Showing posts with label Cambodian New Year celebration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cambodian New Year celebration. Show all posts

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Let the Year of the Tiger Begin

Cambodians clean a statue Buddha during a merit making ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The ceremony was held in advance of Cambodian New Year's celebration. (Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The streets of the bustling capital fell quiet on Wednesday, with many shops shuttered and most people staying inside with their families to welcome in the spirit of the New Year.

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Wednesday, 14 April 2010
“All the popular games show the capacity, close relationship and wisdom of youth. The meaning of the popular games is for fun.”
The streets of the bustling capital fell quiet on Wednesday, with many shops shuttered and most people staying inside with their families to welcome in the spirit of the New Year.

The Year of the Tiger officially began at 7:36 am, in accordance with the Moha Songkran, Khmer astrology that depicts cycles of 12 years, represented by animals.

Since Chol Sakarach, the Lesser Era, Cambodians have held the Khmer New Year in the fifth month, or Khe Chet, a time of year when the farming was finished and before the wet season of the monsoon began.

This year, they welcomed the coming of the Buddhist year 2554, in celebrations that will include “Great Almanac Day,” “Worshipping Day,” and “Rank and Promotion Day,” the final of which is the most auspicious.

Most people will spend the days in the countryside, traveling as far as they need to in order to reach their places of birth and to meet their parents and relatives.

However, police, traffic police and other security forces were expected to be busy, on the lookout for robberies, drunken violence and other social disorder.

Thousands of police were deployed in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, while throughout the country people brought offerings to monks at pagodas, to honor their ancestors, and set up offerings to the spirits to herald a successful year.

Games, too, will be on the agenda—knotted scarf-throwing, tug-of-war, leaf snatching—and revelers can expect performances of music, comedy, dancing and other traditional arts.

“All the popular games show the capacity, close relationship and wisdom of youth,” Mean Pon, an adviser for Khmer traditions at the Buddhist Institute, told VOA Khmer. “The meaning of the popular games is for fun."
---------
កម្ពុជា​បាន​ប្រារព្ធ​ពិធី​បុណ្យ​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ថ្មី

