1995 / 1996

The following is a report on the progress of the National Archives of Cambodia (NAC) for the period September 1995 - August 1996.

In August 1995 a proposal for funding assistance was submitted to the Australian Embassy by Peter Arfanis, volunteer archivist placed at the NAC for two years by the Overseas Service Bureau Australia. The proposal for $US8000 was accepted by the Australian Embassy and funding was made available from cultural relations funds.

This funding was aimed at addressing two main areas, staff development and the need for equipment. Through sponsorship of students and some generous discounts on equipment there was enough money remaining which allowed us to begin to address a third area, that of conservation.

Staff Development

Language training has proved to be a great success. Two staff with no previous English training have shown good progress, and the remaining two are also progressing well through the higher levels. A fifth person was enrolled for two sessions but unfortunately failed on both attempts. We are currently reviewing his position in terms of future language training.

Our aim is to have five staff reach a level of English language proficiency high enough where they can consult English texts relating to archives management, attend training courses held internationally, build confidence in dealing with foreign requests, and to correspond confidently with archives institutions around the world.

Further, two staff were able to attend computer training which required a mid range knowledge of English. These staff received sponsorship to attend a two month course in computer skills at CDRI. Because of the long distances between CDRI, home, and work $60 was used from the funding to assist in transport costs.

However, their training must continue if we wish to achieve an excellent level of communication.

Equipment

Funding enabled the NAC to purchase essential equipment including a photocopier, computer, printer, and generator.

The photocopier has provided the NAC with a small source of funds through photocopying requests made by researchers. This means that we can at least raise the funds to maintain the equipment at the NAC. Also it assists in administrative duties.

The computer has proved to be the most essential piece of equipment. A database has been developed for inputting file titles, classifications and date ranges which later can be searched, or used to manipulate the data to produce finding aids of various formats. This is definitely a better system to that of using a typewriter and creating lists with little meaning or order. There are approximately 2000 linear metres of records, or 100,000 files to work through. We have imputed 3500 files so far and need to speed this up. A second computer would assist in this as well as provide more staff with the opportunity to develop their computer skills.

A generator has allowed us to continue working with the power goes down especially the last two months with electricity having being cut all together.

To secure this equipment security gates and bars have been installed at the NAC repository.

Total costs spent on equipment and associated supplies $US5686

Conservation

Savings made in the purchase of equipment allowed us to deal with the serious problem of birds entering the repository and building nests amongst the documents. Excrement from the birds and the debris accumulated from the nests attracted insects and consequently caused damage to paper records.

The design of the building demands that all windows be opened to promote air circulation in the building which in turn prevents temperature and humidity build up. Unfortunately birds were able to freely enter and exit the building. Enough funding remained to allow screens to be built to cover the large windows, but only half of all the windows could be done. We hope to be able to finish the remaining windows with additional funding.

Work in progress

Two major projects are under way.

1. Records of the French Resident Superior.

The bulk of archives in the NAC repository are records created by the French administration between 1863 and 1954. The work involves opening boxes of records, cleaning, arranging, and assigning a classification and file number using the original French archive classification system introduced in 1918. Some basic conservation can be carried out at this stage and the records should be put into new boxes, but these are unavailable at the moment. Boxes have been donated by the Australian Archives Authority but some funding is needed towards transport costs.

The file details are then recorded on paper with each file being allocated a unique file number. A third person then enters this information into the database. We are attempting to have staff become conversant in all areas of this process, although the interpretation of records can only be done by two staff at this stage.

2. Personnel Dossiers

Thousands of personnel dossiers from the Ministry of the Interior are being arranged in the same way as the Resident Superior archives. These records are extremely valuable in terms of the information they contain about individuals who worked in at the indigenous administration. Once on the database it will prove valuable for those doing research government administration of the provinces, on individuals and family history.

We are now preparing two staff to begin arranging old newspapers and Royal Ordinances as will as creating a union list with the National Library of Cambodia of all journals and periodicals.

Also an inventory of old French novels, formerly belonging to the National Library, of over 4000 titles has been completed and we are now arranging transfer of these titles to the National Library.

Progress has been hampered due to the short hours that staff work. Staff at the archives experience the same problems as all public servants, the need to supplement their salaries. Although a contentious issue I believe salary support would prove to be an enormous boost to the program of redevelopment with staff being able to remain at work for the entire day.

Given the current economic conditions of Cambodia and the personnel problems that staff of the archives face, good progress has been made in the first year of our program to redevelop the NAC. Further funding will build on what has been already accomplished and will allow for further projects to be implemented.

27 July 1996

National Archives of Cambodia

Progress Report

1996/1997

Introduction

This is the 2^nd annual progress report since the project for redeveloping the NAC began. This report highlights the progress made by the NAC in 1997 and looks at the future plans and needs of the NAC.

Given that the NAC is a government department of the Council of Ministers and consequently its staff experience difficulties endemic in all ministries, i.e. they are underpaid and lack support, the progress of the NAC has been quite impressive. With the assistance of the Australian Embassy, Overseas Service Bureau Australia and the Commonwealth Archives of Australia in 1995 and 1996, and to a lesser extent the Ministry of the Royal Palace, UNESCO, United Distributors Cambodia, French Embassy, Swiss Interchurch Aid, and Centre Cultural Français, the NAC has been able to make considerable progress in the classification, conservation, and public availability of its very valuable holdings.

Staff have had opportunities to increase their technical knowledge through courses offered by the National Archives of France, and National Archives of Malaysia, as well as sponsorship by Banque Internationale d’Information sur les Etats Francophones for a staff member to attend international Archives conferences. Much of this success can be attributed to attempts by the NAC to develop relations with other major archive institutions outside of Cambodia.

During the year, processing of records of the Resident Superieur du Cambodge continued. As a result of the development of the NAC database and the increase in the rate of data input, important files of the Resident Superior are now available for researchers to consult. The arrangement of documents has lead to some interesting discoveries, including original drawings of the Royal Palace, early maps of the provinces, rare Khmer language newspapers from the 1940s, many of which have now been listed.

Of course archives are there to be consulted and it has been encouraging to see that the number of researchers using the NAC has doubled as has the requests of photocopies of documents.

Even more encouraging has been the ability of the staff to administer itself and maintain its equipment without government funding and external assistance. Staff have set into place income generation schemes which allow funds to be raised to purchase supplies to run the photocopier, repair computers, purchase stationary, etc. All equipment is in good condition, with nothing lost or becoming inoperational through neglect.

With the addition of a Swiss volunteer archivist to the team for the next six months, the NAC can expect another year of achievements.

Appraisal and Arrangement of Archives

At the core of our work is the appraisal and arrangement of records which focuses on four areas.

1. Files of the Resident Superior of Cambodia
2. Newspapers
3. Financial Documents

1. Files of the Resident Superior of Cambodia.

Files of Resident Superior comprise of documents created by the French administration between 1863 - 1954. These files continue to be the major focus for staff at the NAC. As in the previous year, old boxes of unlisted files are being unpacked, their contents cleaned, files classified, numbered, entered on computer and then reboxed and reshelved. Work has also started on arranging correspondence registers from the various bureaus of the Resident Superior.

Progress and achievements

With the purchase of a second computer from funds provided by the Australian Embassy in 1996 the rate of data input has increased significantly. In 1996, the details of approximately 3500 files had been entered into the database. In just the first 8 months of 1997 we have entered the details of over 6500 files of the Resident Superior which brings the number of files on the database to over 9000, or to more than 1000 boxes.

