18th August, 2011
Subject: A proposal or even an attempt to have a joint registration of classical dances and grand shadow with UNESCO by Cambodia and Thailand
Two schools of thoughts exist in this controversy:
1) Thailand is very unscrupulous and quite bold in demanding to be part of the registration of something that only Cambodia can claim to have the total right for registration with UNESCO. Therefore, joint registration is not welcomed.
2) History has shown and the world has known for so many years that Thailand adopted undeniably a lot of Cambodian culture, tradition, dances, rituals, alphabets and words, etc. as theirs. In addition through years of territorial conquest, many Cambodians are now living in Thailand as Thai citizens. It is certainly an honor that a country such as Thailand who usually looks down on Cambodians and Cambodia to finally confess without shame that what they are so proud of is indeed belonging to Cambodia.
I tend to lean towards option 2 since there is no need to fight over ownership as everyone in the world knows clearly who is the actual owner of the classical dances and grand shadow.
Having said that I will not and absolutely not accept the joint registration of Preah Vihear with Thailand.
If Cambodia has to go to war to defend Preah Vihear and its surrounding area and there is no other ways to solve the problem and the Thais want shared ownership of Preah Vihear, then we go to war!
We love peace and stability since we have known what wars can do to society, but we will not rest still and allow Thailand to steal from us while we are still watching no matter how poor and weak we are still.
You can call our tradition, culture, dances, language yours since you love them too much and have none, but you will not take even one inch of our land!
Anet Khmer
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Anonymous said...
Cultural identity is paramount to the existence of a nation. Cambodia has a very unique and distinctive culture. It must not be shared with other nations, but we can do nothing if they steal it from us, but we should not voluntarily consider a joint inscription because Cambodian culture will lose its significance and identity as it will be absorbed by the dominant Thai culture which is a copy of the Khmer culture.
Thailand had tried all sorts of methods to outsmart Cambodia and the Khmer people. First, it used forced to occupy Preah Vihear temple in 1954. Cambodia took Thailand to ICJ and Thailand lost, then it wanted to have a joint inscription of Preah Vihear temple- Thailand wants Cambodia's cake- in 2008. When that failed, it against used force to occupy the temple's vicinity. Now, there are reports that Thailand wanted to register the "jeeb hand position" of an ancient Cambodian traditional dance. When Cambodia presented strong evidence, like carvings on the walls of ancient temples, Thailand now turned around and said it wanted a joint inscription of that dance. Cambodia must stand firm not to agree to a joint inscription as we will lose our cultural and national identity.
Subject: A proposal or even an attempt to have a joint registration of classical dances and grand shadow with UNESCO by Cambodia and Thailand
Two schools of thoughts exist in this controversy:
1) Thailand is very unscrupulous and quite bold in demanding to be part of the registration of something that only Cambodia can claim to have the total right for registration with UNESCO. Therefore, joint registration is not welcomed.
2) History has shown and the world has known for so many years that Thailand adopted undeniably a lot of Cambodian culture, tradition, dances, rituals, alphabets and words, etc. as theirs. In addition through years of territorial conquest, many Cambodians are now living in Thailand as Thai citizens. It is certainly an honor that a country such as Thailand who usually looks down on Cambodians and Cambodia to finally confess without shame that what they are so proud of is indeed belonging to Cambodia.
I tend to lean towards option 2 since there is no need to fight over ownership as everyone in the world knows clearly who is the actual owner of the classical dances and grand shadow.
Having said that I will not and absolutely not accept the joint registration of Preah Vihear with Thailand.
If Cambodia has to go to war to defend Preah Vihear and its surrounding area and there is no other ways to solve the problem and the Thais want shared ownership of Preah Vihear, then we go to war!
We love peace and stability since we have known what wars can do to society, but we will not rest still and allow Thailand to steal from us while we are still watching no matter how poor and weak we are still.
You can call our tradition, culture, dances, language yours since you love them too much and have none, but you will not take even one inch of our land!
Anet Khmer
-----------------------------------
Anonymous said...
Cultural identity is paramount to the existence of a nation. Cambodia has a very unique and distinctive culture. It must not be shared with other nations, but we can do nothing if they steal it from us, but we should not voluntarily consider a joint inscription because Cambodian culture will lose its significance and identity as it will be absorbed by the dominant Thai culture which is a copy of the Khmer culture.
Thailand had tried all sorts of methods to outsmart Cambodia and the Khmer people. First, it used forced to occupy Preah Vihear temple in 1954. Cambodia took Thailand to ICJ and Thailand lost, then it wanted to have a joint inscription of Preah Vihear temple- Thailand wants Cambodia's cake- in 2008. When that failed, it against used force to occupy the temple's vicinity. Now, there are reports that Thailand wanted to register the "jeeb hand position" of an ancient Cambodian traditional dance. When Cambodia presented strong evidence, like carvings on the walls of ancient temples, Thailand now turned around and said it wanted a joint inscription of that dance. Cambodia must stand firm not to agree to a joint inscription as we will lose our cultural and national identity.
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