu statue, etc., In terms of identification of the built-up remains on the 

part of the island to the east of the pond, it may even be possible that there is a monument 

that predates the construction of the great baray. 

When we made this visit, the ad hoc group of experts first expressed concern regarding 

the present level of water within the baray. It is higher than I have ever seen it before 

and has obviously exceeded the historic level by perhaps 30 to 50 cm. When it gets this 

high, it is certainly going to be harmful as far as the stability and conservation of the architectural 

remains are concerned. The group therefore, felt that if the storage capacity of the








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baray needs to be increased for various reasons, including irrigation, this expansion should 

be achieved not by raising the level of water, but rather, by dredging or cleaning out the 

heavily silted surfaces on the eastern third of the baray. This whole section of the baray has 

an extensive sand overburden, and this is how a very large volume of water storage could 

be recovered. 

Third, the group emphasized the need to put in some emergency support for some 

architectural remains. This propping will of course have to be adapted to the very special 

layout of the site, including the section next to the pond. The group concluded by expressing 

the wish that a comprehensive project be undertaken quickly to address the various 

components and potentialities of the site—the historical, archaeological and scientific components, 

as well as the architectural and landscape components. We have to agree that the 

Western Mebon is a most outstanding architectural and landscape composition, with this 

idea of a pond in the middle of the reservoir, an island in the middle of an island. The architectural 

and landscape scenography is truly one of a kind. This puts the monument in a 

class all by itself. It should also be put on tour itineraries right away. The Western Mebon 

could be made, if I might say, into a very special tourist attraction. If we don’t do something 

right now to address this, and channel the latent tourism development, it would be 

very detrimental to efforts to increase our historical and archaeological knowledge and ensure 

that the monument is properly showcased. 

That sums up the recommendations we have on three of the sites and monuments 

that were visited.” 

Professor Mounir Bouchenaki: 

“The ad hoc experts made these site visits, as the Co-chairman said, but along with 

us were several APSARA experts and a number of experts from missions working at Angkor 

as part of the international cooperation effort. So, actually there were not just two of us, 

but several people. We took a look at the work site being conducted by the Archeological 

Survey of India at Ta Prohm. You recall that at our last Technical Session, I had the honor 

of presenting on behalf of the ad hoc group of experts, an overview of the restoration work 

site handled by this team and drawing a number of recommendations to its attention. All 

the experts here present appreciate just how complicated the work is at Ta Prohm and indeed 

it behooves us to pay tribute to what our colleagues from the Archeological Survey of 

India are doing as they give much careful thought to their operations. 

Since the time of our last visit, the work site has moved ahead. Yesterday’s visit took 

place in the morning in the presence of the Director General of the Archeological Survey of 

India, who it was a pleasure to greet for the second time in one year. We were able to note 

the substantial progress the team is making. First, our Indian colleagues showed us in 

detail the technology and procedures they are using for consolidation of sandstone blocks, 

pillars and pediments, as well as for filling in lacunae with the addition of sandstone 

quarried near Angkor. We were pleased to see that our Indian colleagues are using the 

same material as that used nearly ten centuries ago. 

The vast majority of the blocks, 90 to 95 percent, being used for reconstruction work 

on the temple’s entrance pavilion or the third enclosure, are original stones. In keeping 

with the request made by Professor Croci regarding the structure, stability and consolidation 

of the entrance corridors, the tubular props put up in the entrance pavilion corridors 

have been positioned in such a way that the passageway is now totally safe for visitors going 

in by the east gate. As for the overall work site, our Indian colleagues have determined 

nine critical points and any intervention in these points has been designed to be reversible. 

Their thinking is based on the principle of respecting the authenticity of the material 

on one hand and reversibility of the intervention on the other. The group of experts was 

pleased to note that the tour route now includes a wooden platform in the area where large 

tree roots interwoven with the stones can be seen. Previously, tourists often went out of 

their way to climb on stones and roots, despite the risk.








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The group of experts gave particular attention to two sites where anastylosis reconstruction 

is taking place on the third enclosure terrace and the raised causeway access into 

Ta Prohm temple. Madame Tan Theany, Secretary General of the Cambodian National 

Commission for UNESCO, and our Scientific Secretary, Professor Azedine Bechaouch, joined 

us for this visit. All the discussions took place in a spirit of openness and dialogue, and we 

spent a great deal of time on all of the points where our colleagues from the Archeological 

Survey of India are working. 

The gallery or terrace is now nearly completely rebuilt. The laterite remains of the 

original drainage system that were unearthed during excavations in the courtyard have 

been left in view, as was recommended during one of the earlier visits of the group of experts. 

This is considered to be a feature that contributes immensely to the readability of 

this section of the temple and provides evidence of the archaeological research that was 

done in this location. 

Some minor adjustments to the way in which these archaeological features could be 

showcased were proposed and agreed upon by our Archeological Survey of India colleagues. 

It was furthermore recommended that the finishing of the gallery roof as well as 

some of the pillars should be done in such a way as to give greater harmony to the visual 

impact. And it was also recommended that a differentiated treatment be given to the final 

appearance of surfaces. This would require a test on stones that are exposed to light and 

stones not exposed to light in order to study the aging factors so that the restored parts 

will fit in overall. 

The second round of site visits was made on November 29, 2008, as arranged by the 

APSARA Authority under Madame Kérya Chau Sun, Mr Seung Kong and Mr Hang Peou. The 

group of experts was taken to four key sites on Phnom Kulen: Prasat Neak Ta, Prasat Thma 

Dap, the shrine of the reclining Buddha at Preah Thom and Krol Romeas. The Stern and 

Dupont missions had reported on the Phnom Kulen sites back in the years 1936 and 1938, 

and the main sites appeared on a layout map of the area made by Boulbet in the 1960’s. 

Based on this data, Mr Jean-Baptiste Chevance initiated a program entitled ‘Archaeology of 

Phnom Kulen’ in early 2008 with funding provided by a private foundation in the United 

Kingdom. The work is being implemented in cooperation with APSARA. 

The APSARA partnership is focusing on a series of operations that were started on 

January 4, 2008, with landmine clearing being done in zones destined for exploration and 

excavation during February, March and April this year. The foundation hired a hundred or 

so workers, while APSARA recruited a permanent team of 10 workers to look after site 

maintenance and cleaning. We are glad that APSARA took this initiative because it will ensure 

that archeological research and excavation work will not just be abandoned. The group 

of experts recommends that this ongoing maintenance work be pursued on the various 

sites on Phnom Kulen. 

Access to the Phnom Kulen site, admission and visitor control are as yet relatively 

limited, except for the shrine of the reclining Buddha and the waterfalls on the Siem Reap 

River. This is being handled by a private concession that is also responsible for road maintenance. 

The initial results of the program that has been going on since early 2008, in partnership 

with APSARA, look very promising. The water tower role of the Phnom Kulen plateau 

has been highlighted. This program has made it possible to identify a number of temple 

sites and structures, complete the inventory of caves and bas-reliefs that was started back 

in the 1960s by Boulbet and Dagens, as well as complete a detailed typographical survey. 

Meanwhile, this first campaign to clear off the temples of Prasat Neak Ta and Prasat 

Thma Dap has enabled the dangers to which they are exposed, to be highlighted, in terms 

of damage. Unfortunately parts of Prasat Neak Ta are about to collapse, which puts the








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safety of visitors at stake. Prasat Thma Dap, however, only needs some light interventions 

as it is in rather good overall state of conservation. 

The group of experts furthermore noted the significance of the reclining Buddha 

shrine that is very popular with pilgrims and national visitors, as well as the highly popular 

site located below on the Siem Reap River, upstream from the Krol Romeas falls. 

Based on the visit made on November 29 and explanations provided by APSARA staff 

and Mr Chevance, a general recommendation and two specific recommendations were put 

together by the group of experts for submission to you. Firstly, it is recommended to develop 

a master plan for Phnom Kulen highlighting an integrated, inter-sector and multidisciplinary 

approach with due attention to the socio-economic development of the 

communities living on Phnom Kulen by enhancing their cultural and natural resources. Special 

attention must be given to the harmonious development of religious tourism so that it 

has no negative effects on the environment. In this regard, the experts felt that the access 

stairway to the reclining Buddha shrine could be more harmoniously fitted into the site. 

They also feel that a survey of buildings upstream from the falls should be a priority and 

that protective measures be taken so that makeshift buildings do not take over areas 

where remains are clearly visible today. A project to develop this site should therefore be 

undertaken as a matter of priority. 

Secondly, it is recommended that archaeological research work be continued in the 

cleared off areas surrounding the temples in order to understand the historical context in 

which they were built and thereby gain further insight regarding the history of Phnom Kulen. 

Thirdly, it is recommended to strike a balance when clearing vegetation cover off built 

structures. Wherever trees are not threatening the monument, an effort must be made to 

preserve them. 

I would like to conclude on behalf of the ad hoc group by saying that the history of 

Cambodia and more particularly of this outstanding area that includes Angkor and Phnom 

Kulen must be more widely known. For this reason, we feel that archaeology plays a paramount 

role. Our Permanent Secretary, Professor Beschaouch, who was in charge of the 

international campaign that UNESCO led for the safeguarding of the Carthage site in Tunisia, 

knows from experience just how important is to have an interchange of information 

among archaeologists regarding their research. It was crucial to shedding light on that 

prestigious site of the Mediterranean. 

We feel exactly the same way regarding the Angkor site. The work being done by the 

APSARA Authority and the many specialized teams from so many different countries present 

here makes it the largest international work site in the world in terms of research and 

restoration as far as UNESCO is concerned. For that reason, as pointed out by Professor 

Claude Jacques in one of his statements before this Committee, each team caring for a 

monument restoration project anywhere in the Angkor region should be carrying out the 

necessary archaeological excavations to get more precise information on chronology and 

provide historical insight about the sites that architectural study alone is unable to fully 

provide. Thank you for your attention.” 

Remark by the Co-chairman for France: “I would like to thank our experts. The time has 

now come to give the floor to those who have something to say. I see that Professor Beschaouch 

would like to say something. We can debate the themes of conservation, heritage 

and research by putting questions to our ad hoc experts as well as referring to the papers 

that the scientific teams submitted to the Secretariat. These were passed around electronically. 

They have also been compiled in the form of a working document that you received. 

Over 17 teams were kind enough to contribute something, and this is of very great value 

for everyone, given the appeal that has been made for cooperation among the scientific 

teams. It is therefore very important that the Secretariat receives these reports from the 

scientific teams working here at Angkor and shares them.








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Remark from Mr Azedine Beschaouch: “In order to round out the report made by the ad 

hoc experts, it’s my job to sum up for you and the whole Committee, the conclusions of the 

experts regarding the Baphuon, a truly remarkable monument. The methodology used for 

the Baphuon has been discussed over and over again. We recall that at the Technical Session 

two years in a row we had this issue on the agenda. This was for good reason. The 

monument clearly features two historical sequences, one going back to the 11 th century, 

and the other to the 16 th century. They characterize the entire monument. There is the Shiva 

monument from the 11 th century and the monument was reworked to accommodate the 

Reclining Buddha, dating from the 16 th century. This unique historical situation has to do 

with a spiritual or religious development. The EFEO, and more specifically Dr Pascal Royère, 

had to address a problem, which was referred to a number of experts, including the ad hoc 

experts. 

What course of action should be taken? Could this historical sequence be glossed 

over? What should be done, because to use familiar terms, in the insides of the Buddha 

image were found remains of the 11 th century building, including components with sculptured 

decorations? The choice eventually made by Dr Royère and the EFEO is the very best 

one, because it preserves concomitantly two periods, preserving the situation on the third 

tier, the 11 th -century Shiva monument, alongside the 16 th -century Buddhist monument. 

Effort was made as much as possible to preserve the stairways and doorways, enabling 

visitors to experience something very rare if not totally unique in the world—to have in one 

monument a concomitant view of two historical periods separated by five centuries. This is 

an architectural exploit. Your experts supported this choice for the restoration. With your 

permission, we will put in the record that this proposal has been approved. As with any 

other proposal, it was submitted to debate, but more importantly for approval, so that the 

EFEO and specifically our colleague, Pascal Royère, are free to pursue this outstanding operation. 

In terms of tourism development, it will make it possible to have a totally unique 

tourist attraction, to display what can be called a ‘diptych,’ the Shiva monument on the one 

hand and the huge Reclining Buddha statue on the other. That is what I wanted to add on 

behalf of the body of experts in order to make the record complete. Thank you.” 

II.8 QUESTIONS-ANSWERS on the Reports on Project Activities Conducted by 

International Teams (reports distributed) 

Comment by Mr Yoshio Ando: “It is a real pleasure to be here and introduce myself. I am 

Yoshio Ando, Director of UNESCO Affairs with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I 

would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to the government of Cambodia for its hospitality 

and the warm welcome it gave us. I would like to take this opportunity to both 

express our thanks and make an appeal for cooperation with regard to the Bayon Information 

Center that is being set up. 

The Bayon Information Center will present the broad scope of activities and support 

given by each country, including our own. This will obviously be a real education for visitors, 

not only from the standpoint of the history, architecture and esthetics of the Angkor 

site, but also from a new standpoint, that of international cooperation in the field of cultural 

heritage site conservation. This initiative is, therefore, expected to be of great value for a 

proper understanding of cultural heritage. On this backdrop, we would like to request different 

countries and international organizations assist us in setting up the information 

center. We also thank UNESCO for its assistance in setting up the Bayon Information Center.” 

Comment from Mr Azedine Beschaouch: “As you well know, tradition has it that after the 

presentations are given, recommendations are formulated. These recommendations are 

presented or put forward by your Secretariat. We now have three that we would like to 

submit to you. And if you agree with the basic idea, we can then write them up in final form 

and at the end of the day submit them to you in the part set aside for recommendations.








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This applies not only to the recommendations forwarded and not yet approved from the 

Technical Session, as per our internal regulations, but those that are being made today at 

this Plenary Session. 

The first has to do with the very clear, detailed report made today by the head of the 

new Forestry, Cultural Landscape and Environment Management Department. In previous 

years as some of you will recall—in fact it was brought up twice—when international action 

got underway and when the Tourism Development Department was established, this Committee 

was insistently asked to give specific support. 

The first idea is the importance of the tree cover—we heard some figures given in the 

report by our colleague, Mr Chhor Thanat, about the number of trees, some 40 percent in 

Zone 1, constituting forest or tree cover. Obviously support is needed for this. So the recommendation 

would be as follows: Go to all of the Member States and institutions 

represented here to tell them about this new priority, the forest, the environment of the 

Angkor eco-cultural heritage. You are well aware that this site is not just cultural, but ecocultural. 

So this department needs support in the form of expertise, financial contributions, 

information and documentation. That is extremely important. That is the first recommendation 

I have for you. If you feel it is feasible, we will write it up in the Secretariat’s usual 

way. That is the first, but before moving on to the next two, I would like to get your input… 

[silence] Thank you. The proverb has it that silence is consent. So I understand that all our 

colleagues agree for the Secretariat to write up this recommendation. 

The second suggestion is based on the two very good, very clear reports from our 

colleagues, Professor Lablaude and Professor Bouchenaki regarding the Western Baray. The 

recommendation could be as follows: 

With your consent, present a formal request to the Royal Government, recommending 

that we take advantage of the opportunity before us now. Some of the APSARA Authority 

officials, along with a number of experts, made a helicopter flight over the zone and for the 

first time, due to the rains this year, we saw the outline of the Western Baray in its entirety. 

So, the one third of its area that is currently filled in with sediment can be dredged 

out. The dredging would have two advantages; firstly, as pointed out by Professor Lablaude, 

it would increase the water volume that could be used for irrigation and other things. 

Secondly, not in order of value or importance, in the event of heavy rain, we avoid the 

danger of having the water level go up 40 or 50 cm and impact on the Mebon tower. In this 

way we ‘kill two birds with one stone,’ as it were. We get more water and we reduce the 

danger that threatens the Mebon. 

Fortunately, mention was previously made by two people, the Co-chairman for France 

and UNESCO’s Deputy Director General, praising the Chairman of the APSARA Authority, 

who is also a government leader, the Deputy Prime Minister, for his regular attendance at 

these proceedings. That helps us a great deal and gives support for what we are doing. 

So we recommend that instructions be given for a comprehensive study to be done. 

The area basically involves rice paddies and HE the Governor of Siem Reap, Mr Sou Phirin, 

has informed us that he can find replacement land for the current owners of those rice paddies, 

relocating them elsewhere, and therefore take advantage of very favorable 

circumstances so that this program, of great value on two fronts, can take place as quickly 

as possible. 

That is the first component as regards the Western Baray. And carrying on with the 

Western Baray, as outlined by Professor Lablaude, we want to recommend that there be a 

scientific and technical meeting of minds between the University of Sydney, the EFEO and 

APSARA. Not just APSARA’s Water Department, but also the Department of Monuments and 

Preventive Archaeology. All of this has to come under the umbrella of the APSARA National 

Authority. But here is an opportunity to carry out things together: the archaeological, historical 

and restoration study, along with the water problem, would all be dealt with through 

an international cooperation arrangement, something truly exemplary. So that is the way








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the second and final recommendation is shaping up and I will present it to you as soon as 

our Co-chairman has put it out to the floor for discussion, if desired.” 

Comment by Mr Maruyama: “As a matter of procedure, now that we have a new set of internal 

regulations, two subjects have been raised that are very important and need a 

detailed review to see just what support the ICC can offer. I feel that one of the issues—I 

am now not speaking on behalf of Japan, but as Co-chairman of the Technical Session—is 

the need for greater insight at our next Technical Session on what advantages this new 

forestry management department brings us. Previously it was linked with water, but we 

don’t know exactly how things will work better in relation to the previous set up. 

I would very much like to have this type of study. I don’t know if it will be done by 

APSARA or in cooperation with our Standing Secretariat. This is a priority that the ICC is 

called on to give. In my capacity as a person in charge of the Technical Session, I would 

like to have a bit more time to assess things more clearly. This is very important. I agree 

that there should be a discussion now that we have these new regulations. The ICC wants 

to see the Plenary Session make better use of the Technical Session.” 

Reaction of the Co-chairman for France: “From an organizational standpoint, these are not 

new regulations. We have codified our standing practices and indeed it is up to the Technical 

Session to make a technical review of proposals or projects that are put before the 

Technical Session. Our Plenary Session has the job of giving final approval to technical operations 

that have been undertaken, but also and more importantly, to identify problems 

strategically. So I think that the Plenary Session, upon proposal of the Scientific Secretary, 

is concerned with problem identification. Where a problem is identified at the level of the 

Plenary Session, then the Technical Session must seek input and examine the input. This 

way, we have a virtuous, dynamic dialectics between our two sessions. I would like to ask 

our Scientific Secretary if he has a final proposal to make.” 

Proposal made by Mr Azedine Beschaouch: “Yes. And let me add that Mr Maruyama is more 

informed than I am and is definitely right. But you just said what had to be said. We are 

not being asked to make a decision, but simply to approve the examination of a principle 

and submission of files. No country can decide to provide a financial contribution or send in 

an expert if a principle has not been approved. So today the principle has been approved. 

We are going to go to work—that’s the Secretariat’s job—and make sure that between now 

and the next Technical Session we can go to the embassies and the teams to have the 

technical files prepared where input from experts is needed. 

Now, moving to the final proposal. This is based on Mr Mounir Bouchenaki’s report 

that contained a very important point. It involves Kulen and the recommendations that he 

outlined for the safeguarding of the temples in the Kulen zone. Three years ago, the Royal 

Government informed us of its desire to expand the world heritage zone. At the time, the 

Secretariat, in conjunction with the two chairmen, advised the Royal Government to postpone 

taking this idea up with the World Heritage Committee, despite its being very 

legitimate, until everything had been done to ensure its safeguarding and proper management. 

This is now the case, because we have this new structure, and by next year a major 

report will be presented regarding the proper management of the site. 

The other point has to do with safeguarding as a result of hands-on work in the field. 

Thus, when the presentation is made to that committee, we will not be speaking in terms of 

something in danger, but of something that is being maintained and safeguarded on a continuous 

basis. That is what the Bouchenaki report is all about. It is proposing guard 

services, maintenance and ongoing upkeep for this zone. So that is what our proposal boils 

down to. If you agree, we will extract these points about safeguarding the Phnom Kulen 

zone from Mr Bouchenaki’s report and look at them in detail at the next Technical Session. 

This is extremely important for the future of the Angkor site. This area borders on it, but 

more than that, it plays a ‘water tower’ function. If something isn’t done to protect the forest 

cover in particular, there could be problems with supplying Angkor Park with water, as 

well as the town of Siem Reap. Thank you.”








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Comment from the Co-chairman for France: “We thank our Scientific Secretary for those 

comments. I point out here that it is now 1:30 p.m. You’re still going strong but if you are 

starting to feel tired, that’s quite understandable. I recommend that you hold in there just 

a little bit longer for two final papers that the contributors will present in the five minutes 

they have been allocated. The first is Professor Metzner, Rector of the Cologne University, 

who we had the pleasure of hearing from yesterday when he opened the GACP exhibition.” 

II.9 Contribution from Professor Dr Joachim Metzner, Rector of the Cologne 

University of Applied Sciences 

[OrigE] “Thank you for the opportunity to make a very short statement about the German 

academic engagement in Angkor from my point of view, as vice-president of the 

German Rectors’ Conference and as president of Cologne University of Applied Sciences, 

which is mainly involved in the German Apsara Conservation Project. The background of my 

comment is the constantly high and actually still growing interest in Cambodian culture, art 

and history in my country, not least of all by many German universities. Especially the 

great exhibition on the country of the Khmer shown in Germany last year and extensively 

supported by the Cambodian government was a complete success and met with an overwhelming 

response from the public and the media. And I think that in Germany the given 

effect of this event can and will be a valuable driving force for our actual engagement in the 

safeguarding of the historical site of Angkor, too. I am optimistic that the high public interest 

will generate further rapport, especially for the German Apsara Conservation project 

and for the German conservation scientists in situ. 

It is very important in this context that the aims and the mission of the universities in 

Germany are very well matched to the objectives of this project here. We are convinced 

that good education is not possible without intense research, and in reverse, good research 

has to go together with intense education. So we, the responsible scientists, have to pay 

attention to opportunities for our students to get involved in real research projects at an 

early stage. And here in Angkor, my colleagues have given 80 young international students 

the opportunity to participate in the program until now. This is a contribution to a science- 

and research-based education in the field of stone conservation, which should not be underestimated. 

International scientific cooperation has to be of mutual benefit. On the other 

hand, it is not the only aim of research to produce new knowledge but also to generate 

highly educated people able to apply the new knowledge to extremely complex problems, 

like here, in the conservation of Angkor. 

Sustainable development includes helping people to help themselves in the long run. 

From our point of view, and with regard to the field of stone conservation, this means intense 

qualification of local experts. Because of this, I am very happy to be able to use my 

visit to Angkor to hand over a certificate of qualification in stone conservation to local 

members of the German Apsara Conservation Project that requires special theoretical 

knowledge and relevant practical experience. 

Ladies and gentlemen, let me make a last remark. International scientific cooperation 

has to be of mutual benefit to be long lasting. This is given, I am sure, by the GACP. Many 

new insights and a lot of experience gained in our project in Angkor found their way into 

theoretical discussion and academic education in Germany. So the project became a winwin 

situation. This is a good condition regarding the future. My university knows that scientific 

engagement in Angkor has to be continuously supported and will carry out her duty, 

and I think, ladies and gentlemen, this is also a good message to the ICC today. Thank you 

for your attention.” 

Comment from the Co-chairman for France: “Thank you very much. Keep in mind that we 

also have a very fine activity report from the German Apsara Conservation Project in the 

book of abstracts.








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The last presentation for this morning will be made from the rostrum by Mme Nicole 

Pot, Director General of the National Institute for Research in Preventive Archaeology.” 

II.10 Cooperation Between the National Institute for Research in Preventive 

Archaeology (INRAP) and the APSARA National Authority, by Madame Nicole 

Pot, INRAP Director General, France 

“I will attempt to give you an overview of the key areas in which the National Institute 

for Research in Preventive Archaeology or INRAP, established six years ago in France, 

is sharing for development of the Angkor site. 

At the request of local authorities, we are endeavoring to support the development of 

archeology in general but with a special focus on preventive archaeology or archaeological 

surveying. In a nutshell, let me summarize the main points of our longstanding cooperation 

that goes back to the mid-1990’s, before INRAP was established. We have had one particularly 

significant cooperation agreement. 

In 2004, we partnered up with APSARA and the VINCI Group to carry out the first major 

archaeological survey operation on the site. This involved excavations on the land to be 

occupied by the Siem Reap Airport extension. This takes us right to the heart of preventive 

archaeology where we intervene prior to major development work that may result in the 

destruction of remains or archives found in the ground. 

Now we are working under a framework agreement with APSARA that we signed in 

2005 and are in the process of extending. We also have an agreement with the École française 

d’Extrême-Orient that took effect this year, along with agreements with the Embassy 

of France, under which INRAP has appointed an expert, Mr Éric Llopis, to work on an ongoing, 

year-round basis with the FSP in the capacity of scientific adviser, along with its 

director, Mr Michel Verrot. The work done by the FSP scientific adviser with the FSP director, 

involves helping draft sets of specifications and programs for preventive archaeology 

operations on the site. This includes those developed by the APSARA Authority, as well as 

helping identify archaeological potentials and designing an appropriate development management 

tool. 

Since last year when the INRAP president took the floor here, we designed some 

training operations and thereby shared in a skills transfer under INRAP’s terms of reference 

involving a number of countries. Right now, some Cambodian trainees from APSARA are in 

the Aquitaine and Poitou-Charente region in France for a three-month period and are working 

out in the field, doing diagnostic operations and excavations. These exercises were 

chosen because of their close relationship to what is being done on the Siem Reap-Angkor 

site. They are also guests of the University of Poitiers where they are studying archaeology 

management strategies of a more general nature. 

To wrap up the first part of my presentation, I would like to add that INRAP is fully 

prepared to continue what it is doing, to extend its cooperation with APSARA and with the 

Embassy, of course, and thereby expand the roster of training activities. 

The second point I would like to make, but with no claim to making a transition to this 

afternoon’s theme on sustainable development, is that preventive archaeology operations 

are a very logical part of sustainable development. Preventive archaeology has a big role to 

play in this area. Why so? Here are a couple of things to think about. The basic purpose of 

preventive archaeology is to preserve knowledge of the past, even though it may not be 

tangible knowledge, but simply knowledge preserved through the recording of data, so that 

analytical thinking can be done by future generations using such data. So we are fully in 

line with the sustainable development theme, which is conservation of the past for future 

generations.








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What are we out to accomplish? I think the answer to this question is especially 

meaningful on a site as outstanding as Angkor. We want to study past societies, the history 

of human settlements, and the history of ways of life, as well as to understand climate and 

environmental changes. In this way we address some of man’s very fundamental questions 

about where he is from, about his history. Preventive archaeology therefore has a crucial 

identity function with a view to tying local history together with a more general history, 

that of all mankind. 

Secondly, and why I would like to emphasize the sustainable development angle, is 

that preventive archaeology, the thrust of what we would like to continue doing here with 

all of you for years to come, contributes to reasoned economic development, to the extent 

that knowledge of the past enables more effective management of the present and preparation 

for the future, to the extent too that it enables better control of the risks incurred by 

economic development. 

In line with this, let me refer to the operations just mentioned by a number of contributors 

regarding the hydraulics regime and canals of the Siem Reap region. We are 

dealing with an ecosystem and this obviously involves archaeological knowledge. So it 

seems to me that the development of preventive archaeology research programs— 

upstream studies, explorations, excavations and all possible combinations of these—is crucial, 

and that such programs must be given consideration in the framework of 

environmental studies. Preventive archeology is part and parcel of a comprehensive, overall 

approach, a multidisciplinary vision. Thank you very much.” 

Comment from the Co-chairman for France: “Many thanks, Madame. I especially thank you 

for having established the link between preventive archaeology and sustainable development. 

That does provide a transition to this afternoon’s session. I also thank you for telling 

us about private companies, private consortiums, that can be our partners, such as the 

VINCI Group. 

This therefore brings to a close our morning session on research and conservation. 

Those attending this ICC meeting are invited to go for lunch that we must restrict to just 

one hour. We will get back together at 2:30 p.m. Thank you very much.” 

III. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 

III.1 French Cooperation: Regional Heritage Training Center Second Graduating 

Class, by Madame Anne-Marie le Guével, Administrator, Cité de l'architecture 

et du patrimoine 

Anne-Marie le Guével: 

“I would like to start by thanking you for your welcome and by introducing the Cité de 

l’architecture et du patrimoine and its recent involvement here. I would like to start with a 

few words on behalf of Michel Clément who was mentioned this morning. He is the Director 

of Architecture and Heritage with the French Ministry of Culture. He expresses his regrets 

for being unable to be with you today, but would like to let you know that he is very 

interested in and supportive of the work done by this Committee. 

The Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine is a public institution under the Ministry of 

Culture, established in 2004 for the purpose of highlighting architecture and heritage, raising 

awareness thereof for the public in general, as well as for professionals and specialists.








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The public institution is home to three entities, two of which are of a venerable age 

because of being established in the 19 th century, firstly the Museum of French Monuments 

and the Chaillot School, which is working in the program in question, and finally, the French 

Institute of Architecture, which is a center for contemporary architecture that puts on exhibitions 

and workshops on this theme. 

This three-fold vocation—museum, training center and meeting and exhibition venue—all 

contribute to the diversity and outreach of the complex, which gives it a 

multidisciplinary approach, one that is crucial for all of these different areas. The Cité de 

l’architecture et du patrimoine is right in Paris, in the Chaillot Palace, which was reopened 

in September 2007 after ten years of work. It features 19 th -century and early 20 th -century 

moldings, which are plaster copies of historical monuments as well as murals from those 

periods. These older collections have been rounded out with contemporary collections of 

scale models and multimedia tools for the education of the general public. Since its opening 

in September 2007, the complex has attracted many visitors, which makes us very happy. 

Before giving the floor to Mireille Grubert, I wanted to repeat that the Cité de 

l’architecture et du patrimoine has an international vocation as seen in its three missions. 

The ‘Cité,’ in particular the Museum of French Monuments, will be hosting the International 

Confederation of Architectural Museums (ICAM) in 2009. It is likewise involved in a number 

of international projects that are tied into this afternoon’s theme. One of them is an exhibition 

from April to November 2009 on sustainable, eco-responsible, densified habitat. This 

international dimension is especially present in the training sessions given for many years 

now by the Chaillot School in eight countries on three continents. We are very pleased to 

do so with the support of UNESCO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of 

France in Cambodia. Thank you and we will now hear from Mireille Grubert.” 

Mireille Grubert: 

“Some brief information about the Chaillot School that is the operator for the Regional 

Heritage Training Center here in Cambodia. I will go into more detail about it later, with a 

progress report on its activities to date. 

The Chaillot School was established 120 years ago in France by the Historical Monuments 

Department. It is the training arm of the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine and 

puts on training sessions for architects wanting to specialize in conservation in France as 

well as in cooperation arrangements abroad. We also handle another type of broader public. 

The training courses we deliver in France lead to an advanced honors diploma (“DSA”) 

for students who are all architects. This postgraduate training enables these architects to 

specialize in heritage conservation, restoration and presentation, be it architectural, urban 

or landscape. Some 60 students a year are enrolled in these two-year courses that comprise 

two days of class every two weeks. This is a form of continuing education for people 

who keep on working. 

We also train government architects and urban planners (“AUE”), that is, architects 

who successfully competed for jobs as civil servants in the field of heritage protection and 

presentation. They occupy government positions in the departments of France and as such 

come under two line ministries, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable 

Development. 

These courses have different focuses, first the architecture stream that is centered on 

issues of conservation, presentation and reuse of buildings and monuments, or more ordinary 

buildings from the standpoint of knowledge, diagnostic analysis, restoration and reuse. 

Then we have the urban stream that is concerned with urban and landscape combinations








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and protected spaces for which we develop skills in the study, analysis and management of 

contemporary society, with a view toward sustainable development. The idea also is to 

promote more qualitative building in contemporary architecture, in existing combinations 

and in quality protected spaces. 

Our international cooperation arrangements extend out to Cambodia, Bulgaria, Syria 

and Morocco, where we have long-term courses. We also have more one-off exchanges and 

cooperation agreements with China, Romania and India. Here are some samples of work 

that we are doing abroad. We will then come back to what we are doing with the Regional 

Heritage Training Center in Cambodia. 

[slide] This is in Damascus, Syria, where we are conducting a course in cooperation with 

the Damascus Faculty of Architecture. [slide] Here we are working in the Qanawat quarter in 

Damascus, making a study and analysis of its aristocratic houses, including a more detailed 

study of one of these houses and how it evolved over time, followed by a restoration project. 

[slide] Here is a training course along the same lines in Bulgaria, our Sofia course, with 

the Bulgarian Institute of Cultural Monuments, which focuses both on vernacular and monumental 

architecture. 

[slide] We are also in Romania where we have a site workshop that is scheduled every 

two years. Students from our school work together with junior architects in Romania, and 

here they are studying the small town of Dealufrumos and its citadel. 

[slide] In China, we also had a cross-linked workshop with the Tongji University College 

of Architecture and Urban Planning in Shanghai. We worked with it in the small town of 

Zhaji, population 4,500, studying the town but with particular interest in one of the five 

family temples. 

[slide] I was saying that we had activities for students who are not architects. These are 

courses open to the general public on the history of architecture and new developments in 

architecture. Let me add that Pascal Royère will be in Paris to give a presentation on the 

work he is directing on the Baphuon temple at Angkor. 

[slide] Speaking now of the Regional Heritage Training Center based here in Cambodia, 

which hosts a course that is organized by officials from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and 

France, with assistance from UNESCO and the international scientific community. The 

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that of Culture and Communication are both the line 

ministries and contributors. Chaillot School is the operator. Funding is from the Ministry of 

Foreign Affairs through its Priority Solidarity Fund. Component 2 is ‘Angkor Heritage and 

Sustainable Development’ and under it is this heritage training course. The three countries 

involved in the training program facilitate things for the course. 

[slide] The structure of the regional center was put together in 2007, under the field responsibility 

of Michel Verrot, a chief government architect and urban planner, while the Cité 

de l’architecture operates things from Paris. A general steering committee meets once a 

year in Paris, while regional committees get together in each of the three countries. 

[slide] The content highlights issues regarding architectural, urban and landscape heritage 

from the standpoint of insight, inventory and technical analysis. The students are 

familiarized with approaches to protection, maintenance, management and restoration, as 

well as reuse of ancient heritage, which abounds in these countries, along with a more recent 

heritage, such as colonial heritage or architecture of the 1950s or even 60s.








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The curriculum puts emphasis on learning approaches, with no attempt whatsoever to 

plaster the teaching of one country over that of another. The course includes theory presentations, 

lectures and working visits. Students do supervised practical work with case 

studies and projects. Each student does a long project throughout the academic year on a 

self-chosen building or site. 

Nine sessions were held during the 2007-2008 year, from October to June. Four sessions 

dealt with architecture and monuments, with four others focusing more specifically on 

urban compositions and natural sites. Last June, at the end of the year, a qualifying jury 

met in Phnom Penh. The student selection and evaluation process is handled in each country, 

with harmonization by the general steering committee. Students are evaluated on the 

basis of their work throughout the year as well as on their long project. 

Mr Michel Verrot is in charge of general course coordination. The architecture stream 

is handled on behalf of Chaillot School by Pierre-André Lablaude, Dominique Larpin and Éric 

Palot, chief architects for historical monuments. The urban stream is handled by Alexandre 

Mélicinos, architect and urban planner, along with Lorenzo Diez, chief government architect 

and urban planner. Colleagues from the EFEO also contribute to the course, and I am sure 

some of you had a part last year, along with teachers from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. 

The UNESCO international experts enhance the curriculum with lectures when they are on 

their way through Siem Reap or Phnom Penh. 

The 2007-2008 session had an enrollment of 22, with eight students from Cambodia, 

nine from Vietnam and five from Laos, and 18 successfully completed the course. The majority 

of them were architects, archaeologists or engineers. The jury was presided by His 

Highness Prince Sisowath Kulachad. A certificate awarding ceremony was held on June 6, 

2008, in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Bopha Devi, Minister of Culture and 

Fine Arts, the ambassador of France in Cambodia, representatives of the embassies of Laos 

and Vietnam and the UNESCO representative. 

Here are some examples of long projects handled by our students from each of the 

three countries. 

[slide] Here we see a study of the hydraulics system of Banteay Chhmar in Cambodia, 

done by Kim Sothim, Kear and Thong Bunthoen on the various watersheds, two of which 

feed this temple complex. [slide] They also studied the relationship of this temple with the 

groups of villages that surround it. 

[slide] Another example, from Vietnam this time, is the village of Trien Khuc studied by 

Nguyen Thai Huyen. [slide] You see here a characterization and hierarchization of the streets 

and built-up forms, along with a deeper study of a religious building. 

