Prime Minister Urges Training of Traditional Wisemen – Thursday, 23.7.2009

Posted on 24 July 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 622
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

Note

We would like to mirror an article originally written and published in Khmer in Deum Ampil – but two pages in English were also included there, which we mirror here. Even though the arrangement of the paragraphs of this article in Khmer and in English is a bit different, both articles still keep the same content. Below is the original English version of the article from Deum Ampil:

“Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday urged both the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the Ministry of Cults and Religion to train traditional Khmer wisemen. These respected and revered semi-mystic figures are experts in Khmer culture and folklore, and are an integral part of the many religious ceremonies that form much of the practice of Khmer Buddhism.

“This is not the first time the premier has asked authorities to train Wisemen, known in Khmer as Ajar [ អាចារ្យ ]. He also raised the topic recently during a speech in Kandal province.

“‘The wiseman tradition is in deep crisis in our country so that training Wisemen should be arranged by having teachers,’ Hun Sen said at the close of the National Forum of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts at Chaktomuk Hall.

“‘This is not an insignificant issue we have to think about because in the future the number of wisemen in our country will decrease,’ the premier added. ‘Some say that Hun Sen thinks about small thinks like this wiseman crisis, but it is a big story so we all must rethink.’

“The premier urged both ministries to arrange programs of training wisemen.

“‘In one year, if we have 5,000 weddings, we also need 5,000 wisemen, so our need for these people is very crucial,’ the PM stated. Criticizing the influx of foreign influences into traditional Khmer ceremonies, the premier remarked that ‘the cake cutting ceremony held at wedding parties is not our traditional manner, it is foreign culture and manners.’

“At the same time, the premier urged Cambodian artists, especially writers, to hone their craft and to try to use more locally relevant themes. ‘If they are able to do so, copying foreign stories should not be allowed – like two stories shown on Bayon Television which were not Cambodian themes, they were foreign themes.’

“During his speech, the PM also called on the Ministry of Information and affiliated media agencies to better promote Cambodian culture. By Sorn Sopheak

Deum Ampil, Vol.3, #243, 23.7.2009
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Thursday, 23 July 2009