À la conquête des marges dans le Nord-Est cambodgien : l’enjeu du patrimoine à Ratanakiri

Abstract

During the twentieth century, the Kingdom of Cambodia, a mainland Southeast Asian country, went through many brutal historical and political hardships. In this context, the notion of tangible heritage and intangible heritage has been a crucial reality. The French Protectorate initiated the process of heritage conservation in the country, which was dropped out during a part of the last century. It has now become the center of identity issues and debates at local, national and regional scales. In Ratanakiri province, the concept of heritage has emerged since 2000, because of the highlands colonization by migrants from Cambodian lowlands, and because of concessions development, which constitute a pressure on lands to the detriment of small local farmers. Tangible or intangible heritage has become the token of an ancient and glorious culture and by extension, of territorial legitimation and purpose. In this article, I am going to focus on the establishment and usage of heritage concept by Tampuan society, an ethnic group who lives in the Northeast of Cambodia.

Keywords

• heritage
• territory
• area
• Cambodia
• Ratanakiri
• Khmer