[slide] The third example highlights the conservation and rehabilitation of a building on 

the Wat Phu site in Laos, done by Amphol Sengphachanh and Khamseng Vongsy. The study 

included village nuclei and the rural built-up zone that give the temple its setting. Studying 

the temple involved a diagnostic analysis of the structural state of the building, interpretations 

of damage it has sustained and proposals to remedy it, along with further proposals 

for phasing in restoration operations. 

These few examples give some insight into the work that was done during this first 

year of operation of the Regional Heritage Training Center. We have worked with Mr Michel 

Verrot and the full team to get the second year underway, and we hope to be able to duplicate 

this training for a total of three years. Thank you.”


III.2 New Zealand Cooperation: Angkor Management Plan, par HE Mr Uk 

Sameth, Deputy Director General, APSARA National Authority 







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[OrigE] “I have no intention of making a lengthy report because this project has been 

presented many times and in many ways in the past, so I would just like to make a progress 

report.. 

The Angkor Management Plan is funded by New Zealand’s International Aid and Development 

Agency. Its aim is to provide the APSARA Authority with guidelines on 

management procedures and know-how for the action plan. This action plan should lead 

fundamentally to involving the communities living in protected zones, i.e. Zone 1 and 

Zone 2, having them participate fully in the development and protection of the temples. 

The first aspect, protection, is to help them understand the world heritage site, which 

is very important. The second aspect, development, is to give them the possibility of sharing 

in the profits generated by the Angkor World Heritage Site, meaning particularly in the 

tourism sector. We have seen in the past so many things happen in the tourism sector, but 

unfortunately these communities still do not have the possibility of sharing in the profits. 

This is the fundamental thrust of what we call the Angkor Management Plan. 

I am happy to announce that this plan is finished. It has been revised many times, in 

many ways, and is now ready to be implemented by January 2009. In this respect, we are 

now in the process of recruiting and consulting, which should be completed by the end of 

this month and will be ready for action by January 2009. In this respect, the first project 

that is going to be implemented is a pilot project in a rural area. This will be used as a test 

to see the mechanism, the policy and strategy planning, and if this project will lead to the 

expected outcomes in the future. Based on the results of the first project phase, readjustments 

will be made to enable us to continue in the right direction. Four components of the 

project are to be implemented immediately. 

The first one, is helping the people in the village, teaching them how to coordinate, 

how to associate and how to see what priorities of the project they themselves could and 

should implement in the future. 

The second one, is regarding capacity of building for the APSARA Authority by helping 

the Department of Land Planning and Housing to coordinate action with communities. 

The third one, the most important, is the land use plan which will be developed in 

Zone 1 and Zone 2, to see the potential of the site and determine which way this land could 

best be used for the communities and for the protection of the temples. 

The fourth one, will be tourism development. Helping communities living in Zone 1 

and Zone 2 see how they can be integrated in the tourism sector processes. 

All of these activities are designed to help the communities share in the profits generated 

from the World Heritage Site by the tourism sector and at the same time, we’re 

hoping that we can reduce the poverty gap. Thank you for your attention.” 

III.3 German Cooperation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische 

Zusammenarbeit (GTZ): Green Belt Project, by Mr Martin Orth, Project 

Director 

[OrigE] “Thank you very much for providing me the opportunity to give a brief account 

on the Cambodian-German economic development program ‘Greenbelt Siem Reap’. 

Enabling tourist destinations such as Luang Prabang and Danang, tourism spending 

had a considerable impact on the local economy and in particular on poverty alleviation. In








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these places, it is estimated that more than 25 percent of local tourism spending has an 

impact on poverty alleviation. With the figure of only 5 percent, Siem Reap is profoundly 

under-performing on pro-poor impact from its tourism industry. The central idea of the 

Green Belt Program is to help change this. In 2007, an agreement was reached between 

the Cambodian and German governments to jointly tackle the problem that too few people 

are benefiting from steadily increasing tourism revenues trickling down to rural communities, 

especially the poor. 

Green Belt is a Cambodian program under the leadership of the Council of Ministers 

and the provincial government, the provincial and district administrations, the technical 

departments and local government police, to develop and implement the program activities. 

Outside government, private sector institutions such as the Chamber of Commerce, 

business associations, private enterprises and service providers, as well as civil society organizations 

are important partners. 

The German contribution is provided through different institutions of German development 

cooperation. Technical advisers provide capacity-building support. They work 

together with their Cambodian counterparts to develop appropriate innovations and solutions 

and introduce new tools and procedures to enhance local economic development, 

facilitate market access and participation of the poor and improve local governance and 

service provision. The German Development Bank provides financial assistance for rural 

infrastructures, in particular rural roads, to improve access to services and markets. 

We started our activities one year ago, thus we are at the very beginning of a cooperation 

arrangement that is planned for approximately eight years. Our objective is to 

improve the participation of the rural poor in Siem Reap’s growing markets. To link rural 

poor to the axes of growth in Siem Reap, we follow a market-driven approach. We aim at 

the growing turnover of regional products, the development of new business opportunities 

and increased employment. Special importance is given to remove barriers and constraints 

that hinder participation of the poor in the economic development of the province, such as 

deficits in qualifications, lack of skills and information and weak self-confidence and bargaining 

power. 

To promote pro-poor growth in the regional economy, the Green Belt Program started 

activities in three fields. In Component 1, we started to work in three rural districts. Here, 

we follow a local economic development approach known as regional management that 

builds upon better cooperation between public, private and civil society stakeholders. During 

the first month, we supported capacity building of potential initiators, facilitators and 

stakeholders of regional management. We organized joint workshops in the districts to analyze 

strengths and weaknesses to improve cooperation and identify quick-win projects that 

are presently being implemented. 

First results, such as quality improvement of local products, better market access and 

higher benefits, prove the relevance of the approach. Studies are undertaken to identify 

comparative economic advantages of the districts. At present, we are preparing for regional 

conferences to jointly define the vision for sustainable economic development and define 

ways to activate growth potentials. 

Feasibility studies for improvement of rural access roads and markets have been undertaken 

and work is planned to start in early 2009. The program is further preparing for 

priority interventions that have been jointly identified in the fields of market-driven agricultural 

production, vocational training and the establishment of demand-driven services that 

support the development of businesses and employment. 

Along with the promotion of growth and employment in rural districts, the program 

also aims at enhancing the commitment of the private sector stakeholders for sustainable 

development and motivating them to extend their activities to the poor regions of the prov-








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ince. In return for their commitment to improve local job creation and local incomes, district 

administrations and self-administration bodies will improve their service provision and 

the framework conditions for the private sector. We are presently preparing public-private 

partnerships that will play an important role in this regard. 

In Component 2 of the program, we are promoting access to market opportunities for 

small producers. In particular, we are aiming to improve local production and market access 

of vegetables, fruit and handicrafts. There is a preference for local products from the 

local consumers, as well as in the hotel business. However, a recent market survey jointly 

undertaken with other projects in the province revealed that the overall market share for 

locally produced foods and vegetables remains at a very low 20 percent. The reasons are 

manifold. It starts with a lack of appropriate quality input, the lack of know-how and technology 

of farmers to produce the quality and quantity demanded by the local market and to 

assure regularity in supply. Lack of market information and market access are important 

constraints. But the difficulties to overcome include such issues as a more favorable payment 

schedule for imported products or kickback pay. 

In order to increase the competitiveness of local products, the Green Belt Program 

started to address these problems on different levels. We are promoting technical innovations 

and skills development at present with about 400 producers in five districts. Their first 

products meeting the demand were successfully sold and provided higher incomes. In cooperation 

with the provincial departments of agriculture and commerce, we started to 

improve market information services. By bringing together traders and producers, we are 

supporting better interaction between actors in the value chain and assisting them to better 

understand each other’s constraints and to develop better cooperation based upon joint 

interest. 

Here as well, we are preparing for public-private partnerships, and are presently in 

discussion with seed companies and traders to supply high quality input, promote local 

products and establish embedded services to increase the know-how and capacity of producers. 

Together with the Ministry of Agriculture, we are now also working to introduce quality 

standards, the Asian Good Agriculture Practice standards, at a later stage as well, ecostandards, 

and certification procedures to distinguish local products and develop comparative 

advantages. 

In areas important for rural development and poverty reduction, Component 3 will 

support the implementation of the decentralization and deconcentration reforms, including 

the forthcoming organic law. 

In order to improve local governance in Siem Reap, the program has begun capacitybuilding 

initiatives for district administrations and commune councils to facilitate an enabling 

environment for pro-poor economic development. We facilitate improvements to the 

service delivery approaches of selected departments so they are better positioned to respond 

to citizen needs and demands, and therefore to play their role in local economic 

development and poverty alleviation. We promote mechanisms that will assist in effectively 

coordinating local development activities, including on the provincial level, the activities of 

different donors and development assistance partners. 

In this component, we are also working with civil society to improve its capacities, to 

articulate its needs and demands to local government. Particular emphasis is placed on the 

participation of the poor, ensuring that the needs of both men and women are accounted 

for, and we are also providing support for a voice for the youth. 

I regret that at this stage of the program, I mainly presented intentions. However, 

first achievements and foremost the commitment of all stakeholders involved, to improve 

the pro-poor impact of the tourism industry, make us optimistic to be able to substantially 

contribute to this goal. Thank you very much.”


III.4 Australian Cooperation: "Heritage Management Framework" Project, by 

HE Madame Margaret Adamson, Ambassador of Australia in Cambodia 

[OrigE] “HE Oum Weachiravuth, Senior Representative of His Majesty the King, 

Excellencies Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, Chairman of the APSARA National Authority, 

and Thong Kong, Minister of Tourism 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen: 







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It gives me great pleasure and is also a great honor to present to this Plenary Session 

of the ICC, the Heritage Management Framework Project: World Heritage Site of Angkor, 

which the government of Australia proposes jointly to fund together with the Royal Government 

of Cambodia. Media releases have been released today to launch the project which 

will represent a cooperative arrangement between our two governments and UNESCO and 

builds on the extensive engagement over many years of Australian researchers and expert 

consultants, led by Sydney University through the Greater Angkor Project and the Living 

With Heritage Project. The project budget of some US$1.66 million is shared between Australia, 

with a contribution of 1.33 million Australian dollars and by Cambodia in excess of 

US$600,000. 

Recent resolutions of the World Heritage Committee and the International Coordination 

Committee for Angkor have called for more sustainable development and poverty 

alleviation in Siem Reap province through the appropriate heritage management of Angkor. 

Since 1993, many new projects have been implemented at Angkor, especially aiming 

at the restoration of monuments, but including major archaeological surveys and excavation 

of the settlement area of Angkor, the establishment of Geographical Information 

System resources and expertise, as well as research and thematic studies, all of which have 

greatly contributed to enhancing our understanding of the site, its extent and its heritage 

value. We now know the Angkor area as an extensive urban complex, covering around 

1,000 km 2 , a much larger area than the current core area and buffer zones of the world 

heritage site. It has also been confirmed and highlighted, including today, that the Khmer 

people consider Angkor as an emblem of their continuing culture, not just as a past civilization. 

Angkor is an integral part of daily life as well as of the future of Siem Reap province 

and Cambodia itself. 

Although numerous research and restoration projects have been carried out, a consistent 

policy for the conservation of the World Heritage Site has not yet been developed. In 

the past few years, however, Angkor has seen a rapid change in its socio-economic and 

environmental context, resulting in a series of new challenges for the local community, 

long-term sustainable development and management of the site. The relationship between 

these intersecting factors—heritage, tourism, development, and the environment and the 

local communities—is complex and ever changing. 

Despite the efforts and the extraordinary commitment by the Royal Government of 

Cambodia (APSARA) and its staff, and notwithstanding the Royal Decree of 1994, the current 

protection framework does not appear adequate in the long term to be able to ensure 

the safeguarding of the heritage values of Angkor—either the current World Heritage Site or 

the surrounding cultural landscape identified by recent research—nor to guarantee its contribution 

to the sustainable development of the region. Measures to strengthen this 

protection framework have been recognized as necessary. 

The immediate objective of the proposal is the establishment of a Heritage Management 

Framework, which manages the identified heritage values of the entire Angkor 

cultural landscape, for its long-term conservation and presentation, and the development of 

capacity within APSARA for the implementation and review processes needed.








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The preparation of a comprehensive Heritage Management Framework for the greater 

Angkor site, including the Angkor World Heritage property, is identified as a high priority 

‘pipeline project’, within the implementation strategy for the Management Plan. 

The Heritage Management Framework proposes the development of a comprehensive 

framework for heritage management by addressing community concerns and traditions as 

well as the conservation of monuments and archaeological sites and the surrounding cultural 

landscape. It will manage the identified heritage values of the entire cultural 

landscape for its long-term sustainability. 

The project will also develop an exemplary methodology for the management of complex 

cultural sites with living communities and growing tourism. The resulting Heritage 

Management Framework may be used at other Cambodian sites, such as Preah Vihear as 

well as more widely, at other World Heritage places which face similar challenging management 

issues. 

On a much larger scale, the Heritage Management Framework would contribute to the 

economic development of Cambodia as a whole. Improvement to the management on site 

would not only mean a more substantial income for the local population and a better distribution 

of wealth in the province of Siem Reap, it would also improve accessibility to the 

site, creating new potential for appropriate tourism development. These opportunities, created 

at Angkor, could be duplicated or transferred, with local adaptation, to other 

provinces, thereby addressing the need for larger and much less concentrated tourist distribution 

over the country; in turn helping to generate income for a much larger part of the 

population and increase the Royal Cambodian Government revenues and generating new 

investments and overall more sustainable development of the country. The Heritage Management 

Framework will thereby become an important and effective initiative to alleviate 

poverty in one of Cambodia's poorest provinces, by enabling the community to participate 

and share in the cultural and economic powerhouse of tourism at Angkor. 

The proposed Heritage Management Framework should have a strategic focus, and be 

complemented, as necessary and appropriate, by a series of subsidiary plans within the 

framework of the main Heritage Management Framework. Some of these subsidiary plans, 

such as an interactive website, may be prepared as part of the Heritage Management 

Framework project. Others, such as visitor management policies, may already exist and, 

therefore, require review and adjustment to fit within the Heritage Management Framework. 

It may also be necessary to provide for preparation of new subsidiary plans, for 

example, a new field handbook, as part of the Heritage Management Framework implementation 

process. 

The Heritage Management Framework will engage with the social, environmental and 

economic context of the whole of Angkor, providing a basis for sustained development and 

increased productivity in the Siem Reap Province. 

By linking local communities with the opportunities created by burgeoning tourism, 

and working in close consultation with the various technical teams operating on the site, 

the Heritage Management Framework project will develop a coherent set of policies and 

procedures to enable APSARA to conserve both tangible and intangible values of Angkor 

while also improving governance and helping to alleviate rural poverty. This framework will 

be based on a reassessment of all of the values of Angkor—including contemporary social 

values, as well as traditional, aesthetic, historic and scientific ones. The project will use an 

inclusive process, involving key APSARA personnel to facilitate skills development and ongoing 

carriage of management processes, in the context of needing to devise a model for 

carrying capacity and wide scale community engagement in heritage management. 

By addressing the economic role of Angkor, in conjunction with APSARA and in consultation 

with local communities, the project will aim to provide improved outcomes for the 

many Khmer people who live within the wider Angkor cultural landscape. This development








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goal is strongly focused on improving the income generation opportunities, both for the 

villagers within the park and for those who inhabit the wider area occupied by the old urban 

complex of Angkor. The Heritage Management Framework must include explicit provisions 

for ongoing agricultural development compatible with the conservation of the heritage significance 

of the area, as well as development of the heritage resources as a local 

community asset, through greater involvement of local people in the management and interpretation 

of the site for visitors. In addition to the economic dimension, the proposed 

Heritage Management Framework will contribute to strengthening the social capital of the 

communities living within and around Angkor through reinforced links with their heritage 

and traditions. This will result in an increased stewardship toward their environment, trust 

in local institutions and education opportunities. This is precisely why the contribution of 

the Living With Heritage Project is so important. 

Furthermore, the Heritage Management Framework should, in this context, be guided 

by the 2007 Management Plan, which is focusing on precisely these issues, but only for the 

protected zones 1 and 2. Lessons learned during the implementation of the 2007 Management 

plan should be adopted in the Management Framework wherever possible so that the 

Management Framework and Management Plan are entirely complementary. The project 

should additionally draw on synergies with, and make reference to, the Land Management 

System (LMS) project that will be implemented by APSARA in close association with the 

Management Plan. 

In conclusion, let me note that cultural and heritage tourism is the fastest growing 

tourism sector globally, so tourism at World Heritage sites contributes significantly to local 

and national economies. The Heritage Management Framework will help manage tourism 

and all other development pressures on World Heritage and other sensitive heritage sites to 

secure their future for generations to come. 

Australia is committed to world heritage and to the safekeeping of the values of our 

region’s extraordinary world heritage places on behalf of the world. Under a Memorandum 

of Understanding with UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, Australia has been the Asia-Pacific 

Focal Point for World Heritage for the past nine years. During this time we have provided 

support for countries of the region to adopt and meet their obligations under the World 

Heritage Convention, including ensuring best practice management of world heritage sites. 

We returned to the World Heritage Committee in 2007, and we were elected as vicepresident 

of the Asia-Pacific region for the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. As a member 

of the World Heritage Committee, we are working to draw more resources into the 

Asia-Pacific area for world heritage and to help build the region’s world heritage potential in 

regard to conservation and tourism. 

Consistent with Australia’s commitment, and drawing on Australian expertise, we are 

very pleased to enter into this new partnership with UNESCO and the Royal Government of 

Cambodia. We congratulate the Royal Government for its generous financial commitment to 

the Heritage Management Framework project. 

In launching the project, I would like to pay tribute to Professor Roland Fletcher and 

to his colleagues in Australia and internationally, especially in the EFEO. I wish also to especially 

extend my thanks to my many colleagues in APSARA and UNESCO with whom I’ve 

worked so closely in bringing this project to fruition, especially Chau Sun Kérya and Philippe 

Delanghe. Thank you very much for your attention.” 

[Note: At the request of the contributors who were bound by other important 

commitments, points III.6 and III.7 on the agenda were presented ahead of point 

III.5 during the actual meeting.]








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III.5 Report from the ad hoc Group of Experts for Sustainable Development, by 

Messrs Jean-Marie Furt, Tetsuji Goto and François Houllier 

Tetsuji Goto: 

[OrigE] “I have been seconded from JICA as an adviser to the Siem Reap provincial government 

offices. Today, I would like to talk as an ICC ad hoc expert for sustainable 

development. Along with Professor Jean-Marie Furt, we visited three different sites with 

specific focus on sustainable development. The first day, we went to Phnom Kulen and the 

second day, Kompong Phluk, and the AFD project in the town of Siem Reap. I would like to 

report on these visits, the activities we observed, and my impression regarding sustainable 

development. Following my report, Professor Furt will give his report and further suggestions. 

Our first visit was to Phnom Kulen, along with the conservation experts who have 

previously made a report on things from their standpoint. This area contains a national 

park. It is a distance of about one and a half hours from Siem Reap by car. Visitors must 

purchase an entry ticket for US$20 from a private company managing the ticket concession. 

Current attractions at Phnom Kulen include a number of ancient temples, which are 

different from those on the Angkor heritage site, as well as waterfalls and picnic sites. A 

small pagoda is found at the summit of the mountain with a large reclining Buddha statue 

carved into the sandstone. The area around the waterfalls has been developed into a place 

where large numbers of picnickers can gather. [slide] Here is a picture of the Siem Reap River 

and a crowd of picnickers. In the riverbed are numerous carvings, many representing the 

linga. There is also a spring from which clean, fresh water gushes up. [slide] Unfortunately 

much garbage is simply dumped along the riverbank. [slide] Some people use the river to 

wash their motorbikes. [slide] Stands of forest are located along the river, but much land 

area has been deforested. 

My impression of this site is that it is a tourist resource for both national and international 

tourists, although right now it is most popular with local tourists. Consideration must 

be given not only to tourist movement but also to environmental management for national 

development. If many tourists come and the environment is degraded, this will be detrimental 

to this national resource. If this area is damaged and the water is polluted, the 

overall area suffers too. It is necessary to prevent pollution, promote reforestation and preserve 

this water supply source. 

Yesterday we visited Kompong Phluk village at the edge of the Tonle Sap Lake, about 

16 km east of Siem Reap. The village has a unique style. The villagers live on the flood 

plain of the Tonle Sap Lake in permanent houses built on high stilts. During the high- water 

season, the only way to move about is by boat. The main occupation of the village is fishing. 

Tourism is a secondary activity. Ecotourism includes small boats to take tourists 

through the flooded forest. [slide] This is a small boat for a tour of the flooded forest, including 

a view of the Tonle Sap Lake itself. [slide] Here is a community fishing equipment center. 

[slide] The village has a pagoda. [slide] Here is a view of floating houses, truly unique in style. 

All of this is part of traditional culture and is a national resource. 

It may be necessary to control tourist movement because the capacity of this village 

is not large. If many tourists come all at one time, this may have a negative impact and 

alter the attractiveness of the place. Tourist development may bring not only profit but also 

a different culture and other negative impact. It is necessary to consider the negative impact 

that tourism development might have. It is also necessary to improve the 

neighborhood environment, such as sanitation and drinking water. Sustainable development 

will require cooperation with the local authorities, such as the Department of 

Fisheries, the provincial government and APSARA, along with members of the local com-








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munity. More than one organization would be involved, because many different factors 

come into play. 

It is important to have a total tourism strategy and environmental management, and 

interrelationship between the two. To illustrate, water from Phnom Kulen flows through the 

town of Siem Reap and out to the Tonle Sap Lake. Damage upstream will lead to damage 

downstream. 

Our visit also included a visit to various projects in Siem Reap, including canal rehabilitation, 

irrigation and the preservation of houses displaying Khmer traditional 

architecture. Ecotourism is the byword. [slide] This is an area alongside the river where a 

canal is being cleaned. Attention is being given to the natural vegetation and trees as part 

of the urban ecosystem. Although this is a very interesting project, the expanding modern 

urban area is absorbing the traditional landscape. Thus, the issue of land ownership becomes 

a key point. Therefore work is needed at the legislation stage to help prevent the 

absorption of traditional landscape from happening. People are tending to change their lifestyle 

by selling their traditional homes and adopting a modern way of life because of the 

profit available. This makes it difficult to keep the traditional architecture and way of life. 

The local people look out for themselves and need to be involved in the broader picture. 

Thank you for your attention.” 

Jean-Marie Furt: 

“What we just heard from our colleague, Mr Goto, gave us a picture of different sites 

on which various conservation and development projects are being prepared or carried out 

under the aegis of the APSARA Authority. I would like to take a fresh look at these different 

projects in the light of the experience we acquired at the last ICC meeting. 

We note first of all that these sites are very different in nature. Some of them are 

relatively far from Siem Reap and are more popular with local tourists. Others are somewhat 

closer to Siem Reap town, but it takes a little advance planning to get there and this 

is apparently protecting them for the time being from any major tourist invasion. Other 

sites, such as Siem Reap town, are now discovering their heritage and tourism potential, 

but it seems to be at the cost of various forms of environmental nuisance. 

At the last ICC meeting, we mentioned a number of points highlighting the need for a 

methodical approach. Among them was the need to develop products to take some of the 

pressure off the Angkor site and find forms of tourism that lend themselves to greater local 

community involvement. A recommendation was also made along the lines of expanding 

the notion of heritage by mixing the notions of nature and culture to a greater extent. And 

with regard to method, we are advocating an integration of these various initiatives or objectives 

in a comprehensive approach based on consultation and contractualization. 

We might now add that it would perhaps be necessary to identify objectives and priorities 

for these different sites in terms of sustainable development. It would perhaps be 

meaningful to analyze things and see if a set of specifications should be required of future 

projects to ensure sustainable development. In other words, encourage each project to include 

this as part of its development initiative. 

In the light of these reminders and various principles, I would like to just go over 

what we already heard about these three sites and related projects. 

The first site was Phnom Kulen. As was pointed out, the majority of visitors to this 

site are Cambodians. We did meet a few foreign tourists, but this site has not been specifically 

developed as a tourism product and is therefore not suffering from any particular 

pressure. However, we were told that at certain times of the year, thousands of persons 

gather there. We were not able to confirm that. Nevertheless, this site seems very interesting 

because heritage could be linked to a certain way of life, to the daily expression of a 

culture that is important to preserve. This is something that stood out for us. Environ-








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mental damage must be prevented, such as uncontrolled dumping of garbage. A great deal 

of deforestation was noted down from the road leading to the site. As Professor Bouchenaki 

pointed out this morning, we saw a lot of construction work on the site itself that could be 

described as helter-skelter. 

On the Kompong Phluk site, you were shown photos of the fishing village that is only 

an hour or so from Siem Reap. Boats rented out by travel agencies ply the village area with 

no apparent upset to the families living there. The people practice their traditional way of 

live based on fishing and animal husbandry. We saw only what could be taken in during a 

passing stopover. Tourism is currently nothing more than a supplementary source of income 

for the fishermen, but it could perhaps bring in more tourist dollars if an ecotourism 

project was developed there. The approach would necessarily involve discussion with the 

local community. More importantly it must be stressed that any such project must go along 

with a commitment to preserve a culture and a way of life. 

Again, the approach would have to look into such things as not allowing too much 

overnight accommodation on the site. I feel that it would be very important to regulate the 

number of visitors. As to what should be done, I have not given the matter that much 

thought, but perhaps a limit could be placed on the number of boat licenses issued. That 

idea may have some merit or it might be completely off base, but it is nevertheless worth 

discussing. And of course, something even more basic but harder to control, is limiting 

tourist activity over time. In other words, we do not want it to replace traditional activities. 

It would be important for tourism activities to remain a source of subsidiary income. So 

some analytical thinking has to be done in order to decide just where to put the cursor. 

As for the third project involving canal work in Siem Reap town, we looked at this at 

the last ICC meeting. We feel this project also has considerable merit in that it is complementary 

to what was experienced, what was done, in previous approaches and projects 

with a view to cultural preservation. This project, as the previous one, requires that we 

identify ways of life that are often linked to the past and present them as thoroughly modern 

projects. And to achieve this requires commitment on the part of the people 

themselves. They want to keep their identity, preserve their agricultural way of life and 

retain ownership of their land. So we’re not looking at a leap forward or a leap backward. 

We put identity on the line, identity with the farming way of life, identity based on ownership 

of land. The people have to want to retain all of that, but still move ahead into the 

modern world. 

How can such a project be achieved? The canals have to be cleaned out. Clean water 

has to be made available. That will need to be extended into the development of short tourist 

itineraries enabling those to carry on such an activity to get some supplementary 

income from it. It is very important to keep in mind this idea of subsidiary income, just as it 

was in the case of the fishing village. We have to remain focused on that and know just 

where to put the cursor. 

On the basis of what we have heard at this ICC meeting, we can also say that this 

project has taken on another dimension. It has been broadened out with the addition of a 

landscape study that pointed out the economic and social necessity of preserving cropland. 

The project will start in 2009 and be expanded in 2010. The basis for the success of such 

an operation can already be laid. For us, it means first and foremost, taking emergency 

steps to preserve land ownership. Agricultural land needs to be preserved. Agricultural 

space must be put back into agricultural use and in that way preserve the cultural landscape. 

A second matter of urgency that can be extended across the board to a number of 

projects is raising the awareness of the people, the authorities and tourists alike with regard 

to the social importance of intangible heritage, because for the people, for the local 

communities, these are things on which urgent action is needed. The economic impact 

must be emphasized where the attractiveness of a territory is involved.








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In conclusion, we can say that it is going to take effort, money and education to 

maintain certain activities that will help effectively control tourist pressure. Thank you for 

your attention.” 

III.6 Systemic Approach to Using Biosphere Reserves as Learning Laboratories 

for Sustainable Development, by Dr Ockie Bosch; Director, School of Natural 

and Rural System Management, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia 

[OrigE] “I am going to talk today about the necessity and value of systems approaches 

in dealing with a complex issue such as sustainability. And this follows very neatly after the 

talk by the Australian ambassador. 

The concept of sustainability has its unique problems that need unique solutions. Sustainability 

is impacted by many stakeholders and has multiple drivers and dimensions. 

These issues, while they are distant in time and space, as the ambassador said, are interconnected, 

and they are systemic. The conventional, single dimensional or silo approach 

cannot deliver complete and integrated answers. Interventions in sustainability embed 

complex feedback loops, which I will show you. [slide] There are non-linear cause and effect 

and long delays, thus outcomes are largely unpredictable. And most challenges related to 

sustainability are unprecedented. New challenges require matching responses. We cannot 

solve new problems with old tools. 

[slide] We are developing a systems approach for establishing biosphere reserves as 

learning laboratories for sustainability. We are signing an agreement with the Cambodian 

Minister of Tourism at 5:30 p.m. today. I therefore don’t have a Cambodian example, but I 

have an example on Cat Ba Island, a biosphere reserve in northern Vietnam, that I want to 

use. 

[slide] When we look at a problem, we often look at it as an iceberg. Above the water a 

small thing sticks out that we can see. That is normally the symptoms of the system. And 

what we tend to do is, if there’s a problem, like alleviation of poverty, since poverty is a 

problem, so throw dollars at poverty. There is some ecological factor, throw dollars at this. 

It’s actually only throwing dollars at the symptoms. In reality, there is a very big iceberg 

underneath the water. [slide] There are the mental models of all the people involved right at 

the bottom, the mental models of the community, local governments, the villages, whoever. 

If you want to develop say, a management plan for a village, you have to start right 

at the bottom and involve all these people. Those mental models in systems approaches 

can be put together and their systemic structure can be determined. And then the kind of 

patterns that are there, can be seen. Once you know what is at the core, then we address 

fundamental problems to achieve sustainable systems. And the dollars go where they actually 

have to go, not at the symptoms that we just see above the water. 

The current Cat Ba system is a biosphere reserve in Vietnam as an administrative 

structure. The planning is not integrated. And it’s not me saying that. It was the people in 

Vietnam who work there, who, [slide] when we did this analysis, which is a very broad analysis, 

said their planning is not integrated. It leads then to government policies, which affect 

the environment. It also affects the access to growth that the people that live there on Cat 

Ba Island have. And it affects their livelihoods. Because they are poor, they misuse the resources; 

they eat threatened species and they hunt illegally and all these kind of things, 

which end up damaging the environment. When the environment is damaged, tourism and 

revenue from tourism become unsustainable. And the money goes somewhere, but definitely 

not to the people that live there. 

[slide] Looking at that, the iceberg approach typically would be a project or dollars for 

poverty. International projects may be on some environmental issue, or a project on how 

to enhance tourism. And in that way, it is not coordinated with the planning. Symptoms of 

past international approaches to projects in the Cat Ba biosphere project are that tourism is








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absolutely booming, while the environment is degrading. And the livelihoods of people have 

not changed at all. So what is going to happen in the future? 

[slide] The people in Vietnam identified integrated planning as a leverage point in this 

system. If they have integrated planning, there could be improved policies, improved access 

to growth, maybe alleviation of poverty, which will lead to better resource use, 

improved environmental conditions and sustainable tourism and revenue—importantly, 

revenue that flows back into the community. But most important is that projects need to be 

coordinated and at the level where the integrated planning takes place. 

[slide] We addressed that first identified leverage point. We had a workshop in Hanoi 

and the participants identified that they need capacity building for sustainable management 

of the biosphere reserve. And 15 key leaders responsible for the management of Cat Ba 

came to the University of Queensland for two months. They left the day before yesterday. 

We had various workshops, learning activities and case studies of organizations in Australia 

to enhance their knowledge and skills for integrated planning and management. And a big 

focus on systems approaches. 

[slide] When we look at the system with a few more details, we develop the understanding 

of our triangle right at the bottom. We involve the policymakers, the developers, 

the villagers, the farmers, the NGOs, the local government. All the people, the community 

members are all involved in developing a better understanding of the system as a whole. 

And that is also what the previous speaker was saying. Angkor sits in a bigger picture. All 

these people need to be involved in developing understanding. We have economic development 

loops; we deal with things like access to markets, investment in agriculture, GDP 

per capita, etc. [slide] That is the system, how the people see it. They sat down and analyzed 

the system from an economic point of view. 

You have the environmental people and they look at things like biodiversity, fire and 

deforestation, the social development loop, looking at things like educational standards, 

birth rates, the health of the people, and so on. And then you have the tourism development 

loop, which looks at things like when tourism is there, there are hotels, there is 

waste, there is pollution, and many other things. Now we cannot solve or address sustainability 

by looking at these components as individual silos. What we have done is to actually 

combine these different ones in one model. And people are all involved, and they then see 

how the different things link to each other, how tourism links to the social, links to the economic, 

etc. And they understand it. Only when you have a system model like this do you 

have a structure. [slide] This is the next level of the triangle. And you start identifying where 

the leverage points of the system are. We cannot study everything. We don’t have the 

money; we don’t have the time to study everything in every system. But there are leverage 

points where, if you put your focus, the dollars, at those things, it will make the biggest 

difference. 

[slide] For example, there are three projects running at the moment on three of the leverage 

points identified in this particular system. If you do the planning of a village, for 

example, there might be various things happening there, but instead of looking at the tip of 

the iceberg, and just throw various ideas in, what we do is we look at the system as a 

whole, where does this village fit into the bigger picture. Identify the leverage points and 

that is where the systemic intervention then comes from. 

The learning lab process—you remember the iceberg on one side. Now problems have 

solutions. And that’s what we tend to do. We look at the problem and we say it has a solution. 

So we fix it, what we do is we fix the symptoms, because the important thing about 

problems is not the problem but understanding what causes the problem. If we understand 

what causes the problem, we have to do a systems analysis. And once we know that, we 

can actually address the core of the problem. 

But it doesn’t end there. Because when we do something in that system, there are 

feedback loops. We get feedback. We have done something. It worked very well or it didn’t








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work. There is a reflection. We reflect on that. That reflection improves our understanding 

of what causes the problems. But it also helps us to identify the leverage points and identify 

the systemic interventions required to actually address the problem. Now, that is the 

process of the learning laboratory for sustainability—feedback, reflection, identifying systemic 

interventions, do something to it, feedback, reflection, and so it goes on. But it 

happens in an environment of co-learning. We all learn together and people are involved in 

this process. 

How does Cat Ba fit into the bigger picture? We are doing the Cat Ba pilot study, and 

that is to develop a model for collaborative management to achieve sustainable outcomes, 

and then we take it internationally because there are many, over 500, biosphere reserves, 

which can operate as learning laboratories. Extending the concept nationally in Vietnam 

and then utilize the lessons learned in Cat Ba on other biosphere reserves in Vietnam and 

other countries. And as I said, we are signing an agreement at 5:30 today with the Minister 

of Tourism in Cambodia. Thank you very much.” 

III.7 Projects of Small, Medium and Large Size Projects That Fit in With This 

Approach in the Angkor-Tonle Sap-Siem Reap Ecosystem Complex, by 

Dr Natarajan Ishwaran, Director, Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences, 

UNESCO 

[OrigE] “This is my second opportunity to speak with you. My presentation will be brief, 

in follow-up to what Ockie Bosch just outlined. When I came here, in discussion with 

UNESCO in Phnom Penh, we started looking at the system of systems. We thought it would 

be good to look at Tonle Sap-Siem Reap-Angkor as one complex. There is an institutional 

arrangement behind it because at UNESCO, wherever World Heritage Sites and biosphere 

reserves occur adjacent to one another, we are trying to show the two can benefit from one 

another in sharing lessons and information, and also, based on what Professor Ockie Bosch 

just said, we feel that some of our experience in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserves Program, 

where we are trying to connect conservation to development of local communities seems to 

indicate that, doing a project here and a project there does not help as much as trying to 

address the issue at the planning policy level and trying to inform and train and build capacity 

at the planning level. So that is something we are looking at as a way of testing out 

some actions for the next few years. 

[slide] This is the Tonle Sap, as all of you can recognize. It is almost sitting at the 

boundary with Siem Reap, so this cannot be considered separately from either the town of 

Siem Reap or the Angkor heritage area. 

[slide] Now, why I consider these three things linked together: Angkor is the principal 

attractor of tourism dollars to the country, perhaps to the province, but definitely to Cambodia. 

Siem Reap is a very rapidly changing city. It is going to draw resources from a lot of 

surrounding landscapes. And we know that the Tonle Sap definitely is a significant provider 

of major eco-system services to the country as whole, but at the level of Siem Reap—I 

don’t have the statistics; it would be nice to know how much of the fish consumed in Siem 

Reap restaurants—I ate amok fish every day after coming here, how much of that comes 

from the lake as opposed to elsewhere. 

