Buddhist Anniversary poster (Khmer, distributed in Phnom Penh)

A Khmer-language poster with a colour photograph of two saffron-robed monks standing on a stepped temple approach beside a carved multi-headed naga balustrade. The headline marks the 2,500th year of Buddhism in Cambodia. A closing text says the people of the U.S.A. offer Buddhists and all the people of Cambodia wishes for long life, beauty, happiness, strength and prosperity. The tell is transfer: goodwill toward a religious anniversary is attached to the United States as the sender.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Glittering generalitiesTransfer

Date

April 23, 1957

Period

Cold War

Made by

U.S. Information Agency (predecessor: State Department International Information and Educational Exchange Program), Propaganda Posters Distributed in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East series

Region

North America

Country

United States

Medium

Poster

Issuer type

State

Regime

Eisenhower Administration

Leader

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Audience

Foreign public

Purpose

Commemorate

Theme

Religion

Event

Cold War

Source

Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are

Source

U.S. National Archives (NARA), Record Group 306, Asia/LatAm/Mid-East posters, retrieved October 4, 2026

Rights

Public domain (U.S. government work; NARA RG 306)
U.S. Information Agency / Department of State, April 23, 1957. National Archives, Record Group 306 (NAID 6948944, 306-PPB-94).

ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា
បុណ្យគំរប់ ២៥០០ វស្សា
នៃ
ព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនា

[small caption beneath photograph, illegible]

នៅក្នុងឱកាសគំរប់ ២៥០០ វស្សានៃព្រះពុទ្ធសាសនា, ប្រជារាស្ត្រនៃស.រ.អា. សូមប្ញងស្នងឲ្យពុទ្ធបរិសទ្ទាំងឡាយ និងប្រជារាស្ត្រទាំងអស់នៃប្រទេសកម្ពុជា បានប្រកបដោយ អាយុ វណ្ណៈ សុខៈ ពលៈ និងសេចក្តីចំរើន ជាងរាបតរៀងទៅ ។

Cambodia: celebration of the 2,500th year of Buddhism. On the occasion of the 2,500th year of Buddhism, the people of the U.S.A. wish the Buddhist community and all the people of Cambodia long life, beauty, happiness, strength and prosperity for ever after.