Oknha: the royal envoy of the Khmer Empire

In premodern times, Oknha were envoys appointed by the king, who were expected to perform a wide variety of duties, take elaborate oaths of loyalty, and present the monarch with regular gifts. Oknha was one of the noble titles, above Preah (ព្រះ [prĕəh]) and below Neak Oknha (អ្នកឧកញ៉ា [nĕəʔ ʔokɲaː]).^[3]

The term is used as such in modern Khmer inscriptions found in Angkor, such inscription IMA 9 dating back to 1539 and recalling the good deeds of "uk-na Samarasangram".^[4]

Royal title created by the Oudong monarchy (17th–19th century)

The title Oknha was used during the 18th century to replace the title Ponhea (ពញា [pɔɲiə]), which could be translated as Phraya (พญา) in Thai. The title "Oknha" was transformed into Thai as Okya (ออกญา) by the Ayutthaya Kingdom. The word Oknha is referred to as Ốc nha (屋牙) in ancient Vietnamese records.

Oknha Yomreach was a Cambodian officer, who played an important role in Cambodian politics in the late 18th century, fighting against the Vietnamese, the Cham and eventually becoming a governor under Siamese suzerainty.

In 1859, Oknha Ponhea Him, a prominent and influential person, known as Tuan Him in both Khmer and Cham sources, rose in rebellion against King Ang Duong, uniting more than a thousand Chams and Malays against the king.^[5]

Modern title for the new elite of Cambodia: (1993–present)

Since the reestablishment of the monarchy in Cambodia in 1993, Oknha has been restored as the highest title bestowed on civilians, exclusively non-royalty, by the Cambodian king.

Since 2010, the increase in the number of Oknhas has reflected the growing prosperity of a fortunate segment of Cambodia's population.

With a growing number of title-holders have come a growing number of scandals linked to various Oknha, often criticized for using their influence to avoid justice.^[6]

In August 2019, Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered members of the military and police forces who hold the honorary Oknha title to choose between their state positions or private titles in a bid to maintain the good reputation of the government;^[7] the majority of them decided to give up their tycoon titles and continue to serve the Khmer nation.

While some Oknhas have broken the news with scandal ranging from rape^[8] to land grabbing^[9] and picking on ethnic minorities,^[10] many others continue to display a great generosity, as in helping to provide vaccines during the coronavirus epidemic through significant donations.^[11]

Today, the Chamber of Commerce of Phnom Penh is known as the Oknha Club.^[12] Scholars have described the politics of awarding and receiving the Oknha title as an "elite pact", an expression of the reciprocal relationship between the Cambodian business elite and the Cambodian People's Party leadership,^[13] while others have seen it as a positive recognition of the emergence of new Cambodian leadership after many years of civil war and foreign intrusion.^[14]

The Cambodian Oknha Association (COA) was legally registered with the Ministry of Interior on 25 October 2022. It aims to maintain and enhance the supremacy of the title of Oknha and join the Royal Government in the country's socio-economic development, and social and humanitarian activities.^[15] In 2021, the Cambodian government prescribed a uniform for Oknhas to wear on ceremonial occasions.^[16]