[slide] This is characteristic of the biosphere reserve three-functional model. When we 

talk about development,we are talking about the future, not only keeping things from the 

past, whereas with conservation, we are more inclined to think about maintenance of ecosystems, 

species and genes. We see research and monitoring as a major link between the 

two. The learning laboratories model is now being thought through in order to demonstrate 

this linkage between these three items in specific places in specific contexts. We have been 

talking about it as a general concept, a general model for a long time. But these notions 

must find specific expressions in specific places. And that is what we would like to promote 

under this learning laboratories approach.








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[slide] I am not going to read this, but with the learning laboratory we are trying to 

specify certain steps. It has to be participatory. It has to involve the people for whom solutions 

are being thought through, and it must also jointly determine the size, scope and 

duration of the type of intervention we are planning to make. It is not possible to plan very 

big projects where no consultation takes place. Unfortunately, many of the interventions 

have not been agreed upon by the people who are going to be affected. We are trying to 

set up a system to promote a consultation approach in different biosphere reserves. I was 

given the task of thinking about what kind of projects can be done here. I shouldn’t be saying 

this, as it should be consultatively determined, but since I was asked, I would like to 

share my thoughts on the subject. 

[slide] Yesterday, we went from the village of Roluos to the village of Kompong Phluk. 

After considering matters, I do not believe they can be treated independently, as isolated 

villages, because the tourism traffic is between the two communities. And if you are going 

to think of only one community in terms of benefits, we will run into problems. It might be 

interesting to think of an intervention. We need to think about Kompong Phluk in general. 

Often, regarding villages, we don’t seem to consider health issues, educational issues, and 

such, relating to the future of the village. We are only thinking about revenue generation, 

and that may not be a very sustainable way of interacting with them. 

[slide] The Tonle Sap is a tourism destination, maybe not as highly favored as Angkor, 

but it can become that. And I know of several others, such as a project called the Cambodia 

Wildlife Sanctuary Project, just north of Angkor, which is being discussed. I know the 

people who are involved. It is a private sector initiative. I think there are a lot of tourism 

initiatives in the country that, in my view, should be coordinated with the heritage landscape 

of Angkor, because Angkor is the main attractor of visitors, and tourism 

diversification will start from within this province. Thus, how this should be managed will be 

an interesting thing to look at. And I think Siem Reap as a city must be looked into also, 

since city development, which is driven by tourism, cannot just go on purely drawing resources 

from outside; it must give something back. 

[slide] Those are three project ideas one might be interested in looking at as these 

ideas are clearly related to our management plan, which was adopted for World Biosphere 

Reserves in February this year. We have now planned just 31 targets and 62 actions for 

2008 to 2013. We will measure ourselves in terms of our own performance, and these 

three targets I put out are directly related to the three examples of project ideas I put in 

the previous slide. 

[slide] We have been asked by our Council, which is also an ICC, called the International 

Coordinating Council of Man and the Biosphere Program, to look at the mechanism 

for biosphere reserves and address urban issues in a regional context. This is our target 23, 

which could be an interesting idea in this country and in this region. I will stop here. Thank 

you very much.” 

General Discussion 

Comment from Mr Azedine Beschaouch: “In the recommendations that were just made, 

particularly with regard to the flooded forest, which we have discussed in the past, we now 

have had an expert visit for the first time. I think that in keeping with what was just said 

about procedures, we are drawing the attention of the Committee to the importance of 

these issues. If you agree, your Secretariat will write up an intention, a recommendation, 

that will be looked at in the light of files as required by procedure at the upcoming Technical 

Session. In this way we are duly highlighting the need to work along these lines, and 

inviting the APSARA National Authority to see to it that the files are properly prepared. Our 

experts will share in this preparation. The APSARA National Authority will get help from








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other experts that we have here in what I might call the Angkor landscape; otherwise, they 

will look for assistance from other sources to see to it that these files are properly compiled. 

So the three recommendations stem from two presentations, the one made by Professor 

Ockie Bosch, followed by that of Dr Natarajan Ishwaran. We saw how to make a 

linkage between cultural heritage and the Tonle Sap biosphere reserve, not just because of 

the most interesting flooded forest that we were shown, but because it was the key reserve 

going back to Angkor times, and nowadays it is a key resource for the people. It is therefore 

very important to fully highlight the value of the Tonle Sap biosphere reserve and 

World Heritage Site. The link is so obvious that I think you will all agree. But technical files 

have to be prepared. 

That is the first recommendation. The second has to do with the Tonle Sap flooded 

forest. The third is what Professor Furt just pointed out regarding the town. If it wasn’t for 

Angkor, Siem Reap would have remained an insignificant village. But because of tourism 

and all that is associated with it, Siem Reap is a satellite of the World Heritage Site. So we 

have to see to it that the measures advocated also protect the town, I mean what remains 

of it, and at the same time all of this zone we are focusing on. The AFD is providing funds, 

the International Association of Francophone Mayors, and just recently the Paris City Hall 

has, as a follow-up to a visit made by the City Hall and HE the Governor Mr Sou Phirin and 

the Urban Heritage Department of APSARA, along with two experts from the SIAA—Service 

intercommunal d’aménagement et d’assainissement—provided exceptional funding based 

on a decision of the Mayor of Paris for a two-year period to clean up this zone. As you saw 

from the coverage just given by the experts, it is the last remaining evidence of a ruralurban 

link. This merging of urban life and rural life, tourism and ecotourism, is something 

truly exceptional. 

So I am rounding out what Professor Furt stated so clearly, and the recommendation, 

with your approval, will be general in nature. We will not write up a recommendation to be 

approved, but rather an intention in which the APSARA National Authority will be invited to 

prepare for us, with its experts and others requisitioned by it, and the necessary files for 

examination by the Technical Session, in keeping with the procedure. Thank you.” 

Before opening the floor for a general discussion, the Co-chairman for Japan expressed 

the Committee’s agreement with the recommendations just presented and went on 

to invite the Ambassadors in particular to express themselves. 

Comment from Madame Anshu Vaish, Director, Archaeological Survey of India: [OrigE] “I 

would just like to say that we have heard a lot about plans for sustainable development and 

sustainable tourism. There are a lot of models that have been shown for involving the 

communities. But I did not really see very much evidence of how successful those models 

have really been. And I can only express the hope that in this Angkor region, when we put 

these models into action, we will actually be able to take the local communities on board, 

we will be able to establish the backward linkages and the forward linkages which really 

end in sustainable tourism and sustainable development. I know this marks the beginning 

of this kind of discussion. I do not remember very detailed discussions on sustainable tourism 

and sustainable development in the last ICC. So I do hope that in the forthcoming 

meetings we will actually get to see some case studies, some examples of backward and 

forward linkages having been established which will ensure that there will be sustainability 

in the tourism development. I can only be optimistic at the moment. Thank you.” 

Comment from Mr Azedine Beschaouch: “You will recall that yesterday at our Quadripartite 

Meeting, some questions were aired, in particular the procedure under which, prior to signing 

an agreement, this Committee is to be approached and informed by means of an official 

statement made before it. This has been the procedure followed since Tokyo, for 15 years 

now, the procedure that HE the Deputy Prime Minister wishes to have followed. So we look 

forward to hearing from someone on the Hungarian delegation. Perhaps I will have someone 

go and get him, after the coffee break. We have known HE Mr János Jelen for a long








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time now. He is chairman of the Royal Angkor Foundation in Budapest. We will invite him to 

make the customary statement, letting us know that he will be signing today a draft 

agreement with the APSARA National Authority. Let me remind you that he was here with 

the United Nations for several years. He was the Ambassador for his country in Vietnam 

and now has been seconded out from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So we look forward to 

hearing the statement from Ambassador János Jelen in a few minutes. 

I would like to ask permission from the Co-chairman to make a suggestion. We are 

coming to the end of the ‘Sustainable Development’ section. Just before moving into the 

closing session, there are still two major points of information. Your Secretariat has listed a 

number of such points, but this can be covered briefly before moving into the recommendations. 

By recommendations, we are not referring to those we made today but as dictated by 

procedure, those of the Technical Session that are forwarded to the Plenary Session. Furthermore, 

at the Plenary Session we traditionally come up with the date for the Technical 

Session, not the exact date, but the month and week. It is left up to the two Co-chairman 

and UNESCO to see what exact date is most convenient. So I am asking if we might have 

10 to 15 minutes, since we have now caught up to some extent on the time allotment, to 

handle some miscellaneous items prior to the recommendations and closing session. Thank 

you.” 

Announcement from Mr Maruyama, Minister with the Embassy of Japan: “Since I heard we 

have a bit of time, allow me to make a short announcement of a very positive nature. Since 

sustainable development is on the agenda of the ICC meeting, I would like to repeat the 

fundamental idea. We have to reconcile two necessities, preservation of the sites along with 

the necessity of development. The purpose of having experts is to get input in order to improve 

conservation and development projects. As Co-chairmen of the ICC, we are keenly 

aware of this approach. For this reason, tomorrow, at the Colloquium on the Issue of Water, 

the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy will table the matter of this potential need 

for a large water supply for Siem Reap town. This will occur in August, stressing the great 

need as regards a clean water supply. In response to this request, Japan, and more specifically 

JICA, will be undertaking a study in the full meaning of the term to see if it will be 

possible to build another water treatment plant. But before doing so, we wanted to have 

this presented tomorrow along with the MIME at the Colloquium on the Issue of Water. This 

way, all of the experts in the field of conservation will be briefed regarding the purpose of 

this type of study. We want to get a full body of recommendations or feedback from the 

conservation end of things. 

This is perhaps the first time that a development project is being put on the agenda 

at a colloquium linked to the ICC. I would like to present this, as it is a very important step. 

We can do what we can, of course, but we would like to have the viewpoints of the experts 

and we would like to be in a position to make a response at this time. So I feel that the 

inclusion of sustainable development was a major decision made by the ICC and it is starting 

to bear fruit. We have invited many of our friends from the JICA to attend this Plenary 

Session for the first time. They will be on hand tomorrow for the Colloquium on the Issue of 

Water.” 

Question from the Co-chairman for Japan: “The time and place of this colloquium?” 

Mr Azedine Beschaouch: “Tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the Sofitel Hotel. The APSARA National 

Authority has booked an auditorium and HE the Governor Mr Sou Phirin will be on hand to 

open it. The National Authority for the Tonle Sap, whose chairman is with us, will send the 

Executive Secretary and a number of experts. And I am very happy with what our friend 

Mr Maruyama just said, for it highlights the value of the ICC in particular. We make a decision 

followed by announcements, then, more concrete wishes are expressed, followed by 

thematic workshops. That way technical files can be built that will help countries like Japan 

through the JICA, like France who will be attending tomorrow with the AFD, alongside Germany 

and its green belt project. This is a way of enhancing input from the international 

community, fully in harmony with our procedure. But more importantly, decisions that are








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made are totally sound; we do not have to go back on them, because they are made based 

on files. Thank you.” 

IV.1 Points of information 

IV. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS 

Presentation by Mr Azedine Beschaouch: “Miscellaneous items include points of information. 

The points of information are structured as follows: First, we will have an official statement 

confirming a contribution to our international action from Hungary, the Royal Angkor Foundation. 

The second point is a brief comment from HE Mr Ngo Hongly, from the Office of the 

Council of Ministers, about the APSARA Service Center. Finally, Professor Tan Boun Suy will 

make a short statement about rural heritage and the perils that are threatening it. I will 

then conclude with a few points of information before moving on to the recommendations. 

Contribution from Mr Janos Jelen, Chairman of the Royal Angkor Foundation: [OrigE] “This is 

a very short announcement. I would like to inform you about our project in Koh Ker, which 

we submitted formally in harmony with instructions given at the last Technical Session of 

the ICC. On behalf of the founders of this organization and participants in several different 

projects during the last 15 years, we would like to proceed with your kind permission to 

implement the Koh Ker comprehensive project by the Royal Angkor Foundation. For Hungary, 

this is one of the largest projects outside of our Hungary activities. We will spend, in 

a period of 36 months, approximately 1 million US dollars funded by private companies and 

with the participation of the government agencies in charge of conservation and development. 

I would also ask you kindly, if you still have endurance, to join our very short signing 

ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding. It will be a great honor and pleasure to 

also have the ceremony attended by the Deputy Prime Minister Sok An. The venue will be 

the new location of the APSARA offices. Thank you very much and I hope to see you after 

the closure of this meeting at the very short signing ceremony. Thank you.” 

Co-Chairman for Japan: “Mr Ngo Hongly, representing the Office of the Council of Ministers, 

will make a brief contribution.” 

Contribution from Mr Ngo Hongly, Representative of the Office of the Council of Ministers: 

“With the permission of Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, I have the honor of saying a few 

words about the establishment of the new APSARA Services Center. This was done on the 

initiative and proposal of the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the APSARA National 

Authority, Mr Sok An. Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, decided 

on November 1, 2008 to establish within the General Directorate of APSARA a Service 

Center with two key objectives, first, to merit the satisfaction and trust of users and second, 

to strengthen accountability, efficiency and motivation on the part of staff members. 

We have been working exactly three months now to get this center up and running as 

quickly as possible. The center is a department within the same venue and is offering 18 

different services to users. The center is designed to meet two needs. The first one involves 

having all of the different departments together under one roof, to strengthen the team 

spirit, while promoting efficiency and accountability. 

The second feature of the APSARA Service Center is the one-stop window that is 

made possible now with the various departments in one headquarters building. The 18 services 

available through this one-stop window have been published and everyone should be 

aware of them, including the nature of the services, the quality of services, delivery deadlines, 

prices, as well as the conditions under which they are made available. Responsibilities 

have been clearly identified with the setting up of a front office and back office. The front 

office is a customer space where users can get information relative to the service re-








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quested. It is also a space for direct dialogue between APSARA staff members and users. 

The back office is where the APSARA staff works, broken down into the various departments 

of the APSARA Authority. The Service Center is a step forward in the policy 

advocated by our Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the APSARA National Authority, to 

improve efficiency, ensure service quality and instill confidence. We would be very happy 

and honored to have you come in and tour the APSARA Service Center premises not far 

from here at the conclusion of this meeting.” 

Mr Azedine Beschaouch: “Among the points of information, a high-level Cambodian delegation 

headed by HE the Deputy Prime Minister went to the People’s Republic of China in 

order to visit a region where a ‘one village, one product’ experiment was successfully tried 

out. Although this trial may not be one hundred percent replicable, there is nevertheless 

something in it for the Kingdom of Cambodia, in particular for the region we are in here, 

because we are proposing, in harmony with the World Heritage Site vocation, to avoid the 

situation where unused land comes up on the radar for construction and thereby leads to 

activities that are in conflict with farming, animal husbandry, etc. The APSARA National 

Authority will be giving you a report to let you know the value of such an experiment. 

As announced, we also feel some apprehension for the rural potential of this region. 

So I would like to ask permission for Professor Tan Boun Suy, Deputy Director General and 

head of the Department of Agriculture Heritage and Agricultural and Community Development, 

to make a brief comment outlining his fears regarding this potential. 

Meanwhile, very quickly, the points of information that your Secretariat has in mind 

come under three headings: (1) a scientific and technical event involving the Northern Baray—I 

have worded this carefully; (2) training sessions, excavation campaigns, scientific 

meetings, exhibitions, involving the Angkor heritage from a technical, scientific standpoint; 

and (3) publications. 

With regard to the Northern Baray, the APSARA National Authority, based on instructions 

from Chairman of the APSARA National Authority, Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, 

asked Dr Hang Peou, here present, to do a study of the Northern Baray. We do not know 

just when the Northern Baray was abandoned and left to go dry, but you are able to see it 

between Neak Poan and the Angkor complex, the dry area stretching from Neak Poan. I 

personally monitored the studies that were done. I was very impressed with the methodology 

used and the praiseworthy consistency or even tenacity displayed in the research work. 

He found out where the source of the water used to be and calculated that in the space of a 

couple of years, the Northern Baray could be refilled. That is quite an event, because it has 

lain dry for at least four or five centuries according to Professor Claude Jacques, although 

we don’t know the exact date. [slide] So here we have water in it. You see how high the water 

level has reached around Neak Poan. [slide] This picture was taken just a couple of weeks 

ago. [slide] This water used to be just lost to the Tonle Sap. We now have a large surface of 

water between 50 and 60 cm deep, even a meter deep in some places. Its Chairman, the 

Deputy Prime Minister, instructed the APSARA National Authority to make special means 

available to Dr Hang Poeu so that he can work on redeveloping the zone over the next 

year. The praiseworthy thing about this event is that it is not having any negative effect on 

the local community. 

According to current figures, for every 10 liters of water used by the people, a hundred 

liters are lost. That’s disastrous in a country where water is in short supply, to lose 90 

liters for every 10 liters used. To avoid this loss, inlet sluices or valves will be put in. The 

people will have the water they need and the rest will be salvaged. He will give you a report 

at the next Technical Session, and if I don’t force him too much, between now and the next 

ICC meeting, you will see for yourselves how this area marked in blue today will expand 

throughout the whole Northern Baray. Can we promise that? Thank you very much. That’s 

the first point, and I applaud it. 

Regarding scientific meetings, we have one on the planning board for next year. The 

date will be decided, no doubt in the first quarter. This is an international convention on the








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Mekong and Tonle Sap. The theme continues to be the water problem. We just heard that 

there will be a meeting on the issue of water tomorrow, involving the APSARA National Authority, 

JICA, the AFD and of course the National Authority for the Tonle Sap Basin, the 

Mekong River Commission and UNESCO’s Directorate of Earth Sciences and the Man and 

the Biosphere Program that has the Tonle Sap listed as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. 

A permanent exhibition on prehistory will take place. With the excavation work done 

by the EFEO, the prehistory of the Angkor region is much better known, particularly in the 

Western Baray area. It will cover the history of the National Museum going back to the time 

when it was constructed, under the name of Musée Albert Sarraut, as well as a permanent 

exhibit on the Western Mebon and the various problems confronting these large man-made 

reservoirs. Earlier today, the Prime Minister referred to it as the great invention of Khmer 

engineering, an unparalleled reservoir 8 km long and 2.3 km wide. This is confirmed by 

Professor Claude Jacques in his book. That makes it the world’s largest hydraulic monument. 

An exhibition will highlight all of that. 

On the Royal Palace site, a new excavation campaign will see Professor Jacques 

Gaucher team up with Dr Karel Kranda to work out a chronology on the one hand and a 

stratigraphy on the other in the wake of what Professor Gaucher uncovered, regarding how 

the city of Angkor Thom was laid out. 

Lastly, ICCROM is holding a course on stone in Venice. This is an international course 

that is taking in high-level students, researchers, and doctorate candidates. It is a pleasure 

to announce on behalf of Mr Bouchenaki, Director General of ICCROM, that Mr Long Nary, a 

technician from APSARA who was trained by GACP—thus establishing the link between the 

international campaign and the teams that are providing training: Japan, France, Australia, 

Germany, India, etc., has been admitted to the Venice course for 2009. This is not for the 

sake of helping out a Cambodian, but because this Cambodian is of a level that qualifies 

him to be on the list of ‘must’ participants. 

Under the heading of publications, we first have this outstanding 240-page report 

from JASA, directed by Professor Nakagawa, Annual Technical Report of the Angkor Monument 

Survey 2008. It covers in Japanese and English the results of the very extensive 2007 

campaign, with both documentary comments and excellent graphics. We congratulate Professor 

Nakagawa and his team. This ongoing work is an honor to Waseda and to Japan’s 

contribution to this international undertaking. 

Your Secretariat would like to let you know about this small brochure that required a 

great deal of work. The subject is Run Ta Ek, an exemplary project involving 1,000 hectares 

that the Royal Government set aside at the request of the Deputy Prime Minister, 

Chairman of APSARA, for something very new in Cambodia, an eco-village for sustainable 

development. This eco-village will enable two things, first to have a new form of habitat 

connected to production. People are not just going to be settled there to consume, as is the 

case of towns, but they will have plots to farm in compliance with ecological standards, particularly 

with regard to water and energy. These families used to live at Angkor. If this 

operation proves successful, and there is no reason that it will not, because there is political 

commitment and dedicated financial resources, along with a technical team to look after it, 

HE Mr Sok An has told his team, and I thank him because he had the ICC Secretariat in on 

the analytical thinking process, that other villages may be developed in an effort to take 

pressure off Angkor. There is no thought whatsoever of moving all the people out of Angkor 

Park. If everyone moved off the 40,000 hectares, the park would be dead. 

The idea is to keep Angkor Park alive, but the growing population, for instance, children 

who grow up and want to live on their own, can settle out in these satellite villages. A 

team prepared this brochure. Let me quickly mention their names: Mr Khuon Khun-Neay, 

who supervised the writing, Professor Tan Boun Suy, Dr Hang Peou, Madame Chau Sun 

Kérya, HE Uk Sameth and Madame Tep Vattho. You can see that all of these people are 

with APSARA. This brochure is a real credit to them. I think that six months down the line 

you will hear a report on Run Ta Ek and hopefully we will make a tour of this site.








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The concluding point is that the English and French edition of the 17 th ICC meeting 

has come out. This one is also in Khmer. This brings to 17 the number of volumes. These 

are published for reference purposes. People ask us, ‘What have you been doing since Tokyo?’ 

We refer them to these documents. They can appreciate how much work has been 

done under the chairmanship of France and Japan along with your Secretariat. It is important 

for our work to be remembered. Let’s hear a round of applause for our colleagues who 

are behind this—Chau Sun Kérya, Blaise Kilian, Lim Bun Hok, and Philippe Delanghe. We 

also enjoy the financial and administrative support of our friend, Teruo Jinnai, in charge of 

the UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh. Let us now hear from Professor Tan Boun Suy.” 

Contribution from Mr Tan Boun Suy, APSARA National Authority: “I would simply like to 

make a point regarding the farmland around Siem Reap town. I am happy to hear the experts 

give so much importance to this land as both a heritage of the past and a green belt 

around Siem Reap. It is noted that this land is quickly being sold. We are in a race against 

time. If we wait another six months or a year for studies I am afraid that all this land will 

be sold and no longer be available for agriculture. As a professional in the science of agriculture, 

I am greatly concerned with this state of things. Thank you.” 

Mr Azedine Beschouch: “One last item. Several points were made today by our experts. We 

have taken note of them, not in the form of final recommendations. Our Co-chairman for 

the Technical Session, Mr Mayumara, pointed this out. The Co-chairman for the Plenary 

Session, the Ambassador of France, pointed out that these are intentions. They will be followed 

by submission of files. These intentions, as we can call them, are based on the issues 

raised by the experts. If you have no objection, your Secretariat will write up the complete 

recommendations and submit them to the Co-chairmen of both the Plenary Session and 

Technical Session. In this way, from now to the next Technical Session, they can be studied 

and rounded out before being passed on to the experts and before being reviewed by the 

Technical Session. If we handle it this way, we will get a jump on file preparation while at 

the same time sticking closely to our internal regulations or statutes. I would like to ask the 

Co-chairmen for their authorization. This being the case, we will follow through accordingly. 

DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE 15 th PLENARY SESSION OF THE ICC 

I. CONSERVATION 

1. Given the new priority of safeguarding and developing the flooded forest and its ecocultural 

environment, it is recommended that the members of the ICC with the resources 

available support the APSARA National Authority in the areas of expertise, documentation 

and funding contributions. Detailed technical files on this issue will be prepared by the 

relevant department and submitted for examination by the ICC Technical Session next 

June. 

2. For the Western Baray, it is recommended to dredge out the one third of the reservoir 

currently filled in by soil deposits above water level in order to increase the volume of 

water and thus preclude any endangering of the Mebon monument due to high water. 

It is also recommended to bring under a scientific and technical umbrella the APSARA National 

Authority (Department of Water, Department of Monuments and Preventive 

Archaeology), the University of Sydney and the École française d’Extrême-Orient, so that 

the archaeological and historical study, restoration and the issue of the water level can 

be addressed together by means of an exemplary international cooperation arrangement. 

3. For the Phnom Kulen zone, the Committee would like to highlight the need to draw up a 

master plan to be submitted at the next Technical Session. Similarly, all measures must 

be taken without delay for preservation of the Preah Thom “Reclining Buddha” at Krol 

Romeas. 

II. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT








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1. The APSARA National Authority is to prepare with its experts documents for protection of 

the cultural landscape for review at the next Technical Session. This will require among 

other things, seeing to it that a liaison is established between the Angkor cultural heritage 

and the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve on which the human community relies for its 

food supply. In this regard, full importance is to be given to the Tonle Sap and the necessary 

technical files are to be prepared. Also, a link must be made between the flooded 

forest and the overall Tonle Sap zone. As for Siem Reap town, a satellite of the World 

Heritage Site, measures to ensure protection of what remains of the urban heritage must 

be taken quickly. 

2. With regard to the project for redeveloping the canals of Siem Reap, this requires: 

a. Implementation of operations to preserve land holding, in order to maintain or 

reacquire agricultural land and thus preserve the cultural landscape. 

b. Raise greater awareness among the authorities, local people and tourists regarding 

the social importance and economic impact of the intangible heritage. 

3. Generally speaking, any eco-tourism development project must fit in with the commitment 

to preserve culture and a way of life and thus will highlight: 

a. Supervision of the on-site accommodation capacity. 

b. Regulating the number of visitors. 

c. Putting tourism activities under a time frame. 

The final point is on archaeology. Professor Bouchenaki reminded us of the importance 

of archaeological research, how such research on a site as vast as Angkor can lead to 

a consensus on important conclusions subsequent to a confrontation of the results found by 

different teams. So in the recommendations, we would like to have your approval to 

make special mention of the need for each team with a two-year record of activity 

to provide training in archaeology. We want to move beyond training given by 

each team and see to it that there is scientific coordination among the different 

teams. Looking back with some nostalgia—and that’s exactly how I feel—I bring this up 

with Professor Nakagawa every time I see him. I tell him how taken I was with the Bayon 

Symposium that we had eight years in a row. It was the only opportunity we had in the 

world to get together and talk about stone problems at the Bayon. Once we had an expert 

from Notre-Dame-de-Paris who had been working for ten years on the restoration of that 

11 th -century cathedral. The conclusions were forwarded to UNESCO and the World Heritage 

Committee because of their importance for the conservation of stone structures dating 

throughout the Middle Ages. This is simply to show that Angkor is truly meaningful. Unfortunately, 

money problems prevented this symposium from going on. I look back with 

fondness on that because we really put a lot into it and conclusions were reached that were 

helpful to the world’s scientific and technical communities. So with a recommendation on 

archaeology, perhaps we can revive this and find the resources needed for international 

study in this area. So, honorable Co-chairmen, there you have the full report.” 

V. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ICC 

V.1 Presentation of the Recommendations, by the ICC Secretary 

Mr Azedine Beschaouch: “The second last item is the recommendations that we discussed 

in depth at the 17 th Technical Session of the ICC under the chairmanship of Mr Dominique 

Freslon and Mr Norio Mayurama. They appear in the report that you received. They have 

been distributed again in English and French to refresh your memories and to fill everyone 

in. According to procedure, they were taken under advisement by the Co-chairmen and 

have been forwarded to this Plenary Session for approval. They contain specific recommendations 

for the Gallery of the Churning of the Sea of Milk, Phnom Bakheng, the causewaydike, 

Ta Prohm temple, Baphuon temple, the Mébon, Kbal Spean and Koh Ker. On all of








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these points, we have already moved ahead, meaning that if there was a problem for any 

particular point, we had to go ahead pending approval. This was done. For the Churning 

Gallery, you have a report that rounds out these recommendations. 

In the field of sustainable development, we have the key points summarized: conserve 

water resources, with instructions on what to do, such as protecting the reserves, 

treating and reusing wastewater. Special recommendations were made regarding the Western 

Baray, as well as the Tonle Sap, which we were reminded of today, and on the 

environment and heritage areas of Siem Reap town. In this town we are fortunate in having 

HE Mr Sou Phirin as Governor. He is working very actively as chief executive officer of the 

town hall and is very supportive of the APSARA National Authority in safeguarding its heritage. 

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 17 th ICC TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING 

A. GENERAL RECOMMENDATION 

CONSERVATION 

In order to put forward new proposals or new projects, the current procedure of the ICC requires 

that a detailed file be submitted to the ad hoc experts for advisement, through the 

Secretariat. The opinion of the experts is conveyed to the Co-chairmen of the Committee so 

that a decision can be made at the Plenary Session. 

B. SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS 

For 2008, this request for files is required for: 

1. Angkor Wat Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery 

In charge: World Monuments Fund 

- Proposals to ensure waterproofing of the upper parts of the gallery; 

- Choice of materials to achieve localized reverse slopes in relation to the vault structures; 

- Proper insertion of lead sheeting for waterproofing; 

- A study of the impact of operations on the structural stability of the gallery and on its 

internal presentation. 

2. Phnom Bakheng 

In charge: World Monuments Fund 

- In implementing its program, the WMF will give priority to zones where there is a risk 

of collapse. 

3. Angkor Wat causeway-dike 

In charge: APSARA National Authority with the technical assistance of the Sophia University 

team 

- A specific schedule for each step of the planned restoration work is expected. 

- A report is to be submitted to the ad hoc group of experts briefing it with regard to 

restoration operations done in Zone I along with a report on the level of the sandstone 

paving stones, including explanations of the approach used for adjustment. 

4. Ta Prohm Temple 

In charge: Archaeological Survey of India 

- To stabilize the structure of the Western Entrance Gopura (4 th enclosure), the Indian 

team will design a preliminary project on the basis of the discussions held on June 2, 

2008 with the ad hoc group of experts. 

- The Indian team will move forward with implementation of the program decided upon 

with the APSARA National Authority regarding tourist safety inside the temple. 

- The Indian team is invited to involve the APSARA National Authority’s newly created








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Forestry, Cultural Landscape and Environment Management Department in tree handling 

operations while continuing to work with the Water Management Department. 

5. Western Baray Mebon 

In charge: APSARA National Authority 

- The APSARA National Authority will prepare for the ad hoc experts the most comprehensive 

file possible containing data and documentary sources relating to the 

structural features of the Mebon and the site on which it is found. 

6. Kbal Spean 


- Work should be undertaken to structure the edge of the river. As suggested by 

HE Seung Kong, further attention is needed to better showcase the sculptures, some 

of which have been damaged by acts of vandalism, in particular the Vishnu recently 

restored by Artisans d’Angkor. To achieve this, it is recommended that the so-called 

“bridgehead” zone be cleaned up, that carved or engraved stones be highlighted 

where they may have been turned over and that a wooden barricade be put up to 

keep visitors from walking on the sculptures. 

- Regarding the matter of cleaning off sculptures currently covered with a thin layer of 

moss, the experts have recommended that no mechanical cleaning operation be undertaken 

on carved surfaces without a prior microbiological analysis of the moss or 

lichen. Generally speaking, it is preferable to leave such sculptures alone as much as 

possible, which, in any event, are either dry or wet depending on the season, and 

would soon be covered again by moss even after cleaning. 

- The experts agree that this site abounds in remains of great spiritual and symbolical 

meaning, which are considered with deep devotion by the local communities. As such, 

it would be good if both the national public and foreign tourists were more familiar 

with them. It would be good to include them on visitor itineraries and thereby expand 

the number of destinations in the Angkor zone and help relieve the growing tourist 

pressure from which it is starting to suffer. 

7. Koh Ker 


- Special care should be given to managing the green cover of this monument. 

- For safety reasons, it is recommended to temporarily prohibit anyone from climbing 

up the pyramid, pending construction of a wooden stairway. 

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 

GENERAL RECOMMENDATION: Prevent the degradation of agricultural and residential land 

and put an end to unregulated urbanization. In this way, in keeping with Agenda 21 advocated 

at the global level, a broader level of environmental safeguarding can be achieved. 

1. CONSERVE WATER RESOURCES: Use awareness-raising campaigns to appeal to the publicspiritedness 

of all to avoid wasteful or improper use of water. 

2. PROTECT WATER RESERVES: Cut down on the amount of water drawn from the water 

table by using other water supply sources. 

3. RECYCLE WASTEWATER: Put in appropriate water treatment systems, thereby salvaging 

appreciable volumes of water; reduce consumption of fresh water and control pollution. 

4. WESTERN BARAY: It must be kept in mind that the WESTERN BARAY, while being a major 

water reservoir, one that is vital for economic growth in the Siem Reap region, is a foremost 

historical monument, a very unique record of Khmer heritage. The showcasing of its historical 

and archaeological features and rehabilitation of its hydraulic function necessitates 

compliance with the parameters resulting from recent studies that show that the maximum 

depth of water must be kept to 19.9 m after consolidation of the perimeter banks when the 

historical dikes are restored. This height will make it possible to keep above water the Mebon








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Angkorian monument in the center while achieving a storage capacity of 62 million m 3 of water. 

4. THE TONLE SAP: The Tonle Sap is classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve due to the 

totally unique feature of its water pattern, fish resources, biological and ecological specificities, 

as well as the way of life and cultural heritage of the communities whose subsistence 

depends on it. Accordingly, any project that involves the shores of the Tonle Sap must see to 

maintaining the balance between natural values, cultural traditions and human and social 

aspects, in this way ensuring sustainable development. 

5. SETTING UP AN ENVIRONMENT OBSERVATORY IN SIEM REAP: In order to collect data and 

to improve analysis of the environment, the urban context and changes affecting the quality 

of life of the people living in Siem Reap, it is strongly recommended to set up an environment 

observatory under the common aegis of the APSARA National Authority and the 

municipality. 

V.2 Approval of the Recommendations by the ICC 

Mr Azedine Beschaouch: “Honorable Co-chairmen, we would be happy if our colleagues, all 

the members here present, see no objection to approving these recommendations that 

were thoroughly studied out, as I mentioned, and that are submitted to you today. This 

way we can finish off the initiative undertaken and move onward and upward... 

If there is no objection, may we consider, dear colleagues, honorable Co-chairman, 

that these recommendations forwarded from the proceedings of the 17 th Technical Session 

are now approved? … Thank you.” 

V.3 Date of the Next Technical Session 

Mr Azedine Beschaouch: “One point remains to be settled. Usually the Technical Session is 

slated for June. We propose the month but the final date depends on a couple of factors. 

The first is the date of the World Heritage Committee meeting. Some here are already 

aware of that date, perhaps HE Madame Tan Theany from the National Commission. If I’m 

not mistaken, it will be in Seville, Spain, from June 22 to 30. We can therefore propose, if 

our two Co-chairmen have no objection, that we avoid the last two weeks in June and look 

at a date during the first two weeks, or even more precisely, during the first week. That will 

depend on you, because the two Co-chairmen of the Technical Session have to be there. 

They will be on hand and have to look at what is feasible for their people coming from Tokyo 

and Paris. Of course, the two Co-chairmen for the Plenary Session are free to come and 

need to be informed. So the date we are proposing is the first week or first ten days of 

June. The two Co-chairmen will get together with HE Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and the 

APSARA National Authority to determine what time during these first ten days is the best, 

keeping in mind also that the Technical Session is two days rather than one day. 

That then covers the last point on the agenda. I thank you for the trust displayed in 

your Secretariat. I thank you for giving me the floor so many times. But it is important for 

us to be able to make use of our statutes or internal regulations to facilitate our proceedings. 

And this is achieved by this interchange between the Co-chairmen and your 

Secretariat. Thank you once again.”





VI. CLOSING SESSION 

VI.1 Statement by the Co-chairman for Japan, HE Mr Katsuhiro Shinohara, 

Ambassador of Japan 




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“In conclusion, I would first of all like to thank Deputy Prime Minister Sok An for 

attending our Plenary Session. I also thank all the participants from Cambodia, the representatives 

of the international community, the experts belonging to different organizations 

who made contributions in the form of research reports, all of which has broadened our 

understanding of the Angkor monuments. I would like to thank the UNESCO Secretariat. 

You made available the many documents we needed and thanks to your fine work, our session 

was a real success. With this, I would like to give the floor to my fellow chairman who 

will wrap up this session. Thank you.” 

VI.2 Statement by the Co-chairman for France, HE Mr Jean-François 

Desmazières, Ambassador of France 

“Honorable Deputy Prime Minister, 

Madame the Representative of the UNESCO Director General, 

My fellow chairman has asked me to wrap up this 15 th session. I will comply with his 

wishes. 

Madame, because I am speaking mainly to you, because you were kind enough to 

come and attend this 15 th Session, I do hope, without implying you came to give us an inspection, 

that you found the ICC in good working order. For this 15 th Session, a written set 

of regulations was passed out. I think that this was an important thing to do, and we went 

ahead with this 15 th Plenary Session in line with its role to set strategic or policy directions, 

establish priorities, as well as give our stamp of approval to the hard work done by our ad 

hoc experts and the Technical Sessions. 

In this regard, we were pleased and satisfied to have heard a number of presentations 

from the APSARA Authority under the leadership of HE Bun Narith. I think that it is 

extremely important for APSARA to fully assume its place in the ICC. After all, we are in 

Cambodia and APSARA is in charge of the files and is liable for them. It was important and 

positive that the Director General and his leading coworkers had the opportunity to express 

themselves, make reports and thus warrant the full trust of the international community. 

