Cambodia
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Cambodia is a country in Southeast Asia between Thailand and Vietnam and where about 95% of the people consider themselves Buddhists. Animism, Brahmanism and Mahāyāna were the main religions in Cambodia until Theravāda Buddhism became dominant during the 13th and 14th centuries mainly due to missionary Mon monks from Burma and Thailand. Cambodian Buddhism was severely disrupted by the communist regime of Pol Pot in the 1970’s when most monasteries were destroyed and monks were killed or fled abroad. Cambodia’s greatest ancient monument, Angkor Wat, is often said to be Buddhist. It is in fact Brahmanical, although it has been used as a Buddhist temple for several centuries.
Cambodian Buddhism, Ian Harris, 2005.