ដោយ លោក ជន សក្តា វីអូអេ ខ្មែរ
ភ្នំពេញ ថ្ងៃពុធ, 14 ខែមេសា 2010


ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​បាន​ប្រារព្ធ​ពិធី​បុណ្យ​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ថ្មី​ប្រពៃណី​ខ្មែរ​ ដោយ​លេង​ល្បែង​ប្រជា​ប្រិយ៍ដ៏​សប្បាយ​រីក​រាយ​ បន្ទាប់​ពី​បាន​ឆ្លង​កាត់​ឧបសគ្គ​ និង​ការ​ហត់​នឿយ​ក្នុង​កិច្ច​ការ​ពេញ​មួយ​ឆ្នាំ​មក​នោះ។
ប្រជា​ពល​រដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​ជាង​១៤លាន​នាក់​ នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ពុធ​នេះ​ បាន​ចាប់​ផ្តើម​ប្រារព្ធ​ពិធី​បុណ្យ​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ថ្មី​ប្រពៃណីខ្មែរ​យ៉ាង​សែន​សប្បាយ​រីក​រាយ​ ដោយ​មាន​ការ​ជួប​ជុំ​សមា​ជិក​គ្រួ​សារ​ ការ​យក​ចង្ហាន់​ទៅ​ប្រគេនព្រះ​សង្ឃ​ព្រះ​ពុទ្ធ​សាសនា​នៅ​តាម​ទី​វត្ត​អារាម​ និង​ការ​លេង​កំសាន្ត​ល្បែង​ប្រជា​ប្រិយ៍​ផ្សេងៗ​នៅ​ក្នុង​បរិវេណ​វត្ត​អារាម​នៅ​ទូទាំង​ប្រទេស។
ចាប់​តាំង​ពី​ចុង​សករាជ​ ប្រជា​ពល​រដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​បាន​កំណត់​យក​ច័ន្ទ​គតិ​ជា​ផ្លូវ​ការ​សម្រាប់​ប្រារព្ធ​ពិធី​បុណ្យចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ខ្មែរ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ខែ​ចែត្រ​ដែល​ជា​ពេល​វេលា​ទំនេរ​ពី​ការ​ងារ​កសិកម្ម​របស់​ពួក​គេ។​ ជា​ធម្មតា​ យោង​តាម​ច័ន្ទ​គតិ ​បុណ្យ​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ខ្មែរ​ចាប់​ផ្តើម​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៣ ​ខែ​មេសា​ និង​ពេល​ខ្លះ​ចាប់​ផ្តើម​នៅ​ថ្ងៃទី១៤​ ខែ​មេសា។​ ឱកាស​ប្រកប​ដោយ​នក្ខត្ត​ឫក្ស​ដ៏​ប្រសើរ​នៃ​ពិធី​បុណ្យ​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ខ្មែរ​មាន​រយៈ​ពេល​៣​ ថ្ងៃ​ គឺ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១ ​គឺ​ជា​ថ្ងៃ​មហា​សង្ក្រាន្ត​ ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​២ ​គឺ​ជា​ថ្ងៃ​វរៈ​វ័ន​បតៈ​ និង​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​៣ ​គឺ​ជា​ថ្ងៃ​ឡើង​ស័ក។​ បុណ្យ​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ខ្មែរ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ឆ្នាំ​២០១០​នេះ​ គឺ​ជា​ឆ្នាំ​ខាល​ ឬ​ឆ្នាំ​ខ្លា​ បាន​ចាប់​ផ្តើម​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៤​ ខែមេសា។
