The country is like a labyrinth, and this book explores several entrances. The first such entrance opens onto the agrarian question. Another reveals the lines along which the Khmer organize their political life. Yet a third looks into the interplay between the big powers' political games and internal problems. Finally, the relationship between the Vietnamese and Khmer communists provides another view into the corridors of power.
Events are multi-faceted.
The essays contained in this book try to reveal a number of the facets so that the reader can appreciate the labyrinthine nature of the Cambodian experience. But there is no final word, no hidden truth at the end. That would require entering all the gates of the labyrinth at the same time. Cambodia is a complex society with a complex history. This book upholds a complex approach as the only way to encounter the reality of the Cambodian experience.