My Comment on Criticism about Apsara Dance Between Khmer People vs Thai People

Apsara Dance on The Wall of Angkor Wat Temple

Queen Kosomak Nearyrath 

 Our Dance in Late 1800s (Khmer Dance)

Yes, I understand what is the point of conflict lately. Anyway, Cambodia is still Khmer even our culture is not 100% preserved because of the war for centuries. However, I believe Khmer or Cambodian is the next generation of Khmer Empire for sure and Thai today is also the bloodline linking to ancient Khmer, Tai-Kadai, Mon, and other ethnic people. The main point is sometimes Thai claims ownself as the new people, not Khmer bloodline. Thai dynasty is the mix with Thai prince and Khmer princess for the beginning of the states and even today king is linking to Khmer bloodline from Cambodia as well. The reason for copy is that Thai never claim it is belong to Khmer Empire, but said to belong to Khom Kingdom (?) that really makes Khmer upset about this point! Do not ever say that Khmer empire is vanished, but it just gives the life to Khmer kingdom itself (Cambodia) and new two kingdoms (Thailand and Laos) that both is still adapting to the music from Khmer Empire mixing with those people in their areas. Some traditional music of Laos still sound exactly the same to Cambodian traditional music as you may research more about the gift and training of Angkor Khmer King given to the first Lao Prince in Angkor City and marrying Khmer Princess along with the intelligent people to serve for the new Kingdom, Laos as an example. Thai history is not really different from this condition, but just because Thai is a bit greedy to take more territory for Angkor Khmer Empire as their own and to destroy Khmer Empire from time to time that led to the fall of Khmer Angkor Empire and Khmer Kingdom, Cambodia to lose the chance to redevelop again and again! Only during Sangkum Reastr Niyum Regime and today is the breathing time for Khmer Kingdom to recover and start the new journey! What we hate the most is getting the used and then hiding the sources and try to destroy the original. Thai kingdom gain the strength because they got the development and leadership plan from Angkor Empire and Long Vek Era! I really like what Thai people have, but do not try to claim as your own, please referencing and do not accuse Cambodian not belong to Khmer Empire that is the main issue! I understand that normally people innovate on the existing culture! I knew that our royal dance some was retaught back to Khmer by Thai Royal, but do not forget the main sources of those dance that Thai took those art and artist away from Khmer when we did fall. Our dance is not really come from Thai solely, we also still remains our own in Royal Palace for hundred of years that make the movement so much different from Thai and please list down how many dances are the same between Thai and Khmer. Even the same name, but different movement. Our apsara dance was recreated by our Queen Kosomak Nearyrath in Sangkum Reastr Niyum (1955-1970) from the study of Apsara Dance on our temple that is not 100% the same as the original already losed and it is not transferred back to Cambodia by Thai Royal. My question to you all is that Why some Thai said Khom Kingdom rather than Khmer Empire to the existing Khmer temple and ancient daily used material in Thailand? Please study again not only Thai sources, but from the international research! Last, but not least, I do love both culture, even I prefer my own more! Even I am Khmer, I still love to listen to some ancient music from Thai and Lanna Kingdom! Anyway, please stop fucking words and stupid ideas about Khmer! I heard Thai consider the word "Khmer" so bad and some torturing Khmer people to the sea when they travel to Thailand for works! What our people, Khmer try to do today is not to conflict with you guy, Thai, but to redevelop, preserve and innovate on our existing culture as well! If you put yourself in our shoes, you'll understand what it means! What we need is development and stop chemical on our imported product from Thailand that is my request and let's make a friendship!

Note: You :refers to Thai People!

By: POK Panhavuth

Perspectives on Youth Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprises in Cambodia

Calling back to the past decades of Cambodia, it's a pain to let such peaceful land to get affected by regional wars and long-term poverty. Anyway, Cambodian people today in cooperation with the right overseas partners start thinking about the real needs of the economic growth and take action on the matters. The initiatives from Youth University Club and Impact HUB Phnom Penh has been done to promote young entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity among university students and young businessmen in running the scores of social enterprises. So many workshops and seminars related to Entrepreneurship and the role model of the innovative young businessmen has been the very great opportunity for young learners and professionals to get new concepts to start running their own business. It should be noticed on the key universities and institutions to run those projects are Impact HUB Phnom Penh & Social Enterprise Cambodia @ Joma Bakery Cafe, Zaman University, Pannasastra University of Cambodia, Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP, IFL, CKCC & CJCC), AIESEC, Ministry of Commerce, Institute of Technology in Cambodia, Transparency International and Development Innovation. The existing social enterprises in Cambodia are EaCo Co., Ltd, ANAKOT Asia, Cambodian Farmer Rice, ARC Hub PNH, Khmer Creations, Cambodia Knits, Sovannak Palm Sugar, WaterSHED... In Addition, researchers are doing their best to get more data on the real needs of community and business opportunity in Cambodia in contribution to the social enterprise development. Finally, it is so positive for young Cambodian and foreigners to hold hand and create the very best social enterprise full of the innovation and creativity to solve the social issues and accelerate the economic growth in Cambodia. The President of The United States, John F. Kennedy quoted, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"

By: Pok Panhavuth