12/16/2004

Traditional Phnong dwellings like this one are still common in Mondulkiri, but they are beginning to give way to more permanent Cambodian style houses built of wood. The motorcycle in the photo is a perfect example of how the unique aspects of Phnong life are changing fast.

The traditional life of the Phnong, the hill people who live off what they grow and gather in the deep forests along the border between Cambodia and Vietnam, faces threats from modernization, land development and tourism. Refugees International is calling for the establishment of a cultural center to preserve the Phnong's rapidly disappearing language, living patterns and knowledge of the forest.