We then took up the ‘Research and Conservation’ theme, an area in which the results 

are obvious. We’ve been working on that for a long time. The ad hoc experts, although only 

half of them were able to make it, are working in complete symbiosis. We approved projects, 

heard comments that took the World Monuments Fund project full circle, had an 

expert report on the good work being done on Ta Prohm by the Archeological Survey of 

India, and finally this rather complex project of interest to all, completion of the third tier of 

the Baphuon. 

Meanwhile, our experts were on hand to point out operations needing urgent attention 

or at least to be put in order of priority, and outline projects to be taken up at 

upcoming Technical Sessions. We learned that the Koh Ker project is moving ahead and we 

will be on hand in a few minutes with our Hungarian colleagues. We took good note of issues 

regarding attention needed by the Mebon and Western Baray, along with some 

interrelated issues. There again we heard of what needs priority attention and project calls 

were made. 

Moving on to the more recent area of concern, sustainable development, this is something 

newer, something very much on the move. But it’s a challenge because we are no 

longer just exchanging friendly viewpoints or challenging viewpoints among scientists on








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the techniques to be used. We’re involved with something living, developing things sustainably. 

Research that has already been done and that has been acknowledged through the 

recommendations, highlighted the issue of water management, water drainage, water reservoirs 

and barays, depending on whether you use the modern term or ancient 

archaeological term. 

Our experts took us along to explore new ground and put forward new areas for us to 

think about. I feel that some very important and meaningful ideas were proposed for more 

distant sites, both in terms of tourist flow management and sustainable development, getting 

the communities involved. What was pointed out with regard to Phnom Kulen, the 

flooded forest, is worthy of attention and will perhaps result in some new and interesting 

projects. The same can be said in the area of urban development in Siem Reap and tourism 

management. 

So many different ideas were tabled for discussion. In conclusion, let me address, 

Madame the UNESCO Deputy Director for Culture, in saying that we were right on track as 

far as the role of the Plenary Session is concerned. The Royal Government, represented by 

the Deputy Prime Minister, was on hand and kindly heard things out from beginning to end. 

We did some strategic thinking. If we successfully follow through on it, get the priorities 

straight and get new, exemplary projects drafted and underway, this will be of inspiration 

to everyone down the line. 

I turn things back to my fellow chairman and express the hope that I indeed spoke 

along the lines he wished.” 

VI.3 Statement from the Representative of the Royal Government of 

Cambodia, HE Mr Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the APSARA 

National Authority 


Madame Françoise Rivière, Deputy Director of UNESCO and Representative of the Director 

General, 

Excellencies, 


Looking at the weighty agenda we went through, I must say that we successfully covered 

all of the points. Nothing was left out. This is something we can be very happy about 

and we congratulate our two Co-chairmen for leading the ICC proceedings in a friendly but 

firm manner. 

Dear Colleagues, 

I can only make some brief comments in view of the time. Let me highlight three 

points that we should see as vitally important: First, while we have a procedure to follow, 

let me invite this Committee to give full importance to the forests of Angkor. For their safeguarding 

and development, we hope that members of the ICC that have the means 

available can assist the APSARA National Authority with expertise and financial contributions. 

Obviously, proper, detailed technical files will be prepared by the department 

concerned and will be submitted for the consideration of the ICC Technical Session next 

June. 

As for the natural and cultural heritage of Phnom Kulen, as soon as the technical and 

procedural conditions are met, our intention is to propose that UNESCO include the heritage 

zone of Phnom Kulen within the area covered by the Angkor World Heritage Site. We unhesitatingly 

give our support to the ad hoc expert recommendations outlined by Professor 

Mounir Bouchenaki. I have given instructions to the Director General of the APSARA National 

Authority to work toward implementation of the measures necessary for the 

safeguarding of the cultural heritage in this zone. A master plan will be developed for this








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and submitted to the ICC. Also, all other steps will be taken forthwith to ensure the preservation 

of the Preah Thom Reclining Buddha at Krol Romeas. 

In conclusion, let me inform this Committee that the Royal Government is determined 

to restore the original topography of the Western Baray as part of its historical landscape. 

The Governor of Siem Reap, HE Mr Sou Phirin, along with the APSARA National Authority, 

will work together on the matter of stripping soil from the eastern section of the baray that 

is now above water. This will greatly increase the capacity of this huge reservoir and enable 

preservation of the Western Mebon which is threatened by the currently high water level in 

the baray. 

That covers the main points that I wanted to highlight for the ICC and I am sure the 

Committee will give them the needed attention. We will get back to these points at the next 

Technical Session. 

Excellencies, Dear Colleagues, 

You have shown your usual enthusiasm in actively participating in today’s session. So 

although 15 years have gone by, interest in Angkor shows no signs of waning. Thank you 

for your kind attention.” 

VI.4 Statement by the UNESCO Representative, Mr Teruo Jinnai, 

Representative of UNESCO in Cambodia 

“Excellencies Our Honorable Co-Chairmen, 

Excellency the Senior Representative of His Majesty the King, 

Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister, 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Dear Colleagues: 

This 15 th Plenary Session of the ICC was indeed a heavy one and I would like to express 

my thanks to all who had a share: our eminent Co-chairmen, our distinguished 

guests, our brilliant ad hoc experts and our indispensable Scientific Secretary and his team, 

along with our colleagues from UNESCO headquarters who were able to be present with us. 

For 15 years now, these high-ranking personalities and the institutions they represent 

have consistently made themselves available to the cause of Angkor and thereby to the 

Royal Government of Cambodia, thus contributing to the preservation of Angkor, an exceptional 

World Heritage Site, unique in both its beauty and size. 

My hope is that for the years to come, the Cambodian side will increasingly take over 

in an efficient and accountable manner with regard to the safeguarding and sustainable 

development of the site. That way, the day will come when we can say that this very 

unique partnership dating back to 1993 has borne fruit. After all, our ultimate goal is to see 

the Kingdom of Cambodia fully manage this site on its own. When that day comes, the international 

community will no longer come to Angkor to assist but to learn. 

Obviously, there is a lot left to be done before we reach that point, but we strongly 

encourage the APSARA National Authority to continue along the challenging and steep road 

ahead leading to accountability and self-empowerment. 

In expectation of that happy day, I would like to ensure HE the Deputy Prime Minister 

that he can be sure of UNESCO’s support and that of all of us. 

We look forward to seeing you at the next Technical Session. Thank you for your attention.” 

**Conclusion of the proceedings of the 15 th ICC Plenary Session**




15th Plenary Session of ICC Angkor 

Sokha Angkor Hotel – December 1, 2008 


List of Participants 




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No. Name Title Organization Email/Tel 

1 AN Sopheap Department of Conservation APSARA Authority 

Administrator, Cité de 

2 Anne-Marie le Guével 

l’architecture et du patrimoine 

Min. of Culture and Communication 

(MCC-France) amleguevel@citechaillot.fr 

3 Anshu Vaish Director General ASI team directorgeneralasi@gmail.com 

4 Azédine Beschaouch ICC Scientific Secretary 

azedinebeschaouch@hotmail. 

com 

5 Bertrand Porte Architect EFEO bertrandporte@yahoo.fr 

6 BIN Sambatharavuth Representative 

Min. of Land Management 

& Construction 

7 Blaise Kilian ICC Secretariat UNESCO Phnom Penh b.kilian@unesco.org 

8 BUN Kanhara Assistant Director APSARA Authority puch_002@yahoo.com 

9 BUN Lim Heng Council of Minister 

10 BUN Narith Director General APSARA Authority 

11 BUT Kary Governor Angkor Thom District 

12 BUTH Kimnet Reporter Council of Ministers 

13 Carol Rodley US Embassy 

14 Catherine Theiller Expert APSARA Authority 

15 CHAN Sophal Deputy Governor Siem Reap Province 

16 CHAU SUN Kérya ICC Secretariat APSARA Authority apsara.ddta@online.com.kh 

17 CHEA Sophat Deputy Director Heritage Police 

18 CHEAM Phally Senior Architect WMF phallysiemreap@yahoo.com 

19 CHEV Phal Department of Forestry APSARA Authority 

20 CHHIEU Nam Deputy Department Director APSARA Authority 

21 CHHOM Kunthea Department of Museums APSARA Authority 

22 CHHONG Vira Deputy Department Director APSARA Authority 

23 CHHONG Vira Department Director APSARA Authority 

24 CHHOR Sivleng 

Department of Technical 

Support 

APSARA Authority 

25 CHHOR Thanat Deputy Director General APSARA Authority kearoeung_thou@yahoo.com 

26 CHOU Radina Department of Water APSARA Authority 

27 CHRUNG Sophal Department Director APSARA Authority 

28 CHUCH Poeun Secretary of State 

Ministry of Culture and 

Fine Arts 

29 Clement Guihot Department of Urban Heritage APSARA Authority 

30 Cunin Olivier Observer cunin@crai.archi.fr 

31 Damian Evans Professor University of Sydney damianevans@hotmail.com 

32 DAN Chanthavy 

Department of Territory and 

Heritage 


33 David Rorke Interpreter dgrorke@yahoo.com 

34 DENG Sambath Department of Administration APSARA Authority 

35 DEP Sothon Department of Tourism APSARA Authority








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36 Dominique Freslon Cultural Adviser Embassy of France 

dominique.FRESLON@diplom 

atie.gouv.fr 

37 EA Darith Department of Museums APSARA Authority 

38 EA Tal Department of Conservation APSARA Authority 

39 EAV Cheangny Reporter Council of Ministers 

40 Eiichiro Hayashi Representative JICA 

41 Elisabeth Holuscha Director 

Cologne University of 

Applied Sciences 

elisabeth.holuscha@fhkoeln.de 

42 Elke Tigges Expert DED/APSARA 

elke.tigges@dedcambodia.org 

43 Eric Llopis Archaeologist FSP eric.llopis@inrap.fr 

Esther von Plewhe- 

44 

Leisen 

Scientist GACP jaeh.leisen@t-online.de 

45 Fanny de Dormael Expert APSARA Authority 

46 Francine d'Orgeval MAE-France 

francine.dorgeval@diplomatie. 

gouv.fr 

47 Franck Marcus Mann Ambassador Embassy of Germany 

germanembassy@everyday. 

com.kh 

48 Franck Vautier Professor Université Blaise Pascal 

49 Françoise Rivière ADG/CLT UNESCO HQ 

50 Fruzsina Jelen Volunteer RAF 

51 Gaël de Guichen Consultant UNESCO HQ gaeldeguichen@libero.it 

52 Gen. DOM Hak Deputy Director General APSARA Authority 

53 Geraldine Bouneau Expert APSARA Authority 

54 Glenn Boornazian Project Coordinator WMF konstanze_vzm@hotmail.com 

55 Rajesh K. Sachdeva Ambassador Embassy of India embindia@online.com.kh 

56 HANG Peou Department Director APSARA Authority hangpeou@yahoo.com 

57 Hans Leisen Project Director GACP l@phno.auswaertiges-amt.de 

58 HEANG Kengte Department of Administration APSARA Authority 

59 HENG Kim Leng Department Director APSARA Authority 

60 HING Thoraxy Council of Ministers 

61 Hiroyuki Motomura Fish Specialist Kanazawa University 

62 HOK Peng Sè Department Director APSARA Authority 

63 HONG Daravuth Representative Ministry of Environment 

64 HONG Makara National Program Officer UNESCO Phnom Penh m.hong@unesco.org 

65 HOR Ritheanou Assistant Director APSARA Authority 

66 HOR Rithearoth 


Heritage 


67 HOU Weidong 

Leader, Ta Keo Restoration 

Project 

CSA 

68 HOUE Sony 

Department of Agriculture and 

Community Development 


69 HY Mara Representative 

Ministry of Economy and 

Finance 

70 Ichita Shimoda Technical Adviser JASA ichita731@hotmail.com 

71 IEV Chanheng National Project Coordinator UNESCO Phnom Penh c.iev_jasa@online.com.kh 

72 Ignazio Di Pace Ambassador Embassy of Italy abasciata.bangkok@esteri.it 

73 IM Sokrithy 



APSARA Authority imsokrithy@hotmail.com 

74 ING Tong Eang Department of Urban Heritage APSARA Authority 

75 Ishimura Tomo Researcher Nara Institute tomoishi@nabunken.go.jp








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76 Istvan Zelnik CEO Hunincor 

77 IT Peou Department Director APSARA Authority 

78 Ivan Chvalny Head of Commercial Section Embassy of Czech Rep. lavida@volny.cz 

79 Jacques Gaucher Archaeologist EFEO jacquesgaucher@wanadoo.fr 

80 Jan Kucera 

Director, Analytical and Dating 

Research 

Czech Academy of 

Sciences 

kucera@ujf.cas.cz 

81 Janhwij Shrama Director, Conservation ASI team janhwij.asi@gmail.com 

82 János Jelen Chairman Royal Angkor Foundation jelenjanos@gmail.com 

83 Jean-Baptiste 

Chevance 

84 Jean-François 

Desmazières 

Archaeologist 

Archaeology and 

Development Foundation jbchevance@free.fr 

Co-chairman Embassy of France 

jean-francois.DESMAZIERES 

@diplomatie.gouv.fr 

85 Jean-Marie Furt Ad hoc Expert for Development UNESCO jmafurt@wanadoo.fr 

86 Jeremy Berthélomeau Expert APSARA Authority 

87 Joachim Metzner President 

Cologne University of 

Applied Sciences 

rektorat@zv.fh-koeln.de 

88 Jozsef Laszlovszky Professor CEU 

89 Julien Anfruns Director General ICOM secretariat@icom.museum 

90 KANG Samoeun Department of External Sites APSARA Authority 

91 Karel Kranda Project Director 


Sciences 

kranda@ujf.cas.cz 

92 Katerina Blazkova Project Manager Gopura Team 

gopura2@gmail.com; 

gopura@centrum.cz 

93 Katsuhiro Shinohara Ambassador Embassy of Japan 

94 KAUTH Vithyea Department of Forestry APSARA Authority 

95 Kayoko Tanaka Cultural Attaché Embassy of Japan kayoko.tanaka@mofa.go.jp 

96 KEAT Peng Keang 




97 KEAV Marady Reporter Council of Ministers 

98 KEO Marong 


Heritage 


99 KIM RITH Viseth Council of Ministers 

100 KIM Seong Do 

Architectural Heritage 

Cultural Heritage Administration 

Division of Korea 

101 Kompheak Phoeung Interpreter kompheak1@yahoo.com 

102 KONG Kanthy Field Architect I.Ge.S. igescamb@hotmail.com 

Konstanze von zur 

103 

Muhlen 

Project Manager WMF konstanze_vzm@hotmail.com 

104 KOY Kim Tour Adviser to the Chairman APSARA Authority 

105 Laurent Lévis-Strauss Section Chief (CLT/CIH/MCO) UNESCO HQ l.levi-strauss@unesco.org 

106 LAY Poty Department of Water APSARA Authority 

107 LEOU Channora Department of External Sites APSARA Authority 

108 LIM Bun Hok ICC Secretariat UNESCO Phnom Penh bh.lim@unesco.org 

109 LIM Kannika Department of Water APSARA Authority 

110 LIM Nov Reporter Council of Ministers 

111 LIM Ourk Deputy Director of Department APSARA Authority 

112 Linda Vejlupkova Site Manager Gopura Team l.vejlupkova@yahoo.com 

113 Lionel Courty Interpreter lionelcourty@hotmail.com 

114 LIU Jiang Director CSA en1366@hotmail.com 

115 LOUK Sok Leng Department of Tourism APSARA Authority 

116 LY Bora Department of Water APSARA Authority








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117 LY Puthea Department of Conservation APSARA Authority 

118 LY Vanna Department of Museums APSARA Authority vnly47@yahoo.fr 

119 M.M. Kanade 

Superintending Archaeological 

Engineer 

ASI team mmkanade2002@yahoo.com 

120 MANN Chheoun Director Heritage Police 

121 MAO Sengyean 


Heritage 


122 MAO Sokny Department of Conservation APSARA Authority 

123 MAO Someaphivath Department of Administration APSARA Authority 

124 MAO Vibol Assistant Director APSARA Authority maovibol@hotmail.com 

125 Margaret Adamson Ambassador Australian Embassy briony.hearman@dfat.gov.au 

126 Marie-Françoise 

André 

Professor Université Blaise Pascal m-francoise.andre@univbpclermont.fr 

127 Marsis Sutopo Head Conservation Div., Indo. 

128 MEAS Bunlab Department of Forestry APSARA Authority 

129 MEAS Samnang Department of Communication APSARA Authority 

130 MENG Vanny Department of Administration APSARA Authority 

131 MEY Marady Deputy Director General APSARA Authority 

132 MEY Ra Dept. of Technical Support APSARA Authority 

133 Michel Blazek Project Leader Gopura Team 

gopura@centrum.cz; 

gopura2@gmail.cz 

134 Michel Clément 

Director, Architecture and 

Heritage 

Min. of Culture and Com- michel.clement@ 

munication (MCC-France) culture.gouv.fr 

135 Michel Verrot Project Coordinator FSP michelsien@camnet.com.kh 

136 Mireille Grubert Director, Chaillot School France mgrubert@citechaillot.fr 

137 MOA Loâ Department Director APSARA Authority 

138 MONH Samath Council of Ministers 

139 MORIMOTO Susumu Researcher Nara Institute susumu@nabunken.go.jp 

140 Mounir Bouchenaki Ad hoc Expert for Conservation UNESCO mbo@iccrom.org 

141 Nao Hayashi 

Responsible for Asia and the 

Pacific (CIH/MCO) 

UNESCO HQ n.hayashi@unesco.org 

142 Natarajan Ishwaran 

Director, Division of Earth 

Sciences 

UNESCO HQ n.ishwaran@unesco.org 

143 NGANN Dany Department Director APSARA Authority 

144 NGET Chhayly Finance Department of Finance APSARA Authority 

145 NGET Sothy Department Director APSARA Authority 

146 NGO Hongly Council of Minister 

147 Nicolas Deviller CEO SCA 

nicolas.deviller@cambodiaairports.aero 

148 Nicole Pot Director General INRAP nicole.pot@inrap.fr 

149 NIN Chansamean Department Director APSARA Authority 

150 Nobuo Endo Research Fellow Sophia University n-endo@sophia.ac.jp 

151 Norio Maruyama Minister Embassy of Japan norio.maruyama@mofa.go.jp 

152 Ockie Bosch 

School of Natural and Rural 

Systems 

University of Queensland, 

o.bosch@uq.edu.au 

Australia 

153 ORII Kazuo Department of Urban Heritage APSARA Authority 

154 OUK Vannaridh APSARA Authority 

155 OUM Weachiravuth 

Senior Representative of His 

Majesty the King 

Royal Palace 

156 OUN Vong Governor Banteay Srey District 

157 Parimal Kar First Secretary Embassy of India hocembindia@online.com.kh


158 Pascal Royère Architect EFEO pascal.royere@efeo.net 

159 Petrolnille Eyaud Observer SCA 

160 PHAY Siphan Secretary of State Council of Ministers 

161 Philippe Bechet BSCP bscp@online.com.kh 

162 Philippe Delanghe Culture Program Specialist UNESCO Phnom Penh p.delanghe@unesco.org 

163 PHIN Samnang Department of External Sites APSARA Authority 

164 PHOU Sâm At Governor Prasat Bakong District 

165 PHOU Sochea Department of Conservation APSARA Authority 

166 PHUONG Sopheak Department of Tourism APSARA Authority 

167 PICH Sokha Lay Governor Pouk District 

168 Pierre Lanapats 

Deputy Director, Archaeology 

and Social Sciences 




MoFA-France 




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pierre.lanapats@diplomatie. 

gouv.fr 

169 Pierre-André 

Lablaude 

Ad hoc Expert for Conservation UNESCO lablaude@wanadoo.fr 

170 Piper A.W. Campbell Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. US Embassy MillerGL@state.gov; 

171 PRIM Virak Department of Cooperation APSARA Authority 

172 Jaroslav Poncar 

Vice-director, Project and 

Documentation Manager 


Sciences 

jaro@poncar.de 

173 PROM Chak ICC Secretariat UNESCO Phnom Penh c.prom@unesco.org 

174 PROM Karona Department Director APSARA Authority 

175 PROM Sam Ean Department Director APSARA Authority 

176 PUM Vireaknora Department of Tourism APSARA Authority 

177 PUTH Soth Department of External Sites APSARA Authority 

Rafael Dochao 

178 

Moreno 

Chargé d'Affaires EC Delegation mailto@delkhm.cec.eu.int 

179 Roland Fletcher Professor University of Sydney 

roland.fletcher@arts.usyd.edu. 

au 

180 Romana Tedeschi Project Manager BSCP bscp@online.com.kh 

181 ROS Borath Deputy Director General APSARA Authority apsara.dma@online.com.kh 

182 ROS Try Department of Tourism APSARA Authority 

183 Roseri Rosdy Head Restoration Div., Indo. 

184 SAHAI Sacchidananh Expert APSARA Authority 

185 SAM Peou 


Heritage 


186 SÂM Siyan Director Heritage Police 

187 Samnoble Chan Interpreter chan.somnoble@rupp.edu.kh 

188 Satoru Miwa Project Manager Sophia University n-endo@sophia.ac.jp 

189 SAY Samkhan Council of Ministers 

190 SENG Sochea Department of Administration APSARA Authority 

191 SENG Sometha Council of Ministers 

192 SENG Sotheara Department of Museums APSARA Authority 

193 SENG Thida Reporter Council of Ministers 

194 SEUNG Kong Deputy Director General APSARA Authority seung_kong@yahoo.com 

195 SHIMAKAGE Mayuko Representative JICA shimakage.mayuko@jica.go.jp 

196 Shingo Morihata Representative JICA morihata.shingo@jica.go.jp 

197 Shinji Tsukawaki Water Specialist Kanazawa University shinji@staff.kanazawa-u.ac.jp 

198 Simon Warrack Stone Conservator ICCROM swarrack@gmail.com 

199 SIN Run Governor Svay Ley District 

200 SO Chheng CSA Tel: 012 970 066 

201 SO Peang Department of Conservation APSARA Authority








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202 SO Sarom Department of Forestry APSARA Authority 

203 Soeum Yin Interpreter 

204 SOK An Deputy Prime Minister Council of Ministers 

205 SOK Sarun Department of Museums APSARA Authority 

206 SOK Sokan Council of Minister 

207 SOM Soeung Finance Department APSARA Authority 

208 SOMRITH Socheat Reporter Council of Ministers 

209 Sopha Samreth Interpreter samrethsopha@hotmail.com 

210 SOT Nady Commissioner of Police Siem Reap Province 

211 SOU Phirin Governor Siem Reap Province 

212 SOY Sok Heng Department of Water APSARA Authority 

213 Stéphanie Bertrand Multilateral Coordinator Embassy of France 

stephanie.bertrand@ 

diplomatie.gouv.fr 

214 SUM Map Council of Ministers 

215 Takeshi Nakagawa Co-director JASA nakag@waseda.jp 

216 TAN Boun Suy Department Director APSARA Authority 

217 TAN Sambon Deputy Director General APSARA Authority 

218 TAN Theany Secretary General 

Cambodian National 

Commission for UNESCO camnac@hotmail.com 

219 TAO Seng Hour Senior Minister Council of Ministers 

220 TEK RITH Samrech Council of Ministers 

221 TEM Ton 




222 TEP Bun Chay Governor Siem Reap District 

223 TEP Tony Department Director APSARA Authority 

224 TEP Vattho Department Director APSARA Authority apsara.ddu@hotmail.com 

225 Teruo Jinnai 

UNESCO Representative in 

Cambodia 

UNESCO Phnom Penh t.jinnai@unesco.org 

226 Tetsuji Goto Ad hoc Expert for Development UNESCO bobgoto2006@yahoo.com 

227 THO Thon Department of Conservation APSARA Authority 

228 THONG Khon Minister Ministry of Tourism 

229 THOU Kearoeung Department of Forestry APSARA Authority 

230 TITH Sopha 


Support 

231 TY Yao Director General 


Preah Vihear National 

Authority 

232 Uhm Wonjae Second Secretary Embassy of Korea 

233 UK Someth Deputy Director General APSARA Authority someth_uk@yahoo.com 

234 UK Topbotra 


Support 


235 Ulrich Salzmann Head of Project BSCP ueli.salzmann@atelier-gs.ch 

236 Valter M. Santoro Head of Project I.Ge.S. vm.santoro@igessnc.com 

237 Vijay S. Madan Additional Director General ASI team vijay.madan@gmail.com 

238 Vincent Piron Member of BoD SCA vpiron@vinci.com 

239 Wolfgang Möllers Country Director DED ld@ded.org.kh 

240 YIM Nolla Senior Minister Council of Ministers 

241 YIN Sovat Department Director APSARA Authority 

242 Yoko Futagami Senior Researcher NRICP Tokyo futa@tobunken.go.jp 

243 Yoshio Ando 

Director, Multilateral Culture 

Cooperation Division 

MCFA yoshio.ando@mofa.go.jp




APSARA NATIONAL AUTHORITY 

(ANA) 


ACTIVITY REPORT 

JANUARY to DECEMBER 2008 

Summary report drafted by CHAU SUN Kérya, 

Based on documents submitted by the Departments 

of the APSARA National Authority 




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The APSARA National Authority was restructured in 2008 for the purpose of adding new departments. 

These now number 14. The rationale for the creation of these new Departments is 

to facilitate the implementation of missions for a better efficiency in the field and to better facilitate 

the economic development benefiting the region. However the negative impact of 

development must be minimised through strict management of the demographic growth of the 

protected zones. Also of concern are the urban expansion of Siem Reap town and issues 

linked with water and the environment. 

The 14 Departments are as follows: 

1. Department of Conservation of the Monuments in the Angkor park and preventive archaeology 

(DCMAP), 

2. Department of Tourism Development in Angkor (DDTA), 

3. Department of Land Planning and Habitat Management in the Angkor park (DATGHA), 

4. Department of Agriculture and Community Development (DDAC), 

5. Department of Water resource Management (DGE), 

6. Department of the Office of Administration, Personnel and Material (DAPM), 

7. Department of Finance and Accounting (DFC), 

8. Department of Communication (DC), 

9. Department of the Office for trans-sectoral projects and technical support (DSTPI), 

10. Department of Management of Forestry, Cultural Landscapes and the Environment 

(DGFPCE), 

11. Department of Public Order and Co-operation (DOPC), 

12. Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards (DDCMNP), 

13. Department of Development of Siem Reap Urban Heritage (DDPU), 

14. Department of Conservation of the Monuments Outside Angkor park (DCSE). 

The DC, DSTPI and DDCMNP Departments were created to streamline the distribution of missions 

whereas other Department names were changed and their functions altered. 

To improve communication and interaction between the different technical units, the deputy 

Prime Minister, President of the APSARA National Authority, His Excellency Sok An decided to 

regroup all Departments of the institution into one temporary facility (12 Departments moved) 

while waiting for the future seat of APSARA to be built. A one-window service, “APSARA service 

centre” (CSA) was also created in order to improve and facilitate contacts with the general 

public and the population living in the protected zones. This centre is where different types of 

application for modifying or restoring residential housing can be submitted, and where operators 

and visitors can benefit from all the APSARA National Authority services.








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The year 2008 was eventful for the APSARA National Authority, firstly with the consecration 

ceremony of the Great Buddha of the Baphuon Temple by His Majesty the King NORODOM 

Sihamoni attended by his Excellency Mr SOK An, the French and other Ambassadors, members 

of the ICC and many international and national guests. Following the inauguration 

presided over by His Majesty the King NORODOM Sihamoni in 2007, Her Majesty the Queen 

Monineath Sihanouk paid tribute to the Preah NORODOM Sihanouk-Angkor Museum, by visiting 

it in early 2008. 

It was in front of Angkor Wat, that Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Decho 

HUN Sen and Mrs Françoise RIVIÈRE set the plaque solemnly consecrating Angkor as World 

heritage site. 

Following the decision of the World heritage Committee to remove the Angkor site from the 

World Heritage List at risk in 2004, the APSARA National Authority submitted a report on the 

three years of management following the delisting in early 2008. 

Participants of the December 2008 Plenary session of the ICC celebrated and lauded the inscription 

of the sacred site of the Preah Vihear temple on the World Heritage List at the 

Committee’s General assembly in Quebec in July 2008. 

Regarding the field of training and human resources improvement, students from Cambodia, 

Vietnam and Laos graduated from the first year of operation of the regional heritage training 

centre. 

Within the framework of the agreed convention between the APSARA National Authority and 

the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and the Restoration of Cultural Property 

(ICCROM) to outsource to the Authority expertise in the fields, ICCROM organised jointly 

with the APSARA National Authority and the National Authority for Preah Vihear a training session 

entitled: “Conservation and context: Collections and their Heritage Sites”. The 

conservators working for the APSARA National Authority, the National Authority for Preah Vihear, 

also for other provinces in Cambodia and for the Ministry of culture followed training 

undertaken by international experts in the field of inventory restoration. 

INTRODUCTION 

Following the first water colloquium organised in December 2007, two others took place in 

2008, gathering national and international experts from the public and private sectors in order 

to tackle the water issues in the town of Siem Reap. The drafted recommendations were followed 

by the establishment of a steering Committee and monitoring.








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The community participation programme, a bilateral cooperation between NZAID and ANA, 

started the second phase of the project: fixing financial procedures and establishing the list of 

required expertise so that consultants may be hired to support the Departments in charge of the 

implementation of the project. 

Following the “Living with Heritage” project, Australia continues its support by financing a bilateral 

cooperation with the APSARA National Authority within the “Heritage management 

Framework” project. 

The Prakas (decisions) on the organisation and functioning of the different Departments were 

submitted to the Office of the General Director to clearly set out the distribution of tasks, as 

some missions encroach upon ne another. While awaiting resolution of these issues, the Departments 

continue to operate according to existing principles. 

I. DEPARTMENT OF THE OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION, PERSONNEL 

AND MATERIAL (DAPM) 

I.1. ESTABLISHED STRUCTURES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE OFFICE OF 

ADMINISTRATION, PERSONNEL AND MATERIAL: 

As the structures put forward have not been yet legislated, the Department of the Office of Administration, 

Personnel and Material operates within the following temporary structure: 

a) Unit of Ordnance and protocol; 

b) Staff and training Unit; 

c) Material management Unit; 

d) Centralising and planning Unit; 

e) APSARA Authority service centre. 

I.2. 2008 works: 

2.a. Unit for Ordnance and protocol; 

Administrative duties: 

The unit in charge of correspondence is responsible for internal mail (4,920 letters and 

files) at the APSARA Authority and for correspondence from other national and international 

bodies (620 letters and files). It is in charge of finalising the authorisation of access 

to the Angkor Park for official delegations and researchers and authorisation to organise 

cultural events organised by the relevant departments (1979 authorisations) and bears 

the responsibility for issuing building permits (425). 

Protocol Unit: 

- Took part in the drafting of the sub-decree on the copyright of names and images 

of the monuments of and in the Kingdom of Cambodia; 

- Prepared meetings for tendering files and for the selection of companies chosen to 

build housings for security guards, toilets, shelters for guards and of two sentry 

boxes for the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum in Siem Reap.








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- Approved and analysed files such as the rehabilitation of the roads on the Angkor 

site, the surfacing with laterite of roads and the memoranda of understanding for 

enhancing research. 

- Prepared the launch of the surfacing of two roads bypassing the Angkor site. 

- Prepared the closing ceremony of the site of the Chau Srei Tevoda financed by the 

Government of the People’s Republic of China. 

- Prepared the ceremony for the setting up of the World Heritage plaque. 

- Completed the preparatory works for the temporary seat regrouping 11 Departments 

of the APSARA Authority. 

2.b. Staff and training Unit; 

This Unit hired 26 staff in 2008 to work in different Departments and removed 13 staff who left 

on various grounds. It also drafts decision letters (271), tasking orders (865) and service orders 

(580). 

2.c. Material management Unit; 

- The Unit dealt with 6,156 letters of request and material repairs. 

- It dealt with 396 letters requesting fuel. 

2.d. Centralising and planning Unit; 

This Unit is responsible for drafting monthly, quarterly, bi-annual, nine-monthly and annual activity 

reports of the APSARA Authority. 

In addition, it studies files, projects, planning and programmes from the other Departments of 

the APSARA Authority. 

2.e. APSARA Authority service centre. 

� The main task of the Department was to organise the implementation of the service centre of 

the APSARA Authority in order to improve public services provided to visitors and to the local 

population: The service centre of the APSARA Authority was opened on December 1, 2008. 

� The Department also drafted legal texts for the activation of the APSARA Authority service 

centre, Prakas N° 112 Pr.K. pursuant to the creation of the APSARA Authority service centre 

and Decision N° 80 SSR pursuant to the activation of the existing files of the APSARA Authority 

service centre. Finally the drafting of the internal regulations to be implemented at the APSARA 

Authority was completed. 

� Different types of application forms, 18 in total, for requesting services were drafted and 

translated into English. They are available for those requesting them, for visitors or Cambodians. 

� The administrative services of the centre were regrouped in a single location for greater efficiency 

of the procedures and for transparency of the duration of the delivery of documents and 

the involved administrative costs of these services. 

� It must also host customers who ask for assistance of the service centre of the APSARA 

Authority. It must also deal with files in collaboration with the relevant Departments of the 

APSARA Authority (102 files). 

II. DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING (DFC)








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The report on expenses and receipts of the APSARA Authority can be found in the annex at the 

end of the hereby document. 

III. THE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT (DC) 

The Communication Department is one of the new Departments created by the Deputy Prime 

Minister, President of the APSARA National Authority, His Excellency Sok An. It aims at supporting 

APSARA and improving the relationships with the population living in the Angkor 

Park, especially in the protected zones. It is vital to raise awareness among the populations 

of these zones so that they better understand the role of the APSARA National Authority 

and the value of safeguarding heritage for future generations. 

Up to now, a lack of communication has contributed to conflicting relationships. Therefore the 

Communication Department is undertaking outreach campaigns in villages and schools on a 

regular basis. 

� Since its creation in May 2008, the Communication Department has drafted the communication 

policy of the APSARA National Authority. This was realised through a mobile outreach 

campaign reaching 63 villages, 16 communes and five districts, all located in the protected and 

sensitive zones of the Angkor site. 

� Furthermore, in order to disseminate information to a wider audience programmes on private 

or State radio stations are regularly broadcasted. These consist of interviews with the managers 

of the APSARA National Authority, with the aim of establishing a dialogue with the public 

and acquaint the population with the organisation’s missions and obligations. 

� The department also publishes a monthly newsletter on the activities of the APSARA National 

Authority, disseminated to all the public institutions of the country. 

� Besides works on site, the department has to carry out administrative duties such as: responding 

to mail and planning semi annual and annual expense budgets. It must also order 

and produce the necessary 

IV. DEPARTMENT OF THE OFFICE FOR TRANS-SECTORAL 

PROJECTS AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT (DSTPI) 

The Department of the Office for trans-sectoral projects and technical support is one of the 

newly created Departments established to facilitate the missions of the APSARA National Authority. 

DSTPI regroups the technical support Units composed of experienced experts 

(architects, engineers, archaeologists, etc.) who can intervene in the special projects of the 

APSARA National Authority without depriving the specialised Department of competent staff. 

This meets the needs of the APSARA Authority’s enlarged missions and obligations. These 

missions can only be accomplished if the institution acquires specialised technical Units. The 

technicians of these Units can offer their services to support the different Departments’ projects. 

While waiting for Prakas (decisions) fixing the organisation and operations of the Department, 

activities focus on four main Units: 

The Office for the management of the environment of Angkor; 

1. The Office of the Geographical Information System; 

2. The International Documentation Centre; 

3. The Office on road network management. 

IV.1. ACTIVITIES OF THE SECRETARIAT OF THE UNIT FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE 

ENVIRONMENT OF ANGKOR








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1.a. Drafting of the 2008 environment management programme: 

� To set up the goals and environment perspectives for all Departments of the APSARA National 

Authority. 

� to draft the environment management programme for all Departments. 

1.b. External audit on the environment management system: 

� Auditors from the Japanese Institute carried out, in February 26-29, 2008, an audit in the 

following Departments: 

� Department of town planning and development of the Siem Reap region, 

� Department of Monuments and Archaeology 2, 

� Department of Water Resources and Forestry, 

� The Unit managing the environmental System of Angkor, 

� The reports of the external audit presenting insufficient outcomes were submitted to the 

General Director. The auditors put forward four proposals to improve management: 

i) The secretariat of the Unit managing the environmental System of Angkor shall list in 

the EMS431-C table the major environmental aspects for each Department. It shall then 

highlight the points that were not listed by the departments including goals, perspectives 

and programmes. 

ii) Regarding the education in environmental activities referred to in article 442 of the operating 

manual of the system of management of the environment of Angkor. Here are 

mentioned the different ways to educate the officers responsible for the promotion of environmental 

work as well as officers in charge of drafting the programme and the 

APSARA Authority staff once a year. Thus to be pursuant to the handbook guidelines on 

the management system of Angkor environment, the affected officers shall act differently. 

