regional centers

Nearly all Khmer Loeu are animist, and their cosmologies are intertwined with the natural world.[107] Some forests are believed to be inhabited by local spirits, and local taboos forbid cutting in those areas.[108] Within spirit forests, certain natural features such as rock formations, waterfalls, pools, and vegetation are sacred.[109] Major sacrificial festivals in Ratanakiri occur during March and April, when fields are selected and prepared for the new planting season.[110] Christian missionaries are present in the province, and some Khmer Loeu have converted to Christianity.[111] The region's ethnic Khmer are Buddhist.[112] There is also a small Muslim community, consisting mainly of ethnic Cham.[113]

Because of the province's high prevalence of malaria and its distance from regional centers, Ratanakiri was isolated from Western influences until the late 20th century.[36] Major cultural shifts have occurred in recent years however, particularly in villages near roads and district towns; these changes have been attributed to contact with internal immigrants, government officials, and NGO workers.[114] Clothing and diets are becoming more standardized, and traditional music is being displaced by Khmer music.[114] Many villagers have also observed a loss of respect for elders and a growing divide between the young and the old.[114] Young people have begun to refuse to abide by traditional rules and have stopped believing in spirits.[114]
[edit] References
[edit] Notes

1. ^ "General Population Census of Cambodia 2008 - Provisional population totals" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics, Ministry of Planning. 3 September 2008. http://www.stat.go.jp/english/info/meetings/cambodia/pdf/pre_rep1.pdf.
2. ^ Alternative spellings include រតនៈគិរី, រតនគីរី, and រតនៈគីរី.
3. ^ "Settlement and agriculture in and adjacent to Virachey National Park", p. 5; Stark, p. 96.
4. ^ a b c Indigenous Peoples: Ethnic Minorities and Poverty Reduction, pp. 6–7.
5. ^ Indigenous Peoples: Ethnic Minorities and Poverty Reduction, pp. 6–7; "Settlement and agriculture in and adjacent to Virachey National Park", p. 5.
6. ^ "International Boundary Study No. 32", p. 4.gold price predictions
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