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, which operates a massive network of educational institutions across Cambodia, including: BELTEI International School
Unlike today, where children learn Taekwondo or Karate in sterile dojangs, the Cambodia of the 1940s and 50s was a hotbed of indigenous fighting systems. Before the civil war, there were two main streams of Khmer fighting:
When the Vietnamese army invaded Cambodia in 1979 and ousted the Khmer Rouge, Ly Chheng emerged from the forest weighing just 40 kilograms (88 pounds). His wife had been killed in a forced march. Of the 40 Bokator masters he knew before the war, Ly Chheng believed only five remained alive. ly chheng biography
Today, Ly Chheng continues to work at DC-Cam, though he has begun training a younger generation of archivists. He is teaching them how to handle brittle paper, how to scan faded ink, and how to interview aging survivors before their memories go silent.
In the shadow of the mighty Angkor Wat, a martial art was born over a thousand years ago. Known as Bokator (or Labokator ), this close-combat system was the backbone of the Khmer Empire’s military might. However, during the dark days of the Khmer Rouge regime (1975–1979), this ancient art was nearly erased from history. Masters were executed, manuscripts were burned, and those who survived were forced to hide their skills to avoid being labeled "feudal" or "intellectual." , which operates a massive network of educational
Chheng has testified at the ECCC as a factual and expert witness. During one cross-examination, a defense lawyer suggested the documents could have been forged. Chheng responded calmly: "I was there. I held the paper. The paper does not lie. Only people lie."
H.E. Dr. Ly Chheng is a distinguished Cambodian entrepreneur, educator, and political figure. He is best known as the , a leading private educational conglomerate in Cambodia. In addition to his business success, he serves as a Member of the National Assembly for Phnom Penh and an advisor to the Council of Ministers. Early Life and Education Of the 40 Bokator masters he knew before
He was not a general. He was not a king. He was a Kru (teacher). And in Cambodia, the teacher who saves the culture is worth more than any king.
Dr. Ly Chheng’s journey is one of immense perseverance. Like many of his generation, he lived through Cambodia's darkest periods, including the Pol Pot regime (1975–1979) . His personal experiences during the war—including a serious injury in April 1975 that left him unconscious—instilled in him a profound desire to build a peaceful and prosperous future for his country through the power of knowledge.