As this work continues we can begin to see much more clearly the extent of the holdings of the NAC while providing researchers with a very quick and accurate response to their inquiries.

An updated version of the Manuel de l’Archiviste, a guide to the archival classification system, was also completed this year. The last version of this guide was printed in 1945 but it did not contain new sub classifications created by the Archives of Indochina after 1945. Through research of documents held in the NAC we were able to determine what these sub classifications are and incorporate them into the classification system. As a result, the NAC has produced a revised copy of the classification system which can be made available to researchers to assist them in their searches for documents as well as being offered to the National Archives of Vietnam and Laos which also used the same classification system during the French administration of Indochina.

Looking Ahead. Objectives and Obstacles

There is still a considerable amount of work to be done before all files of the Resident Superior have been appraised and classified. Appraisal and description activities have begun on documents that are unboxed and previously not classified. As a result of a donation of 7000 archives boxes by the Commonwealth Archives of Australia we now have sufficient numbers of boxes to store these records in. In the next year we hope to have at least cleaned, classified and boxed these records with the data entry being an ongoing process.

As the database continues to grow and new versions of computer software are released the NAC will find itself in the position where it must replace the 486DX-66 computer purchased with Australian funds in 1995. While this computer is still in good condition it is beginning to struggle with the complicated reports and search functions being created to handle the increasing volume of records. Funding will be sought to purchase a new computer.

2. Financial Documents

Approximately 400 metres of budget documents from between 1947 and 1950 which were mixed in amongst other administrative documents were identified and stored separately. These documents will be assessed to determine if they have enduring legal or historical valuable an will most probably be disposed. This is an important function of the NAC in its redevelopment. It is becoming apparent, as we work our way through unprocessed documents, that there is a large quantity of documents "dumped" in the archives by the Ministry of Finance. Removal of those financial documents which are judged not to have archival value will create much needed space which can be used to store documents currently kept in ministries.

Looking Ahead. Objectives and Obstacles

A major task for the coming year is to continue to identify financial documents and then form a working party to determine which of these records will be kept. Besides creating cleaner conditions and extra space it enables staff to focus more on those records which do have enduring value. Archives all around the world are faced with the difficult decisions of what records to keep and which to dispose of. Therefore this exercise will provide valuable experience for staff in future situations of records appraisal.

3. Newspapers

Newspapers, dating back to the 1930s, that were printed in Cambodia were found bundled up amongst old financial records. Many of these newspapers are printed in Khmer language. Other languages include Vietnamese, Chinese, and French. The Khmer language papers, of which there are 17 different titles, are particularly important since it is rare to find Khmer language material, particularly newspapers, dating back so early. However, these newspapers had been stored for a long period folded tightly in poor environmental conditions and as a result are deteriorating quickly. Because the paper is so brittle they cannot be made available to the increasing numbers of researchers who wish to consult these newspapers, in particular the Khmer language newspaper "Kampuchea" of which the NAC has 1496 issues from 1945 until 1961. Therefore, a major activity for the coming year is to set up a conservation program to repair and strengthen newspapers in poor condition. There is currently enough supplies to start this program. However, with over 2000 pages of newspaper to repair the NAC will need some financial assistance to purchase more glue, tissue paper, and boxes.

Data entry of these newspapers also is being carried out with over 2886 issues already entered into the database.

Looking Ahead. Objectives and Obstacles

With the assistance from a consultant currently working with UNESCO, two staff will be trained in repairing newspapers. This project will continue for over one year and will rely on funding for the purchase of materials.

The long term plan is to have these newspapers repaired and then microfilmed so then microfilm copies of these papers can be made available to universities and ministries. This will develop into a major project expected to begin in late 1998.

Public Access and Research Services.

A measure of the effectiveness of a National Archives is its ability to deal with requests and make available information to the general public. The number of researchers that visit a National Archives also indicates the degree of awareness that the public has about archives. The increasing availability of records and printed material by the NAC and a corresponding increase in the services that it offers has led to more researchers, particularly students, visiting the NAC.

As well as accessing information for researchers the NAC also offers photocopying services. With funds donated by the Australian embassy in 1995 the NAC was able to purchase a photocopier to be used to copy documents requested by researchers. Photocopying services for researchers increased from 11847 pages in 1996 to 21707 pages for the first 8 months of 1997. The staff were able to raise enough money from photocopying to enable them to purchase paper, toner, and carry out major repairs to the photocopier. The photocopier was also used for conservation purposes to copy fragile documents that were often referred to by researchers.

Looking Ahead. Objectives and Obstacles

There is no doubt that the numbers of researchers will continue to increase. As the archives become more organised the NAC will begin to promote itself through historical exposés using archive material to be printed in Khmer, English and French newspapers, as well as organise visits to university faculties where staff can talk to students and teachers about what the NAC has to offer.

The concern for the staff at the NAC is that as the NAC is promoted and more researchers visit the NAC there will be a corresponding increase in the number of requests for photocopying. The present photocopier will be inadequate to handle the large number of requests. It is now beginning to show signs of overuse and it will become necessary to replace this photocopier with one that is more durable and able to handle large quantities of photocopying

Staff Development

A major part of the NAC’s redevelopment involved building relations with archive institutions in other countries. The results of this exercise has resulted in increased invitations for staff to travel overseas for workshops and training sessions relating to archives management. The following staff were beneficiaries of training this year;

• Attended International Archives conference in Beijing in August 1996
• Participated in a three month tour of major archive repositories in France from April-June 1997

• Attended a two month course in Malaysia on Archives and Records management

• Participated in a three month tour of major archive repositories in France from April-June 1997

• French language training at Centre Culturel Français in Phnom Penh

Looking Ahead. Objectives and Obstacles

While the above training has been beneficial for staff to develop their technical knowledge of conservation methods and archival principles, they still lack strong skills and knowledge in computers in particular database design. Also, they still need to improve their English and French language skills. If the NAC is to function without foreign personnel, staff will need to acquire these skills. Funding will be sought to send staff to attend computer and language classes.

Funding and Assistance

During this last year funding and assistance has come in small amounts from various sources. These included;

• August 1996. Malaysian National Archives sponsored a staff member to attend Archives and Records Management course.
• August 1996. Banque Internationale d’Information sur les Etats Francophones sponsored a staff member to attend the ICA international conference on Archives, held in Beijing.
• November 1996. Australian Embassy donated $1750 towards the purchase of a computer.
• April 1997. National Archives of France sponsored two staff to attend a three month workshop on archives management held in Paris.
• May 1997. Ministry of the Royal Palace donated $2000 to update staff facilities.
• July 1997. French Embassy supplied 1500 file covers.
• August 1997. UNESCO donated $2000 to purchase conservation supplies.
• August 1997. Commonwealth Archives of Australia donated 7000 archives boxes
• August 1997. United Distributors Cambodia transported these boxes to Cambodia free of charge.
• August 1997. Swiss Interchurch Aid has funded a Swiss archivist to work at the NAC for six months

Looking Ahead. Objectives and Obstacles

As stated above, funding has come in small amounts from various sources. It is likely that this approach will continue with money being sought to provide technical and language training as well as money to update aging equipment.

During 1998 we will begin compiling a proposal to address the storage needs of the NAC which involves restoring the current archives repository and building a new one alongside it.

