Angkor: Present Situation

Soon after the discovery of Angkor the French (who were in control of Cambodia) began to explore and save it. Jungle vegetation was cleared, pictures were taken, and artifacts analyzed. Many mysteries of Angkor were unraveled, but many remained. Suddenly in 1975 the Communist Red Khmer took over Cambodia and the French were forced out. Later on, in 1978, Communist from Vietnam invaded Cambodia and fought with the communists already there. This damaged Angkor, along with the theft of statues that were to be sold on the black market.

The faith of Angkor was unclear, but in 1986 the Vietnamese allowed a team of conservators from India to return. In 1989 Vietnam withdrew from Cambodia and a somewhat stable government was established. When conservation restarted, the effects of war were evident, but not as significant as those of theft.

Nowadays Angkor is growing as a tourist attraction, and conservation is increasing, but theft is still a problem. If statues continue disappearing at one per-day, Angkor might disappear again, just like in 1432, only this time it won't be rediscovered.

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