ABSTRACT
Khemera Sambath was born near the end of the French Colonial era. He received nearly all his schooling inside a system designed by the French. He came from a wealthy family that rented boats to villagers wanting to sell produce downriver. This wealth endured throughout Sambath's life. Today, Sambath is a respected layman managing the affairs of the local pagoda. His biography shows how generational privilege can persist despite massive changes to the socio-political structures of life. It also shows how the pagoda has been partly privatized, like schools, and contributes to both the production and alleviation of social ills.