Other Activities

The NAC has also been active in offering its services to outside institutions. These included;

• The arrangement and boxing of copies of the Journal Official du Cambodge (in Khmer) to be donated to the Hun Sen library at the University of Phnom Penh. This donation consists of over 80 boxes.
• A records survey of all Ministries was conducted in October-November 1996.
• A union catalogue of early French periodicals was developed in conjunction with the National Library.
• Khmer newspapers were arranged for the Cambodia Communications Institute.

Conclusion

Archives document human experience and serves as civilisation’s collective memory. Archives transmit cultural heritage from generation to generation. Archives also have broad administrative, legal and social value, for the individual, for the community, for corporate organisations, for society as a whole. The NAC is committed to working towards establishing itself as the custodian of archives and as a consequence play an active role in this country’s national redevelopment.

The results that the NAC has achieved in of the past year have been very encouraging. In 1995 we planned to develop the framework to begin the appraisal, arrangement and description of records held in the repository. This was done and now we are seeing the results of this work. A database of records has been developed and is growing, finding aids have been printed, more researchers are using the archives, and staff capacity is increasing.

As encouraging as all this is the NAC is still not able to stand on its own feet. Staff still need opportunities to develop skills and expertise, in particular in the fields of information technology and language. Assistance will also be needed to provide supplies for conservation work so that Cambodia’s documentary heritage will be available for future generations.

National Archives of Cambodia

Progress Report

1997 / 1998

Introduction

This is the third progress report produced since the project to develop the National Archives of Cambodia (NAC) began in July 1995.

As in the two previous years the Australian Embassy in Cambodia has provided funds to enable the NAC and its staff to continue its project. This year additional funds were made available by the Swiss Embassy in Bangkok and the French Embassy in Cambodia.

This additional funding combined with the continued assistance of an Australian volunteer, and the extension of our Swiss volunteer's contract for a further six months provided the NAC with the opprotunity to achieve significant progress for the period July 1997 – August 1998

Highlights of the year include the continued increase in the arrangement and description of the holdings of the NAC, in particular the records of the Resident Superior of Cambodia, and printed documentation relating to Cambodia; the commencement of a newspaper repair project; preservation of maps and plans; salary support for key personnel; improvements to the NAC repository; the continued growth in client services; and staff development. Furthermore, the installation of a telephone line and connection to the internet has enabled the NAC to deal directly with the international community and to promote itself to people outside of the country through its web site.

The NAC is very close to completing the arrangement and description of its colonial period holdings and pre-1979 documents. We will shortly commence the work of designing a new system of arrangement for post 1979 documents which will involve a campaign of acquiring documents currently held in Ministries throughout Phnom Penh.

This will pose many new challenges for the NAC and its staff. The NAC will need to step up its efforts to find funding for new storage facilities and to implement new archives legislation. Furthermore, while the situation of staff has improved considerably over the last two years the NAC is still vulnerable to losing key staff to non government organizations so long as the Cambodian Government remains unable to strengthen the public service. This means that efforts must be made to continue supporting the current staff. Until this situation improves the NAC will continue to rely, albeit on a lesser extent, on assistance from outside sources.

Appraisal and Arrangement of the NAC holdings

Appraisal

The appraisal of documents involves assessing whether non-current documents possess enduring legal, historical, and evidential value. It is one of the archivist's more challenging responsibilities to decide what should be preserved and what should be destroyed. During the year thousands of documents created by the Ministry of Finance were subject to appraisal. Over the last year of describing the holdings of the NAC it became evident that we were in possession of an disproportional amount of documents relating to the national and provincial budgets. A list of criteria of what to keep was drawn up and the task of sorting through hundreds of linear meters of these documents was conducted. The disposal of documents that did not met the criteria for retention resulted in more storage space being made available, and facilitated the task of maintaining a clean environment for storing records.

A further positive affect of these appraisal activities is that staff now have more confidence in assessing what the NAC should keep, and to take action to ensure that documents do not again begin piling up in the repository because, as happened in the past, no-one had appraisal experience. This knowledge will be extremely important when staff begin to acquire documents currently held in ministries.

Arrangement

For an archives to have control over its holdings so that records can be available for use its holdings must first be arranged and described. The arrangement of documents involves the process of physically organizing documents within accepted archival principles, and then recording the information, reboxing, labeling and shelving the documents. The arrangement of documents in the NAC has focused on two groups of records;

1. Documents of the Resident Superior of Cambodia
2. Printed documentation relating to Cambodia

Documents of the Resident Superior of Cambodia

Since the program began in 1995, the NAC has been arranging and describing documents created by the French administration between 1863 - 1954. The system of arrangement for these documents has been based on the original classification system devised by the French in 1918, revised in 1935, and again in 1945. Staff at the NAC produced an updated version of this system, published as Manuel de l’Archiviste, in 1997. A second updated version of the classification system, was also completed this year, which has been made available to researchers to assist them in their searches for documents as well as being offered to the National Archives of Vietnam and France which also used the same classification system during the French administration of Indochina.

At the time of writing 90% of all the files of the RSC had been reboxed and stored in clean conditions. All files previously piled in the former lift shafts and on the floor have been appraised, cleaned boxed, and shelved. The number of files recorded in the NAC database has risen from 10,000 files for 1995-97, to 20,000 files for 1997-98, a clear indication of the increased effort of staff to their work.

This year we have arranged and described the most difficult portion of the French colonial documents. Those documents that remain will be easier to process and we expect to have the majority of the remaining files entered into the database by the end of 1999.

Printed documentation relating to Cambodia

The NAC has a substantial amount of printed material, such as programs of major events, speeches of Norodom Sihanouk, journals, text books, manuals, posters, press revues, government reports, financial reports, journals, etc, all of which were printed in Cambodia or relate to Cambodia. In theory they can not be classed as archives, but because of their value the NAC is also entering details of this material into a separate database designed for this type of publication.

Since the project began this year over 1000 book titles and 8500 journal issues have been entered into the database. Titles have been arranged according to keywords and a progressive catalogue has been printed for the use of researchers.

We expect to complete the cataloguing of these publications by mid 1999, and then to begin arranging and conserving press photographs of Prince Norodom Sihanouk from the 1950s-60s. There is also thousands of other titles that do not relate to Cambodia but were inherited by the NAC following its separation from the National Library in 1986, which need to be assessed and perhaps distributed to other libraries that may have a use for them.

Conservation Activities

This year a project was implemented to repair early Khmer language newspapers. These newspapers had previously been stored in poor environmental conditions and as a result were deteriorating quickly. Because the paper was so brittle the NAC could not make them available to the increasing numbers of researchers who requested these newspapers. There was an especially high demand for the Khmer language newspaper Kampuchea of which the NAC has 1496 issues from 1945 until 1961.

With combined funding from Australian and Swiss embassies, an air-conditioned conservation room was built, and special tissue paper and glues were purchased to repair and strengthen these newspapers. With financial assistance from the Swiss embassy three staff members were trained and given the task of repairing the newspapers. In four months conservation staff have finished repairing all issues of Kampuchea and have begun repairing other Khmer language newspapers. These newspapers are now available for researchers to consult.

The long term plan is to have these newspapers microfilmed so then copies of these papers can be made available to universities and ministries in Cambodia. This should evolve into a major microfilming project, tentatively planned to begin in late 1999, and will include the Journal Officiel du Cambodge, printed in Khmer and French language, and minutes to the Council of Ministers meetings.