ផ្លូវ​នានា​នៅ​ក្នុង​ទី​ក្រុង​ភ្នំពេញ​មាន​ភាព​ស្ងប់​ស្ងាត់​ខុស​ពី​ធម្មតា​ ដោយ​សារ​ប្រជា​ពល​រដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​ក្រុម​គ្រួសារ​ និង​កម្មករ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ទី​ក្រុង​ភ្នំពេញ​បាន​ធ្វើ​ដំណើរ​ទៅ​កាន់​តំបន់​ជន​បទ​ ឬ​ស្រុក​កំណើតរបស់​ពួក​គេ​ ដើម្បី​ជួប​ជុំ​ក្រុម​គ្រួសារ​ មាតា​បិតា​ បង​ប្អូន​ និង​ញ្ញាតិ​សន្តាន​នៅ​ក្នុង​ឱកាសដ៏​នក្ខ​ឫក្ស​នេះ។
ក្រុម​អាជ្ញា​ធរ​រួម​មាន​ប៉ូលិស​ចរាចរណ៍​ និង​កង​កម្លាំង​ប្រដាប់​អាវុធ​ត្រូវ​បាន​ដាក់​ពង្រាយ​នៅ​តាម​ដងផ្លូវ​សាធារណៈ​ នៅ​តាម​ទី​វត្ត​អារាម​ កន្លែង​លេង​កំសាន្ត​ល្បែង​ប្រជា​ប្រិយ៍ ​និង​រមណីយ​ដ្ឋាន​ផ្សេងៗ​ ដើម្បី​ធានា​ថា ​គ្មាន​ការ​រំខាន​យារយី​ណា​មួយ​កើត​ឡើង​នៅ​ក្នុង​ពិធី​បុណ្យ​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ខ្មែរ​នេះ​ទេ​ ដូច​ចោរលួច​ ចោរ​ឆក់ ​ ចោរ​ប្លន់ ​​គ្រោះ​ថ្នាក់​ចរាចរណ៍ ​អគ្គី​ភ័យ​ និង​ភាព​គ្មាន​សណ្តាប់​ធ្នាប់​សង្គម​ផ្សេងៗ​ទៀត។
លោក​ឧត្តម​សេនីយ៍​ត្រី​ ទូច​ ណារ៉ុថ​ ស្នង​ការ​ប៉ូលិស​ក្រុង​ភ្នំពេញ ​បាន​ថ្លែង​កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ច័ន្ទ​ថា​ កងកម្លាំង​ប៉ូលិស​ច្រើន​រាប់​ពាន់​នាក់​ ត្រូវ​បាន​ដាក់​ពង្រាយ​ដោយ​មាន​ក្រុម​ដើរ​ល្បាត​ និង​ក្រុម​ប្រចាំ​ការនៅ​តាម​កន្លែង​លេង​កំសាន្ត​ល្បែង​ប្រជា​ប្រិយ៍ ​ដើម្បី​កុំ​ឱ្យ​ក្មេង​ទំនើង​បង្ក​ការ​អុកឡុក​ផ្សេងៗ​នៅ​ក្នុងពិធី​កំសាន្ត​សប្បាយ​របស់​ប្រជា​ពល​រដ្ឋ។
លោក​ឧត្តម​សេនីយ៍​ត្រី​ សត​ ណាឌី​ ស្នង​ការ​ប៉ូលិស​ខេត្ត​សៀម​រាប​ បាន​ថ្លែង​កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ច័ន្ទ​ថា​ យើងបាន​ដាក់​ពង្រាយ​កង​កម្លាំង​ចំហរ​ និង​កម្លាំង​សម្ងាត់​ប្រហែល​១.០០០​នាក់​ ដើម្បី​ការ​ពារ​សុវត្ថិ​ភាពរបស់​ប្រជា​ពល​រដ្ឋ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ឱកាស​​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ថ្មី​ប្រពៃណី​ខ្មែរ​នេះ។
ប្រជា​ពល​រដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​បាន​ស្លៀក​ពាក់​សម្លៀក​បំពាក់​ប្រពៃណី​ និង​បាន​នាំ​យក​ចំណី​អាហារ​ទៅ​ប្រគេនព្រះ​សង្ឃ​នៅ​តាម​វត្ត​អារាម​ព្រះ​ពុទ្ធ​សាសនា​នានា​ ដើម្បី​ឧទ្ធិស​កុសល​ផល​បុណ្យ​ជូន​ដល់​ជីដូន​ជីតា​ មាតា​បិតា​ និង​ញាតិ​កា​ទាំង​៧​សន្តាន​ ដែល​បាន​ទទួល​មរណ​ភាព។
