Unwriting Empire: Decolonizing Khmer Language, Literature, and Cultural Memory

Abstract

This study examines the enduring effects of French colonialism on Cambodia’s literary and linguistic systems, demonstrating how language policy, cultural hierarchies, education, and archival authority influenced the country’s intellectual and cultural identity. The research identifies how colonial governance prioritized Eurocentric models and marginalized indigenous traditions through a critical examination of historical sources, literary works, and policy documents. The conversation explores various modes of reclamation and resistance, including the diaspora’s cultural activities, postcolonial writers' contributions, the preservation of folk poetry, and the role of educational activism in reclaiming narrative agency. The results highlight the continuous and complex nature of decolonial recovery, which requires both interdisciplinary cooperation and indigenous leadership. The study finds that to ensure the persistence and evolution of Cambodia's cultural heritage in the postcolonial era, sustainable cultural renewal necessitates incorporating indigenous knowledge systems into policy, pedagogy, and cultural output.