In addition to the repair of newspapers, conservation staff have been involved in preserving numerous maps, architectural plans, and posters. Most of these items were found folded inside files during the sorting of documents of the colonial period. These items were removed, and carefully unfolded and flattened. They were then cleaned, repaired and encapsulated in mylar, a special plastic used for this purpose and placed in specially constructed plan cabinets. Although separated from related documents, these items are linked back to the original file via the database. All the material for these activities were again purchased through funds made available by the Swiss and Australian Embassies.

These conservation activities will continue as staff work their way through unclassified files and discover more material to be repaired and preserved. Future activities included the treatment of photographs, and the repair of books and journals.

Public Access and Research Services

An effort to further promote the NAC to students and foreigners proved successful this year. The numbers of researchers visiting the NAC continues to grow. While there has been a rise in the number of foreign researchers, the rise in the number of students visiting the NAC is especially exciting as. The work of the students is particularly important since their research will be available to others to consult in the future and in turn this will stimulate awareness and provide examples of the use of archives in research. Because searches can be carried out on the database the majority of researchers were successful in finding material related to

their field of research.

Another major group to use the NAC was a team researchers from United Nations Development Program, who were collecting copies of laws created since 1979 to be copied onto CD-ROM. The NAC was able to provide a significant amount of documents to contribute towards their project, the results of which will be available to all government ministries and universities.

As well as accessing information for researchers the NAC also offers photocopying services. A new photocopier has allowed the NAC to keep up with the growing demands for photocopies. Over 26,000 pages of documents were photocopied over the year. Through the increased numbers of photocopies and researcher fees the staff were able to raise enough money to purchase paper, toner, and carry out major repairs to the photocopier. The photocopier was also used for conservation purposes to copy fragile documents that were often referred to by researchers.

The growing number of visitors to the archives also means that the staff need to be better prepared to deal with groups of people at a single time. Also with the installation of internet, staff will need to become accustomed to answering inquiries from overseas. On going assistance and training will be provided by NAC consultants to assist the staff develop skills necessary to deal with these situations.

Staff Development

The events of July 1997 caused the cancellation of two workshops, one in Thailand and another in Malaysia. Despite this the NAC was still able to have staff participate in courses and conferences overseas.

The following staff were beneficiaries of training this year;

• Completed English language training at ACE
• Completed introduction to Windows programs

• Six month internship, from July-December 1998 at Cornell University, New York, to study preservation and conservation.
• Continued English language training at ACE
• Stage one of Access database course

• Participated in one week conference in Senegal regarding semi-current records
• Stage one of Access database course
• Completed English language course at ACE

• French language training at Centre Culturel Français

All staff were introduced to using E-mail and the Internet. However, staff will need to continue to receive training in French and English as well as computers, in particular Access database. Enough funding still remains for the next 10 months to continue this training.

The implimentation of a salary support scheme, funded by the French Embassy, for key NAC personnel was a significant factor in the success achieved this year. Key staff involved in dataprocessing, and document classification, were given salary suppliments, which enabled them remain at the NAC for an entire work day rather than taking on other jobs to bolster their income.

Other Activities

• To promote itself further and to acknowledge its major donors the NAC began a regular column in the Phnom Penh Post, entitled Tales from the Archives. This involved writing light and humorous, anecdotal stories using material from the NAC repository.

• The NAC also contributed material to an exhibition at the School of Fine Arts, documenting the history of the school. The exhibition provided a perfect example of how archives can be used in recreating the past.

• The NAC now has a web site which allows people from around the world to find out more about the NAC, its activities, and its holdings. It has also provided a cost effective way for staff to maintain its contacts with archivists in other countries. The internet service is provided by Camnet free of charge, and the modem and telephone line were provided by Swiss funding. Monthly telephone costs will be covered by the Council of Ministers. The web site address is http://www.camnet.com.kh/archives.cambodia/.

• The electrical system in the entire archives repository was replaced, ending the threat of fire or injury to staff caused by faulty wiring. New security doors were installed at the entrance of the repository, drainage improved and broken windows on the ground floor replaced.

Funding and Assistance

The NAC has been fortunate to have received further assistance from the Australian Embassy and to also have the Swiss Embassy join in contributing to the growth of the NAC. During the year funding has come from;

• Dec 1997. Australian Embassy $10,000US
• Jan 1998. Swiss Interchurch Aid continued funding of Swiss volunteer
• Apr 1998. Swiss Embassy $10,000US
• Apr 1998. French Embassy $3600 (salary support for staff)
• May 1998. Camnet provided free internet access
• Jun 1998. BIEF funded a staff member to attend conference in Senegal
• Jun 1998. Cornell University provided a six month internship at Cornell University

In July 1998 the NAC will loose the services of its Swiss volunteer, Mr. Greg Muller, who will return to Switzerland to take up a new position. In December 1998 the contract of the Australian volunteer, Mr. Peter Arfanis, will also expire. He is currently waiting on a decision by the Toyota Foundation as to whether they will fund him to continue his work at the NAC. If this proves unsuccessful then the NAC will submit applications with various volunteer placement agencies to find a replacement consultant to continue assisting the NAC with its projects. The NAC expects that it will require the assistance of one consultant until the year 2000.

Conclusion

The provision of funds and materials by our donors is an expression of their confidence and belief in the work of the NAC. The NAC feels that it has not disappointed its supporters, who have made it possible for the NAC to achieve so much in the last year.

The documentary heritage of Cambodia is well on the way to being preserved for future generations. The majority of the holdings of the NAC is now accessible to researchers. Only two years ago it was virtually impossible for someone to recover a specific file created during the French colonial period. Now through the creation of a database, not only can these files be made available, so too can related records.

Two years ago it was believed that Khmer language newspapers from the 1940s did not exist in the NAC. Today over 1500 issues have been inventoried, cleaned and repaired and are now available to researchers, as are dozens of architectural and cadastral plans, maps and posters.

Two years ago there was a common belief that the entire holdings of the NAC had been destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. Through the increased usage by national and international researchers, the creation of a web site, and media promotions, this myth has now been largely dispelled.

The NAC will continue to grow and it looks forward to continued assistance from its supporters.

July 1998

1998-1999 Progress Report

Introduction

This is the fourth progress report produced since the project to develop the National Archives of Cambodia (NAC) began in July 1995.

Major Activities

Work has continued on arranging and describing the major holdings of the NAC, with the addition of a number of smaller record groups. The record groups that received attention during the year were:

Conservation Activities

Work continued on repairing early newspapers. Currently issues of Echo du Cambodge (1925-1941) are being repaired. This French language newspaper, had for a number of years, a Khmer language supplement which predates many of the early independent Khmer newspapers.

Over-sized, acid free boxes were purchased to store newspapers and large registers. Previously they had been stored folded in small boxes or lay exposed on shelving.

Public Access and Research Services

Staff Development

Capacity building continues to be a focus in the development of the NAC.

Other Activities

• In an effort to raise funds from the private sector the NAC has begun scanning issues of early journals which it provides to Cambodia-Web, which in turn makes the material available on the internet. In return the NAC receives financial support.

Funding and Assistance

Funds received from the Australian and Swiss Embassies in 1998 were acquitted. The NAC now requires only minimal funding to continue its core activities. However, the plan to implement a microfilming project has the NAC looking for a major donor to provide the estimated $30,000 needed to set up the project. Operating costs for the following years will be covered by sales of copies of microfilm.

