Pol Pot, genocidal maniac that he was, had people who worked in arts and crafts executed because they were merely artifacts of the worst corruption of Western society, the desire to spend one's days on non-essential "artistic" pursuits. As a result of these bizarre policies, Cambodia now has a shortage of trained artists and craftspersons.
The French are helping with this problem, through schools like the one shown here. These young women are at a silk farm on the outskirts of Siem Reap, learning to harvest silk and process it into salable items of clothing and decoration. A similar school in Siem Reap teaches sculpture to young Cambodians.
After a year or two at these schools, the young men and women can return to their villages and pass their newly acquired skills on to others. Eventually, this process will reverse the erosion of these skills that Pol Pot caused.
A similar project has helped restore the tradition of apsara dancing.