Music, not gunfire, ‘gift of hard-fought peace’: Manet

Manet presided over the 8th River Festival in Siem Reap town from March 15-17, themed “River for Peace and Development”, to promote the province’s tourism potential and the “Visit Siem Reap 2024” campaign.

“As I was walking here, I recalled the words of Albanese. When we met last week, just like at our previous meetings, he told me that he was one of the first Westerners to arrive in Cambodia in 1987, and visited Angkor Wat. He said it was so quiet at Angkor at the time but his visit to the temple was orchestrated by the sound of machine guns. It was because fighting was taking place nearby,” he said.

“So today, we celebrate the sound of visitors enjoying themselves, and of music at Pub Street at night. This situation is vastly different from the sounds of gunfire that Albanese heard in 1987,” he added.

The River Festival attracted tens of thousands of people to Siem Reap, known for its rich cultural heritage. Traditional and contemporary performances were organised, along with special cultural events, sports and various exhibitions.

Manet explained that such an event would not have been possible if not for the gift of hard-fought peace.

“The dividend of peace is to look at what we have accomplished, with today’s celebrations as testament to peace. It is possible that what we are witnessing here today may be no different from what happens in many countries, but if we look back at our history, we cannot help but remember the words of Albanese,” he said.

“More than 20 years ago, what we would have heard was the sound of machine guns being used by Khmer against Khmer,” he emphasised.

Manet said that in the past three decades, the tourism sector has been a key economic driver for Cambodia, noting a 13-fold increase in visitor numbers from 1993 to 2023. The sector was hit hard by Covid-19, especially in Siem Reap, but in the wake of the pandemic, tourism has begun to recover.

“Although the pandemic crisis is subsiding, the global economy remains fragile and is susceptible to new and complex challenges happening in society, as well as environmentally and geopolitically, all of which have had a negative impact on tourism worldwide, including in Cambodia,” he added.

Manet also announced that at his suggestion, Cambodia is preparing to welcome foreign guests with traditional Chhay Yam dance performances at all international airports during the upcoming Khmer New Year in mid-April.

He commended the tourism recovery in Siem Reap, the Kingdom’s main tourist destination and home to the world-famous Angkor Wat, but emphasised the need for further efforts. As part of the recovery campaign, he instructed Minister of Tourism Sok Soken to consider welcoming international arrivals with Chhay Yam performances.

“When I arrived here, I was welcomed by a troupe of traditional Chhay Yam dancers,” he said.

“During the Khmer New Year, for three days or even the whole week, we should welcome new arrivals at our airports with the dance. When they disembark, one of the first things they see should be a Chhay Yam performance,” he added.

“It would be a wonderful memory for them, and there’s nothing wrong with that. When they arrive, we should offer them this welcome gift, not only in Siem Reap but also in other provinces, as well as Phnom Penh,” he continued.

The 8th River Festival was the first to be held in Siem Reap. The province has seven streams or tributaries into the Tonle Sap Lake, according to provincial authorities.

According to the Siem Reap provincial tourism department, the first day of the festival, March 15, saw a total of more than 457,000 visitors drawn to the celebrations. Some 435,000 were Cambodians, including 223,000 Siem Reap residents, while more than 22,500 were foreign visitors.

The festival organising committee expected that more than 500,000 would visit the province over the course of the three days of festivities.

Minister Soken noted at the event on March 16 that tourism, which has been referred to as “green gold” by the government, has contributed a lot to the national economy. It has done so through the creation of jobs, generating direct and indirect income for the people, attracting investors, and supporting cultural and environmental conservation. He added that it also made Cambodia’s socio-economic development more competitive, sustainable, inclusive and resilient.

“The tourism sector is recovering and could return to pre-pandemic levels in the near future. This will require all stakeholders to be ready to provide high-quality, attractive services, and will turn Cambodia into a leading tourism destination, just as we have planned,” he said.

Cambodia saw nearly 5.5 million international visitors in 2023. The government expected that the number would increase to pre-pandemic figures of around 7 million by the end of next year.

Manet explained that tourism will remain a major driver of the economy, creating jobs and income for the people. It will also contribute to the accomplishment of phase one of the government’s Pentagonal Strategy. This will allow the Kingdom to reach its goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income one by 2050.

Van Socheata

Niem Chheng

The Phnom Penh Post

Asia News Network