Conclusion

The NAC continues to make steady progress in the processing of its collections. The NAC now looks forward to expanding its activities and taking on larger responsibilities. The results achieved by the NAC over the last 4 years demonstrates that with the right support and guidance, the NAC will be able to achieve its long term goals. 

Peter Arfanis

October 1999

1998-1999 Progress Report

Introduction

This is the fourth progress report produced since the project to develop the National Archives of Cambodia (NAC) began in July 1995.

The NAC activities continued, as in the previous year, on the arrangement and description of documents of the Resident Superior and printed material relating to Cambodia. This year the NAC began arranging and describing a number of new record groups, including, Prince Norodom Sihanouk Press Photographs, Public Education and Political Posters, Minutes to the Meetings of the Council of Ministers, and the Official Journal of the Government of Cambodia.

Having established an operating structure, and income generating activities the NAC now requires only minimal annual funding to continue its core activities. Banque Internationale d'information sur les Etats Francophones (BIEF) provided $3750 to assist the NAC to carry out surveys of the situation of archives in provincial centres and to conduct basic workshops, the first step by the NAC to begin to take on its wider responsibilities.

The Toyota Foundation, the major funding institution for the year, provided funds to purchase conservation supplies, provide salary support for key staff, and for Mr. Peter Arfanis, archivist, to continue working at the NAC as an advisor for another year. However, Mr. Greg Muller, a Swiss volunteer archivist, ceased working at the NAC. He contributed a great deal to the progress of the NAC having been instrumental in securing funding from BIEF, the Swiss and French Governments, and making substantial progress in the classification of French language documents. His presence will be missed at the NAC.

Following the national elections a new Secretary of State, Mr. Chea Sorphorn, to whom the NAC reports to, was appointed to replace Mr. Sum Manit who has taken on a new responsibilities.

The NAC is now in the planning stages of implementing a National Microfilming Project and will be seeking funding through the current year to purchase the equipment and training necessary to establish this program. Discussions are also underway with Mr. Chea Sorphorn, and Mr. Heng Bo, Under Secretary of State, regarding the drafting of archives and records legislation, the acquisition of documents accumulating in ministries, and the construction of a new archives repository. 

Major Activities

Work has continued on arranging and describing the major holdings of the NAC, with the addition of a number of smaller record groups. The record groups that received attention during the year were:

1. Documents of the Resident Superior of Cambodia. (1863-1954)
2. Council of Ministers. Minutes. (1897-1937)
3. Printed documentation relating to Cambodia. (1900-1990)
4. Newspapers. (1925-1999)
5. Sihanouk photographs. (1950s-1960s)
6. Public Education and political posters. (1954-1980)
7. Official Journal of the Government of Cambodia. (1954-1995)
8. Post 1979 Archives. (1979-1991)

Documents of the Resident Superior of Cambodia

The Documents of the Resident Superior of Cambodia are the NAC's largest single collection of documents, and consequently have been the focus of NAC activities. The number of files from this collection recorded in the NAC database has risen from 20,000 files for 1997-98, to 24,000 files for 1998-99. This is down on the number of files inputted in the previous year due to the arrangement and description of new record groups, key staff abroad attending courses and meetings for extended periods, or conducting surveys in the provinces.

To deal with this problem a data input operator, with French language skills, began working at the NAC in June 1999. She works half a day every day, and her salary is provided by the Centre Cultural Français and supplemented further by the NAC.

Council of Ministers. Minutes.

Over the last four years the NAC has been able to piece together a collection of the minutes to the Council of Ministers meetings (a sub group of documents belonging the Resident Superior collection), beginning from the first meeting in 1897, until 1937. These documents provide a valuable insight into the administrative decision making process between the French and Khmer administrations. There are over 688 meetings for this period. Every meeting will have each agenda item entered into the database to enable searches to be conducted on agenda topics. At the time of writing nearly 3000 agenda topics had been entered into the database.

The importance and fragility of this collection makes it a priority for microfilming in the near future.

Printed documentation relating to Cambodia

The NAC has a substantial amount of printed material, such as programs of major events, speeches of Norodom Sihanouk, journals, text books, manuals, posters, press revues, government reports, financial reports, journals, etc, all of which were printed in Cambodia or relate to Cambodia. In theory they can not be classed as archives, but because of their value the NAC is also entering details of this material into a separate database designed for this type of publication.

The number of titles entered into the database has increased from 1000 in 1997-1998 to 1900 in 1998-1999. Journal issues have risen from 8500 to 9900 respectively. Titles have been arranged according to keywords and a progressive catalogue has been printed for use by researchers. 

Newspapers

All Khmer language newspapers have been arranged and details entered into the database. To date there are over 116 newspaper titles consisting of Khmer, Vietnamese, English, Chinese and French language. Overall, there are over 11,700 issues of newspapers printed in Cambodia, held in the NAC. An inventory is now available for researchers to consult. Unfortunately there are no complete sets of newspapers. A possible future project for the NAC would be to seek copies of papers held overseas to fill in the gaps in the collection. 

Sihanouk photographs

This interesting and rare collection of black and white photographs from the 1960s consists of press photographs of Prince Norodom Sihanouk in the course of his public duties. Amongst some of the subjects is the visit of French president Charles De Gaulle, and Jacqueline Kennedy. Titles for each group of photographs is being entered into the database. So far 146 titles representing 1030 photographs have been arranged and placed into archival quality plastic slips and folders. A regularly updated list is available for researchers to consult. 

Public Education and political posters

During the year nearly 500 posters of political and public events and education campaigns from the 1954 to 1988 were found folded in boxes on the ground floor of the NAC. These posters were flattened, repaired, and stored in large plan cabinets in the conservation room at the NAC. An inventory in Khmer was completed and the list is available for researchers to consult. The images in these posters contain rare pictures of Prince Norodom Sihanouk, politicians and other public figures making it an important documentary source covering a period where few documents survive.  

Official Journal of the Government of Cambodia

Official Journals have been part of Government administration since 1902 with the publication of the Bulletin Administratif du Cambodge (1902-1949), Journal Officiel du Cambodge (1945-1973), Journal Officiel or Rotikech (1985-1992), and Journal Officiel or Reachkech (1993- ).

Government decisions, orders, decrees, regulations, circulars, and appointments are announced in these monthly journals, making this an important publication for preservation and consultation. Staff at the NAC have begun arranging Official Journals from the 1980s and 1990s as well as looking at issues as far back as 1902 to determine what issues are missing or need repair and copying. When the microfilming project begins this will be the first collection of documents to be filmed.

Post 1979 Archives

These documents consist of;

1. Documents from the Cambodian Revolutionary People's Council from 1979 to 1981 (the Council served as the supreme state organ from 1979 until the Constitution of the People's Republic of Kampuchea in 1981)
   
2. Documents from the Council of Ministers from 1981 to 1993
   
3. Ministerial Documents from 1979 to 1993
   
4. Provincial documents from 1979 to 1993
   
5. Documents from the National Assembly and the Council of State (which served as the permanent committee of the Assembly) from 1981 to 1993
   

These documents were transferred to the archives during the early 1990s, however there is very little order to them. Staff have begun arranging and preparing descriptive lists of the collection. We anticipate that this group of documents will take two to three years to arrange and describe. 