Regarding education, EMS 442-b, the heading shall read "officers in charge of promotion 

and the operation officers and staff of the APSARA Authority”. 

iii) In the table on programme implementation and environment goals, the heading is 

“outcomes”: this wording shall be deleted, as to carry out the follow-up of planned goals, 

the table, EMS 451-a, of quarterly operations shall be taken into account. 

iv) In case of the non-application of the programme for three consecutive months, improvement 

and preventive measures shall be outlined in table EMS 453-b following a 

discussion with the Unit in charge of the management system of the environment of Angkor. 

1.c. Environmental education: 

� Educational work carried out on site to pupils of primary schools (Banteay Samrè and 

Pradak). 

� Educational work carried out on site to sellers working near the monuments (Preah Ko). 

� Training of new staff joining the APSARA Authority on the Environment management system 

of Angkor. 

� Training on the Environment management system of Angkor to the units of the heritage and 

tourism police. 

1.d. Meetings: 

� Participation in the meetings of the International Co-ordinating Committee for the Safeguarding 

and Development of the historic site of Angkor (ICC). 

� Meeting with the representative of the HCC Company and with the officer in charge of the 

management of the environment from the Department of Conservation of the Monuments in the 

Angkor Park and preventive archaeology. 

� Attending meetings with the Japanese institution JQA. 

1.e. Environment day: 

� Participation in the Environment Day organised by the APSARA Authority. 

1.f. Control:








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� Control and advice on filling in the quarterly activity table given to the officers in charge of 

programming for the sustainable management of the environment of Angkor of the 14 Departments 

of the APSARA Authority. 

� Control and checking of the handbook on the environment management system of Angkor. 

1.g. Training: 

� Mr Oum Moninita, an expert from Phnom Penh, carried out training sessions on the sustainable 

environment management system of Angkor to officers of the 14 Departments in charge of 

promoting the protection of the environment. 

� Experts from Japan, from the JQA institution, carried out training sessions on the sustainable 

environment management system of Angkor to officers of the 14 Departments in charge of 

promoting the protection of the environment. 

1.h. Internal audit on the environment management system of Angkor: 

� Internal auditors of the Departments carried out an audit from December 29 to 31 on the 14 

Departments and on the Unit in charge of the environment management system of Angkor. 

VI.2. THE OFFICE OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM 

The role of the Office of the Geographical Information System (GIS) is to provide technical Departments 

with geographical data on the zones managed by the APSARA Authority. 

2.1. Data Collection: 

The Geographical Information System uses a database from the JICA (Japanese International 

Co-operation Agency) translated into Khmer. The GIS Unit is used on the following projects: 

2.2. Drawing up of the map fixing the protected zones boundaries 

� An A3 map is to be drawn up to fix the boundaries of the protected zones, especially the 

ancient knoll located in the village of Prey Kuy, in order to determine the location of the 097 

telecommunication network antenna in five locations: Phnom Krom, Phnom Kulen, Leang Dai 

village, Kasen Thbong village. This was requested by the Department of Land Planning and 

Habitat Management in the Angkor Park. 

� Following a request from the Department of Conservation of the Monuments Outside Angkor 

park, an A4 map is to be drawn up in order to fix the protected zone boundaries of the ancient 

knolls of the temples of Ta Vaing and Reach Chontol located in the village of Thmei, Svay 

Dangkum commune. 

2.3. Drawing up of maps for the “Living Angkor Road” project 

� A detailed map of the villages of Kol and Bort, 

� A map of the zones of the project for on-site research. 

2.4. Drawing up of maps and miscellaneous plans 

� The following maps are being prepared: i) administrative map of each commune of zones 1 and 2. ii) 

Administrative map of Siem Reap province in A0 using the 2003 JICA database. iii) Administrative map 

of Siem Reap for the Department of Land Planning and Habitat Management in the Angkor park and the 

Department of Agriculture and Community Development. iv) Detailed map of the area around the pond 

and Slat Rom Chey pagoda, and v) A4 and A3 maps of the protected zones of the archaeological park of 

Angkor and of the Cultural and Tourism City zone following a request from the Department of the Office 

of Administration, Personnel and Material. 

� The development plan of the Cultural and Tourism City of Angkor is being prepared. 

VI.3. THE ANGKOR INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTATION CENTRE 

� Visitors in 2008: 215 individuals from the staff of the APSARA Authority, students and researchers 

from other institutions. 

� Activities linked with the management of the documentation Centre: i) classification of 

documents, registry of new documents on the inventory list, coding, lamination of books and labelling of 

books. ii) Checking the list of new books and documents. iii) Publication of leaflets on the Centre circulated 

to all Departments of the APSARA Authority and to the public. iv) The documentation Centre closed 

temporarily from December 17 to 30, 2008 in order to move to new premises.








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� Preparation of the training on the development of the Run Ta-Ek eco villages to be held for the participants 

from the Department of Land Planning and Habitat Management in the Angkor park, 

Department of Development of Siem Reap Urban Heritage, Department of Agriculture and Community 

Development and from the Department of Water resources Management. 

� New documentation was received (54 titles, 68 documents) listed hereunder. 

List of books and documents received in 2008 

N Titles Quantity Sources Date 

1 

Bulletin archéologique, Université Royale des 

Beaux Arts, N° 1, December, 2007 

3 

UNESCO 

APSARA OGD 

March 4 

+ June 4 

2 Indian Magazine, January 2008 3 M March 12 

3 

Touch Stone: The Inside’s guide to heritage Art and 

Culture, January-February 2008. 

4 DAPM April 1 

4 

Technique de peinture naturelle et échantillon de 

production de tissage de la soie, Tradition Khmère 

4 - - 

5 A History of Democratic Kampuchea (K) 1 APSARA May 6 

6 Angkor 1 - - 

7 Bayon forever 1 - - 

8 Cambodia & Angkor 1 - - 

9 Cambodia, the Year of Turmoil new 1 - - 

10 Looking at Angkor 1 - - 

11 Practical Guide Angkor New 1 - - 

12 The Atlas of Cambodia 1 - - 

13 The Mystery of Cambodia 1 - - 

14 From the Spiders to Cambodia 1 - - 

15 A Short History of Cambodia 1 - - 

16 Angkor and The Khmer Civilization 1 - - 

17 Angkor Cambodia Wondrous Khmer Temples 1 - - 

18 Before Kampuchea 1 - - 

19 Angkor Life 1 - - 

20 The Pol Pot Regime, 2 nd edition small 1 - - 

21 Cambodian Buddhism 1 - - 

22 Bayon: New Perspectives 

International Exchange Programme under Japan 

and other, UNESCO Member States for the Promo- 

1 - - 

23 

tion of International Cooperation and Mutual 

Understanding, Training of Young Leaders in Cultural 

Heritage Protection in Asia and Pacific. Nara, 

12-22/11/2007, ACCU, Japan. 

1 

General Director 

APSARA 

June 12 

24 

The Workshop 2007 for the Protection of Cultural 

Heritage at Siem Reap in Cambodia. ACCU, Japan. 

The Journal of Sophia, Asian Studies by the Insti- 

6 - - 

25 tute of Asian Cultures, Sophia University, Tokyo, 

Japan. 

Scientific and Technological Research on Cultural 

1 - - 

26 Reliefs. Vol. 1-3, by China National Institute of Cultural 

Property, Science Press, Beijing. 

6 - - 

27 

ISBN 7-5010-1819-7, by China National Institute of 

Cultural Property 

2 - - 

28 ISBN 7-5325-4224-6 2 - - 

29 

Liste provisoire de la feuille écrite ancien « Sastra 

Slek Ret » Khmer, Vol 1. édition par EFEO 

Cultural Heritage Conservation Intervention, by 

1 - - 

30 China Cultural Heritage, International and Consulting 

Center. 

- Training Course on Cultural Heritage Protection in 

3 - - 

31 

Asia Pacific, 2007. 

- Preservation and Restoration of Wooden Structure. 

1 - June 30


32 

Training Course for Researcher in Charge of Cultural 

Heritage Protection in Asia and Pacific, 2007- 

Vietnam. 

Training Course for Researcher in Charge of Cul- 

33 tural Heritage Protection in Asia and Pacific, 2007- 

Maldives. 

34 The Workshop 2007 for Protection oh Cultural Heri- 

35 

tage at Siem Reap in Cambodia 

International Exchange Programme under Japan 

and other UNESCO Member States for the promotion 

of International Cooperation and Mutual 

Understanding. 




1 - - 

1 - - 

1 - - 

1 - - 




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36 

2 nd International Conference on Risk Management 

Planning, Risk Preparedness for Cultural Heritage 

Against Natural Disasters, 16-18 January 2008, 

Nara, Japan. 

1 - - 

37 Renaissance culturelle du Cambodge (22) 1 Tan Sambon July 10 

38 Renaissance culturelle du Cambodge (23) 1 - - 

39 

Renaissance culturelle du Cambodge (21), 2004. 

Special Issue on the Inventory of 274 Buddhist. 

Statues from Banteay Kdei Temple. 

1 - - 

40 

Le site sacré du temple de Preah Vihear (Rapport 

d’étape) 

2 DATGHA July 18 

41 

Le site sacré du temple de Preah Vihear 

(Rapport complémentaires) 

2 - - 

42 The Temple of Preah Vihear (English) 2 - - 

43 The Temple of Preah Vihear (French) 2 - - 

44 

International Court of Justice: Case concerning the 

1 - - 

Temple of Preah Vihear, Judgment of 15 june 1962. 

45 Décisions adoptées, Partie 1 (French) 1 - - 

46 Decisions adopted, Part 1 (English) 1 - - 





51 

52 

53 

Studies on the Arts of Ancient Cambodia. 

DVD (Angkor: une décennie de sauvegarde/ten 

year of Safeguarding), by UNESCO. 

APSARA, Bulletin d’information du mois d’octobre 

2008 

Total: 53 titles in 86 copies distributed as follow: 

2 

Institut d’Art et Culture 

de Reyum 

52 

1 UNESCO 

5 DC 

September 

2 

November 

28 

December 

3 

� Published documentation: i) 1,218 books (several copies of some titles); ii) 158 Bachelor dissertations 

of students from the University of Fine Arts; iii) 32 titles of research reports on intangible 

heritage; iv) 163 miscellaneous titles (reprints). 

� Magazines: domestic and international magazines (22 titles). 

� Video tapes: ten. 

� CD-ROMs: 17. 

� DVD: 4. 

� Photos: 250 pictures of the artefacts of the Angkor Conservation. 

� Microfilm: 3,748 microfilms of the plan of the temples of the archaeological park of Angkor, 

28 items of the microfilm of the Angkor Conservation report (from the colonial era and 

after independence in 1995). 

VI.4. THE OFFICE OF ROAD NETWORK MANAGEMENT 

� Completed projects:








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� Construction: i) parking and access paths of the Banteay Srei parvis, ii) enlargement and restoration 

of the road and construction of a new 30 x 8m iron bridge in Banteay Srei to replace the former 

bridge which was destroyed by a truck. iii) Construction of 395m of access road to the Kbal Spean 

site. iv) Construction of a 2,000 x 5m long laterite road to the west of the Bayon temple to link the 

bypassing road to the west of the city of Angkor Thom through the Ta Kav gate and construction of 

the 3,100m bypassing road in laterite to the west of the city of Angkor Thom. v) 8,900m of road 

were repaired from the 60 m road until Ta Som. vi) Laying of a 250m long access path to Kravan in 

laterite. 

� Repair and miscellaneous works: i) Improvement of the parking to the west and backfilling 

around the western enclosure of Ta Prohm. ii) Backfilling of the soil where Sokha Hotel will build 

toilet facilities to the west of Ta Prohm. iii) Backfilling with gravelled laterite of the parking area of 

Angkor Wat. iv) Enlargement of the 1,280 x 6m access road to Batchum. v) Enlargement of the 

240m long road to the east of the Bayon. vi) setting of 340 posts to protect 53 trees in front of Angkor 

Wat. 

� Implemented and ongoing projects: 

� 14,961m of the by passing road to be tarred. 

� Restoration and surfacing of the 3,650 x 6m road around the Angkor Wat moat. 

V. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ORDER AND CO-OPERATION (DOPC) 

V.1. OVERALL SITUATION: 

The Department of Public Order and Co-operation was created to replace the joint intervention 

Unit against destruction of forests on management of lands and against any illegal activities in 

the Siem Reap-Angkor region, pursuant to sub-decree No 56 ANK.BK dated September 20, 

2006 on the organisation and operation of the Office of the General Director of the APSARA 

Authority. 

The DOPC is supervised by Major General DOM Hak, Deputy General Director in charge of a 

task force of 58 officers. 

VI.1. GENERAL WORKS: 

� Drafting of letters to be submitted for the signature of the General Director requesting the 

intervention of the Governor of Siem Reap on the eradication of illegal construction activities 

representing 535 buildings in the protected zones of Angkor-Siem Reap. 

� Drafting of letters of complaint to the provincial tribunal of the Siem Reap-Oddar Meanchey 

province against major illegal constructions (15 buildings). 

� Collecting legal documents for the lawyer of the Royal Government regarding the complaint 

lodged against Mrs Kol Sokhom who divided land into allotments for selling purposes, land located 

in the protected zone; and against Mrs Ly Oum Eng who cut trees in zone 1 over 28 

hectares. 

� Collaboration with the communication campaign of the policy on environment of the 

ASPARA Authority disseminated to the Heritage police and tourism police to improve their 

knowledge of the environment in the protected zones of the Angkor site. 

� Complaints lodged to the tribunal against major constructions built without any construction 

permits, a total of 16 buildings. 

� Put a request to the tribunal for the issue of arrest warrants against six individuals who enticed 

the population to seize land in the Cultural and Tourism city. Three of the six individuals 

were arrested. 

� Among the complaints lodged the tribunal issued a warrant arrest against offenders, supporting 

the APSARA Authority’s demands for protection and safeguard. 

1.a. Intervention action in 5 districts, 21 communes and 112 villages: 

The fight against illegal activities for the year 2008 was constantly carried out in 

the five districts of protected zones 1 and 2 of the Angkor site.








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� Control of construction activities: 2,331 interventions out of 644 cases. 

� 373 interventions to halt miscellaneous cases such as: 

� sand dredging in Siem Reap and Roluos Rivers (42 interventions); 

� extraction and transportation of soil to be sold (85 interventions); 

� cutting down of trees for the misappropriation of land (38 interventions); 

� forest fires (13 interventions); 

� dismantling of illegal makeshift houses (306 constructions) in the public lands 

of the Cultural and Tourism city and of houses built along the Siem Reap River, at the 

level of the Angkor Bridge (17 buildings) where an agricultural centre for the APSARA 

Authority is planned for development. 

� confiscation of the material found in illegal construction (294 interventions); 

� night interventions (360 times). 

Refer to the intervention table in annex for the cases of the five districts. 

1.b. Cooperation: 

� The cooperation on site at the level of sroks, khums and villages of the five sroks in the protected 

zones of the APSARA Authority remained limited. Nevertheless, the territorial authorities 

contributed in a satisfying manner to the different control activities in the zones. 

� The cooperation with the Units of the heritage police and with the task force of the provincial 

police of Siem Reap is, on average, working well. 

VI.2. OUTCOMES OF THE EVALUATION AND OBJECTIVES 

2.a. Outcomes of the evaluation: 

Illegal activities still continue in zone 1 and 2, especially illegal constructions contravening 

Royal decree No 001 NS and Royal Government decision No 70 SSR. Several reasons are 

behind these infringements but as noticed by the Department the main issue concerns the illegal 

sale of land in the protected zones which continues, causing an increase in the population 

and therefore of housing, shops, businesses, etc. 

To improve work efficiency, the Department of Public Order and Co-operation has expressed 

the following wishes: 

� To strictly implement the resolutions taken during the working meeting at the Presidency of 

the Council of Ministers on July 30, 2007. These resolutions press for cooperation between the 

APSARA Authority, the territorial authorities and the relevant organisations which are directly 

concerned, so that they may join forces and more efficiently carry out large scale interventions 

on different types of illegal activity. 

� To set down strict regulations in order to eradicate completed and ongoing illegal constructions 

even if the owners have a certain status of power. As they have infringed the Law, they 

shall be held accountable by the applicable Laws. 

2.b. Goals: 

� To continue the requests for action from the governor against illegal constructions in the protected 

site of Angkor; 

� To file a complaint to the tribunal against the landlords of these constructions and their illegal 

activities, which are still in operation despite three warnings delivered on site by the relevant 

authorities. 

� To continue actions to eradicate 24h illegal activities based on six principles set up by the 

APSARA Authority and the Governor of Siem Reap. 

� To continue the confiscation of materials at new constructions. 

� To improve joint cooperation with the territorial authorities and relevant institutions in order to 

improve work efficiency.








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� To manage the forces following a strict discipline, by building capacities through training in 

regulation aspects and in decisions on operational activities in protected zones. 

� To propose means to stop on-going illegal constructions to territorial authorities and relevant 

institutions. 

� To continue to apply sub-decree N° 50 ANK.BK date May 9, 2008, by continuous education 

on the different illegal activities in the five relevant districts, 21 communes, 112 villages and 

other regions. To solve these activities through legal procedures in order to contribute to the 

protection of the Angkor site and to sustainably develop the region. 

VI. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND COMMUNITY 

DEVELOPMENT (DDAC) 

The Department changed its name but retained the same function. The new name is more explicit 

and is more in tune with the work undertaken in the field. Hence the name: Department of 

Agriculture and Community Development (DDAC). 

The Department has a staff of 51 including officers, management, administrative and technical 

staff. 

The activities completed by the Department are the following: 

1. Agricultural development; 

2. Community development; 

3. Demographic development; 

4. Special projects. 

VI.1. AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT 

1.a. Development of Bio agriculture: 

The introduction of biological agriculture is a difficult challenge to address for the APSARA National 

Authority, which must train the population living in the protected zones on finding 

sustainable means of livelihood. The research stage is vital and is mainly based on the key 

components of production and experimentation. 

1.a.1. Production of raw materials”: 

� The outcomes were the following: 

Khmer EM, two types of EM were produced: 

� Pure EM: 905 litres produced from EM Gnor, Tuntrean Khèt, Chambork and KEM from 

domestic waste. 

� Split EM: 3,052 litres produced from vegetal EM , Tuntrean Khète, Gnor EM , fruits EM, 

EM from watermelon + fish + vegetables. 

� They are used by targeted villages and the agricultural stations of the Department; 

� Quality control of the EM given to farmers and follow-up of their production. 

Compost: 

� 79 blocks of compost are produced. This equals 50.452 tonnes for fertilisation of agricultural 

centres. 

Tonle Sap mud: 

� 15 tons of mud where extracted for experiment. 

� Demonstration of the use of mud to fertilise six paddy fields. 

Natural poison: 

� 222 litres of natural poison were produced.


� Research carried out to identify the poison levels in vegetables. 

� Test carried out to identify natural poison. 

Oyster mushrooms: 

� “Seed” and oyster mushrooms production. 

� Problems arising: 







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The production of EM requires a large number of staff and the laboratories are not sufficiently 

equipped. 

� Existing projects: 

i) The production and diversification of EM shall be continued for use in the targeted villages 

and in the department’s agricultural centres. This activity needs to continue. 

ii) Experiment on rapid production of compost was carried out using urea as fertiliser. 

iii) The production of natural poison shall be continued; so shall research and experimentation. 

iv) The production of tipped mushrooms is at an early stage, it is vital to continue cultivation to 

improve results. 

1.a.2. Experimental stage: 

� EM different stages: 

� Experimentation on the efficiency of EM on water larva using 20% of EM, to be continued. 

� Experimentation on the use of basalt on pot plants; the efficiency is to be monitored. 

� Test on the EM efficiency on several plants, followed by the test results. 

� Test of EM on fishes: Two students have completed experiments at the centre of Peam 

Ro, Prey Veng province. 

1.b. Demonstration centre of bio-agriculture techniques 

The Department created demonstration centres, open to all, in order to disseminate the agricultural 

policy of the APSARA National Authority, in order to help locals produce more attractive 

products for the market. 

1.b.1. Teuk Vil centre: 

� 21,777 young tree shoots, activity to be continued. 

� Plantation of young vegetable shoots on 81,160 small sample plots for demonstration purposes, 

in the demonstration centre and to be disseminated to farmers in targeted villages. The 

follow-up and technical expertise comes from the technicians of the Department. 

� Plantation of 107,838 individual vegetable plants which monitoring and expertise is carried 

out by the technicians of the Department. 

� Trial of chemical and natural fertilisers on rice plants and blossoming plants (four times). The 

monitoring, expertise, data collection and analysis are being carried out. 

� Rice harvest in four small rice paddy plots: 

� The rice paddy fertilised with compost mixed with fresh fertiliser produced a yield of 

16kg. 

� The rice paddy fertilised with Khmer EM mixed with mud and compost produced a yield 

of 22kg. 

� The rice fertilised with mud mixed compost produced a yield of 15.8kg.








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� The rice paddy fertilised with traditional methods produced a yield of 13 kg. As for the 

Sen Pidor type of rice it harvested 126kg. The Phka Rumduol harvested 9.5kg. Activity 

continues during the monsoon season. 

1.b.2. Spean Angkor centre: 

� Vegetables and fruit trees were planted, but there is a lack of compost fertiliser and the 

plants were partly destroyed by small insects. Monitoring and treatment are carried out. 

� Land was prepared for planting using the drop-by-drop technique which requires the digging 

of wells, the purchase of water jars and the construction of bases for the jars. 

� The flower gardens were developed and 1,250 flowering plants planted; their leaves were 

eaten by worms. A treatment and multiplication of species were carried out. 

� Development of gardens where 1,280 flowering plants were cultivated as well as grass and 

different species of flowers. Treatment and monitoring are being carried out. 

� 1,941 young trees are planted from pouches; treatment and monitoring are being carried out. 

� Planting, monitoring and treatment of 979 trees. 

� 22 blocks of compost were produced representing 23 tonnes, although there is a lack of 

animal manure. The production shall be followed up and increased. 

� Construction of latrines (1.5 x 2.5m); work is finished. 

The Department carried out other activities such as the development of entrances and accesses 

to the agricultural centres. Several maintenance works are necessary: weeding and 

clearing of plots to be cleared of mines by CMAC (around 3 hectares). 

1.c. Dissemination of agricultural techniques 

The Department of Agriculture and Community Development disseminated techniques tested in 

its centres and organised training sessions with farmers. 

� Training of farmers on new techniques: 

� Compost making, training given to 142 families. 

� mixed vegetable garden planting (mixture of different vegetables), training given to 256 

families. 

� Vegetable planting using KEM, training given to 78 families. 

� Rice cultivation using DEM, training given to 71 families. 

� Rice paddy demonstration “B.V.S.” (intensive bio agriculture), training given to 62 families. 

� Poultry breeding, training dispensed to 438 families representing 15,915 animals. 

As farmers are busy it is difficult to gather them for a training session. However, these new 

training methods shall continue to be promoted. 

� A day for the demonstration rice paddy or B.V.S. (intensive bio agriculture) was organised in 

ten villages with a follow-up and with encouragement for farmers to take care of their cultures. 

� Planting of young trees in villages and schools, 3,276 trees planted with species such as: 

Angkagn, Marom, Kanthean thêt, etc. 

1.d. Study of the agricultural market: 

The Department carried out a study on prices of agricultural products and sold the products of 

bio agriculture to the APSARA National Authority staff. A price study is carried out every week. 

1.e. Environment: 

While developing and disseminating agricultural techniques to farmers, the Department introduced 

villagers to new methods in order to protect the environment. 

� Implementation of the programme on collecting used batteries in villages. A total of 4,999 

used batteries were collected. Environmental education activities continued. 

� End of the educational programme to primary school children of Pradak, and to the general 

population and monks in targeted areas.








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� Interview and education of farmers on ways to save rainwater. Thus, 17 families of farmers 

living in the Banteay Srei district were chosen to implement this project and each family received 

a jar. This project will be continued and monitored. 

VI.2. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 

Besides training farmers in new techniques with the aim of improving their yields while guiding 

them towards bio agriculture, a community development programme was established. 

� Support to handicraft communities selling most of their production of 2,733 hand-made items 

and for household use. This support shall continue. 

� a group of savers was organised; they succeeded in saving 21,311,300 Riel. 

� Training: in planting techniques, of “vegetable green houses”; in saving fertilisers, in tree 

planting; in producing liquid compost; in poultry breeding using KEM, in the selection of poultry 

species and how to treat them in case of illness. Saving groups are still organised by the Department. 

� Video screenings are used to train farmers on poultry breeding methods using bio techniques. 

� Presentation of the outcome of the research on the professions of the population living in 

protected zones 1 and 2. 

VI.3. DEMOGRAPHY 

The Department continued its demographic studies on the population living in protected zones 

1 and 2. 

� A control of the list of the names of people living in the region was made, following a request 

from the Department of Land Planning and Habitat Management in the Angkor park. This work 

will be constantly monitored. 

� The data of the census were computerised and analysed specially for growing families and 

those whereby newly wed couples have to live separately from their parents and can extend 

their homes but are not allowed to build a new house in the protected zones. Only three districts 

have been analysed due to technical difficulties with the server. It is necessary to repair it 

to continue the work. 

� Control of the population with split families (37 families). This ended on December 29, 2008. 

� The table representing each occupation was completed and the data translated into English 

for 112 villages, but malfunction of the computer programme hindered progress. 

� Verification and modification of the census data of the population to make them more accurate 

by removing the names of the deceased and adding new births while correcting spelling 

mistakes. 

� Contribution to the training sessions on census techniques at the national level. 

VI.4. CULTURAL RESEARCH 

There is a Unit on research and culture at the Department and this year its activities were the 

following: 

� Contribution to the Living with heritage project, modifying the outcome of the research. To 

continue this work, there is a need for more researchers. 

� Contribution to the Living Angkor Road research project. Research on the village structures 

and ancient roads are finalised for the village of Kol, Angkor Chum district. 

� Research on Wat Pou in Laos has just started. 

� Studies on Kuy community of iron specialists in the Preah Vihear province. 

� The reports concerning these researches are being prepared. 

� A paper on the outcomes of stage 2 of the Living Angkor Road project research was submitted 

at the technical session of the ICC. 

� The first research stage has been completed. The report written in English is called: “Angkor 

Heritage values and issues". But some researchers resigned and left the project, which was 

subsequently stopped.








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VI.5. DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF THE KAMPONG PHLUK ECO-VILLAGE 

The Deputy general Director in charge of the Department of Agriculture and Community Development 

was appointed head of the project of Kampong Pluk villages. He and his team carried 

out studies on the livelihood of the families and gather data to be analysed and computerised in 

the SPSS programme for the draft of the report. 

VI.6. DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF THE RUN TA-EK ECO-VILLAGE 

The Deputy general Director in charge of the Department of Agriculture and Community Development 

was appointed head of the project of the Run Ta-Ek eco-villages. The following 

activities were carried out: 

� Modifications were made on the report regarding the development of the core village as proposed 

by Mr. Guertin. Issues were raised on the management of wooden houses for guards. A 

set of specifications for the construction of the central access is being drafted. 

� The second stage of the study on water resources is finished and research shall continue. 

� Five families of model farmers were selected and received material and additional applications 

of five families are in progress. The agricultural material distribution will continue along 

with relevant training. 

� Development of an experimentation centre: works to clean the soil, to monitor the plantations, 

to control the management of project lands, the hiring of five workers to look after the 

cultivation and to carry out experimentations were made. 

� The Department cooperated with the relevant bodies to stop the sale of timber for firewood. 

The monitoring of this illegal activity shall continue. 

� Farmers were trained in vegetable and fruit tree plantation techniques. The training will continue. 

� The dissemination of the use of Khmer EM for farmers living around the eco-villages of Run 

Ta-Ek was organised and followed-up by Department technicians. 

VII. DEPARTMENT OF LAND PLANNING AND HABITAT 

MANAGEMENT IN THE ANGKOR PARK (DATGH) 

Sub-decree N° 50 ANK-BK dated May 9, 2008 pursuant to the organisation and operation of 

the Office of General Director of the APSARA Authority created the Department of Land Planning 

and Habitat Management in the Angkor park, thereby replacing the Department of 

Monuments and Archaeology II. 

The main goals of this Department are the following: 

- land planning, 

- construction works, 

- religious and built-up heritage, 

- relationships with population, 

- participating in trans-sectoral projects. 

VII.1. LAND PLANNING 

1.a. Main guidelines: 

The philosophy and action plan regarding land management are set out in the “Angkor Park 

Management Plan” project drafted by New Zealand. 

1.b. Land registration 

An initial programme of locating, identifying, measuring and registering land is in progress in 

the village of Tuol Kralanh, Khna Sanday commune. The data will be used to establish the 

Banteay Srey Parvis.


A second operation was carried out in the villages of North Sras Srâng and South Sras 

Srâng, when planning the future Srâs Srâng-Banteay Kdei Parvis. 







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Within the framework of the forthcoming New Zealand Community development Project, a section 

regarding support to registering lots has been planned, which outcomes will establish a 

land management plan. 

1.c. Signage 

DATGHA focused its activities on producing signs for the Banteay Srey Parvis. 

VII.2. CONSTRUCTION WORKS 

2.a. Issuing building permits 

Building permit applications are sent to the DATGHA, which then carry out a verification on site, 

analyse the documents and establish relevant recommendations which are sent to the General 

Director who has the power to approve or not the issue of the permits. 

The activity outcomes for the June 1 to October 30, 2008 period are: 

- Applications received: 86 

- Files processed 143 

- Building permits issued: 29 

- Rejected applications: 114 

2.b. Inspection after works (certificate of compliance) 

This activity started in early 2006 and is carried out on regular bases. 

VII.3. RELIGIOUS AND BUILT-UP HERITAGE 

3.a. Architecture consultancy workshop 

The DATGHA has established an informal architecture consultancy workshop to help the population 

and the clergy when repairing, renovating and building houses or communal and religious 

buildings. This service has been free of charge for the past four years. 

3.b. Interpretation centre on Khmer habitat 

The construction of a traditional style Khmer building on the Angkor site will be soon undertaken. 

This is to be called the: interpretation centre on Khmer habitat. The land has been 

purchased and the design and all documents associated with its construction are ready. A 

shortage of timber delayed the start of works although the compost producing station is already 

built on site. The digging of a pond for fish-farming is completed and the vegetable garden is 

producing. 

3.c. Information leaflets 

The DATGHA designed four leaflets on habitat and religious heritage which were widely disseminated 

in protected zones 1 and 2. 

Following the recommendations of the extraordinary seminar organised on October 13 and 14, 

2005 honorary chaired by His holiness the Supreme Chief of the Buddhist clergy, the DATGHA 

designed a leaflet on the conservation of religious heritage and set up a number of projects 

associated with religious heritage.


3.d. Restoration project of Wat Bakong 







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A programme to restore and preserve the ancient religious edifice started with the rehabilitation 

works of Wat Bakong, with the financial support of the Swiss HOLCIM Group of Companies. 

This is a pilot working site for building conservation and wall paintings restoration. This is the 

first location on site where Khmer experts can be trained in this field. 

The restoration work on the paintings of the panels located in the gallery of the monastery is 

completed. 

Presently, drawing plans and estimates for the conservation of the monastery are being finalised. 

A project coordinator has been hired. 

3.e. New tourism circuit of Wats along the Siem Reap River project 

The DATGHA in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and 

Heritage Standards is establishing a new visitor circuit of Buddhist monasteries located along 

the Siem Reap River. The drawing of a three-dimensional landscape map and a survey on the 

affected monasteries are finished. The brochure of the tourism map is being completed. 

3.f. Monography of the Wats along the Siem Reap River 

The DATGHA launched this programme two years ago. A first monography of Wat Rajabo was 

written, others will follow. Financial support is being sought for the publication of this first 

monography. 

VII.4. RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE POPULATION 

4.a. Public awareness 

Since the inception of the programme in January 2005, the goal has been to raise awareness 

among the public and relevant authorities on the value of preserving heritage and on Laws and 

regulations associated with it; in order to obtain the collaboration of all in this civic duty. 

As the awareness campaign did not result in the expected outcomes, it seems that the best 

solution to get true and efficient collaboration from the local communities is to include them in 

development. Thus was adopted the principle of “Community-based Development": aimed at 

associating the community in all stages of the drafting of the Management Plan until its implementation. 

4.b. Liaison officers 

In the forthcoming New Zealand Community Development project a section concerns the creation 

of a group of liaison officers, responsible for maintaining extremely close relationships with 

the population. In the first phase one officer will be appointed in each of the five districts. 

4.c. “Preah Khan interpretation centre project” with the World Monuments Fund 

The DATGHA collaborated closely with the World Monuments Fund on the design and the implementation 

of the Preah Khan temple visitor centre. The construction is almost completed and 

a small area to bridge the Temple with the local community has been developed. 

4.d. Project to publish painting books in collaboration with the National Federation of 

UNESCO Association in Japan (NFUAJ), to raise awareness among youth.








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Two painting books have been designed by the DATGHA. NFUAJ is in charge of publishing 

them. The circulation of these books within the Siem Reap school network will be the responsibility 

of the Department of Education of the Province. 

VII.5. Trans-sectoral projects 

5.a. The Run Ta-Ek eco village project 

The development map of the Run Ta-Ek eco village on 1,000 hectares of land were finished in 

early March 2007. The core village planning to house up to 1,250 people, was completed in 

April 2008. Two reports from the architect and urban planner Pierre S. Guertin were published. 

This was the first village to be built. 

Moreover, an information brochure on the Run Ta-Ek eco village project was designed and 

published with a large print run for wide dissemination. 

5.b. Tani archaeological site ceramic museum 

The building of the museum on the Tani site is almost completed, thanks to financial support 

from the Japanese Embassy in Cambodia. 

5.c. “Living with Heritage” project with the University of Sydney 

The project’s steering committee meeting held in Siem Reap on October 18, 2007 approved the 

phase 1 report and approved its publication in English and Khmer. Specific recommendations 

for the follow-up of the projects were made. 

At the same time the APSARA National Authority staff is still being trained on the use of GIS. 

5.d. Other projects 

The DATGHA contributed to other projects such as: 

- rehabilitation works of the western baray; 

- rehabilitation works of the northern baray; 

- Construction works of the Banteay Srey Parvis; 

- Works in the flooded village of Kampong Phlouk; 

- Construction works of the Angkor Wat Parvis. 

VIII. DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (DGE) 

Sub decree No 50 ANK/BK gave its autonomy to the operation of Water resources management 

by dividing the former Department of Water and Forests into two distinctive departments. 

The Department operated at full speed only after mid-2008. This report introduces two essential 

components: 

1. Major activities in progress, 

2. Achieved works. 

VIII.1. MAJOR ACTIVITIES IN PROGRESS 

� Water and air: 

The Department carries out regular activities on the ancient hydraulic and irrigation system. It 

constantly records the ground water level and the environmental pollution level.








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� Trees: 

Activities focus mainly on developing nurseries in Prasat Kao, of Mondul 3 in Kraing Kroch (location 

of species to protect water). Tree plantation is also carried out on eight hectares of land 

and at the model of Khmer Centre habitat in Sras Srang (a project from the Department of Land 

Planning and Habitat Management in the Angkor park). The work on the rehabilitation of the 

northern baray is one of the most important projects of the Department. 

� Specific section in charge of archaeology: 

The main archaeological works are carried out in collaboration with the section responsible for 

water drainage system and erosion. They consist of extracting soil to backfill depressions and 

preparing the archaeological study projects on the eastern dyke of the western baray. 

� Safeguarding of landscape and plantations: 

To protect rehabilitation works on the western baray dyke: by treating planted vegetations on 

dykes, and by carrying out studies on the location and species that can prevent erosion. A 

working group was established to monitor activities. 

� Studies on water drainage systems and erosion: 

Once eroded areas presenting risks were repaired and the construction project of a model access 

way to the dyke were completed. The team studying water drainage systems and erosion 

set up the restoration projects of the areas at risk, located on a 50m length on the southern 

dyke. 

� Developing visitor's circuits: 

Parking space is being developed on the eastern dyke: the team working on the development 

of circuits carried out studies on developing a model panoramic viewpoint on the dyke for viewing 

the sunset. 

VIII.2. ACHIEVED WORKS 

2.a. Water and air: 

� Ancient hydraulic system 

� Topography works: i) of the northern canal of Sras Srang; ii) of all damaged areas of 

the dyke of the northern baray in order to collect missing information near the entrance of 

Leang Dai (on the northern dyke of the Angkor Thom district); iii) topographic study over 

2.5km of the Khmer rouge canal, and where topographic information does not exist in the 

northern baray and western baray. 

� Soil study: In collaboration with experts from ERDAC: i) samples taken to study the layers 

of the soil of the site where soil has been taken to restore the southern dyke of the 

northern baray; ii) samples of soil taken from the site used for the restoration of the dyke 

of the northern baray, to the south on top of the ancient dyke and on the new dyke which 

has just been backfilled. 

