PHNOM PENH: Cambodia will celebrate the 28th National Culture Day beginning on Wednesday (March 3). The day aims to celebrate the rich tapestry of culture handed down by previous generations of Khmer ancestors.
In the face of aggressive attacks from neighbouring Thailand, this year’s day serves as an important reminder to the youth of their duty to protect the nation and maintain a patriotic spirit, said a March 1 statement from Prime Minister Hun Manet.
National Culture Day was established in 2006 to express gratitude to the ancestors of modern Cambodia, as well as to inspire a patriotic conscience and to encourage young people to participate in protecting, preserving and promoting the cultural heritage, arts, customs, traditions and other ancestral legacies that constitute the national identity of every Khmer citizen.
“In the spirit of high attention to the protection, preservation, and enhancement of this noble national culture and civilisation, especially during this difficult time when our nation has suffered aggressive warfare against its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and cultural heritage sites along the Cambodia-Thailand border have been severely damaged, the government has decided to organise the 28th National Culture Day on March 3,” he said.
“The theme 'Youth for National Culture' highlights the essential duty of the succeeding generation of youth to protect, conserve and develop our culture sustainably and inclusively,” he added.
Manet explained that the theme aims to promote patriotic consciousness, ownership of cultural heritage, and citizenship in a civilised society, endowed with morality, equity and inclusivity, in order to ensure social harmony, dignity and national prestige, and to contribute to building Cambodia.
He added that all Cambodian people, especially the youth, must participate as a driving force in protecting, promoting and developing the national culture, including the diverse cultures of indigenous communities in Cambodia, to ensure their stability, longevity and prosperity, regardless of political tendencies, beliefs, religions, skin colour or ethnicity.
According to his circular, this year's National Culture Day celebrations will take place from March 3 until the Khmer Traditional New Year in mid-April.
During this period, government institutions at the national and sub-national level will organise programmes and activities, both practically well as on social media and through media outlets, to disseminate work related to conservation, promotion and sustainable development.
King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk have issued royal messages to mark the occasion.
“We celebrate National Culture Day together to promote a patriotic consciousness imbued with morality, aiming to ensure social harmony, dignity and national prestige,” said his majesty.
The Queen Mother shared her appreciation for the leadership of the government, both in the current and preceding mandates, for securing hard-won peace as well as for the restraint they are showing while dealing with the current border conflict. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