Conservation Activities

Work continued on repairing early newspapers. Currently issues of Echo du Cambodge (1925-1941) are being repaired. This French language newspaper, had for a number of years, a Khmer language supplement which predates many of the early independent Khmer newspapers.

Over-sized, acid free boxes were purchased to store newspapers and large registers. Previously they had been stored folded in small boxes or lay exposed on shelving.

In addition to the repair of newspapers, conservation staff have continued to repair numerous maps, architectural plans, and posters. Most of these items were found folded inside files during the sorting of documents of the colonial period.

Public Access and Research Services

The numbers of researchers using the NAC has grown steadily since 1995. This year has seen an increase in the number of government staff using the NAC as well as foreign researchers. These increases can be attributed to efforts to promote the NAC via the Khmer and foreign language media, as well as presentations to student groups and conferences.

 Staff Development

Capacity building continues to be a focus in the development of the NAC.

The following staff were beneficiaries of training this year;

• Six month internship, from July-December 1998 at Cornell University, New York, to study preservation and conservation.
• Continued English language training at ACE
• Introduction to

• French language training at Centre Culturel Français

• Continued learning English at ACE

Lym Ky

• Access Database Course

Other Activities

• In an effort to raise funds from the private sector the NAC has begun scanning issues of early journals which it provides to Cambodia-Web, which in turn makes the material available on the internet. In return the NAC receives financial support.

• Ms Lym Ky presented a paper at the Second Khmer Studies Symposium, held at the University of Phnom Penh in May 1999 regarding the collection and activities of the NAC.

• Mr. Peter Arfanis presented a paper at the annual Australian Society of Archivists Conference entitled, Archives at Risk: The National Archives of Cambodia and the Role of the Foreign Archivist. The conference was held in July 1999 in Brisbane.

Funding and Assistance

Funds received from the Australian and Swiss Embassies in 1998 were acquitted. The NAC now requires only minimal funding to continue its core activities. However, the plan to implement a microfilming project has the NAC looking for a major donor to provide the estimated $30,000 needed to set up the project. Operating costs for the following years will be covered by sales of copies of microfilm.

The Toyota Foundation provided funding for the entire 1999 year to cover the salary of Peter Arfanis and three other staff members, communication costs, conservation material, and travel. The NAC greatly appreciates the support of the Toyota Foundation, and looks forward to continued support for the year 2000.

BIEF provided $3750 to enable the NAC to undertake surveys of the situation of archives and record keeping in the provinces of Cambodia. In addition to the survey NAC staff provided training and guidance in records creation and management to provincial administrative staff. BIEF will also provide funds for the printing of information pamphlets regarding the NAC and to hold a National Seminar for government officials regarding records and archives management.

Conclusion

The NAC continues to make steady progress in the processing of its collections. The NAC now looks forward to expanding its activities and taking on larger responsibilities. The results achieved by the NAC over the last 4 years demonstrates that with the right support and guidance, the NAC will be able to achieve its long term goals.

October 1999

Introduction

Cambodia has a history of foreign domination, war, and social upheavals. It is also a society that has never placed considerable emphasis on history or the written word. Cambodia has a National Archives holding more than 2000 linear metres of documents. A creation from the French Colonial period, the majority of records, created by French Administrators reflect French activity. Following independence in 1953 the National Archives of Cambodia (NAC) had the opportunity to develop archives for its own purposes, to record Cambodian activities. However, international politics saw Cambodia head towards a path of destruction, to the point where society was smashed and memory virtually obliterated. Moncef Fakhfakh, states, "the situation of archives in every country is determined by a series of historical, political, economic, and social factors". This is certainly true of Cambodia.

This decade has seen Cambodia, with the assistance of the international community, begin a process of rapid redevelopment and reconstruction. On the fringes of this development the National Archives of Cambodia (NAC), with foreign aid, is doing work in describing and preserving its holdings. However, as is characteristic of many development projects in Cambodia, the impetus for aid largely is motivated by individual economic gain and the international aid community. There is very little collective will from within the country for preserving or using their nation's archives. In general, they do not perceive a risk to archives - it is you and I, archivists on the outside, who perceive this risk.

The preamble for this conference, in particular the session concerning risk, states;

Archives are at risk intellectually, physically and culturally. The challenges of economic rationalism and demands for accountability have underpinned the international process of re-defining and re-articulating archives, the profession, place and object.

This international RE-defining and RE-articulating poses the question of whether countries like Cambodia are part of this current international re-defining and re-articulating of archives, or are they only just starting to define and articulate? Have Cambodians ever in fact defined what archives means to them let alone how the rest of the world perceives archives?

As a foreigner working at the NAC, I was faced with the quandary of amalgamating my experiences and perceptions of archives in Australia into the Cambodian cultural context. I wasn't sure how Cambodians perceived archives and the risk to archives, and whether my belief in the purpose and cause of keeping archives and the archives profession was applicable in Cambodia. If Cambodians don't perceive the risk or indeed have yet to develop a definition of archives, why is this so? What factors in Cambodian society and history have contributed to archives being committed to such an insignificant status? What is my role as a foreign advisor in the development of the NAC?

Before dealing with these questions it is important to be aware of major periods of change in Cambodian history, which have influenced the development of archives and record keeping in Cambodia. Unfortunately, because of time and space, some of these issues and questions will be considered in detail more than others. I will spend most of the allocated time on present-day Cambodia and the development of archives and the profession in the context of international aid and development. 

Historical Background

Foreign domination, war, destruction, and crimes against humanity have characterized Cambodia’s history.

It begins from Cambodia’s demise during the 14^th Century of the Khmer Empire. The Khmer Empire, at its peak, extended across present day Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Following a series of invasions and wars with its neighbors, Cambodia, by the middle of the 19^th century, was in danger of being totally annexed by its neighbors. It had been reduced to a vassal state of Thailand and Vietnam. Records created during the Khmer Empire and its demise, consist mainly of Sanskrit and Khmer inscriptions, Royal Chronicles, which record major events concerning the Royal family, and palm leaf manuscripts containing religious texts. Early scholars, such as Moura, Coedes, and Aymonier considered these records to be poor instruments of information, in one case being described as "arid, dry and indigestible compilation, where abounds hiatuses, obscurities, and incoherence". The same scholars described Cambodians as having little chronological sense or a memory for dates. The only other sources of early Cambodian history consist of Chinese and missionary travel accounts. There was no concept of private property, common people did not record their dates of births, deaths or marriage. The written word was limited to the Royal court and religion. Cambodia could not be seen as society of extensive literature, science and education and thus the written record is not culturally inherent within Cambodia. Poor recording continued and the Khmer empire and it's monuments faded from Khmer consciousness until the arrival of the French.

The French took advantage of Cambodia’s vulnerable position in the 19^th century to make Cambodia a protectorate of France. A protectorate treaty was signed in 1863 ensuring that Cambodia would be defended from its ambitious neighbors. Within 25 years of the signing of this treaty, Cambodia, although officially a protectorate, resembled a colony, with the full administration of the country in the hands of the French Resident Superior. The whole administrative system was structured and managed by the French, with the Cambodian administration situated at a subordinate level. The French drafted new laws and judicial systems, introduced the concept of private property, created elaborate tax and financial procedures and, with it, the arrival of a method of recording information and records management in Cambodia. The NAC, first proposed in an Order issued on 19 October 1911, was established to deal with the growing volume of documents produced by the French bureaucracy. This order was not honored and the problem of dealing with the accumulation of records continued until the arrival of French Archivist Paul Boudet in 1917. Boudet devised a system for keeping archives and in 1918 structured archives and libraries in Indochina, to form a Central Archives and Library based in Hanoi, with the Cambodian Archives and Library service designated the role of collecting documents of the administration in Cambodia.