នៅ​ក្នុង​ពេល​ជា​មួយ​គ្នា​នេះ​ ការ​លេង​កំសាន្ត​ល្បែង​ប្រជា​ប្រិយ៍​ផ្សេងៗ​ជា​ច្រើន​ត្រូវ​បាន​រៀប​ចំសម្តែង​នៅ​តាម​ទី​វត្ត​អារាម​ទូទាំង​ប្រទេស​ ដូច​ជា​ការ​សម្តែង​តន្ត្រី​ កំប្លែង​ ការ​រាំរែក​ សិល្បៈ​ប្រពៃណី ​ និង​ល្បែង​ប្រជា​ប្រិយ៍​ផ្សេងៗ​ ជា​ពិសេស​ល្បែង​បោះ​អង្គុញ​ ល្បែង​ចោល​ឈូង ​ ល្បែង​ទាញព្រ័ត្រ​ ល្បែង​លាក់​កន្សែង​ និង​ល្បែង​ដណ្តើម​ស្លឹក​ឈើ​ជាដើម។
លោក​ព្រឹទ្ធា​ចារ្យ​ មៀច​ ប៉ុណ្ណ​ ទី​ប្រឹក្សា​អម​វិទ្យា​ស្ថាន​ពុទ្ធ​សាសន​បណ្ឌិត្យ​ ទទួល​បន្ទុក​កិច្ច​ការ​ក្រុមជំនុំ​ទំនៀម​ទម្លាប់​ខ្មែរ​ថា​ «ល្បែង​​ប្រជា​ប្រិយ៍​ទាំង​នេះ​បាន​ធ្វើឱ្យ​កម្លោះ​ក្រមុំ​សម្តែង​នូវ​សមត្ថ​ភាព​ ភាព​ជិត​ស្និទ្ធ​ និង​ភាព​ឈ្លាស​វ៉ៃ»។
«អត្ថ​ន័យ​នៃ​ល្បែង​ប្រជា​ប្រិយ៍​នេះ​គឺ​ជា​បុណ្យ​សប្បាយ។​ ដូច្នេះ​ ការ​ដែល​បុព្វ​បុរស​របស់​យើង​បង្កើតល្បែង​ផ្សេងៗ​នេះ​ គឺ​សុទ្ធ​តែ​ជា​ល្បែង​ដែល​បម្រើ​ឱ្យ​ការ​សប្បាយ»។
ពិធី​បុណ្យ​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ខ្មែរ​ត្រូវ​បាន​ប្រារព្ធ​ជា​រៀង​រាល់​ឆ្នាំ​នៅ​ពាក់​កណ្តាល​ខែ​មេសា​ ស្រប​តាម​មហាសង្ក្រាន្ត​ដែល​ជា​ទម្រង់​នៃ​ហោរា​សាស្ត្រ​ខ្មែរ​ដោយ​មាន​សត្វ​១២​ ហើយ​ឆ្នាំ​នេះ​ គឺ​ជា​ឆ្នាំ​ខាល​ ឬ​ ឆ្នាំ​ខ្លា​ដែល​បាន​ចាប់​ផ្តើម​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ពុធ​នៅ​វេលា​ម៉ោង​៧​និង​៣៦​នាទី​ ព្រឹក​ ម៉ោង​នៅ​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា។
ពិធី​បុណ្យ​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ខ្មែរ​នេះ​បាន​លើក​ទឹក​ចិត្ត​ដល់​ប្រជា​ពល​រដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​គ្រប់​រូប​ឱ្យ​សប្បាយ​រីក​រាយ​សម្រាប់ឆ្នាំ​ខាង​មុខ​ទៀត​ និង​បំភ្លេច​ចោល​នូវ​អំពើ​អព​មង្គល​ទាំង​ឡាយ​ដែល​បាន​កើត​ឡើង​កាល​ពី​ឆ្នាំ​កន្លងទៅ។
ការ​ប្រារព្ធ​ពិធី​បុណ្យ​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ខ្មែរ​នេះ​មិន​មែន​ត្រឹម​តែ​ធ្វើ​ឡើង​នៅ​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ​ទេ​ ប៉ុន្តែ​ថែម​ទាំង​បាន​ប្រារព្ធ​ដោយ​ប្រជា​ពល​រដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ​នៅ​ក្នុង​សហ​រដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក​ ប្រទេស​បារាំង​ ប្រទេសអូស្ត្រាលី ​ប្រទេស​កាណាដា​ និង​ប្រទេស​អឺរ៉ុប​មួយ​ចំនួន​ទៀត៕

