The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 495, Friday, 16.2.2007
Battambang: Khmer People call Valentine’s Day the ‘Day of Love’ or the ‘Festival of Sweethearts.’ According to Khmer tradition, there was never anything celebrated like Valentine’s Day since Khmer ancestral times. However, during the recent more than 10 years, the festival, though recognized as coming from a foreign culture, has been assimilated into the spirit and feelings of Khmer young men and women throughout the country. This festival has resulted in difference of opinion between young people who support, and old people who criticize this day.
That young people having sweethearts is against Khmer tradition, because Cambodian people thought that if the young have sweethearts at the age that their parents arrange future partners for them, it will lead to mistakes or disobeying their parents. On the other side, some young people say that choosing a wrong partner can also happen as a result of an arranged marriage.
In fact, this festival does not refer only to sweethearts, but it is the day that everyone can do something exciting and doing something better for the person he or she loves, including parents, relatives, and friends. Those who have sweethearts take the opportunity to use this day to express love for their sweethearts. It is not a day on which it is required to have a sweetheart.
Young people who claim to be friends buy a rose each, and then give it to each other. They thought that this action reveals their loyalty to their sweethearts or friends. For example, Sun Savoeun, 27, said that he has celebrated Valentine’s Day for eight years already until this year of 2007. In the first two years, he bought a rose for his sweetheart, and so did she, in order to express true love to each other. Even so, one year later, she changed her mind and got a new boyfriend. At the end of the year 2006, he was married. He bought a rose for his wife on Valentine’s Day, and his wife was so pleased with this festival gift.
A girl, 18, studying at 11th grade in Monivong High School, who asked not to be identified by name, happily described that this was the first time that she had celebrated Valentine’s Day. She was so delighted, because she got a rose from her boyfriend and enjoyed buying a rose for him. She excitedly said that Valentine’s Day made her and other people more understand each other, and even though it was not a Khmer tradition, it made many supporters of this day more friendly and sincere with each other, regardless of class or race.
Savuth, 23, a student of the National University of Management, thought that Valentine’s Day drove Khmer young people so crazy because of the influence of foreign ideology, and because Cambodian laws are so weak, so that they adopted this festival, though it is not part of the Khmer tradition. He added that in Khmer society, everyone has freedom and rights to have beliefs and customs, but they must consider Khmer traditions and culture.
Mr. Sean Bun, 52, an official, criticized the celebration of Valentine’s Day because the day led to the moral degradation of young people, because he knew that they buy the roses for the sole purpose of deepening their male-female love relation. Therefore it would be better not to celebrate this festival, because those who support this festival are young people who like pleasure; even though their action can affect society or culture, they don’t care.” Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #5968, 16.2.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Friday, 16 February 2007
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, # 1271, 16.2.2007
- Samdech Hun Sen: Land Violators May Dare to Do a Coup If We Don’t Subdue Them [the Prime Minister publicly warned those who were involved in land problems, to withdraw themselves immediately and hand over forestry land and protected areas as state property, in order to have them reforested. He described the situation, using a Khmer Rouge saying: “Today you dare to break a hoe, next day you may betray the leading organization”]
Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #5968, 16.2.2007
- The Issue of Khmer Women in Malaysia [the retired King’s concerns: do Muslim people need young female cooks who are followers of Buddhism? He wrote that Khmer women have continually been sent to be sex workers in Malaysia. If not for sexual purposes, why are only young women being chosen and some of them are only 16 or 17 years old?]
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3090, 16.2.2007
- Mr. Sam Rainsy Appeals to the UN to Withdraw itself from [financially supporting] the Commune Elections in Cambodia [Mr. Sam Rainsy said that the irregularities at the National Election Committee could be solved if they had the real intention to solve them. But the Cambodian People’s Party knows that if there is a fair election, they will fail. Therefore, they have played tricks with the candidates lists]
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4213, 16.2.2007
- Fai Sam Ang [program director of TV3] and Vang Sreyno [actress] Cause Irritation Again [she uses insulting words [not given in the original text] towards news reporters about her performance shown on Apsara TV on 14 February 2007]
- Australian Senate President [Mr. Paul Calvert] Comes to Seek Understanding about Cambodia on 14 February 2007
- Kompong Cham Is the First Province that Provides Motorcycle Riding Training [by Handicap International, a 12 hours course]
Reach Seima News, Vol. 2, #154, 16.2.2007
- [O’Chrov district Governor] Sar Chamrong considers the Person Who Takes Disputed Land from 35 Families Is [Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief] Mr. Keo Kim Yan [a complaint by 35 families living at Kbal Spean, Poipet, was investigated by the cabinet of the prime minister]
Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #333, 16.2.2007
- [Chairperson of the National Assembly and Honorary President of the Cambodian People’s Party] Heng Samrin Buys an Honorary Doctorate Degree to Have the Same Honor as Others [he will be awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the Rajabhad University from Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; it has been known that bootlicking officials or dishonest businesspeople in Cambodia bought the honor for him]
Dear Cambodians,
There is nothing wrong with appreciating Valentine’s Day as long as it does not harm or hurt another persono or society. The celebration of love is NOT against Cambodian culture or tradition, because Cambodian young people have the freedom and right to express their own individual view and thinking. The “old view” of Khmer culture, where younger people listen to their parents is valid. However, Cambodian teenagers do not have to abide by that, because they are not doing anything violent to disrespect their parents. If anything, they are learning to take charge of their own life and love. That, my friend, is an important step, because they are learning how to stand on their own two feet. They are practicing the Cambodian high culture of Buddhist philosophy called “self-reliance” or “khloun tii pung khloun” in Khmer, meaning, self depends on self. Please, by all means, appreciate Valentine’s Day. 🙂 With Love and Care, Dr. T (aka, NekruOunSomlanhChet)