It was not until the final months of the Second World War, in March 1945, when Japan ousted the French Vichy government, that the first Cambodian was appointed to run the National Archives and Library. Conservator, Mak Ok was entrusted with this job until January 1946 when the French returned. In 1951 control of the NAC reverted to the Cambodian director, Pach Choeun. Up until then the NAC was controlled and developed by French personnel. It was a foreign concept to a society that had a vastly different notion of how a government operated, how a country was defined. A major exception in this colonial development of Cambodia was that traditional education in pagodas continued. The education system received little attention from the French. Only an elite group was able to benefit from higher education. The French portrayed Cambodia as an exotic destination defined by Angkor, Cambodia's religious structures. Very little Khmer literature was produced; Khmer historical works were virtually non existent; and only a handful of Khmer journals and newspapers titles were produced and these were monitored by French "Press Police".

Cambodia achieved full independence in 1953. King Norodom Sihanouk abdicated to become the Prime Minister of Cambodia. Later, with the Vietnam War in progress on Cambodia’s border, Cambodia adopted a position of neutrality, struggling to ward off US attempts to influence Cambodia to take its side in the war effort. Eventually, the Prime Minister was ousted in a coup to be replaced by the US backed leader, Lon Nol, but this did not stop the carpet bombing of Cambodia by US B52 bombers.

The NAC continued to operate but was struggling. As occurred in many other former colonies, government administration had not adapted to independence smoothly. The staff at the NAC had not been prepared enough to take over the responsibilities of managing the nation’s archives. A ministerial circular, released on 4 May, 1954, which provided basic instructions for preparing documents to be sent to the NAC declared that the NAC was experiencing difficulties and lack trained staff. The noticeable paucity of records transferred from the ministries, despite the issuing of the circular, to the NAC was further proof that the NAC did not have the strength or support to fulfil its duties. Until 1975, judging by what few records were classified, there appears to have been little attempt to revise the classification used during the French period. A law establishing a legal depository, enacted on 21 June 1956, seemed to have been more effective with a steady stream of material deposited at the National Library. Milton Osborne's account of using the archives in 1966, is also less than flattering. He recounts the difficulty he had in finding documents and how he eventually resorted to looking through the files on the desks of the staff and opening boxes randomly with the hope of finding what he wanted.

Cambodia's independent identity was only beginning to emerge when the Vietnam War destabilized Cambodia. The US bombings of Cambodia contributed to the rise of the Khmer Rouge (Red Khmer) which conducted a three and half year period of genocide and crimes against humanity. During the Khmer rouge period society was obliterated, its infrastructure demolished, knowledge and intelligence bludgeoned from sight. The holdings of the National Archives and Library were thrown into disorder. The catalogue cards were dislodged and some destroyed, books and files scattered around the premises. However, contrary to popular belief, the holdings were not targeted for deliberate destruction and a large percentage of the holdings managed to survive. The same could not be said for files kept in the ministries. The majority were lost during the Khmer Rouge period, and perhaps after it, creating a large gap in Cambodia’s archives for the period 1950-1974. Strangely, this cruel regime were meticulous record keepers, to the point that they recorded details of, and photographed the victims they tortured and executed. They set out to establish a new order and rewrite history, using their documents to record and justify their activities.

In 1979 the Vietnamese intervened to oust the Khmer Rouge and occupy Cambodia. For the next 10 years, Cambodia, with the assistance of eastern block countries, attempted to restore some order back to their shattered country. Cambodia, because of its relationship with these countries, was isolated by the west. The west instead, preferred to support the coalition guerilla group that included the Khmer Rouge, which was waging a civil war against the Cambodian Government on the Thai-Cambodian border.

Only two of the original staff from the National Archives and Library returned to work. The new socialist government of Cambodia appointed new staff, none with archives or library experience, to the NAC. With some technical support from Vietnamese archivists and material support from the Soviet Union, the staff attempted the mammoth task of putting the National Archives and Library back on its feet. The support from their new allies was minimal and progress was slow. However, during this period a considerable number of Government circulars and orders, inspired by Vietnamese officials and shrouded in communist phrases and terminology, were issued about preserving documents and cultural artifacts for the development of Cambodia's national identity. There had never before been such strongly worded statements regarding the importance of Archives for Cambodia. For example, the introduction to the directive from the Cambodian People's Revolutionary Party, issued on 15^th May 1986, declared,

....we have a shortage of experts, material and means of caring for all records. We have to raise the spirit of caring for archives. In this meaning the care of letters and documents is a serious and urgent duty"

The Vietnamese withdrew from Cambodia in 1989, a new constitution was enacted, and private ownership of land reinstated. A person's or family's place of abode at the time the law was changed became their own property. No claims to ownership of property owned prior to 1979 could be made. Cambodia prepared itself to become an open market economy. In 1991 the United Nations with 22,000 personnel from around the world came marching into Cambodia to bring peace and install democracy in Cambodia and put it on the path of rapid redevelopment in order that it take its place amongst the open market economies of the world. Elections were held in 1993, under the auspices of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), and another new constitution enacted.

Cambodia is now the recipient of millions of dollars worth of aid each year. Over two hundred international Non Government Organizations (NGO), with personnel from around the world applying a myriad of development theories, are attempting to change Cambodia to fit a vision the developed world can see as being acceptable. This involves work in sectors ranging from rural development to the trafficking in women and children, and incorporates concepts such as democracy, good governance, gender, and human rights.

The written word is still given little importance in Cambodia, although the situation is slowing changing. Currently, the written law in Cambodia has little meaning to the individual or to the state. It does not ensure the people of their rights, nor does it make them accountable for their actions. It is rarely used as evidence in a Cambodian court of law. "The very notion of rule of law largely escapes a people who have generalized the patron-client relationship to such an extent as to create a system of which nepotism, favoritism and misappropriation of public funds are the principle characteristics". Those few laws that have been passed in Cambodia recently have been formulated and passed as a precondition for receiving financial and technical aid from foreign donors. The laws tend to be poorly formulated and not applied once passed. They become just words on paper. This of course weakens the importance of archives to society and they remain simply sources of history to an interested few.

The supreme written text of most countries is their constitution. There have been six different constitutions enacted in Cambodia since 1953 - not amendments, but entirely new constitutions. These constitutions do not act as the guiding principles of Khmer society. There is no equivalent to the French declaration of Human Rights, the British Magna Carta, or the American Constitution and where there has been a struggle to uphold the words that those documents contain. There has never been a corresponding commitment on the part of Cambodians to uphold the rights embodied in their own constitutions.

This is the context in which the NAC operates and the foreign advisor must understand.

I arrived in Cambodia to work at the NAC in July 1995. I went as a volunteer to work alongside my new colleagues. My colleagues saw me as the expert. I never considered myself as an expert and still don't, but by placing this title on me they indicated to me what they perceived my presence in Cambodia to be. For me I was there as much to receive experience as I was to impart it in what I envisaged to be a sort of cultural exchange, a collaborative effort to improve archives administration in Cambodia.

