Ministry of Culture Reacts to Thailand on Intangible Cultural Heritage

Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts on Wednesday issued a statement to clarify to a recent Thai media’s reports over Thai Culture Ministry’s seeking to add its classicaldance and shadow theatre into UNESCO’s intangible heritage list.

This reaction has been responded to the recent article in the Nation on August 12, 2011 referring to the listing of Cambodian intangible cultural heritage into UNESCO’s List.

The statement said Cambodia currently has two items originally Proclaimed as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Royal Ballet of Cambodia proclaimed in 2003 and Sbek Thom or Khmer Shadow Theater proclaimed in 2005.

Those items were carved in stone during the Angkor period from the 9th to 15th centuries, the statement said.

The Royal Ballet of Cambodia has a repertoire of sacred dance closely associated with the royal court for over a thousand years. This repertoire includes not only Cambodian version of the Ramayana, but also the Apsara, derived from the Sanskrit word meaning celestial dancer. While Sbek Thom adorns Khmer temple, especially at the Angkor, attesting to the existence and significance of these art forms even at that time, said the statement.

Source – Khmer HotNews Post