Cambodian avatars pray to spirits for rain, peace with Thailand

PHNOM PENH – Wearing leaf skirts and with brightly painted faces depicting mythical spirits, Cambodian revellers danced through village streets on May 21, praying to an ancient guardian for rain, good fortune and peace with neighbouring Thailand.

The two countries agreed to a fragile ceasefire in December 2025 after two rounds of border clashes killed dozens of people.

Both countries still have military forces stationed along their disputed frontier, with the two sides trading accusations of truce violations.

“We don’t want any more war. We want it to end. So we pray to the guardian spirit Pring Ka-Ek to make sure our troops at the front line stay safe,” said Mr Tum Vannak, 24, whose face was painted to represent the mythical giant.

“We get whatever we ask for from him, so we celebrate the festival every year,” he told AFP.

Residents of Phum Boeung village on the outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh, said they have been marking the occasion for generations.

A few hundred people on May 21 joined a parade through the village to the shrine of Pring Ka-Ek.

With black-and-white stripes painted across his face and chest, and his teeth painted with black nail polish, Mr Sem Pov, 30, joined the procession on horseback, saying the crowd was praying for “a lot of rain so our crops and rice will be abundant”.

Among the crowd, a group of boys used charcoal residue from a cooking pot to paint themselves black, drawing inspiration from local folklore, while women dressed in elegant traditional clothing.

Several men beat drums hung from their shoulders, and others carried a large prop knife to represent the weapon of slain warriors carried by their spirits as they marched.

Ms Ath Srey Oun, 22, lit incense sticks and knelt before the shrine, its front filled with plates of fruit, soft drink bottles and other offerings.

“I prayed and asked the spirit to make sure our Cambodia does not have war,” she said. AFP