� Drawing of plans: i) of the lock of the trapeang, located north of Banteay Srei temple 

(dimensions of: 2 x 2.6 x 6m) ii) Construction of the sewage system located to the centre 

of the model of Khmer habitat in Sras Srang with dimensions of: 1 x 1.5 x 16m); iii) Construction 

of a sewage system measuring 2 x 4 x 2m with the calculation of the volume of 

soil necessary to fill the lower areas of the dyke of the Great trapeang, to the north of 

Banteay Srei temple. This is planned in the development project of the parvis of this temple. 

� Rehabilitation of canals and dykes: i) monitoring and technical control for the construction 

of the new gates while the old concrete gates of the canal located east of the temple 

of Angkor Wat were repaired by the CHEA Bunthorn company. The works on the soil and 

concrete are completed. Additional works on the box mechanism and on the lock; ii) 

cleaning works of the 820m-long canal located to the east of Sras Srang, with a width of 

1.8m at the bottom and a height of 2.5m are completed, as is the plantation of grass on








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both banks. iii) The ancient canals of the Angkor park damaged by cattle and by flooding 

were repaired. iV) Maintenance work of the water inlet canal in Sras Srang to prevent any 

destruction related to human activity. V) Preparatory work of the rehabilitation project at 

the canal around the northern pond of the Angkor Wat temple; Vi) Areas destroyed by the 

rain and at risk were repaired on the western baray. 

� Water study: Using a "differential GPS”, measurement of the width of the Siem reap 

river in its highest points (north of the temple of Banteay Srei, at the bridges of Banteay 

srei, Kraing Kroch, Wat Prey, at the Kravan and Spean Neak school, at the Wat Svay 

and Roluos pagoda, at the Roluos River and at the Ta Kao nursery and at the French 

dam) has been completed. 

i) Sampling of mud to be experimented on collaboration with experts from ERDAC; ii) 

study of the erosion caused by rain on the dyke of the western baray, by taking the necessary 

measures to run-off water and to repair the most damaged areas. A request to 

purchase the necessary material was made to the Office of the General Director. 

iii) Study of the water run-off system of rainwater on the temple of Bakeng to prevent further 

water seepage creating erosion and flooding of the access path to the monument; iv) 

archaeological study of the northern section of the northern baray to plan the rehabilitation 

of the ancient hydraulic system; v) identification of the potential areas for run-off 

water on both sides of the trail starting north of the Tonle Oum gate (south gate) of Angkor 

Thom to the Boeung Thom; vi) sampling of water to analyse the quality and some 

essential components. Analyses carried out at the Ministry of environment as the department 

does not have the correct material; vii) investigations carried out on flooded 

areas in the Angkor site in order to set up water run-off systems. 

� Water study: i) The building of the equipment necessary for the lock of the water gate 

located to the west of Angkor Wat is completed; ii) monitoring of the water level of the 

moat of Angkor Wat and Sras Srang by regular recording; iii) Filling of Angkor Wat moat 

with water continued as did that of the Sras Srang pond, preventing the water from running 

by a regular recording of the water level; iv) completion of the cleaning of blocked 

sewage systems in five locations in the Angkor Thom site; v) closure of some waterways 

and digging of the canals to the east of the Cultural and Tourism city to run-off water and 

prevention of flooding on the intersection of route 60M and NR6. 

� Irrigation system 

� Water flow measurements: i) at the bridges of Angkor, Kraing Kroch, Anlong Adong, at 

Prasat Kao, Banteay Srei, Kravan school, Spean Thmei, Peak Sneng, Kos Anlong 

Adong, Wat Prom Rath, Phnom Tauch and the American bridge, ii) at the canals of Kork 

Kreu, Dorng Veng, Srè Khvay, Sre Praing and Kraing Korgn, iii) at the pond located near 

the surrounding wall of the Banteay Srei Temple and iv) at the dam of Ta Neav. 

� Topography works: on the grand circuit (from Ta Som to Kraing Kroch), of the Elephant 

terrace on the south gate of the city of Angkor Thom, at the northern baray (from the 

Preah Kahn entrance to Neak Poan). 

� Monitoring works: i) study and recommendations of requests to clean the canal and repair 

the lock and dyke of the village of Peam, Dorng Kèv commune, Puok district; of 

cleaning 1,500m of canal at the village of Kok Thnaut, Kok Chork commune, Siem Reap 

district; ii) monitoring of the quality of the water of the Siem Reap River at the French 

dam, Wat Damnak bridge and Ta Duong; iii) observation of the canal connecting the canal 

of Ta Neav to the Khmer Rouge canal and to study the potential for rehabilitation 

during the dry season. 

� Projects: Calculation of the estimate for the construction of a 1 x 1.5 x 16m sewage 

system at the model of Khmer Habitat centre in Sras Srang, of a second one of 2 x 2.5 x 

4 m and of a third rectangular sewage system measuring 2 x 2.5 x 4m. Calculation of the 

quantity of soil needed to level the lower parts of the dyke of the Great Trapeang to the 

north of Banteay Srei. A set of specifications has been drafted as these works are within 

the framework of the parvis development project of the Banteay Srei temple. 

� Groundwater measurements








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� The Department recorded daily the level of groundwater on 59 wells, from 7 until 9am 

in villages located in protected zones 1 and 2 and installed a sensor to measure groundwater 

on seven wells; the data of six wells was collected in collaboration with water 

Utilities of Siem Reap at the seat of the APSARA Authority, at the SOS school, in front of 

Angkor Wat and in the surrounding areas of the primary school of Khnar, Srok Puok. 

� Coding was done on seven wells in the village of Ototeung, Pradak commune and on 

37 new wells in the villages of Thnol Toteung, Ta Kos, Ta Èk, upper Srè Chang, Trach 

Chrom and Bosthom. 

� Workers were trained to record the water level of wells in the villages of Ta èk, upper 

Srè Chang, Run Ta Èk commune and in the village of Ototeung, Pradak commune. 

� Water sampling of the Siem Reap River in three different locations to have it analysed 

at the Ministry of Environment at the French dam, Psar Chas and Phnom Krom bridges. 

� Air pollution 

� Air was sampled for analysis in order to determine the pollution level and the different 

existing parameters in the Siem Reap/Angkor region. The same work was carried out 

twice in the Damnak of Preah ang chek and Preah Ang Chorm, near Angkor Wat and at 

the seat of the Department over a 12-hour period. 

2.b. Activities of the forest section 

� Planting in protected zones 

The Department today owns four planting centres for species used for hydraulic purposes. 

� Mondul 3 centre: i) planting of the following type of trees: 800 Korkos, 750 Thnongs, 

1,100 Kokis, 1,250 Ang Kagns, 700 Kagnorks, 600 Trocheak Damreis; ii) tree planting of 

1,500 small Ang Kagns, 170 Loeung Reachs, 2,300 Kokis, and 700 Chheu Teals; iii) 

treatment of small plants and clearing of plots; iv) small trees offered to the population 

were replanted in the western baray: 1,280 Chheu Teals, 1,250 Kokis, 20 Samrongs, 

300 Korkos, 1,410 Bêngs, 170 Sangkèrs and 100 Popéls. 

� Prasat Takeo centre: i) 1,536 Ang kagns were given to the Department of Conservation 

of the Monuments Outside Angkor park; ii) 1,100 Thkols and 150 Chheu Teals were 

planted; iii) treatment of the small trees planted, turf was laid, small enclosed areas for 

transplanting were created, the drainage canals around these enclosures were cleaned 

and weeding was carried out to beautify; iv) villagers were given 1,000 Chheu Teals, 

1,060 Kokis, 2 Krabaos, 502 Bêngs, 309 Ang Kagns, and 200 Thnongs of which 45 

Chheu Teals and 35 Kokis died. 

� Centre of 8 hectares: i) planting of 400 Thkols, 500 Bêngs and 150 Chheu Teals ii) the 

soil was filled and changed consuming 1,085 plastic bags iii) 250 enclosed areas were 

laid around planted trees; to north-east of the road leading to the airport a fence made of 

soil was erected; iv) the department stores 958 Kgauks, 966 Kokis, 183 Chamboks, 190 

Tkols, 292 Thnongs, 4 151 Bêngs, 768 Rumduols, 781 Ang Kagns and 148 Ampils. 

� Kraing Kroch Centre (location of the plantation of species protecting locks): i) 1,500 

Chheu Teals, 170 Traseks, 400 Kgauks and 400 Tracheak Damrei were planted and 

treated, ii) Shrubs of the following species were distributed to villagers, institutions and 

Departments of the APSARA National Authority: 1,300 Angkear Bos, 870 Chheu Teals, 

7,450 Rumduols, 870 Bêngs, 2,500 Kokis, 1, 115 Loeung Reach, 1,310 Kgauks, 2,400 

Thkols, 110 Kathumthêt, 209 Kragnoungs, 334 Chars, and 172 Trabèk Preys. 

� Model of Khmer habitat centre: i) tree removal and clearing of the land; ii) trees and 

flowers planted are the following: 600 Cheung Moans, 21 Ang Kagns,10 Kgauks, 3 Yitthos, 

42 Chèsnheans, 180 Chanthous, 280 Sès Moans, 94 Pka Maung Buon, 315 Pka 

Krachaks, 8 Pôrs, 10 Mak Prangs, 13 Angkeadeys, 1 Reussey, 1 Angkea Bos, 4 Ampils, 

12 Kathumthêts, 5 Pka Kamphlungs, 25 Cheung Krud, 10 Romyols, 235 Kdang Ngeas, 

496 Sbay Reungs, 563 Sèsmoans, 578 Cheung Moans, 29 Phka Kantuy Moans, 2 

Champas, 5 Kgauks Tuk, 10 areca trees, 6 Sleuk Tracheak Damreis, 10 coconut trees, 5 

longane trees, 5 Lmeus, 2 Champeys, 37 Pka Nuon Srey Leas, 28 Chhuk Râths, 100








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Pka Krachak, 410 Sbai Reungs and 20 bamboo bushes to the north and east and 312 m² 

of grass ; iii) 287,47 m² of grass were planted along the Sras Srang pond to prevent 

rainwater erosion iv) 55 Pha-avs were planted along the canal, to the east of the dyke: 82 

Pkas Krachaks, 190 Sbai Reungs, 1 Pka Kradas and 20 papaya trees, v) 150 Sèsmoans, 

234 Sbai Reungs, 299 Phka Krachaks, 306 Phka Chhuk Râth were replanted ; vi) Added 

flowers were: 9 Phka Thkols, 7 Sarikakeos, 2 jasmins, and 2 Rumduols, vii) Fruit trees 

and edible plants planted were: 2 coconut trees, 2 longane trees, 842 Sbai Reungs, 431 

Phka Kanghars, 345 Phka Krachaks and 4 Chi Kraham bushes. 

2.c. Activities of the Northern Baray project: 

Studies: To identify areas of interest for visitors (along dykes No 1, 2 and 3) and the best location 

to build a bridge crossing the Siem Reap River from the botanical park to the Tanei temple. 

Works completed: i) clearing was carried out to create a 2m wide access path from the Preah 

Kahn temple in Kraing Kroch, to develop a circuit labelled "heritage paths” as requested by the 

Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards; ii) clearing of the 

2m wide path starting at the Kraing Kroch nursery; iii) construction of a drainage system around 

the tree enclosures to prevent flooding in the monsoon; iv) information signs were posted along 

the paths and points of interest to create a circuit for visitors; and v) design of potential circuits 

around the northern baray. 

� Centre of plantation of species for hydraulic purposes (Kraing Kroch) 

� Works: i) construction of a dyke to plant vetiver; ii) collection of seeds and soil fertilisation. 

� Plantation: i) 5,210 Kgauk bushes were planted and treated; ii) grass plantation covering 

10m 2 ; iii) 1,770 Chheu Teal, Bêng, Koki and Ang Kagn trees were given to the 

Department of Conservation of the Monuments Outside Angkor park to be planted in the 

sites of: Kbal Spean, Chau Srey Vibol and Bêng Mealea; iv) 936 trees were given to the 

local populations to be planted in the western baray and 15 others were planted in land 

excavated for archaeological purposes by the Department. 

� Centre of plantation of wild flora (Preah Kahn) 

Several tree species were planted: Angkol (2,232), Rumduol (5,360), Kgauk (3,154), 

Roluos Bay (2,152), Angkea Dey (1,600), Phka Char (586), Angkea Bos (50), Tracheak 

Damrei (800), Trabèk Prey (1,286), Kgauk Tok (260), Leung Reach (1,760). 

� Centre of plantation of the northern baray 

� The following trees were planted: Angkol (380), Rumduol (11,300), Kgauk (2,170), 

Roluos Bay (782), Angkea Dey (315), Char (744), Angkea Bos (3), Tracheak Damrei 

(750), Trabèk Prey (321), Kgauk Tok (260), Leung Reach (539), Kakoh (280), Chheu 

Teal (550). 

� 1,751 bushes were transplanted from Kraing Kroch to the western baray: Sleuk Tracheak 

Damrei (600), Bêng (420), Koki (731). Regular treatment was applied but a 

number of bushes died: Kgauk (150), Char (14) and Angkea Dey (80). 

� Preventive archaeology excavations at the western baray: 

The site includes 5 trenches. Site reports in Khmer and French were drafted with illustrations 

presenting the layers of soil, discovered ceramics and picture listing were 

completed. 

� Trench No 1: excavations completed and the trench refilled. 

� Trench No 2: excavations carried out to search the bottom of the trench. 

� Trench No 3: the plan of the ground and of the layers of soil continued with the use of a 

Level machine in order to measure the height of the stone and continue excavations to 

the south of the trench in order to examine the end of the stairs and the foundations.








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� Trench No 4: drawing of the base plan and of the layers, and use of the Level machine 

to remove collapsed stones, followed by further excavation to clean the bottom of the 

trench. 

� Trench No 5: drawing of the base plan and of the layers, then connection of trench N o 5 

with the N o 3 as the stairs of trench N o 3 have not been discovered yet. 

The next site is being identified. 

2.e. Western Baray project: 

� Tree planting: 

� The following species were planted: i) 1,770 Rumduols, 600 Angkea Bos, 160 Kanthumthêts, 

3 Chars, 32 Tracheak Damreis, 2 Trasèks, 4 Ampils, 46 Kgauks, 413 Korkos, 

510 Bêngs, 1 000 Krochaos, 165 Popéls, 170 Sangkès, 630 Ang Kagns, 300 Angkea 

Deis, and 550 Chheu Teals; in the northern part of the dyke, the trees planted originate 

from the Kraing Kroch centre: there is a total of 926 trees (750 Kgauks, 36 Leung 

Reachs, 60 Ang Kagns, 20 Samroangs and 60 Ang Kangs). ii) On the 2,169m long eastern 

dyke, the 512m long southern dyke and the 198m long northern dyke, flower grasses 

were selected for plantation as their properties protect the soil. iii) to the east of the Svay 

Romeat pagoda, Voar Meas (a type of vine) were planted covering 2,675m 2 , a further 

462m 2 to the west and 591m 2 to the west of the Kork Thnaut school ; iv) the other areas 

were covered by 982 constantly treated plants. 

� Monitoring and treatment: i) treatment of the bushes by tamping soil around the plants 

and planting flower grass to retain water, especially for 1,059 small trees which were 

planted in the last monsoon; ii) forest surveillance to prevent illegal activities; iii) pruning 

and clearing of 1,237 trees planted at the start of the year. 

� Specialised Archaeological works: 

� Studies: i) excavations were carried out in two locations on the western dyke for the 

study ancient building techniques. ii) Measurement of the water level at the western Mebon 

to decide on the opening of the excavation site before setting up the emergency 

excavation project to identify the infrastructure in front of the Gopura of the temple enclosure. 

iii) Assessment and identification of the points to identify archaeological traces 

around dykes in order to draw up a plan. iv) Identification of eroded areas caused by rainfall 

and identification of the lands which soil can be exploited for the restoration of the 

southern dyke. v) Preparation of the data collected during the excavations of the southern 

dyke on its western part. These data are to be analysed and translated into Khmer. 

vi) Finally, gathering of all data of the excavations carried out for conversion into archives. 

� Action: collaboration with the Unit studying the drainage and erosion system to extract 

the soil piled up since the French protectorate and of soils left by the Indian team. This 

Soil will be used to backfill eroded and dangerous areas of the dykes. 

� Activities of the Unit responsible for the protection of landscapes and plantations 

� Treatment works: i) regular maintenance and treatment: strengthening of the plants by 

tamping the soil and pruning of small trees already planted. ii) Constitution of a surveillance 

team to prevent illegal deforestation and fires around the dyke. 

� Planting works: i) 8,104m 2 of dykes were planted to protect the ground surface against 

erosion, ii) planted species totalled 11,655 bushes of which are 2,254 Ang Kagns, 2,033 

Kokohs, 550 Chheu Teal, 300 Angkea Deis, 1,441 Rumduols, 743 Krorbeuvs, 526 Bêngs, 

886 Kgauks, 36 Leung Reachs, 20 Samrongs, 60 Chamreaks, 3 Chars, 6 Ampils, 16 

Popils, 234 Trachs, 732 Kokis, 4 Sralaos, 34 Chamborks, 606 Angkea Bos, and 2 

Trabèks. 

� Activities of the Unit studying the drainage and erosion system








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The required studies were carried out by the Unit before planning the restoration project. The 

areas of the dyke the most at risk over a 200m length were tested. The work began by draining 

water in the cracks of the dyke to temporarily stop water seepage which further damaged the 

dyke. Subsequently three ditches located 200m from the lock were backfilled before restoration 

works started. The following stages were carried out: 

� Stage 1: the three locations deemed the most at risk, located to the west of the southern 

dyke, 300m from the Ak Yum temple, were prioritised. The restoration site started on July 

16 and ended on July 30, 2008. The soil used came from previously excavated areas, 

moreover only the upper layers, leftovers from the repair works soil of the road around the 

Baray, were used. 

� Stage 2: two new locations were selected: the first located 300m from the lock. To the 

west are two additional locations: one 300m from the lock to the west and the third 200m 

to the east. The soil used is that piled up on the eastern part of the southern dyke by the 

Indian company. Works started on August 5 and were completed on August 31, 2008. 

� Stage 3: the two sites were located to the west of the Svay Romeat pagoda separated 

by 1,500m (points 6 and 7). Works on point 6 started on September 2, 2008 and ended 

on October 6, 2008 whereas works on point 7 started on November 9, 2008. 

� Activities of the Unit in charge of visitor’s circuits 

� Objective: To design a visitor circuit combining Angkor Thom and the western baray 

� Studies: i) historical research on temples located to the north of the western baray, for 

example Kok Pauth and Phnom Rong, to include them in the visitor circuits of the western 

baray. ii) A social study and data were recorded on the livelihood of locals living in the villages 

of Kok Beng and Kok Thnaut. iii) Seven locations of tourism value were identified; 

they will be included in the circuit. iv) The project plan for visitor rest areas was drafted. v) 

Design of the circuits and proposal for the development of an information centre and of 

signage once the visit points have been determined and vi) preparation of the trial of the 

circuits. 

IX. DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT OF FORESTRY, CULTURAL 

LANDSCAPES AND THE ENVIRONMENT (DGFPCE) 

The Department of Management of Forestry, Cultural Landscapes and the Environment was 

created after the reorganisation of the former Department of Water and Forestry, authorised by 

sub-decree No 50 ANK/BK dated May 7, 2008 on the organisation and functioning of the Office 

of the General Director of the APSARA Authority. A Deputy General Director and a Deputy Director 

of the Department exceptionally manage the Department. Hereunder is a temporary 

organisation while waiting for the official approval of the Prakas (decision) on the distribution of 

the tasks and obligations of all the Departments of the APSARA National Authority: 

a) The Office of administration, planning and cooperation, 

b) The Office of Forestry Affairs, 

c) The Office of Management of Cultural Landscapes, 

d) The Office of reforestation and botanical gardens, 

e) The Office of Protection of the Environment, 

IX.1 STRUCTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT 

278 civil servants, contracted individuals, forest rangers and workers work for the Department: 

1. 5 civil servants in the Managers’ Office: 1 Deputy General Director, 1 Director of the Department, 

2 Deputy Directors of the Department and 1 Office manager. 

2. 30 civil servants and contracted staff, 

3. Two drivers, 

4. One cleaner, 

5. One guard,


6. 130 forest rangers, 

7. 16 workers for the aromatic plants nursery, 

8. 35 workers at the Mondul 3 nursery, 

9. 8 workers at the 8 hectares nursery, 

10. 25 workers at the Ta Keo nursery, 

11. 25 workers to prune trees. 

IX.II. 2008 ACTIVITIES 

2.a. Administrative works 







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� Administration: 

� Drafting of the activity programme of the department for the year 2009 and of the 

Prakas (decision) project on the organisation and operation of the department. Project to 

be submitted to the Office of the General Director of the APSARA Authority. 

� Material and office equipment inventory, 

� Reception of correspondence (533 letters), 218 letters were sent. 

� Domestic cooperation: 

� The Department welcomed Dr Pheng Sophea who carried out research on plants in the 

Angkor site. 

� Regular meetings with staff to prepare projects and solve emergency issues. 

� Meetings with the General Management and the representative of the Presidency of the 

Council of Ministers to set up the Service centre of the APSARA Authority and to assign 

the guard Units on monuments, tourism and forest. 

� Ceremonies: i) the Deputy General Director presided the “plants festival” organised by 

the forestry community of Beng Mealea, Beng Mealea commune, Svay Leu district. ii) The 

Department contributed to the Environment Day, iii) to the ceremony celebrating the admission 

of the sacred site of Preah Vihear on the World Heritage List and made donations 

to the soldiers based on the Border with Thailand at the Preah Vihear site. iv) Inauguration 

of the " Angkor world Heritage” plaque ceremony, presided over by His Excellency 

Samdech Akka Moha Séna Padei Deccho Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia and 

Mrs. Françoise Rivière, Deputy General Director for Culture of UNESCO. v) ceremony of 

the 30 th anniversary of liberation day presided over by the Governor of Siem Reap. 

� Delivery of four nurseries, of which one was converted into a garden of spices. 

� International cooperation: 

� The department’s management took part in meetings with the partners of the bilateral 

project with New Zealand on community participation, also in meetings with the ICC and 

in a cooperation project with Hungary. 

� The Directors of the Department travelled to Pattaya, Thailand, to study the creation of 

botanic gardens. 

2.b. Management of cultural landscapes 

� Forestry management: 

� 130 forestry guards were transferred to the Department from The Department of Conservation 

of the Monuments in the Angkor park and preventive archaeology. 

� Pruning of trees along the Comailles road (completed), at the Bayon temple (30% completed) 

at the Ta Prohm temple (65% completed) at the Northern gate of Angkor Thom 

(Dai Chhnang, 50% completed) and to the west of Angkor Wat. 

� Dead trees along the road were cut as were those presenting risks for monuments and 

visitors: 58 trees including Chheu Teal, Koki, Spong, Svay Prey, Sralao, Kchas, etc. 

� Management and maintenance of tree in monuments: 

� The Department’s management inspected the scaffoldings of the central tower of Angkor 

Wat (Bakan) and removed small plants. Fallen trees on the Preah Khan were cut as








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were small trees on the Grand and small circuits. Work was carried out on the landscape 

development of the Banteay Srei parvis, on the cultural landscape of Trapeang Seh and 

on water lily ponds. 

� Control and prevention of illegal activities: 

� Four types of illegal activity: i) soil and sand extraction by the Ung Chun Company 

causing major damage to the environment. ii) Misappropriation of lands for construction 

on cultivated land. iii) Two cases of illegal wood cutting. iv) In collaboration with local authorities, 

the intervention Unit of the APSARA Authority, the Department of the province 

for Environment and the Unit for Control and Prevention of illegal activities resolved all 

these issues. 

� Along Road 60, two types of illegal activities were observed: illegal cutting of small trees 

and a road accident damaged an electric post at the roundabout. 

� Tree and garden plantations: 

� Planting: i) tamping of the soil of plants of 1,071 bushes to strengthen them. ii) 5,533 

bushes were disseminated to the population and 8,590 small trees planted. iii) Plantation 

of 114 Ang Kagn trees in the 8 hectares nursery. iv) 259 Chheu teal were planted along 

road 60m and 10,000 flowering ornamentals at the roundabout. V) The roots of 718 koki 

were pruned. 

� Maintenance work: i) 10m 3 of fertiliser were produced for the tree leaves of the nursery 

(6m 3 ) and storage (4m 3 ). ii) Collection of 120kg of seeds of Béng, Kakal, Chambak, 

Angkagn, Trasék, Kngaok, and Thnung. iii) Soil mixing, 2,020 bags were filled. iv) a 12m 

noria was repaired, works financed by the Association Internationale des Maires Francophones 

(International Association of French-speaking mayors, AIMF). v) Saw dusting of 

4,507m 3 of wood to repair the noria and the guards’ shelter. vi) Clearing of 4,875m 2 of the 

forest of the Ta Keo nursery. vii) Small greenhouses measuring 15 x 15m were repaired 

in a nursery. viii) Construction of a 3 x 4m hut. ix) The plastic bags of 401 plants were 

changed. x) Treatment of 720 transplanted flowering ornamentals. xi) Drafting of the list of 

spices: 26 groups of 61 species. 


� Control of the forestry lands in the village of Samrong, Leang Fai commune, Angkor 

Thom district, Siem Reap province. 

� UTM codes were checked in Zone 1: A (376507 – 1481246), B (377082 - 1481009), C 

(379002 - 1481011), D (379356 - 1482898). 

� Study of 16 electrical transmission lines for a total length of 7,947m along roads 60M, 

66A, 66B and Comailles. 

� Study and control of the naming signs of the trees along road 66A: a total of 176 signs 

of which 157 are in good condition, 14 need repairing and 5 restoration. 

� Cooperation with the forestry administration of Siem Reap to create a map of the forestry 

areas falling under the jurisdiction of the APSARA Authority’s management. 

� Staff training on technical works before implementation on site. 

� Some officers of the department attended the first scientific conference on plants from 

Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam at the Centre of Khmer-Japanese cooperation at the Royal 

University of Phnom Penh. This conference lasted one week. 

2.c. Protection of the environment 


� Controlling: i) planning of the guards in charge of the control of Trapeang Seh. ii) Tree 

cutting and scaffolding erection at the Palilay temple. iii) Verification of the exact location 

of lands own by the Whitekaps Resort Company United, in Angkor Thom district. iv) Verification 

of the location of signs and photo documentation of polluting activities. 

� Others: i) Data collection at the Run Ta-Ek, Pradak, Romchek communes, at the villages 

of Thnal Toteun and Kravan while informing the population on the project to create








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botanic gardens. ii) Budget planning to make 5 panels: 3 for Angkor Wat moats, 5 in Sras 

Srang and 4 in Trapeang Seh. iii) Internal working meetings, meetings with the HCC 

Company on the implementation of the contract; meetings on the design of maps informing 

on forestry offenses and meeting on the technique for planting spices. iv) Contribution 

to the seminar on the management planning of the regions for Bio-mixed conservation. 

IX.III. 2009 PROGRAMME 

3.a. Administration, planning and cooperation, 

� To draft the policy and planning strategy of the Department; 

� To prepare projects that call upon international assistance on the management of forest, and 

on the protection of cultural and environmental landscapes. 

� To provide the material needed by the different departments to improve efficiency of the implementation 

of the mission. 

� To draft the human resources training programme on the technical management of the Department. 

� To strengthen cooperation with national and international organisations in order to call upon 

necessary funding for the implementation of the projects of the department. 

� To apply the government’s administrative reform. 

3.b. Forestry management 

� Research and collection of data on forestry falling under the jurisdiction of the APSARA Authority, 

� Inventory and classification of forests in zone 1, 

� Reforestation of zone 1 to improve plants growth. 

3.c. Protection of the environment 

� Studies on the impact on the environment in the Angkor park and in zones outside the park 

falling under APSARA Authority jurisdiction. 

� Education of the people living near Trapaing Seh, close to ponds and rivers on the negative 

impact of wastes. 

� Emergency control and halting of activities having a negative impact on the environment. 

3.d. Management of the cultural landscapes 

� Regular monitoring of trees growing in the vicinity of temples to carry out emergency interventions 

in case of danger. 

� Tree pruning in the temples and along the road leading to Ta Prohm, the Bayon, the northern 

gate and eastern gate of Angkor Thom and Preah Khan; 

� Organisation of the construction of sentry boxes on site and fanning out of the forest rangers 

in the areas falling under APSARA Authority management. 

� Drafting of the training and outreach project for the local people on the positive role played 

by the forest on the sustainability of the temples. 

� Control of tree diseases and improvement of regular treatment. 

3.e. Trees and gardens planting 

� Development of the garden of spices to allow for tourist visits. 

� Preparatory works for the development of the botanic garden in Phnom Bok as per the project 

of the Japanese Embassy. 

� Development of orchards covering an area of eight hectares with: 4,400 trees of which 

4,000 are tamarind trees and 400 makprang. 

� Preparation of a compost fertiliser production station of 500m 3 and planting of 11,000 ornemental 

plants in Mondul 3: 2,500 Kgauks, 2,500 Ang Kagns, 2,500 Trabèk Preis, 2,500 Leung 

Reachs and 1,000 Ognmogns ; 

� Planting of 40,000 wild trees at the Ta Keo nursery: 25,000 Chheu Teal, 7,000 Chheu 

Phdeak and 800 Koki. 

IX.IV. EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION





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Since its creation in May 2008, the Department of Management of Forestry, Cultural Landscapes 

and the Environment has managed to gather sufficient experienced and skilled human 

resources coming from Cambodian universities, and is supported by the General Director of the 

APSARA Authority and in particular the President of the Authority, His Excellency the Deputy 

Prime Minister, Minister in charge of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. For the year 

2009, the Department has drafted a number of projects and measures for the implementation 

of: the protection of forests, cultural landscapes and the environment with the support of the 

population in order to put a halt to the misappropriation of lands. 

X. THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF 

MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE STANDARDS (DDCMNP) 

The Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards is one of the 

new Departments created by sub-decree No 50, dated April 28, 2008. It shares its tasks with 

the Department of Tourism Development in Angkor. Department of Cultural Development of 

Museums and Heritage Standards is composed of three major fields: cultural development, 

museums and heritage standards. 

The Deputy prime Minister also decided to entrust the Department of Cultural Development of 

Museums and Heritage Standards with public relations missions. 

One of the main tasks of the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage 

Standards is to showcase heritage by enhancing the monuments. It is also in charge of disseminating 

to the public the intangible aspects of the still marginal but living Angkorian culture, 

as many ancient customs are still practised by the population of the Siem Reap province. 

The Museum field is a major focus of the Department, which is managing the Preah Norodom 

Sihanouk-Angkor Museum and the future Museum of the Tani kiln site. 

The Department also focuses on new heritage approaches, such as the production of the “heritage 

in the hands of youth” kit. The aim is to endow the APSARA National Authority with 

outreach documentation better suited to a wider audience and to conduct awareness campaigns 

for the understanding and safeguarding of tangible and intangible heritage. 

The Department is also active in the development of visitor and access facilities to monuments, 

and in tailoring and enhancing the Angkor site, jewel of the country’s cultural heritage. 

The Department also contributes to the implementation of special projects, especially the bilateral 

project of community participation undertaken jointly with New Zealand. 

The activity report of the Department includes activities regarding the distribution of staff tasks 

from August 2008 onwards. As it is at this date that the organisation of the Department was set 

up following the staff decision to either work with the Department of Tourism Development in 

Angkor or to continue with the creation of the Department of Cultural Development of Museums 

and Heritage Standards. According to their affinities, about half of the staff decided to work 

either with tourism or culture. 

The missions given to the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage 

Standards are mainly at the conception stage, especially those regarding cultural development. 

Thus, the Department is organised so that it can accommodate all these different functions either 

regarding conception or implementation in the field. The Department of Cultural 

Development of Museums and Heritage Standards is divided into six Offices: 

a) The Office of administration and public relations, 

b) The Office of heritage standards and regulations, 

c) The Office of cultural development, 

d) The Office of organisation and management of cultural goods, 

e) The Office for Parvis (forecourts) and accesses, 

f) The Office for realisation and management of Museums. 








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The actions mentioned are not all implemented and may proceed as part of a programme in 

progress in order to determine staff requirements before implementation. 

X.1. THE ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT: 

As many governmental and international bodies, such as Embassies or international organisations 

are located in Phnom Penh, the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and 

Heritage Standards has an office in Phnom Penh. 

It is well-placed to receive department related administrative documents and to establish the 

necessary contacts for its public relations mission. 

Also, acting as the representative of the APSARA National Authority for the standing secretariat 

of the International Committee for the safeguarding and Development of the Historical site of 

Angkor (ICC), the director of the Department must attend meetings in the UNESCO Office in 

Phnom Penh or those of the Department. 

1.a. Administrative management: 

� The reception Unit collaborates with the service Centre of the APSARA National Authority to 

provide technical information requested under the responsibility of the Department; it takes part 

in all operations pertaining to guest receptions and the organisation of seminars organised by 

the Department: Museum seminars, ICC bi-annual meeting, etc. 

� The administrative management support Unit answers to any correspondence and prepares 

contracts coming from national and international bodies and under the responsibility of the Department 

which are then submitted to the General Director for approval: filming/photographing, 

artistic and cultural events or free admissions to the Angkor site for research works on the 

Khmer culture and civilisation. This Unit is also responsible for the administrative management 

of the Department, the staff (attendance, work contracts, etc.) stationery, material and equipment 

(purchase is done jointly with the Finance and Accounting Department), and annual or 

quarterly budget preparation. It also coordinates relations with other departments of the 

APSARA National Authority. As for Museums, which the Department of Cultural Development 

of Museums and Heritage Standards is responsible for, it carries out coordination and monitoring 

activities. 

1.b. Public Relations: 

� The public relations and national and international cooperation Unit set up cooperative relations 

with national and international bodies: UNESCAP, GMS, UNESCO, Embassies and 

governmental institutions, etc. In 2008 the director hosted and accompanied important visitors: 

the Moroccan and Madagascan Ambassadors to UNESCO, the President of the Supreme 

Court from the Hague (Mr Bedjaoui), the UNDP staff in Cambodia, Princess Béatrice de Bourbons 

des Deux Siciles, etc. 

� In 2008 the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards took 

part in international meetings on cultural tourism management in World Heritage sites. The Director 

acted as the representative of Cambodia in the following conferences and seminars: 

� Conferences on: “Heritage and sustainable development, an educational issue” in UNESCO 

in Paris, organised by the association of the Vieilles Maisons Françaises; 

� “Pro-poor tourism” seminar in Vientiane, organised by GMS (Greater Mekong Subregion); 

� The “Sustainable Tourism Management in World Heritage Site” conference in Huang Shan in 

China, organised by the WTO (World Tourism Organisation) and UNESCO Paris; 

� “Alternative models of visitor management at World Heritage Sites" in Yellowstone Park in the 

US organised by Montana University. 

X.2. THE OFFICE OF HERITAGE STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS 








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UNESCO World Heritage status obliges the APSARA National Authority to comply with the standards on 

development of visitor infrastructures and on the management of the Angkor site. 

The Office of heritage standards and regulation must gather all texts pursuant to heritage standards, 

contribute to establishing regulations and if necessary have them published. It will also have to train 

and communicate a targeted audience and control the correct implementation and respect of these standards. 

� Convents, declarations and recommendations adopted by UNESCO and the different Charters 

of ICOMOS, ICCROM, etc. have already been collected to constitute a working base for 

any operations pertaining to heritage. 

� It contributes to draft: the regulation of management of activities in the Angkor Park; the 

regulation of visits drafted since 2000; the legal text for the copyright protection of names and 

images of Angkor, the Prakas (decision); the draft on the organisation and operation of the Department, 

etc. 

� It inventories the signs on cultural information and regulations in order to be replaced and/or 

creates new ones, updating the information signs in the Angkor Park. 

� It drafts the regulations on road signs to be produced by the Department of Land Planning 

and Habitat Management in the Angkor park, especially those concerning the parvis of 

Banteay Srei . 

� The main objective is to publish a “heritage in the hands of the youth” kit once the UNESCO 

text has been adapted to the Cambodian context. 

� A team controlling filming/photographing works with the relevant departments to see to the 

copyright protection of names and images in Angkor pending the adoption of the legal text. 

� Regarding the environment, a new officer was appointed to the EMS (Environment Management 

System) to replace the former officer in charge who has joined the Department of the 

Office of Administration, Personnel and Material. 

� The Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards shall soon 

start recruiting officers to control the presentation of Khmer civilisation in any publications (historical 

or popularisation books, guide books, etc.) on Angkor by verifying the texts and pictures 

and to flag any mistakes and have them corrected. 