At the time of my arrival the NAC had only two typewriters - one French and the other Khmer, no electricity, no running water, low staff moral, high absenteeism. There was no archive legislation and only a few dozen boxes of documents had been transferred to the archives since 1979. Fifteen years of work amounted to about 20% of the French period documents being listed, but not appraised, nor classified. Most of these documents are financial documents used to prepare annual budgets and will probably be disposed of later. Documents of value from the same period had been left untouched to gather dust, on the third floor, an area where staff ventured only when necessary. Carefully typed lists had been prepared of official journals, magazines and other printed material, including a large quantity of books, with no relevance to Cambodia, that were donated to the National Archives and Library during the 1960s and later in the 1980s. Very few people used the archives.

My first year at the NAC was spent sitting on the third floor of the repository alone, or sometimes with one of the staff, or outside the building wondering if anyone would turn up to work. Being patient is extremely important. To rush in and try to change things quickly would have only distanced myself further from the staff, some of who, at the beginning, were suspicious of my intentions. It did provide me with the time to develop a relationship and gain trust, and to learn from my Cambodian colleagues. Also, to understand the Khmer decision making process, the hierarchical system, the patron-client relationships, the language, and, in particular, recognizing the difficulty in finding the Khmer words to express concepts that we have created our own specific vocabulary for. Looking back I think that this was the most important step in my role as advisor and to try to understand the situation of the NAC, the staff, and decide how I should deal with this situation.

Reforming archives and records management in Cambodia is not simply a matter of attempting to prove that archives develops national identity, or improves efficiency in government administration, especially when inefficiency is the norm, and the civil servant has little reason to be efficient. Nor is it only about writing proposals to receive funding from outside institutions to purchase materials and equipment, or to conduct short workshops on the principles of archives management to staff. These processes have little value if time is not made to understand the context in which you work. There are other issues that need to be dealt with. The reality is that the NAC staff is paid $10-15 dollars a month. It isn’t enough to live on, and therefore they must take on other work, preventing them dedicating their time to their government positions. Staff are not promoted on merit, but on loyalty to their patron and party. Lower level staff can not show initiative or take responsibilities otherwise they embarrass their superiors. Consequently, there is little motivation or incentive to do more than is absolutely needed. Compounding this problem is the fact that the NAC staff did not choose to be archivists. They were placed in the NAC during the 1980s under the socialist regime. In our countries we can decide to be archivists, we are stimulated by the work, we have a profession which we see as being important, and the result is we advocate and create awareness of issues concerning archives.

Given this context what is the role of the foreign advisor in Cambodia and how can she/he be most effective? While foreign dollars have enabled some good to be done in the areas of library, archives, and museum development, they are only short term. A "cargo cult" mentality is beginning to develop in Cambodia where the recipients expect more than just a foreign advisor. They expect salary supplements, computers, mobile phones and other status symbols . Development projects tend not to be sustainable. When the foreign organizations or personnel pull out the project stops, equipment is not maintained, key staff look for better paying jobs outside the public sector, and eventually the work that was done collapses. This is a possible scenario for the NAC and it has happened at the National Library. Furthermore, any reforms to the government, in particular public administration, usually are initiated by an aid organization that is looking for quick results using concepts from their own countries, and lack participation and consultation with their counterparts.

Here are three examples to illustrate some of the problems that can arise.

The National Library of Cambodia (NLC)

The NLC has been the recipient of technical, material, and financial assistance since the late 1980s. Predominant amongst these has been technical training for staff and book donations from abroad. Well intentioned donations of tonnes of books from Australia, the U.S. and other countries has only served to slow down the progress of the NLC. Nearly, every book is printed in a language other than Khmer, and would not be considered a priority even in our own libraries let alone the NLC. Unfortunately, many of the books are out of date, country specific, and useless. People send books to Cambodia that they no longer need themselves. The cataloguing of books by staff is extremely slow and in many cases inaccurate, because of language difficulties. Thousands of books and magazines are piled up on the floors of the library, untouched because the staff cannot prioritize nor remove them from the library since these books are gifts from abroad. Large sums of money had been spent to ship those books to Cambodia, and little effort was made between the donor and the recipient to ascertain what the NLC actually needed. The donor did not understand the context in which the NLC operated, and the NLC did not have the experience or power to inform the donor.

To add to the problems of the NLC, four of the most experienced staff, including the director (the only one with a recognized library qualification) have left the NLC to take up better paying jobs with NGOs. With little ministerial support, low salaries and families to take care of, they were forced to leave. There have been a number of overseas volunteers who have worked at the NLC. All made great contributions but their length of time was too short, there had been no continuity between each placement. Each person bought with them a different approach.

In 1995 the French Embassy funded a project to renovate a wing of the NLC to store rare books from the French period. Windows were sealed, a mezzanine level built, and air-conditioners installed. The NLC building was originally designed for maximum air circulation. Closing the windows and adding the mezzanine level created an unsuitable environment for storing books, consequently, creating a need for expensive artificial environmental control. The donors had been warned by an experienced conservator not to go ahead with the project. The project went ahead and for the last three years these books have been stored in hot conditions because the NLC does not have the money to run or maintain their air-conditioners. The project was based on a number of false assumptions and was not sustainable.

United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Public Administration Reform.

Eight million dollars was set aside for this program in which a small component involved creating a records management system. It was implemented through the Council of Ministers, under which the NAC operates. The solution put forward by the highly paid consultant, who was flown in especially to set up the system, was to put in place an electronic, centralized records management system to be tested at the Council of Ministers.

Information technology and communications, is a very recent introduction to Cambodia. Its growth has been extremely rapid, largely because it is promoted by the international community, which has had long exposure to it and has seen it at work in other societies. Cambodians have had little time to fully understand the scope of this technology, and the implications it has for themselves and society. As a result they accept what is thrown up before them.

The majority of computers used by civil servants run either English or French language versions of Microsoft programs. So for those who cannot read or speak these languages it is very difficult to learn to use a computer, but to their credit many manage to get a grip of the basics. Khmer language fonts are installed on these computers in order that documents can be typed in Khmer. There are a number of different versions of Khmer fonts, none compatible with each other. If a document is created using one version and then opened on a computer using a font devised by a different company there will be errors in the document. A standardized font for Khmer has yet to be developed. Future access to documents created with this software will be difficult, as these fonts will no doubt become obsolete in the future when a standardized coding system is created for Khmer.

Besides the technical problems of computerization, installing a network of computers to run a records management and communications system requires skilled staff to maintain the system. There are very few skilled IT people in the government sector. People with good computer skills tend to find work in the private sector. Computer hardware is expensive, and the government does not have the funds to repair and upgrade their equipment when necessary and, as a result, the system breaks down and is left abandoned.

Not only were none of these issues addressed by the consultant, the NAC was never even made aware of the project. UNDP officials worked through the Secretary of State at the Council of Ministers, who is the very person that the NAC reports to. A link between the NAC and the public administration program was never made! The absence of long term technical support and vision, a preference to quick and expensive solutions, and the lack of communication between individuals and organizations is a very common occurrence in the area of aid and development around the world. 

The National Museum

The National Museum has also been the recipient of aid since the late 1980s, and early 1990s when cultural aid was in fashion. One particular example relates to the UNDP project mentioned above. A number of volunteers have worked at the Museum to develop a database of the Museum collection using an English version of the Microsoft program, Access. The descriptions were done in French, English, and Khmer (using an ear