[Vietnamization] Pseng-Pseng: Hun Many Moves Angkor Sangkran Closer to the East

Pseng-Pseng

30iv15

Hun Many Moves Angkor Sangkran Closer to the East

“នេះមិនមែនជាការខុសនៃរចនាបទខ្មែរនោះទេ ព្រោះថា អ្វីដូច ខ្ញុំមិនមែនជំនាញទេ លោកគ្រូដែល គាត់ចេញមកពីសាលារចនា គាត់អាចបញ្ជាក់បានបន្ថែម ហើយគាត់នឹងអាចមានលទ្ធភាពគ្រប់ គ្រាន់ ក្នុងការចេញមកពីសៀវភៅរបស់គាត់ ដែលគាត់បានសិក្សាកន្លងមក ពន្យល់ថាកន្លែងណា ខ្លះជារចនាបទ។ អញ្ចឹងគឺវាមានការយល់ច្រឡំមួយចំនួនដែលបានកើតឡើង ដែលក្នុងនោះយើងខ្ញុំ ដែលខ្ញុំខ្លួនឯង ដោយសារខ្ញុំបានឆ្លងរៀបចំព្រឹត្ដិការណ៍នេះ ទទួលស្គាល់ថាអ្វី ទិដ្ឋភាពមួយចំនួន វាធ្វើឲ្យមជ្ឈដ្ឋានមួយចំនួនមិនមានពេញចិត្ដ ។ ហើយផ្អែកលើ ដោយសារផ្អែកលើជាស្មារតីអង្គរ សង្ក្រាន្ដ  គឺដើម្បីទំាងអស់គ្នា ។ ទោះបីមហាជនមានលក្ខណ:ភាគតូចក៍ដោយ ក៏យើងចង់ឲ្យ គាត់មកចូល រួមដោយមានភាពរីករាយដែរ។​ ពួកគាត់បានលើកឡើងច្រើនថា រចនាបទនេះ វាមិនមែនរបស់ខ្មែរ ហើយគាត់បានឲ្យយើងខ្ញុំទាំងអស់គ្នាដើម្បីពន្យល់ទៅវិញថាតើជារចនាបទក្លោងទ្វារ នេះ គឺកន្លែងណាដែលជាខ្មែរ។ អានេះគឺលោកគ្រូពីសាលារចនា គាត់ដឹង ក្រោយព្រឹត្ដិការណ៍ ចូលឆ្នាំ នឹងអាចមានឧកាសដើម្បីបកស្រាយ។ ក៏ប៉ុន្ដែចំណោទសួរ ដែលគួរសួរទៅវិញផងដែរ ថារចនាបទកន្លែងណាដែលខុសមែនទែន សុំឲ្យបែកចែកក្លោងទ្វារហ្នឹង តើរចនាបែបណាខុសពី រចនាបទខ្មែរ។”

អ្នក តំណាង រាស្ត្រ និងប្រធាន​សហភាព​សហព័ន្ធ​យុវជន​កម្ពុជា ហ៊ុន ម៉ានី  ថ្ងៃទី១៦ មេសា​២០១៥ វិទ្យុបារាំងអន្ដរជាតិ

Congratulations must go to the premier’s son Hun Many and his Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC) for a successful Angkor Sangkran 2015. Besides breaking two Guinness world records, the festival attracts a record number of tourists, and scores a public relations coup when it brings together for the first time two political adversaries.

Amid the excitement and accolade, however, there is a slight hiccup that is likely to have political implications. It is a matter of the festival gateway design that causes a public uproar, especially on Facebook. The thrust of a common criticism is that the design is aesthetically Vietnamese.

And what is fascinating is how UYFC president Hun Many respond to his critics. He rejects any suggestion that the design, which is dominated by bright yellow and orange colours, is Vietnamese-influenced. He relies on a book by a School of Fine Arts teacher, who he says will explain after the celebrations how the design reflects Khmer arts. The public is waiting.

The UYFC president takes a moral high ground when he backs down so that all, he says, can enjoy the celebrations. He changes the design soon after one of the gateways is severely damaged by strong winds and later burned down by arsonists.

Indeed, this artistic glitch may mean little to Hun Many. Nevertheless, his critics see it differently. First, Hun Many does not seem to know that one can please a majority but not everyone. He gives in to the critics whom he says is just a minority. Then again, he has been brought up in a system where the minority in effect rules.

Second, the design change may upset those he implies make up the majority that is happy with the original version. They say it allows creativity, even though it is bordering on plagiarising the cultural taste of the Viets. If the original were already Khmer, then the modification of the design to a gold and dark brown colours would be less Khmer.

Third, it is a concern that Hun Many demands the critics explain how the design is not Khmer. Either he pretends not to know, or he cannot really tell the difference. This bodes well with the thinking behind the original design that could represent a slow and protracted penetration of the Viet culture into the sub-consciousness of the UYFC, especially the president who is slated to take charge after his father, if not a major leadership role.

It seems a bit like the old story of the frog that gets boiled alive because the temperature of the water in which it sits rises only gradually, thanks to its ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Some Cambodians appear to be quite able to take in the growing realisation that the Viets have been coming in the forms of immigration, border landmass, and now culture. This may just be a repayment of the debt of gratitude to the Viets Hun Many’s father treats as being eternal.

And the Viets are smiling.

Ung Bun Ang

30iv15

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Pseng-Pseng is published on the tenth, twentieth, and thirtieth day of every month. Previous issues are archived at pseng-pseng.blogspot.com