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Debt strains Cambodian New Year celebration

The Cambodian New Year parade on Anaheim Street in Long Beach is still on track for Sunday. But a celebration set for April 25 may be in jeopardy. The organizer of the two events is $40,000 in debt. Festivities from 2007 are pictured. (Jeff Gritchen / Staff Photographer)

04/01/2009
By Greg Mellen Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram (California, USA)


LONG BEACH - Regardless of the weather, the Cambodian New Year parade will step off Sunday attempting to clear a financial fog that surrounds the annual event.

Just last week, the Cambodian Coordinating Council, which organizes the annual parade and a separate New Year's celebration at El Dorado Park on April 25, put the finishing touches on a multi-year payment plan to make up a shortfall of about $40,000. The group has already made a $5,000 payment.

How organizers ended up $40,000 in debt for an event that costs about $40,000 in city fees and for which there are sponsors, fundraising, and - in the case of the El Dorado Park event, a hefty admission charge - depends on whom one asks.

And then there are the looming costs.

In the wake of the economic downturn, leaders of this year's parade and celebration say they are somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000 short of the money they need.

Although the parade is good to go, the April 25 celebration is still in limbo, although leaders assure it will happen.

Much of the parade and celebration leadership this year is new and the group says these board members are bringing new vitality and business acumen to the group. They are promising to open their books and be "transparent," but not quite yet.

Parade organizers say the city boosted its fees for the event last year from about $25,000 to $40,000 and they never recovered. Some say the city never adequately explained why the costs rose so sharply or gave them fair warning.

David Ashman, manager of special events in the city, said in the first few years of the parade the city "capped" its fees. Also, then-6th District City Councilwoman Laura Richardson's office was able to provide help and the parade had several major donors, including Sound Energy Solutions, which has left Long Beach.

"We capped city costs and absorbed costs to help them get on their feet," Ashman said of the first three years. "It was a different time and we could afford to do that."

With the city's burgeoning budget deficit, Ashman says the city can no longer take on those costs, especially in areas such as public safety, public works and traffic management.

"We're under a directive to recover the full costs for those," Ashman said.

Still, the question of how a $15,000 increase in costs translates into a $40,000 deficit is unclear.

Late last year, the city began negotiating the debt with the Cambodian Coordinating Council and settled on the current payment plan.

Some organizers said they had to keep some money in their account for operating expenses and emergencies and they are still working on the books to figure out where the rest went.

Others say money had to be paid up front to put on this year's parade and celebration.

Ashman says about $13,000 has been paid in advance for a traffic vendor and other costs.

Anthony Kim, who is now heading finances, says about $20,000 has been raised this year.

When asked if he worries the celebration may not happen, Kim is adamant.

"It never crossed my mind," Kim says.

Kim and others on the finance committee are trying to raise the needed money and promise they'll get there.

One initiative they are particularly hopeful about is the One Dollar Donation Campaign. They say if every resident went online to their Web site, www.cam-cc.org, and donated $1, the group would be flush.

The cost of putting on the events this year was originally estimated at $44,000, but the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine has waived a number of rental and application fees and helped organizers find a variety of cost-cutting measures that reduce the bill.

Also, post-parade activities have been moved from MacArthur Park to an empty Redevelopment Agency lot on Anaheim Street and Walnut Avenue to pare costs.

Phylypo Tum said the new board debated whether to drop the parade because of the added costs, but couldn't do it.

"The board decided we owe it to the community. We said, `We'll stick together no matter what it costs."' Tum said.

greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

High Costs Keep Offerings Down for New Year

By Ros Sothea, VOA Khmer
Banteay Meanchey
21 April 2008


The number of people willing to give rice and other offerings to monks dipped significantly over the new year, as the price of goods has risen in Banteay Meanchey province, monks and villagers said.

Khmer New Year is one of the most prominent occasions for the offering of rice and drinks to monks at their pagodas, who then pass the gifts on to ancestors.

In years past, Banteay Meanchey pagodas have welcomed throngs of people, sometimes in the thousands, but this year, many of the pagodas were silent.

Buddhist monk Theon Seoun, of the famous Sopheak Mongkol pagoda, said soaring food prices made it hard for people to find money and buy food for monks.

His pagoda saw fewer than half as many people as normal this year, he said.

“Not many people came to the pagoda this year,” he said, looking over a paltry collection of offerings. “The number of people coming to the pagoda decreased around 60 percent because they didn’t have money to buy the high-priced food.”

Many of Cambodia’s Buddhists attend at least two or three pagodas, but that too has decreased this year.

“With the price of food increasing dramatically, I can only go to one pagoda, or I have to spend a lot of money,” said Hy Kim Yeong, who usually makes offerings at three pagodas.

Yen Yeoun, director of Banteay Meanchey’s Religion Ministry department, admitted that high costs kept numbers low.

“It’s true that high food prices affected many people, and the people who go to the pagodas also decreased slightly,” he said.

But Min Khin, secretary of the Ministry of Religion, said the number of people did not decline, thanks to good security and transportation.