X.3. THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT 

The Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards was honoured 

to receive the support of an eminent scholar, namely professor Sacchidananh Sahai who carried 

out researches on the temples of Preah Vihear and Koh Ker—following a request from His 

Excellency the deputy Prime Minister and President of the APSARA National Authority, Mr Sok 

An. He provided a wealth of cultural information to the Unit in charge of designing and conceiving 

cultural and socio-cultural circuits. Archaeologists working in other departments (Messrs Im 

Sok Rithy, Khieu Chan, etc.) who also contributed to the research and to the training of youths, 

were responsible for the design and conception of new cultural products and developed two 

types of circuit: the itinerary to visit monuments aiming at regulating visitor flow, especially during 

peak hours and circuits to diversify the offer and to extend visitor stays. 

Note the major role played by the Public Observatory Unit within the Department when carrying 

out preliminary interviews to assess the opinions and expectations of the visitors. The collected 

data will guide the creation of future new products. 

3.a. Developments of cultural products: 

� Cultural and socio-cultural circuits: 

� The pagoda circuit along the Siem Reap River: collaborating with the Department of Cultural 

Development of Museums and Heritage Standards Professor Vittorio Roveda, expert in the wall 

paintings and pagodas of Siem Reap provided his expertise to the studies on the design of this 

circuit. He gave cultural information and plans. The Department of Land Planning and Habitat 

Management in the Angkor park also assisted in this task. Developments carried out in Siem 








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Reap by the Department of Development of Siem Reap Urban Heritage, especially those on 

the river banks and pagoda accesses will be beneficial to the circuit. 

� Studies carried out with the Department of Water resources Management to develop heritage 

trails at the northern baray, strolls and sunset views at the western baray. These two products 

require structural developments to make them more accessible and attractive. 

� Itinerary of visits to the monuments: 

� Thorough studies were carried out with the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) team to improve 

the itinerary of the visit to the Ta Prohm temple, one of the “must visit” monuments for 

travel agencies and tourists. The paths are narrow despite a high frequency of visitors, which is 

added to the restoration work in progress on the monument. This situation has made both the 

protection of carvings and the visit arduous. Thanks to the work of the ASI in clearing collapsed 

stones and creating new accesses (this work was done after approval of the ad hoc experts), 

circulation at peak hours has improved. Moreover, safety platforms were erected and the most 

photographed places were cordoned off to prevent visitors climbing on stones. 

� The Banteay Srei temple visitors’ itinerary finalised and agreed on by the ICC in 2006 needed 

updating in order to take into account the developing Parvis. 

The final itineraries will be tested and handed over to the Department of Tourism Development 

of Angkor for their implementation. 

� Merchandising: 

In order to increase revenues for the APSARA National Authority, the Department of Cultural 

Development of Museums and Heritage Standards must participate in the creation of merchandising 

products related to the Angkorian culture. To this aim staff must be hired to take charge 

of these new products; meanwhile distribution must be coupled with the development of parvis 

at the monuments. 

3.b. Cultural information: 

The Office is also responsible for drafting texts on culture, such as cultural information on 

monuments and Khmer civilisation while introducing the notion of the existing intangible heritage 

to raise awareness of this to the public. 

X.4. THE OFFFICE OF ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CULTURAL GOODS 

To achieve its tasks in the field, a team must be constituted by the Department of Cultural Development 

of Museums and Heritage Standards to follow-up, monitor and at times participate in 

the organisation of cultural events. Despite the lack of staff on site, the following missions must 

be continued: 

4.a. Management of cultural products: 

� Around monuments and in commercial areas of the Parvis of Banteay Srei: while waiting for 

a Khmer culture authenticity label, the officers of the Department advocate Khmer product 

placement to the sellers. 

� At the first developed Parvis on the Angkor site, the Banteay Srei Parvis, a Unit of the Department 

of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards will be trained to 

manage the interpretation centre and to provide information on the cultural goods on offer. 

� A Unit of the Department manages the operation of artistic and cultural events organised in 

front of monuments: the Bayon, Kravan, Banteay Samrè, Vat Athvea, Angkor Wat (Bayon CM), 

etc. 

4.b. Organisation of cultural events: 

� A Unit of the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards 

works in close collaboration with the organisers of cultural or festive events, approved by the 








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government. The Unit assesses the cultural relevance of these events: Rise Entertainment (a 

Russian company received authorisation to organise a music festival late 2009/early 2010). 

X.5. THE OFFICE FOR PARVIS AND ACCESSES 

As the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards was entrusted 

with contributing to the development of parvis and accesses to monuments, it has set 

up structures to meet visitor expectations and heritage standards. 

The deputy Prime minister, President of the APSARA National Authority, His Excellency Mr Sok 

An appointed the Director of the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage 

Standards project manager of the Parvis project of the Banteay Srei temple. The stages of 

project implementation are the following: 

5.a. Study and design: 

� Preliminary studies and the evaluation in progress are carried out by the Public Observatory 

unit, which interviews visitors to assess their needs and suggestions to better meet their demands. 

� The design stage is conducted by a steering committee constituted of heads of the department 

affected by the projects. This committee makes decisions and is seconded by a 

committee composed of technicians from affected Departments, meeting on a regular bases to 

implement decisions. Each meeting is the object of a report. 

5.b. Coordination and operation: 

� The head of the project appointed a work coordinator for the tasks of the technical committee 

during the weekly meetings and on site. 

� The Banteay Srei parvis is a case study requiring the collaboration of several departments of 

the APSARA National Authority. The selected area, for the development of the parvis and placing 

the monument into its historical and cultural perspectives covers around 34.5 ha including 

approach areas and environmental and natural components (ponds, hills, etc.) constitutive of 

the monument cultural landscape. Developments to be carried out are: 

� The visitors centre and annex services (money changer, small nursing room, cloakroom, 

kiosk, etc.) 

� The interpretation centre and cafe, 

� the parking area, 

� the commercial areas, 

� the access and promenade routes. 

� This project is a bilateral cooperation with Switzerland which finances the construction of 

visitor structures (visitor and interpretation centres and annex services such as cafe, cloakroom, 

kiosk, money changer, small nursing room). The APSARA National Authority finances 

the other developments with suppliers, for example the Sokha Hotel company, and the sellers 

who need to relocate from the existing location to allocated spaces in front of the parking area. 

� The first meetings of the steering committee started in early January 2007; on the agenda 

were: landscape study (plants to be planted, rehabilitated), preventive archaeological excavations, 

hydraulic studies and land ownership enquiries for the purchase of the required land. 

There is also a cooperation with land authorities to carry out an inventory of the number of 

stalls to be relocated. 

� Building started in November 2008 and was completed in January 2009, when the Swiss 

cooperation ended its mission. 

� The Departments involved with the project are the following: Department of Cultural Development 

of Museums and Heritage Standards, Department of the Office for trans-sectoral 

projects and technical support, Department of Water resources Management, Department of 

Management of Forestry, Cultural Landscapes and the Environment, Department of Conservation 

of the Monuments in the Angkor park and preventive archaeology, Department of Land 








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Planning and Habitat Management in the Angkor park, Department of Agriculture and Community 

Development and Department of Tourism Development in Angkor. 

X.6. THE OFFICE FOR MUSEUM DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT 

The museum field is new for the APSARA National Authority. The Department of Cultural Development 

of Museums and Heritage Standards was entrusted with designing museums and 

exhibitions, pursuant to UNESCO and ICOM (International Council of Museums) standards, 

strengthened by the collaboration of experts in this field. The following activities were carried 

out: 

6.a. Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum: 

In 2001, a team of Cambodian and Japanese archaeologists from SOPHIA University carried 

out excavations in the enclosure of Banteay Kdei Temple and discovered Buddhist statues, 

Buddha carvings on stone and 274 pieces of sculptures which once decorated the temple. In 

2003, the president of AEON 1% Club, a Japanese company, decided to allocate financial aid 

of one million US$ for the construction of a museum in Siem Reap housing these Buddhist 

statues. The APSARA National Authority supplied 16,200m 2 of land located in the Cultural and 

Tourism City. The Preah Norodom Sihanouk Angkor Museum inaugurated by His Majesty the 

King NORODOM Sihamoni in November 2007, opened to the public early 20008. Management 

is entrusted to a team of technicians in charge of the exhibit, of the administration and of the 

collection. 

� Daily management of the museum: 

� Number of visitors in 20008: total of 4,840 visitors of which 1,256 were domestic including 

247 guests, 3,583 international visitors including 124 guests, for a revenue of US$10,635. A 

ticket costs US$3 for foreigners and 1,000 riel (0.25 riel) for nationals. 

� Marketing and promotion: design of new tickets, of a brochure and information sign and promotion 

of the Museum to Japanese television channels (TV Man Union, Asia Production, TBS, 

etc.). 

� Overall maintenance: lawn mowing and maintenance of the areas around the Museum. 

� Structural management of the museum: 

The main building of the museum, once construction was completed, presented issues (water 

leakages and cracks on the walls). These were immediately referred by the national ASPARA 

Authority to SOPHIA University and the AEON Company agreed to finance the repair works. 

� In cooperation with the SOPHIA institute: garden enhancement works to showcase the Museum. 

� Museum library: 

The books of the library of the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum were offered by the 

Sophia institution, Asia foundation and Professor Ang Choulean. Numbering and inventory of 

the books were carried out before shelving. 

� Exhibition cooperation: 

� To improve the attraction and specificities of the Museum, a re-enactment of the discovery of 

the artefacts is in progress. Thereby, ten copies of Buddha statues were made in Japan and 

sent to the Museum. 

� New artefacts acceptance: 

The newly discovered statues or carvings are stored in the Preah Norodom Sihanouk- 

Angkor Museum: 

� The archaeological foundation for the development of Kulen: 47 artefacts were discovered 

during excavations. 








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� The Department of water resources management (DGE) handed over to the museum a 

carved piece coming from a corner piece of the monument. 

� The Department of Conservation of the Monuments Outside Angkor park (DCSE) handed 

over a sculpture of a sandstone lion with the four legs and its back broken. 

� The Department of Conservation of the Angkor Monuments and of preventive Archaeology 

(DCMAP) handed over the sandstone head of a divinity. 

� The people from the village of Aolaud of Khum Bakong, Srok Prasat Bakong found by chance 

a tool to cut medicinal plants and a sculpture of a hunchback. 

� International cooperation: 

� Managing collections: 

The Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum benefited from the technical support of a volunteer 

from the American Luce Foundation, Miss Anne-Marie Gan who trained the technical staff 

in the following management methods: 

� Training: 

i) Checking of ancient items and creation of a database to set up the inventory work of 

the museum; selection and preparation of the inventory of 11 ancient objects loaned to 

the AEON Company for an exhibition in Japan from 2009 to 2010; follow-up of the study 

on the condition of exhibited artefacts and of those in storage. 

ii) Issues were also raised on the maintenance of the Museum and its artefacts: dust, 

small animals, insect nests and bird manure outside the exhibition hall; damp traces on 

bronze statues and poor handling of the collection’s artefacts in storage. To solve several 

issues highlighted hereunder the Museum management entered an exchange with the 

French restorer of the Phnom Penh national Museum. 

i) Training of the staff: receptionists, officers on site, ticket salesmen and controllers. Also 

training on information to give to visitors and counselling the technical staff on the reading 

methodology for inventory. Training of the technical staff on ceramic drawing methods 

using Illustrator software. 

ii) Three technicians took part in the training session on the management and safeguarding 

of ancient artefacts organised by ICCROM in cooperation with the APSARA National 

Authority and the National Authority for Preah Vihear in October 24-31 in Siem Reap. 

iii) Contribution of the technical staff to the “Tools for cultural, social and economic development” 

seminar on museums and to the seminar on archaeology and museology 

organised by the APSARA National Authority in cooperation with the Department of Museums 

and Cultural Items of UNESCO Paris in Siem Reap, on November 27-28. 

6.b. Tani Ceramic Museum in situ: 

The concept of the Ceramic Museum dates from 1995, when ancient kilns located on the site of 

Tani where discovered. A lack of finances hindered further progress and the kilns were protected 

pending their complete excavation to showcase them to the public. Ten years later, the 

Embassy of Japan in Cambodia allocated US$ 39,000 to finance the construction of a museum 

in situ where the discovered potteries will be exhibited. The APSARA National Authority will 

finance the completion of the work. 

The design and construction of the Museum were carried out and managed by the Deputy general 

Director in charge of the Department of Land Planning and Habitat Management in the 

Angkor park and his team. 

This new museum-related product is designed as both an archaeological garden and the ceramic 

museum of the Tani site. The site will be developed into a garden for relaxation (strolls, 

picnics and playing areas for children, etc.) while visiting the ceramic kilns and the museum. 








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The setting of the exhibition will be supported by the technical assistance of the Nara institute 

from Japan. The site should open during the course of 2009. 

The management is entrusted to the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and 

Heritage Standards 

SPECIAL PROJECTS 

The Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards contributes to 

APSARA National Authority special projects: 

� Training organised by UNESCAP, UNESCO Phnom Penh, the Ministry of Tourism and the 

APSARA National Authority: a dozen officers of the APSARA National Authority followed training 

given by international experts on site management and on profession of tourist guides in 

sites. The Director of the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards 

held lectures on the heritage management of Angkor. 

� The bilateral cooperation project between New Zealand (NZAID) and the APSARA National 

Authority has already implemented the first phase. The DDCMP is a member of the executive 

committee and will take care of community integration in the tourism economy (training and 

direct access to markets). 

� The “Heritage Management framework” a bilateral cooperation project between Australia 

and the APSARA National Authority is supported by both governments and will soon start functioning 

with the technical assistance of the UNESCO office in Phnom Penh. 

� The Director of the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards 

drafted the tourism concept for the Run Ta-Ek eco villages. 

� The Director took part in the drafting of the strategy plan of tourism management for the site 

of the sacred temple of Preah Vihear jointly with international experts. 

� As representative of the APSARA National Authority for the ICC, the director of the Department 

of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards attends on a regular base 

preparatory meetings pertaining to the different sessions of the ICC and drafts the activity report 

of the APSARA National Authority for the ICC. 

CONCLUSION 

It is vital to promote the staff who chose to specialise in the field of culture in order to foster 

their dedication to the APSARA Authority. Most of the officers have been working in the Department 

for more than seven years, yet never received a promotion nor did their salaries 

increase. Since part of the staff had already left when they decided to continue to work for the 

department of Tourism Management, the staff of the Department of Cultural Development of 

Museums and Heritage Standards works on several tasks simultaneously and seldom complains 

despite being overworked. 

It is obviously necessary to hire additional staff to enable the Department to assume efficiently 

and entirely the new tasks it has been assigned to work on. 

XI. DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT OF SIEM REAP URBAN 

HERITAGE (DDPU) 

The former Department of Urban planning and Development of Siem Reap and the region has 

changed name and is now called: “the Department of Development of Siem Reap Urban Heritage”. 

The historical heritage of the town of Siem Reap is of value for tourism. Once a visit to 

the temples is over at the end of the day, tourists need to relax in a festive and enjoyable atmosphere, 

to have a drink after dinner or to shop at the night market. They also need to be able 

to stroll along the river which is under development, as other activities in town, the goals of 

which are to offer other types of leisure to the visitor. Thus, the department was able to achieve 

the following: 





XI.1. DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN 




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1.a. Study of construction plans: 

The Department of Siem Reap Urban Heritage must take part in the study of construction plans 

submitted by individuals or companies. The study is divided into a first phase when the overall 

construction project is studied, then in a second phase technical details are analysed as well as 

the compliance of the plans with the existing regulations and finally a letter of authorisation or 

not is to be sent for approval to the General Director. 

1.a.1. Consultation: 

� Constructions: 

� For tourism purposes: Study and notification regarding construction applications of the: 

“World Park” project from the SKI Development Company, located in the village of Pgnea 

Chey, Khum Svay Dangkum, Srok Siem Reap; 

of a tourism centre in the Cultural and Tourism City of Angkor; 

and the lease of land of 35 hectares for tourism development by the Pacific Investment 

Co., Ltd. Company in the Cultural and tourism City of Angkor 

� For residential housing or other purposes: Study and notification on construction applications 

of shop houses and house of Mr. Leat Vanden, of the “Angkor” market and of 

Mrs. Kit Hong Yi. 

� Miscellaneous: 

� Study and notification: of the erection of telecommunication antennas for the 098 telecommunication 

network of the Applifone Co., Ltd. Company in seven locations; Of one 

antenna for the 013 network; 

of the Cambodia Adventure Communication Company and the registration of the land of 

her Excellency Mrs Nhèm Morokot. 

1.a.2. Study of the technical specificities and draft of the letters to be sent for approval 

to the General Director for the following files: 

� Study and preparation of the file applying for a name change from Khao Say Ching to 

Say Ching. 

� Study of hotel plans to be built in the Cultural and Tourism City of Angkor for the Sokha 

Hotel Company. 

� Study and notification for the projects: “world Park”, shop houses, houses and the lease 

of 35 hectares of land. 

� Construction project of 163 shop houses by Mr. Pong Sovan. 

1.b. Projects being studied: 

� Project of the reconstruction of the canal-bridge for irrigation located to the east of Siem 

Reap town, from Khum Sala Kamreut until Khum Chreav, in order to put forward a financing 

to the Association Internationale des Maires Francophones (International Association 

of French speaking Mayors, AIMF) for the 2008-2009 period. 

� The following projects were prepared by the Department for financing from the Agence 

Française de Développement (French Agency for Development, AFD) : i) Improvement 

of pagoda access roads located along the Siem Reap River (Wat Polanka, Wat Bô, Wat 

Damnak), ii) plantation of trees along the roads in the old market area, iii) the laying of 

markers to protect the lawn along the Siem Reap River, iv) construction of a wooden 

bridge to facilitate tourists strolling and crossing the Siem Reap River, v) provision of information 

signs for tourists along the Siem Reap River. 

1.c. Works completed and in progress: 








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� to prepare the tendering file for the construction of a residential building for officers in 

charge of guarding, of public toilets and of two sentry-boxes for the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor 

Museum. 

� 35 workers are employed to develop, maintain, mow the lawns, collect waste and pump 

the water along the river to keep it constantly clean from between Wat Polanka and the 

Crocodile Farm. 

� The Department worked jointly with Siem Reap municipality to register and choose a 

company regarding the study of the master plan of rainwater and wastewater drainage 

and on the follow-up of this project financed by AFD. 

� To clean the waste along the sewage lines and the Rega pond starting from the Old 

Market car park until the canal of the Chinese pagoda. 

� Rehabilitation of the sewage systems ability to drain rainwater; tree planting in front of 

inlets and laying of pipes to drain rainwater along the river where the trees are dead, from 

the bridge of the Royal Residence until the bridge of the Crocodile Farm. 

1.d. Environment: 

� an officer from the Department took part in the meetings every Thursday regarding 

works carried out on the environment by the Environment Unit. 

1.e. “Living with Heritage” project: 

Two officers of the Department were trained on collecting statistics of the population living in 

heritage zones and must carry out their study projects over five years in the village of Leang 

Day, Srok Angkor Thom, Siem Reap province. 

XI.2. WORKS ON THE CULTURAL AND TOURISM CITY OF ANGKOR 

2.a. Development works on the roads of the Cultural and Tourism City of Angkor: 

The development works of the Cultural and Tourism City of Angkor are: a project to lay the T5 

road over 760m, to dig the canal surrounding the Cultural and Tourism City of Angkor (work is 

completed), to repair the banks in 13 locations and to level the T1, T2, T4 road shoulders (also 

completed). The technical staff of the Department followed up and monitored the work progress. 

The technical team drafted the study of the project on laying square metallic markers to protect 

the tiling of the setting of the gabion, pitches of the sewage system and of the tar road and to 

repair stretches of roads T1, T2, T4, T5 in the Cultural and Tourism City of Angkor. 

2.b. Road cleaning section: 

23 workers clean the roads of the Cultural and Tourism City of Angkor. i) Grass cutting and 

cleaning of the banks along the road of the Cultural and Tourism City of Angkor take place on 

regular bases, ii) grass cutting and cleaning of the areas near the Preah Norodom Sihanouk- 

Angkor Museum. 

XI.3. MISCELLANEOUS WORKS: 

� The Deputy General Director in charge of the Department of Development of Siem Reap 

Urban Heritage and the technical staff, in collaboration with the municipality of Siem Reap, 

opened the round table on: “Urban Development in the shadow of Angkor”, which had 60 participants. 

� The Department head took part in the meetings on the development of the ancient town on 

the subject of “urban heritage development” in Italy and Su Won in South Korea and also attended 

the 28 th conference of the Association Internationale des Maires Francophones 

(International Association of French speaking Mayors, AIMF). 








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� The Director, the volunteers from the JICA, and staff organised a seminar on “water management 

issues in Siem Reap town on May 3, 2008. 

� The Department staff collaborates with other projects from the APSARA National Authority 

such as: the study on the irrigation of the western baray, and collaborate on works with the provincial 

authorities regarding the development of Siem Reap town with national, international 

institutions, the specialised department at provincial level, the municipality and the committee 

on urban planning regulations with Urban planning, construction and land registry Department 

of the Siem Reap province; 

� The Department is supported by four French trainees who worked on the study regarding the 

east canal of Siem Reap town and drafted the budget asking for financing from international 

organisations (AFD and AIMF). 

XII.DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN ANGKOR (DDTA) 

Status of the Department of Tourism Development in Angkor 

The Department of Tourism Development did not change its name. It plays a management and 

planning role for the tourism policy of the Angkor site. A section of the staff decided to carry out 

work with the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards. But 

the Department of Tourism Development in Angkor reinforced its team for the management of 

tourism activities with 253 guards formerly attached to the Department of Conservation of the 

Monuments in the Angkor park and preventive archaeology joining the Department. 

XII.1 STRUCTURE: 

The Department of Tourism Development in Angkor is divided into five Units: 

a) The Administrative and tourism training Unit, 

b) the Unit to control visitors, promote and research tourism, 

c) the marketing Unit to control quality and tourism investment, 

d) the Office of statistics and tourism planning, 

e) the Office to implement visitor circuits and tourism products. 

XII.2 ORGANISATION: 

Civil servants, contract staff and tourism order officers from the Department of Tourism Development 

in Angkor total 228 individuals divided as follow: 

a) Deputy Director General: 1 

b) Department Head deputy: 1 

c) Department Officers: 33 

d) Tourism order officers: 253. 

XII.3. 2008 ACTIVITIES: 

3.a. Activities of the management team of the Department: 

3.a.1. The Deputy Director General: 

i) The Deputy Director General was appointed as the representative of the General Director in 

meetings with the Council for Development of Cambodia and attended all meetings at the international 

or domestic level with the APSARA Authority. 

� With the Council for Development of Cambodia (CDC): 

� Discussion and notification on investment applications, for example: tourism investment 

projects in the historical site of Phnom Kulen, of Khun Ream (Srok Banteay Srei), of the 

tourism centre in Chup Ta Trav (Srok Angkor Thom), of B.O.T. of the 105 km road from 








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Phnom Kulen to Koh Ker, of the creation of a historical city “Senchey City Korea” in Prey 

Chruk and Sosorsdom (Srok Puok), of a tourism port in Chong Khneas, of agricultural 

plantations and factories in Srok Chikreng and of natural and cultural tourism in the area 

of Kampong Phlouk (Srok Prasat Bakong) 

� Contributed to the 13th meeting between the government and private sector at the 

Council for Development of Cambodia presided over by Samdech Akka Moha Sena Techo 

HUN Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia. 

� With the Minister of Tourism and other national organisations: 

� Contributed to working sessions on the perspectives and management of tourism in the 

region of the temple of Preah Vihear, with the Minister of Tourism, the National Authority 

for Preah Vihear, the travel agencies’ association, the hotel association, the private sector 

and other relevant organisations; 

� Acted as representative of the APSARA Authority at interministerial meetings on the 

drafting of the sub-decree on the copyrights of the name and images of the different 

monuments of the Kingdom of Cambodia and attended discussions on the orientation of 

the national tourism policy at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. 

� Attended tourism promotion campaigns such as the official opening of: “Cambodia: 

Kingdom of wonder” campaign and seminars with different programmes raising awareness 

on tourism in order to attract investments in the tourism field, especially in the hotel 

industry and for tourism in Siem Reap province. Also met with the committee on tourism 

development of the province, to draft a report on the development of tourism sites. 

� Attended the Ministry of Tourism conference on the achieved works of 2007 and on the 

guidelines for tourism planning for the year 2008; also a seminar on the experiences acquired 

in Bali and their application in Cambodia, seminar presided over by His Excellency 

Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and 

President of the APSARA Authority with the closing ceremony chaired by Samdech Akka 

Moha Sena Techo HUN Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Presentation, 

as representative of the APSARA Authority in Chatomuk theatre of the “new action plan 

of the APSARA Authority on the management of tourism in the Angkor region”. 

� representative of the General Director of the APSARA Authority at the closing ceremony 

of the discussion meeting on the organisation of the preventive plan to eradicate 

and establish emergency measures to prevent a global pandemic of the avian flu. 

� Attended interministerial meeting on the management and organisation of safety, security 

and public order in the area of Chong Khneas, province of Siem Reap, at the 

Salakhet meeting room in Siem Reap and attended discussion meetings on other issues 

� Meetings with the APSARA Authority: 

� Internal working meetings to prepare the vision, strategy and action plan to strengthen 

the quality of management of the APSARA Authority. 

� Contributed to the organisation of the new offices of the APSARA Authority located in 

the Angkor Coex complex and the creation of the services centre (one window) of the 

APSARA Authority. 

� Attended meetings on the review of APSARA Authority projects such as: sustainable 

development project of the Angkor Park and of the Green belt of Siem Reap province, 

the development project of the Run Ta-Ek eco-village, the project on the sustainable development 

of the villages of Kampong Phlouk, the western baray conservation project, 

Sras Srang project, the Banteay Srei parvis project, the project for the rehabilitation of the 

Siem Reap River and the canals of Siem Reap town and the organisation of the electric 

car project. 

� Attended a ceremony on training in conservation, collection and heritage sites and the 

discussion meeting to solve miscellaneous issues such as the construction of new toilets 

on the Angkor site and the installation of a collection box for donations to the Red Cross 

in the Angkor Wat temple. 








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� Attended working meetings to study the proposal on the wearing of plastic shoes to 

protect the stones of the monuments of the Angkor site with the representative of the 

CCK Corporation Company, in order for this project to start at the earliest possible time. 

� Notification to the General Director of the APSARA Authority on the management of 

works on the Angkor site and in particular those pertaining to tourism, investment and different 

commercial exploitation, a total of 65 files. 

� National and international cooperation: 

� Acted as representative of the General Director of the APSARA Authority to host the 

delegation of the former president of the Parliament of the Philippines, a delegation from 

the Ministry of Defence of Vietnam, meetings and discussions with international organisations 

on intangible goods and attended different ceremonies and meetings with the 

provincial authorities in order to collect funds for troops posted on battle fields. 

� Friendly meeting with the military chiefs and soldiers of intervention Unit N o 12 of the 

Khmer battalion based in Preah Vihear province which established twinning relations with 

the APSARA Authority. 

� Went on a mission in Beijing (China) to observe and study the management of tourism 

areas using automatic-guiding techniques in the centre of Koukong, the ancient palace, 

the city of Beijing, the summer garden and other tourism sites. 

� Attended the ceremony to commemorate the end of the restoration work of the statue 

of the enlightened Buddha reaching nirvana in the temple of Baphuon in Angkor Thom, 

presided over by His Majesty Preah Bat Preah Boromaneat NORODOM Sihamoni, King 

of Cambodia. 

� Attended discussion and cooperation meetings between the APSARA Authority and the 

delegation of the province from the centre of Java in the Indonesian Republic in order to 

improve the partnership relations between the population of both authorities. 

ii) His Excellency Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, President of the APSARA National Authority, 

appointed the Deputy General Director, project manager of the “January 7” electric car Unit, 

following a donation to the Royal Government of Cambodia of 50 electric cars by the Chinese 

government (province of Hubei) to set up a non-polluting transportation system in the Angkor 

Park. 

� Works on the preparation of the Unit: 

The pre-project phase included the drafting of an operating plan with the organisation of an 

office, the design of a stamp, the hiring and organisation of tasks of 21 officers contracted and 

training on internal regulations. 

The design and printing of tickets for electric car rentals were completed. 

� Communication and customer relations: 

Information was disseminated on this new non-polluting transportation system, designed to 

better protect the environment and the monuments, and industry operators were asked as to 

their level of interest when using the "January 7" electric cars: 

� Signs were put up to locate the ticketing office and the Unit, 

� Marketing tools such as a logo and the Unit motto were completed. Also stickers bearing 

the logo to be stuck on different modes of transportation and which customers can 

stick on their shirts were made. 

� Communication documents and the internet site were set up. 

� Promotional articles were produced: T-shirts, caps, 2009 calendar. 

� Contracts were drafted on a collaboration to advertise tourist transportation services on 

electric cars. 

� Communication campaigns used media such as magazines and tourist guides, radio 

advertising and the monthly APSARA newsletter. 

� Promotional letters were sent to the different companies to invite collaboration and support 

for the use of the “7 January” electric cars. 








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� Organisation and management of the electric cars: 

� Parking areas were developed according to technical standards, license plates, key 

rings, logos and stickers were put on the cars, the equipment for fixing and maintaining 

the cars set up, etc. 

� Fabric covers and transparent tape protections were made to prevent scratches. A uniform 

was tailored for the electric car drivers. 

� Walkie-talkies were distributed to facilitate communications between the staff when the 

electric car Unit is in operation. 

� Table of the revenue generated by electric cars over ten months (March to December 2008): 

Month March April May June July August Sept Oct Nov Dec Total 

Tickets sold 578 305 572 82 176 461 325 465 841 401,50 4 206,5 

Rental 0 1 596 1 596 1 596 1 596 1 596 1 596 1 596 1 197 1 197 13 566 

Total revenues 578 1 901 2 168 1 678 1 772 2 057 1 921 2 061 2 038 1 598,5 17 772,5 

Total revenues (ten month): US$17,772.50 

Seventeen thousands and seven hundred and seventy two dollars and fifty cents. 

ii) Supervision and control: 

working sessions were organised with all teams on regular bases, especially regarding the dissemination 

of sub-decree N° 50 ANK/BK pursuant to the organisation and operation of the 

Office of the General Director of the APSARA Authority and to any follow-up on departmental 

activities. 

Controlled operations were done on site. 

� With the Department teams: 

� Control on site of the Unit in charge of controlling tourist activities, of the interviewers 

interacting with tourists, of the Unit designing new visitor circuits in the Angkor site and of 

the Unit in charge of the implementation of visitor itinerary in the temple of Angkor Wat. 

� Control of the organisation, order and discipline regarding fund–raising activities at the 

temples of Bayon and Angkor Wat (the real goal of the generosity of the visitors) and to 

donate these funds to the “Wat Preah Entep and Wat Angkor Khang Tbong” pagodas. 

These pagodas are responsible for the management of the donation collection boxes located 

in both monuments. 

� Control on site of the signage and of the tourism information panels in the monuments 

of the Angkor site. The results are submitted to the General Director. 

� With other operators: 

� Control on site of the cleaning work carried out by the HCC Company in the different 

sites of Siem Reap/Angkor, assessment of these operations and draft of the overall report 

to be submitted to the General Director of the APSARA Authority. 

� Identification of the location for the creation of a historical city named: “Senchey City- 

Korea” for the Cambodia Vision Development Co., Ltd. and for the Company Sou Ching 

Port Investment Co., Ltd. 

� Monitoring and control of the daily activities of tourist and notifications to tourists who 

are not dressed in accordance with the religious atmosphere of the site. 

� Cooperation with the relevant authorities to notify of children selling flowers who take 

this opportunity to ask tourists for money. 

� Follow-up on the miscellaneous investment projects under the jurisdiction of the 

APSARA Authority. 

3.a.2. Deputy Director of the Department: 








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i) The deputy director of the Department assisted the General Deputy director for all internal 

meetings of the Department, of the APSARA Authority, on site with other operators and during 

official ceremonies. He contributed to working sessions with the Department teams: 

� Organisation of monthly meetings with the person in charge of tourism order to advise 

him/her on reinforcing the management of tourist order in the areas where (s)he is responsible. 

� Discussion meetings with the heads and deputy heads of the police stations located in 

the different communes of the Angkor site, to introduce them to the persons in charge of 

tourist order at the Department and to ask them to cooperate when organising tourist order. 

ii) He also took part in several meetings on the pre-operation of the Administrative Service Centre 

of the APSARA Authority and to the working sessions presided over by the delegate of the 

Presidency of the Council of Ministers. 

iii) He was also responsible for and contributed to administrative works by the Department: administrative 

correspondence; preparation of the draft of the budget for 2010, 2011; the order of 

stationeries; to draft the decision on the organisation and operation of the Department, to establish 

the list of units under the Department for the APASRA Authority services centre, the 

decision on fixing duties and the obligations of the Tourism Order Unit, the internal regulation 

and appointment of the staff form the Temple Unit to select the person in charge of tourism 

order in the different monuments of the Angkor site. 

He also took part in the design of the staff uniforms of the Visitors Control Unit and of the Tourism 

Order Unit. 

3.b. Administrative activities of the Department 

� The administration management team: 

The team in charge of the administration of the Department is placed under the responsibility of 

the Deputy-Director of the Department and the supervision of the Deputy General Director. It 

contributed to all administrative duties, prepared meetings with other Departments or external 

organisations and Department meetings. 

It drafted letters of authorisation to access the Angkor site free of charge, organised miscellaneous 

events and filming in the Angkor Park. 

It hired staff and organised with the Department heads the distribution of work for the 253 tourism 

guards from the Department of Conservation of the Monuments in the Angkor park and 

preventive archaeology. 

� The team in charge of controlling the Angkor site ticket sales presents the following revenues 

for 2008: 

2008 Visitors Revenues in US$ 

January 124 548 3 748 600 $ 

February 129 883 3 971 060 $ 

March 117 680 3 443 860 $ 

April 82 145 2 316 800 $ 

May 72 786 1 979 080 $ 

June 57 572 1 556 040 $ 

July 70 970 1 995 620 $ 

August 82 521 2 381 320 $ 

September 58 491 1 657 720 $ 

October 73 677 2 125 940 $ 

November 96 938 2 941 080 $ 

December 89 562 2 672 040 $ 

TOTAL 1 056 773 30 789 160 $ 





� Comparison established with 2007 visitors: 

2007 figures 2008 figures Results: 

1 106 890 1 056 773 - 4,5 % 




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� Number of visitors entering the Angkor site free of charge: 

These are official delegations coming from ministries, State organisations or institutions, researchers 

and monument restorers. Figures include the January to December period: 

2008 Delegations Days Researchers Days 

January 300 399 126 1 813 

February 356 431 37 320 

March 264 309 16 68 

April 419 569 13 28 

May 591 894 26 452 

June 326 460 24 779 

July 104 148 19 269 

August 329 413 

September 116 174 

October 323 434 

November 586 592 

December 370 612 

Figures for researchers and restorers are 

managed by the Department of Cultural 

Development of Museums and Heritage 

Standards, they run from august to December 

2008. 

Total 4 084 5 435 261 3 729 

3.c. Activities of the teams on site: 

The teams working on site took part in the preparation of their action programmes, for example: 

design of uniforms, distribution of duties, discipline organisation in monuments, merit and congratulation 

bonuses especially on bank holidays and during holiday periods. 

� Control and assistance to visitors 

The teams in charge of the control of activities in the Angkor site forbid unauthorised filming/photographing 

at the monuments. For example: newly wed Western/Asian couples were 

involved in this activity, but the team notified them to seek APSARA Authority authorisation. 

They also explained to foreigners the religious character of the Angkor site and asked them to 

dress accordingly. They also raised awareness among visitors to heighten respect for the heritage 

of the Angkor site. They also contributed to the monitoring of the authorised organisation 

of artistic shows and dinners in the vicinity of the monuments. 

They also assist visitors when needed: discomfort, items misplaced, etc. 

� Management of the teams of guard 

The teams responsible for the management and tourism order trained guards to be aware of 

issues linked with the smoke coming from incense burning and having a negative impact on the 

environment, monument stones and other issues that may affect the central tower of the Bayon 

temple. The guards must also see to cleanliness inside and outside the monuments in order to 

contribute to a greater enhancement of the monuments of the Angkor site to maintain its world 

heritage status. The teams also took part in establishing visitor itineraries in the Angkor Wat 

temple. 

3.d. Establishment and preparation of tourism activities 

� Study work: 

� Study and draft of a visitor circuit at the temple of the Baphuon in collaboration with the 

teams in charge of tourism statistics and planning. 

� Notification on organising tourist visits at Phnom Bakeng in order to close some areas 

of the temple during works carried out by the World Monuments Fund 








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� Study of a likely reorganisation of traffic in the Angkor Thom site area in collaboration 

with the Department of Conservation of the Monuments in the Angkor park and preventive 

archaeology 

� On site: 

� Implementation of new visitor itineraries at the temple of Angkor Wat in collaboration 

with the Department of Conservation of the Monuments in the Angkor park and preventive 

archaeology. 

