via CAAI
Chinese Traditional Lion Dances Performed at Royal Palace to Celebrate Spring Festival
Phnom Penh, February 3, 2011 AKP — Chinese traditional lion and dragon dances were performed at Cambodia’s Royal Palace and the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh on Wednesday morning to celebrate the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) starting Feb. 3.
Six groups of lion and dragon dances from Chinese community in Cambodia performed at the Royal Palace in order to bless His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni and his subjects with happiness and prosperity in the Lunar New Year, Lao Shi Heng, vice-president of Chinese Association in Cambodia, was quoted as saying by Chinese News Agency Xinhua.
The groups were welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister Kong Sam Ol, minister of the Royal Palace.
Then, the groups performed at the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh.
The ambassador Pan Guangxue said that the Lunar New Year is the most important festival in China. In Cambodia, most people also celebrate it.
“It reflected good linkages of people and cultures between Cambodia and China,” he said.
Chinese New Year is one of the largest festivals in Cambodia, up to 80 percent of Cambodian people celebrate it every year, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said recently.
According to the figure from the Chinese Association in Cambodia, there have been some 700,000 Chinese-blood descendants living in Cambodia.
Traditionally, Lion Dance is invited by traditional Chinese families to perform as a symbolic ritual to usher in the Spring Festival and to ward off bad luck and evil spirits. — AKP
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U.S. To Provide Annually US$1 Million for Military Training in Cambodia
Phnom Penh, February 3, 2011 AKP – The U.S. has announced to provide annually US$1 million for military training in Cambodia.
The announcement was made here on Tuesday by U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Mr. Derek Mitchell at a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh at the end of his two-day visit in Cambodia.
During his stay in the Kingdom, Mr. Mitchell conducted the inaugural U.S.-Cambodia Defense Policy Discussion with Cambodian Secretary of State for the Ministry of Defense Gen. Neang Phat.
The objective of this defense talk was to highlight the U.S. Department of Defense’s commitment to assisting the RCAF develop a professional force, while encouraging Cambodia to continue on a path of improved transparency, governance, commitment to the rule of law, sustained democratic development, and respect for human rights, according to a press release of the U.S. Embassy.
The Defense Policy Discussion highlighted areas of bilateral cooperation and covered domestic and regional security issue of mutual concern, including Defense Reform, Professional Military Education, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Management, Regional Affairs, Counter-Narcotics, Counter-Terrorism, and Regional security Mechanisms, it said.
Mr. Mitchell further held talks with Cambodian Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh and Deputy Commander in Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Gen. Sao Sokha.
Mr. Derek Mitchell conducted site visits to the Peacekeeping Training Center at Kompong Speu, the National Counter-terrorism Special Force, and other sites that have benefited from U.S.-Cambodia defense cooperation, said the press release, adding that he also met with Cambodian NGO leaders to discuss his visit and receive their perspectives on the defense cooperation relationship. –AKP
By SOKMOM Nimul
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