The ministry estimates there are more than 4,300 pagodas across the country.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Khmer New Year rocks LynnArts

Rossophea Chap carves a large piece of fruit, which he says it took about a day to learn with a lot of practicing and internet research, Sunday at LynnArts. (PHOTO: ALAN WEBSTER)

Monday, April 21, 2008
By Richard Tenorio
The Daily Item (Lynn, Massachusetts, USA)


LYNN-In a city with a sizeable Cambodian-American population, members of the Massachusetts Cambodian-American community celebrated the Khmer New Year at LynnArts on Sunday.

“I thought it went well,” said planning committee co-chair R. Bobby Pres, a 2002 Lynn Tech graduate who now works in financial services. “This was once again a stepping-stone for us.”

Pres estimated a crowd of 150 to 200 people visited the celebration, which was held in Lynn for the seventh straight year and which celebrates a New Year rooted in the end of the Khmer harvest (its actual date is April 13-15). Pres and fellow planning committee member Judy Khy said that there were differences in the focus of this year’s event. Pres mentioned an emphasis on youth and community organizing, while Khy discussed a greater role of art.

“Usually, Cambodian youth are seen as very threatening,” Pres said, citing the role of gangs. “We try to make them known in a positive light.” He added that a goal of the New Year event was to “push them toward resources and a leadership role in the community.”

Khy, whose primary role was to coordinate volunteer outreach and recruitment, said, “We were able to get more Southeast Asian artists and performers. That was really great.”

The day began with a Khmer blessing dance from three Lynn high school students, followed by performances from 3rd World Entertainment of Lowell, a Lowell ceramic artisan, a spoken-word piece, kung fu line-dancing from the Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy of Malden, and break-dancing from local Cambodian youth. Artists had opportunities to sell their work, and attendees had a chance to sample Khmer food. Pres and Khy both noted the roots of Khmer culture in Lynn.

“We have a temple, and culturally, there are grocery stores, video rental stores, and Cambodian people here,” Pres said. “There are a lot of us.”

Khy noted that Cambodian-Americans in Lynn might celebrate the new year with additional festivities.

“In Lynn, there might be smaller things, like temple celebrations and religious and social gatherings for older folks and families,” she said. “There might also be nighttime events and parties. (The LynnArts event) was the only one I knew of that was open to the entire community.”

LynnArts hosted the event for the first time this year, providing its auditorium and both of its galleries. Past locations included North Shore Community College, the Lynn Housing Authority, and the Lynn Tech cafeteria.

“(LynnArts) was definitely a great location,” Khy said. “It’s in the vicinity of public transportation, which is a big plus. Being close to the Lynnway also helps. The parking around the area seems pretty convenient.”

Khy addressed the resilience of the Cambodian-American community, many of whose members escaped from a nation torn by a civil war in the 1970s that resulted in the ascension of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot from 1975 to 1979.

“I think that Cambodian-American celebrations definitely have an undertone acknowledging that the whole Cambodian-American community living in the US (is) definitely a resilient people,” Khy said, “being that they overcame a civil war in Cambodia and have become refugees, they were in refugee camps in countries like Thailand, the Philippines, and Burma ... coming to America, trying to assimilate here, and formed their own communities again.

“Each celebration just speaks to being able to acknowledge that.”

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Grenade blast at Cambodian New Year festival kills 1, wounds 25

2008-04-17

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - An attacker hurled a hand grenade into a crowd of people dancing at a Buddhist temple to celebrate Cambodia's traditional New Year, killing one villager and wounding 25 others, police said Thursday.

The attack, which killed a 21-year-old man, occurred Wednesday evening about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Siem Reap in western Cambodia, said Ou Em, the provincial police chief.

Many villagers had gathered at the temple for dancing to mark the last day of the traditional New Year holiday, police said.

«First, I thought it was a firecracker that exploded until I saw people with blood on them,» said Bou Nimol, a 17-year-old girl who witnessed the attack. «I just ran straight home after that.

Police said they were investigating the attack but had no immediate suspects.

Siem Reap, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh, is the site of the famed Angkor temples.