� Implementation of the trial of visitor itineraries in the temple of Banteay Srei in collaboration 

with the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards 

� Miscellaneous works: 

� Contribution to interviews filmed by National Khmer Television to dispatch visitors in 

Phnom Bakeng and Angkor Wat to Phnom Krom. 

� Fifteen slides were selected to identify the authorised locations for the organisation of 

events in the Angkor site in collaboration with the Department of Conservation of the 

Monuments in the Angkor park and preventive archaeology. 

3.e. Business activities, quality control and tourism investments: 

Three staff work in this Unit. They are responsible for creating an inventory of vending stalls 

and to gather data on the status of the sellers in the temples of Banteay Srei, Ta Prohm and 

Angkor Wat. The Unit took part in the preparation of the Department’s tourism and communication 

activities: promotional texts inserted in the APSARA Authority newsletter, press 

statements, etc. 

3.f. Statistics and tourism planning: 

Four officers are in charge of this unit, a head and four interviewers. The team contributes to 

other unit work especially when establishing tourism activities. 

� Interviews: 

Interviewers calculated the amount of tourists who purchased a ticket to access the Angkor 

site, the number of tourists who visited the temples of: Ta Prohm, Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei, 

Pré Rup, Preah Khan, Bayon and Baphuon. They also recorded the number of vehicles driven 

in the Angkor site through the Chombok-Komnob entrance gate, where the Sokha Hotel Company 

has a checkpoint, in front of the Angkor Wat temple and on road 60 where Sokha has 

another checkpoint. 

The gathered data may be communicated to external organisations. 

� Analyses: 

The statistics on tourists are computerised and stored for analyses. Monthly, quarterly and 

yearly reports presenting the figures obtained are published. 


The Unit prepared the working plan following recommendations and notifications of the Department 

heads. It coordinated and smoothed the work of Units working in the field. 

XII.4 CONCLUSIONS AND DEMANDS 

The department of Tourism Development in Angkor, as stated by its name has a duty to develop 

tourism on the Angkor site facilitating infrastructures development by monitoring the 

tourism statistics which may contribute to the overall goal of tourism developments. It shall also 

organise and strengthen the services offered to tourism in order to meet the regular increase in 

visitors. Some tasks were achieved; nevertheless, there are existing developments to be carried 

out and in addition new activities to follow and set up. As the Department had to share 

some of its staff with the Department of Cultural Development of Museums and Heritage Standards, 

there is a shortage of experts and equipment. Thus, in order to continue activities in 








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progress and to fulfil forthcoming duties, the department makes the following demands: 

to ask for additional support and assistance in terms of technical staff and office equipment: 

computers, printers, etc. in order meet the needs of the Department. 

- to purchase new means of transportation such as motorcycles or other vehicles. 

- to better set out the duties and obligations of the Department and to implement visit regulation 

to ease and increase the efficiency of the missions. 

XIII. DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION OF THE MONUMENTS IN 

THE ANGKOR PARK AND PREVENTIVE ARCHAEOLOGY 

(DCMAP) 

The former Department of Monuments and Archaeology 1 is now named: Department of Conservation 

of the Monuments in the Angkor park and preventive archaeology (DCMAP). 

The Department is supervised by a Deputy General Director and managed by a Department 

Head. It staff includes 74 officers, 290 guards and 388 workers, although a significant number 

of guards were transferred to the Department of Tourism Development in Angkor and to the 

Department of Management of Forestry, Cultural Landscapes and the Environment. 

Main duties include the regular management of work on the monuments: conservation, cleaning 

inside and outside the monument, organising and following order, weeding and trimming 

small plants growing on monuments, restoration of monument infrastructures in the Angkor site, 

the Roluos area and the Banteay Srei temple area. Despite their location outside the Angkor 

site, the ancient bridges located on Road National 6 and monuments on Phnom Kulen are also 

under the management of the Department of Conservation of the Monuments in the Angkor 

park and preventive archaeology. 

The international cooperation mission also plays a vital role for the Angkor site. International 

sites either for research activities or restoration of the monuments concern 12 countries divided 

in 14 organisations and totalling 20 active sites. 

XIII.1. COMPLETED WORKS 

� The following maintenance works were carried out on the monuments: 

� Monuments were propped up in 35 locations; wooden stairs and platforms used as 

bridges built in 23 locations; wooden paint to protect against termites in restored locations 

was applied to 12 temples; the carved lion statue of the eastern Mebon temple was 

moved and reinforced, in collaboration with the Unit for conservation of stone; locations 

were identify for the placement of the world heritage plaque at the Bayon and Bakong 

temples and along the 60 m road. 

� Maintenance of the infrastructures: 

� The installation of 641 fence posts were erected and sand bags were laid to prevent 

run-off water and soil was backfilled to facilitate access to the Phnom Bakeng road and to 

secure the northern road; visitor circuits in Angkor Wat were cordoned which necessitated 

1,000m of ropes linking the 1,600m posts. 

� Water was pumped into the northern moat of Angkor Wat; an office was built for the 

restoration project of the temple of Batchum; two guard shelters out of ten were delivered 

to the temples of Ta Kev and Bayon. 

� Studies and projects: 

�The file on termite nests was prepared as were: the files on four different locations chosen 

for the parvis of different monuments; plans for the toilets of the temples of Ta 

Prohm, Banteay Srei and Bakong; documents relating to Department activities and to be 








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published in the “Ta Reach” newsletter; articles on Department activities to be posted on 

the Internet site of the APSARA Authority. 

� Study and implementation of the plan of the new offices of the APSARA Authority located 

in the Angkor Coex complex. 

� Study of a road bypassing the temple of Angkor Wat to Banteay Kdei and Preah Kahn; 

study of the propping-up plans of the Banteay Kdei temple and of the plan presenting 

damages caused by bad weather conditions that is affecting several monuments. 

� On site study of the parking locations of the electric bikes, electric cars and horse carts 

around three temples and of 18 locations for construction applications. 

� A set of specifications was drafted on request regarding construction of a new road to 

Ta Kev temple. 

� Contribution was made in determining the coordinates of the foundations of ancient 

monuments located in the Khum of Svay Dang Koum, Srok Siem Reap with the Department 

of land, Urban planning and land registry of Siem Reap province. 

� Excavations and inventory: 

� Emergency excavations were carried out in six locations. 

� Archaeological excavations for research purposes were carried out in five locations. 

� Excavation to try to locate pieces of buried laterite which are to be used as foundations 

in the place which the statue of the carved lion will be affixed to. This was done in cooperation 

with the DED (Deutscher Entwicklungdienst, German cooperation). 

� 25 pieces of stone were inventoried and data on items previously inventoried in the 

computer data base were recorded for the Tanei temple. 

� A ceramic artefact found approximately one kilometre to the east of the Tonle Oum 

gate and a Buddha head sheltered by a naga were found by chance by children when 

they were collecting potatoes at the temple of Preah Khan. They were handed over to the 

Department. 

� Work carried out with Singapore on the identification of the type of ceramics used and 

drawings of the kiln located in Anglong Thom, Phnom Kulen. 

� A report was drafted on the emergency excavations carried out by the Department of 

Water Resources management at the Spean Tô bridge. 

� Rehabilitation of sculptures: 

� In collaboration with the société des Artisans khmers, copies of six statues of guards in 

sandstone were made to be placed in their original locations in the temple of Banteay 

Srei. 

� The copies of the tevada heads and of the demons of the churning of the sea of milk at 

the Tonlé Oum gate, carved by the Artisans d’Angkor since September 2008 were finally 

grouped. 

XIII.2. WORKS IN PROGRESS: 

Projects concerning the international cooperation of which five are restoration projects and ten 

studied projects and operations in waiting. 

XIII.3. PLANNED PROJECTS: 

Most of the projects study dangerous locations in various monuments; identify access paths; 

the restoration of moat embankments; construction of stairs and of new shelters for guards. 

XIII.4. MISCELLANEOUS EDUCATIONAL WORKS: 

� Training on site: on 3D scanner techniques; on the protection of the environment by the EMS 

Unit; of the Preah Vihear guards; on raising the awareness of musicians playing in the temple 

of the environment; 

� Training in foreign countries: Some Department technicians attended brief or extended training 

in France, India and the Czech Republic. 

XIII.5. MISCELLANEOUS WORKS AND ISSUES: 








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� Constructions: 

� The monks of the Angkor Khang Tbong pagoda built an ashram for hermits without respecting 

the existing regulations. 

� There was an increase in constructions to the east of Phnom Krom. 

� The locals are building new housings in the military camp located to the south of 

Phnom Krom. 

� Approximately 100m to the west of Banteay Ampil temple, the population of the village 

of Samrong built fences to misappropriate lands without respecting the guards who were 

to prevent this. 

� Tree cutting, misappropriation of lands and miscellaneous: 

� Tree cutting stopped: around Phnom Bok; to the north of Phnom Bok in order to misappropriate 

lands; around the temple of Banteay Ampil and from the houses in the villages 

of Samrong. 

� Illegal cutting of trees to the south of Phnom Bok over ten hectares. 

� The guards of the Banteay Samre Temple pruned branches and cut a chombok tree located 

to the north. 

� Pruning and cutting of fallen and damaged trees in the Ta Prohm temple. A Chheuteal 

tree was cut as it was cracked on the side and was leaning in a dangerous fashion 

over Preah Khan. 

� Locals living in the military camp have started collecting stones for sale. 

� Representatives of approximately 150 families took possession of lands to the south of 

Phnom Krom, this was supervised and the land distributed by the municipality of Siem 

Reap. 

� 23 incidents of no major gravity occurred to visitors at the Phnom Bakeng temple. 

� The bridge of the Banteay Srei River collapsed when a lorry carrying heavy stones 

drove over it. 

� Guard activities: 

� A General meeting was organised with the guards, Head guards and the monument 

managers to advise on different measures and discipline pertaining to their profession. 

� The guards explained to and informed traders on contributing to cleaning and respecting 

the discipline in the monument area. 

� Guards were grouped in order to clean the monuments and other major areas to the 

North of the Great circuit where the temples of Neak Pean, Krol Kô, Banteay Prei and 

Preah Khan are located. 

� A list of guards was established to distribute them into three categories according to 

their duties: guards in charge of monument conservation, guards in charge of the preservation 

of the forest and guards responsible for tourists. 

� Phnom Bok guards underwent medical check-ups. 

� The eight guards and material used on the temple of Banteay Ampil were regrouped in 

order to hand them over to the Department of Conservation of the Monuments Outside 

Angkor park. 

� Khmer New Year, a national tradition was planned and organised in an orderly fashion 

at the monuments. 

� In the Roluos zone eight guards were dispatched in permanent cleaning group on site 

and in mobile cleaning groups for the monuments, especially the Lolei temple which was 

sullied by the monks living in the pagoda of the temple. 

� Cooperation with different operators: 

� The Sou Ching Company installed the electric wiring around the second gallery of Angkor 

Wat. 

� A Korean company started filling the Trapeang Cheung Kruos. 

� Italian restorers of Ige.S built a shelter to keep their material to the east of the toilets at 

Angkor Wat. 








120/124 

� A meeting was held with the Company operating elephants and the heritage police to 

agree on the relocation of the elephant waiting areas at the foot and top of Phnom 

Bakeng. 

� Cooperation with the HCC Company was organised for the collection of waste and its 

transport outside the Angkor site. 

� Also meetings were held with the heritage police and tourist police on maintaining order 

and security for visitors to the monuments. 

� A delegation of UNESCO accompanied by His Excellency Ros Borath, Mr. Khuon Khun 

Neay and Mrs. Mao Loâ controlled the restoration works in progress in Angkor Wat. 

� A delegation from the American Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representatives of the 

World Monuments Fund accompanied by the Deputy General Director visited the Phnom 

Bakeng temple to inspect the restoration works. 

� UNESCO carried out a check on the electric wiring installed at Angkor Wat. 

XIII.6. ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATION: 

� Angkor Wat: 

� Due to weathering a piece of stone fell from the roof of the temple, on the causeway 

side to the east where the sugar palm trees are located. A banister of a window also 

broke in the second gallery to the south-east. This was caused by a Japanese tourist. 

� A block of stone (0,15 x 0,50 x 0,25m) broke into pieces on the first storey of the Preah 

Pean and monkeys caused another stone (0,26 x 0,50 x 0,40m) on the second storey to 

fall. 

� A stone fell and broke into large pieces on the “echo wall” and on the first storey to the 

north another stone fell, this time breaking on the ground. 

� Due to weathering a window bar on the Ta Reach level on the central alley fell and was 

broken. 

� Other temples: 

� The doorframe of the central gate to the south and north of the Khleang temple is 

cracked and might collapse; propping must be put up urgently. 

� The gate on the northern side of the surrounding wall of the Phimeanakas is unsteady 

and presents worrying signs. 

� The doorcase of the gate of the Suor Prat temple to the south corner on the side of the 

road leading to the Victory gate at the east corner, presents widening cracks; besides, 

the temple is collapsing to the south as the soil in this location subsides, near the pond of 

the Preah Vihear Prampi Lveng pagoda. 

� The repaired ear of the bull located to the south of Phnom Bakeng fell at the exact location 

it was previously repaired. 

� Ropes linking the markers of the Pre Rup temple were cut in August and October 2008. 

XIII.7. DEMANDS: 

The Department lacks qualified staff. It is vital to obtain the requested material on time and to 

prioritise restoration works on old monuments to keep the staff busy. 

XIV. DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION OF THE MONUMENTS 

OUTSIDE ANGKOR PARK (DCME) 

The Department of conservation of the Monuments outside Angkor Park is managed by the 

Deputy General Director, and responsible for conservation of the following monuments and 

sites: Koh Ker, Bêng Mealea, Kbal Spean and Chau Srei Vibol. 

XIV.1. GENERAL ACTIVITIES 

The Department ensures general administrative duties such as receiving and answering letters. 

In 2008, 536 letters were received and 445 letters sent. 

It takes part in the general meetings of the APSARA Authority and attends national and international 

ceremonies or events. 








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� Technical activities: 

� The Deputy General Director supervised with the General Director the construction of 

the road from the temple of Bêng Mealea to the village of Kvav, attended by the representative 

of the provincial municipality. 

� The Department took part in the inauguration of the surfacing of the road bypassing the 

Angkor site until the village of Pradak on the National Road 6A, 

� end of the restoration working site of the temple of Chau Say Tevoda, 

� several working meetings with the APSARA Authority and the provincial municipality. 

� Communication activities: 

� The Deputy General Director led a delegation of the APSARA Authority to visit the 

Chief and troops of the secondary Brigade of intervention No 12 located in the province 

of Preah Vihear. It also took part in the Congress to inform on the outcomes of the 2007 

activities and to present the 2008 goals of the Brigade. 

� Ceremonies: for the creation of the General Brigade of intervention No 3 in Preah Vihear, 

a religious ceremony was organised by the locals from the village of Sror Yang 

(Sror Yang commune, Kulen district, Preah Vihear province ), 

Opening of the “Conservation and context: collections and their heritage sites” training 

session organised by the National Authority for Preah Vihear, the APSARA National Authority 

and ICCROM for young conservators and researchers; 

� Study participation with archaeologists of the Department in the “Neak Ta” ceremony 

organised by the population from the Koh Ker site, to establish good relationships between 

the APSARA National Authority staff and the people of surrounding villages. 

� The former King granted an audience to the Deputy General Director in His Siem Reap 

residence. 

� The Department staff took part in the national parade commemorating the 55 th anniversary 

of the country’s independence on November 9, 2008 in Phnom Penh. 

XIV.2. CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES 

2.a. On the site of Koh Ker: 

� Safeguarding 

� Temporary closure of the stairs leading to the top of Prasat Thom, as they became 

hazardous on February 28, 2008. The stairs were damaged by the fall of heavy stones 

and there is a risk of collapse for other large blocks. Department officers surveyed the 

riskier locations of the monument in order to rebuild safe stairs. 

� The stability of lintels, columns and small columns located in front of the monument 

were reinforced. The officers also had the collapsed stones and the soils piled up inside 

the Gopura enclosure removed, to ease visitor access to the carvings located at the base 

of the temple. 

� Research and training 

� The technicians of the Department worked jointly with the international experts of the 

l’Ecole Française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO) and of Sophia University in Japan to carry 

out research on the impact of natural phenomena in the temples of the Koh Ker site. 

� Research was carried out with a group of Japanese students in order to draw the plan 

of the Koh Ker site. 

� Training of six workers in archaeological work. 

� The Technicians of the Department, in cooperation with the German experts from GACP 

carried out a study to set up the emergency safeguarding of some of the temples on the site of 

Koh Ker; 

� Works to prop up six temples of the Koh Ker site will last until the end of next year. 

� Technicians of the Department identified an adequate location when asked by villagers from 

Sror Yang (Koh Ker district) to organise a Buddhist ceremony on February 20-22, 2008; 





2.b. Other sites: 




122/124 

� Monitoring: 

� of a pit dug to insert optical cables in the protected zones of the 11 ancient bridges of 

Kampong Kdei, Siem Reap province. Also, soil was removed to bury waste in a location 

near the Banteay Srei temple of Domdek, as this waste could have contaminated the water 

consumed by locals. The digging of the moat of the Wat Cheddey in Phnom Krom is 

forbidden to traders. 

� of the condition of the tiers of the Trang temple and of the ancient road near the rubber 

tree plantation of Krek, Svay Leu district. 

� of the present condition of the Don Chan temple, located to the west of Beng Mealea, 

of Prasat Neak Ta of Prasat Anlong Thom and of the kiln of Thnol March in Phnom Kulen, 

as well as of the temple of Kchorng to the south of Phnom Kulen and of the Preah 

Theat temple located near the Wat Preah Theat pagoda on Kvav commune, Chilkreng 

district, Siem Reap province. 

� Control of the ancient bridges located along the ancient road from Bêng Mealea to the 

Preah Khan of Kompong Svay. 

� of filming/photographing taken by the Parallax Film Company when stone samples 

were taken at the Trapeang Cha in Bêng Mealea. 

� Study work: 

� The technician of the Department carried out a study on the risk areas of Chau Srei Vibol 

temple so that emergency measures may be taken. The same type of work was 

carried out at Banteay Ampil temple near the Chau Srei Vibol site. 

� At the temple of Beng Mealea, a project is in progress to remove the stones located on 

the southern entrance of the monument. Drawings of the 91 blocks of stones to be removed 

were drawn; and a collaboration with French experts to study the location of the 

future toilets was undertaken. 

� Measured drawings of the 13 ancient bridges located along National Road N6 from Bakong 

to Kampong Kdei. 

� Conservation and maintenance works: 

� Beng Mealea: areas presenting a risk of collapse have been propped up. Stairs and a 

120m walkway were built to facilitate visits. Posts were temporarily erected and signs put 

up in protected zone 2 to prevent traders from misappropriating land. Posts were erected 

to protect the temporary boundaries of the site. 

� Kbal Spean: the roof was repaired and the roofing of the visitors’ shelter on the second 

level of the hill was changed: 195 pieces of fibrocement were used, stairs and a 12m 

bridge to cross the canal were built to facilitate the visits. Two 20m bridges were restored. 

� Chau Srei Vibol: stones and soils were removed in Prasat Kuk to allow for a better 

view of the carvings. 

� Prasat Banteay Srei in Domdèk: conservation works were carried out by the workers 

from the Chau Srei Vibol site. Inside the temple enclosure trees were pruned and plants 

growing on the monument were cleared to protect the latter. 


� An end has been put to misappropriation of land in the precinct of Kchorng temple located 

in Tbeng commune, Banteay Srei district, Siem Reap province. 

� The erection of posts by employees of the telecommunication company Mobitel and of 

the 097 telephone network in the site of Beng Mealea was stopped. 

� The disposal of waste from the Domdek market was forbidden to the west of Banteay 

Srei temple in Domdek to protect the environment of the temple. 

XIV.3. MAINTENANCE WORKS 

3.a. In the site of Koh Ker: 








123/124 

� Guards: 

They must be on guard in all the temples of the sites, their duties include: cleaning the precincts 

of each monument and carrying out daily checks while monitoring forests to stop any 

illegal activities such as logging. 

� Cleaning and miscellaneous works: 

� Cleaning: the moat and waste caused by a storm in the enclosure of Prasat Thom in 

order to prevent forest fires from reaching the monuments. 

� To inform CMAC on mine clearance in case of forest fires and to ask for support when 

active mines are destroyed inside the walls of the Koh Ker site. 

� to stop forest fires in the site, 

� cutting down trees for a misappropriation of land near the Prasat Thom carried out by 

nine locals was stopped. 

� to cut down trees in danger of falling onto the monuments (Prasat Thom, Prasat Pram), 

to maintain trees located at the entrance of the site of Koh Ker. 

� to plant grass and mow the lawns at the monuments of the site, 

� to collect illegally cut branches and wood left in the forest and stocked in the guards 

house. 

3.b. Bêng Mealea Site 

� Guards: 

The guards must be present in the location they were ordered to be at, apart from a mobile unit 

which is in charge of controlling the following temples: Prasat Chrey, Prasat Kong Phluk, Prasat 

Angkog Bei and the sandstone quarry located at Trapeang Cha. Their common mission is to 

prevent misappropriation of lands, to clean the precinct of the temples and to monitor daily 

hazardous areas for the visitors. They also have to identify dangerous trees threatening the 

monuments and tourists. They must organise meetings with the Heritage Police on any relevant 

issues. 

� Cleaning: 

� Cleaning covers areas around the houses of the guards and around the moats of Bêng 

Mealea, Prasat Kong Phluk and Prasat Don Ta Nei; 

� Guards must prune branches of trees from the forests of Prasat Kong Phluk and 

Prasat Don Ta Nei as well as outside the temple of Beng Mealea. These monuments 

must also be cleaned. 

� They must dig septic tanks to drain toilet waste; 

� They took part in the construction of the stairs and of the bridge to secure a tourist passage 

to the east of Prasat Kong Phluk. 

3.c. Kbal Spean Site 

� Guards: 

� Guards are located at the foot and at the top of the Kbal Spean hill and must clean the 

areas around the shelters at the disposal of tourists and the houses of the guards; 

� They worked together with the Heritage police to arrest three criminals who cut precious 

wood at the top of the Kbal Spean hill on February 19, 2008. 

� They also collaborated with CMAC to clear the 105mm warhead of a bomb found on 

the new tourism road. 

� Cleaning: 

� Trees located around the shelters for visitors and the house of the guards must be 

pruned. 

� The larger trees growing near large stone blocks must also be pruned. This to allow 

tourists to sit and to clear 4 tourist paths; 








124/124 

� Clearing was carried out along the brook located at the bottom of the hill and up to 

route 67 as well as around the Beng field, to the east of the guard house at the foot of the 

hill. 

� The holes located along the two sides of the brook were filled with soil. 

3.d. Chau Srei Vibol Site 

� Guards: 

Guards must be on site in all the temples of the sites and must clean all the precincts of the 

monuments. 

� Cleaning: 

Cleaning includes pruning tree branches of the forest around Prasat Chau Srei Vibol and to 

clear the weeds in the enclosed areas of the monument, and also the plants growing around 

the monument. 

3.e. Tree planting 

� In the site of Koh Ker: 

The following tree species were planted: 350 bêngs, 350 kokis and 200 rumduols. The dead 

trees planted along the visitor circuits were substituted by 1,300 Ang Kagn. 

� Prasat Beng Mealea: 

Last year dead trees were replaced by 970 trees (bêng) and 500 trees were additionally 

planted in the temple enclosure. 

A plantation of 900 trees (Chheuteal) was carried out along the moat and of 120 trees (Tror Bèk 

Prey) along the road leading to the site of Koh Ker. 

� Kbal Spean: 

100 small kokis were planted. 

Eight Tror Bèk Prey were planted along the access road to the site, 900 Bêng flank the brook 

and to the north some of the dead trees to the east of the house of the guards were replaced. 

500 ChheuTeal were planted behind the first resting area on the hill and along the path leading 

to the top. 

� Prasat Chau Srei Vibol: 

- 120 trees (Ang Kagn) were planted in the courtyard in front o the house of the guards 

- 112 trees (Tror Bèk Prey) were planted along the entrance of the pagodas to the temple. 

- 850 trees (bêng) were planted to the west of the temple’s precinct. 

- 830 trees (chheuTeal) were planted to the west of the temple. 

In 2008, the Department planted a total of: 8,110 trees including: 3,570 bêng, 450 koki, 1,420 

Ang Kagn, 200 rumduol, 2 230 ChheuTeal, 240 Tror Bèk Prey. 




ETAT 

DES RECETTES ET DES DEPENSES PUBLIQUES DE L'AUTORITE APSARA 

( DU 01 er JANVIER AU 31 DECEMBRE 2008 ) 

I-Recettes: Unité : dollars américains 

Désignation des recettes Sommes reçues 

a)Partie des recettes de la vente des billets d'entrée au parc 

d'Angkor de l'autorité APSARA 

Versé au Sommes 

budget national à recevoir 

$ 6,976,950.15 $ 15,057,457.64 $ 16,364,286.36 

-Solde des recettes de l'année 2007 (recettes de décembre 2007) $ 1,742,112.58 $ 1,742,112.58 

-Recettes pour l'année 2008 (janvier - décembre 2008) $ 13,315,345.06 $ 14,622,173.78 

-Budget alloué par l'Etat pour l'année 2008 

+Solde des recettes de l'année 2006 (de janvier à août) : $6,976,950.15 

$ 6,976,950.15 

b)Recettes perçues de l'exploitation du ballon d'Angkor 

( à verser au budget national) 

$ - $ 26,404.47 $ 28,952.29 

-Solde des recettes de l'année 2007 (recettes de décembre 2007) $ 3,248.49 $ 3,248.49 

-Recettes pour l'année 2008 (janvier - décembre 2008) $ 23,155.98 $ 25,703.80 

c)Recettes perçues de l'exploitation de la vente des billets d'entrée 

au temple de Beng Mealea ( à verser au budget national) 

$ - $ 82,025.50 $ 91,340.55 



d)Recettes perçues de l'exploitation de la vente des billets d'entrée 

au temple de Kôh Kèr ( à verser au budget national ) 

$ - $ 19,416.50 $ 21,397.95 



e)Autres recettes pour l'année 2008 (à verser au budget national) 

( janvier - décembre 2008 ) 

$ 214,767.00 $ 241,620.00 $ 

- 

-Solde des autres recettes de l'année 2007(août- décembre) $ 48,303.00 

-Autres recettes pour l'année 2008 (janvier - décembre) $ 214,767.00 $ 193,317.00

f)Fonds pour la conservation et le développement d'Angkor 2,386,777.31 

- 

3,700,967.03 

-Fonds pour l'année 2008( janvier - décembre 2008) 3,700,967.03 

-Fonds pour la restauration et rénovation des routes et pour 

le dédommagement des exppropriations à la cité hôtelière 

2,386,777.31 

g)Autres soutiens financiers pour l'année 2008(janvier-décembre) 

49,202.25 

-Soutiens financiers de DED (Allemagne) pour la création 

de l' équipe d'experts de restauration du temple 

12,300.00 

-Soutiens financiers du Fonds en dépôt japonais auprès de l'Unesco 

pour la restauration et la préservation du temple de Bayon (JASA) 

-Soutiens financiers du Centre de recherches pour le développement 

18,400.00 

international (CRDI) du Canada pour l' engagement d'un 

consultant d'expert pour la realisation du projet de Run Ta Ek 

18,502.25 

h)Recettes de la mise en location des uniformes traditionnels khmers 

(à verser au budget national) 

- 

i)Recettes du bail d'un terrain de 08 ha dans la Cité Culturelle et 

Touristique (à verser au budget national) 

328,889.00 

-Montant du troisième versement de la société Palais Angkor 328,889.00 

j)Recettes de la mise en location des bicyclettes électriques 

952.00 

- 

6,387.49 

-Solde des recettes de l'année 2007 (janvier -décembre) 5,723.49 

-Recettes pour l'année 2008 (janvier -décembre 2008) 952.00 

k)Recettes de la mise en location des navettes électriques 

l)Recettes perçues de l'exploitation de la vente des billets d'entrée 

au musée de Preah Norodom Sihanou ( à verser au budget national ) 

m)Recettes perçues de l'exploitation de circuits touristiques à dos 

d'éléphants dans le site d'Angkor( à verser au budget national) 

3,779.52 

664.00 

- 

3,779.52 

328,889.00 

- 

$ 10,878.00 $ - $ 

- 

-Montant reçu pour la septième année (année 2008) $ 4,500.00 

$ 3,000.00 

Total des recettes I (a+b+c+d+e+f+g +h+i+j+k+l+m) $ 9,980,128.81 $ 15,440,685.30 $ 20,542,612.70 

- 

328,889.00 

$ 7,213.10 $ 3,594.18 $ 

- 

$ 4,500.00 $ - $ 

3,000.00

II-Dépenses: Unité : dollars américains 

Mise en oeuvre 

Désignation des dépenses Projet en 2008 sur les 12 mois Ratio 

de l'année 2008 

a)- Salaires et indemnités 935,600.00 1,118,745.16 119.58% 

b)-Frais de fonctionnement 1,062,400.00 1,822,399.41 171.54% 

c)-Intervention sur l'action sociale 191,220.00 185,567.81 97.04% 

-Police du patrimoine 69,000.00 72,218.97 

-Police du tourisme 13,700.00 30,081.74 

-Police du pompier 4,800.00 2,400.00 

-Unité d'éradication des constructions anarchiques 97,000.00 74,497.10 

-Soutien financier pour un service ambulancier permanent 6,720.00 6,370.00 

d)- Dépenses d'investissement 4,854,100.00 6,522,553.66 134.37% 

1-Soutien financier aux gardiens des monuments(indemnités, 

uniformes, équipements) 

2-Construction and réparation des abris de gardiens 42,000.00 29,053.45 

3-Ouvriers de nettoyage du parc d'Angkor 102,800.00 101,157.97 

4-Ouvriers qualifiés - ouvriers chargés de l'entretien 

des monuments 

323,000.00 331,369.47 

5-Matériel de nettoyage et d'entretien des routes 8,000.00 4,326.69 

6-Nettoyage du site d'Angkor (société HCC) 500,000.00 416,782.85 

7-Enlèvement des débris dans la douve d'Angkor et coupage 

des forêts ( société HCC) 

380,200.00 381,265.06 

250,000.00 700,462.20 

8-Travaux de consolidation des temples 71,000.00 69,409.98




9-Aménagement du Parvis 300,000.00 9,827.19 

10-Fouille archéologique et préventive 28,000.00 5,307.26 

11-Aménagement et gestion du parc forestier du site d'Angkor 74,000.00 33,666.51 

12-Travaux de renforcement, d'entretien et d'embellissement 

des monuments 

98,800.00 229,431.60 

13-Coopération bilatérale - 197,911.03 

14-Campagne d'information-documentaire+communication 152,600.00 102,088.70 

15-Travaux de cadastre and statistique 7,600.00 362.00 

16-Etude -Formations (guides touristiques) + dons 12,600.00 59,015.53 

17-Participation au développement de la ville de Siem Reap 

et assainissement de Stung Siem Reap - Achat des terrains 

pour la construction de la maison modèle 

- 

76,547.61 

18-Etude et mise en place des nouveaux circuits touristiques 78,900.00 29,987.18 

19-Service de location de bicyclettes électriques - 

43,931.09 

20-Travaux des terrains de la cité hôtelière 325,200.00 132,270.67 

-Comité d' enquêtes foncières de la cité hôtelière 25,200.00 26,547.26 

-Dédommagements des expropriations à la cité hôtelière 300,000.00 93,644.75 

-Travail de développement des terrains de la cité hôtelière 

- 

3,978.66 

-Maintenance et gardiennage des terrains de la cité hôtelière - 

8,100.00 

21-Travaux des terrains de la zone Run Ta Ek 200,000.00 4,080.00 

-Travail de développement des terrains Run Ta Ek 200,000.00 -



-Maintenance et gardiennage des terrains de la zone Run Ta Ek 

- 


4,080.00 

22-Soutien pédagogique à la Faculté d'Archéologie et d'architecture 20,800.00 1,924.00 

23-Soutien pédagogique à la Université Royale d'Agriculture 3,100.00 

24-Etude et mise en oeuvre d'infrastructures d'accueil 

pour les touristes 

- 

- 

25-Projet de réhabilitation de la route cité hôtelière 

(Fonds de conservation et dévelopement d'Angkor) 

50,000.00 

- 

26-Construction du pont Takeo- pont Kraing Kroch - 

8,058.39 

27 -Construction des voies en latérite des deux côtés de la rivière 

Stoeung à partir du pont NAGA(Fonds de conservation d'Angkor) 

75,000.00 - 

28-Construction d'une route de contournement de la ville de 

Siem Reap (Fonds de conservation d'Angkor) 

1,000,000.00 1,248,199.04 

29-Construction et rénovation des routes 

(Fonds de conservation d'Angkor) 

-Construction des poteaux d'éclairage à partir de la zone II 

jusqu'à la région d'Angkor 

-Construction de 180m de route DBST d'entrée au Centre 

d'Exposition Culturelle Mondiale et à la Salle de conférences 

-Rénovation de 4 routes dans la ville de Siem Reap 

-Travaux supplémentaires de construction des poteaux d' 

élairage près du Centre d'Exposition Culturelle Mondiale 

-Travaux de nettoyage, nivelage de l'emplacement et 

connection du système d' électricité au Centre 

1,500,000.00 

- 

1,731,834.25 

612,643.20 

7,200.00 

33,634.74 

5,739.20 

33,510.40



d'Exposition Culturelle et à la Salle de conférences 

-Remplissage des terrains dans l'emplacement du marché nocturne au 

Centre d'Exposition Culturelle Mondiale 

-Construction de 760m d'une route goudronnée 

à partir de la route T5 

-Construction de 4418m de deux canaux dans la région 

Cité hôtelière 

-Rénovation d'une route goudronnée à partir du temple 

de Bayon jusqu'à l'ouest de la ville d'Angkor Thom 


22,000.00 

-Rénovation des routes de petit et grand circuit 69,545.46 

-Rénovation et remplissage des terrains du parking de Ta Prom 92,126.63 

30-Station de mesure du niveau de l'eau -Travaux des eaux 27,000.00 5,206.02 

31- Réparation de remblai d'eau et construction de 

canaux d'irrigation 

20,000.00 34,489.01 

32-Projet de conservation des forêts et de reboisement 26,000.00 22,078.80 

33-Projet de préparation du jardin botanique de l'Autorité Apsara 75,000.00 

- 

34-Projet de préparation du jardin devant le temple Angkor Wat 

ver l' aéroport de Siem Reap 

50,000.00 

- 

35-Travaux de réhabilitation du Baray Nord 300,000.00 13,506.37 

36-Travaux de Srah Srong 200,000.00 - 

37-Projet de dépenses pour des activités démographiques et 

le développement et pour d'expérimentation 

538,814.13 

215,620.49 

101,000.00 

107,900.00 22,094.89




38-Projet d'installation de bornes frontières pour protéger le temple 20,000.00 9,118.20 

39-Programme de recherche sur la culture pré-angkorienne, 

sur le four antique au village de Tany , l 'ancienne route 

(four Sarsey ) et sur les céramiques 

8,500.00 350.00 

40-Construction de nouveau siège d'APSARA à Siem Reap 700,000.00 - 

41-Acquisition d'équipement -biens immobiliers + meubles 341,100.00 467,440.65 

e)- Dépenses de versement des autres recettes au 

budget national 

f)Dépenses de versement des recettes de service de location des 

bicyclettes électriques au budget national 

g)Dépenses de versement des recettes de la vente des billets 

d´entré au musée de Preah Norodom Sihanou au budget national 

h)- Travaux de mise en place du système des égouts 

( mise en oeuvre par Dept. provincial des Travaux publics de S/Reap) 

i)- Travaux de rénovation des routes T2,T3,T4 à la cité hôtelière et 

touristique 

j)- Travaux de construction et réparation du système d' électricité 

près du Centre d'Exposition Culturelle Mondiale 

Total des dépenses II ( a+b+c+d+e+f +g+h+i+j ) 7,043,320.00 10,112,419.76 143.57% 

En lettres : (dix million cent douze mille quatre cent dix-neuf dollars des Etats-Unis 

et cinquante-seize centimes). 

Note : Les dépenses totales de 10,112,419.76 $EU , y compris 1,731,834.25 $EU est le fonds pour 

241,620.00 

6,387.49 

3,594.18 

1,752.00 

6,594.84 

203,205.21



la conservation et le développement de la région d'Angkor. 

Phnom Penh, le 15 janvier 2009 


Préparé par 

BUN Narith NGAN Dany SOM Sœung 

Directeur Général Directeur 

Autorité APSARA Département des Finances et de la compabilité

Fifteenth Plenary Session - unesdoc - Unesco

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