Wednesday, August 12th, 2009By Chhunny Chhean
Global Voices Online
“Everybody has the right to be beautiful!” so starts the manifesto of the Miss Landmine pageant, started by Morten Traavik of Norway. According to the pageant site, the competition is intended to empower landmine victims and challenge traditional notions of beauty. The winner receives a high-tech prosthetic limb. Traavik has already organized a Miss Landmine pageant in Angola and was in the process of launching the event in Cambodia this month when the Cambodian government pulled its support and canceled the pageant.
The Mirror reports that other organizations, including the Cambodian Disabled People's Organization, declined to support the pageant after the Ministry of Social Affairs Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation expressed its displeasure with the pageant, citing the event could lead to misunderstandings about disabled people.
Not surprisingly, there have been varied reactions to the landmine pageant.
Jinja says:
The Mirror reports that other organizations, including the Cambodian Disabled People's Organization, declined to support the pageant after the Ministry of Social Affairs Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation expressed its displeasure with the pageant, citing the event could lead to misunderstandings about disabled people.
Not surprisingly, there have been varied reactions to the landmine pageant.
Jinja says:
I have mixed feelings about the cattle call of beauty pageants, but do agree with the general idea behind this one: that the participants have a right to feel proud about themselves and their appearance, regardless of circumstance. Without condoning [the pageant], I think the cancellation shows how Khmer society is often leaning towards modern and foreign concepts, only to snap back to what [it] feels [is] more traditional and ’safe’.CAAI News Media posts a reader's reaction, originally printed in a letter to the Phnom Penh Post editor. The reader questions whether or not the beauty pageant format is empowering:
As for beauty, whose concept of beauty is being promoted? I visited the Web site and found the women from different villages in halter tops and short dresses, which may or may not be the clothing that they would usually wear, but it seemed out of place. Are the organisers, while completely well-meaning, pushing a Western interpretation of “empowerment” where beauty and liberation is equated with being sexy and showing skin? I would have rather liked to see the women wearing something they chose, Western or traditional Khmer, modern or conservative, which made them feel their most beautiful.At Details are Sketchy, there is news that Traavik has left Cambodia, but that he plans on moving forward with the pageant, via an online vote. Above is a photo of pageant contestant Miss Siem Reap from the pageant website.
8 comments:
well, this kind of disabled people's pageant is a new phenomenon to cambodia. you have to understand khmer psyche because khmer people cannot comprehend what is so beautiful about disabled beauty pageant like this one. i think it would take a lot of explaining and education on part of khmer people so we don't misunderstand each other. perhaps if someone can explain or write a paper explaining to khmer gov't the essence of this kind of pageant, then perhaps khmer will understand the real meaning behind it. otherwise, don't expect khmer people to be psychic and read your mind because this is very foreign to cambodia and our society as well. to khmer, beauty means you have both limbs and healthy and dress nicely and smell nicely and put make-up on and looks nicely, etc, etc... but we can't understand the beauty behind landmind victims, here! is there other way to raise awareness than to run a beauty pageant of missing limbs, etc and call that beauty pageant? that's why khmer cannot understand the concept of it all here!
or if it's the freedom to celebrate, then say so, but don't go around calling gov't dictatorial or commy or whatever because that was history already. plus, it shows ignorant of the present cambodia situation inside the country as well! cambodia is not that bad given we almost had to start from scratch the aftermath of idiot KR regime! let's dialogue so we can understand each other better, here!
Monkey pageant!
My god who would place the one-legged lady as the candidate? This is insane. She is way too old in the eyes of gods. Lol.
The one on small picture is ok! but not the top picture! O'my goooooodness! she's fucken ancient ape...
Muk douch Sva has AIDS!
If it is done correctly and actually with landmine victims that are truly beautiful, this is an outstanding idea. Uneducated people are primitive people and they share wrongful superstitious ideas like cavemen did. That is why many of the world's leading religions are so popular, they are followed by primitive uneducated people who can be easily lead to believe anything no matter how untrue or ridiculous it proves to be. As everyone in Cambodia that could read was executed by the Khmer Rouge, there is an entire country struggling to learn to read again and embrace modern realities and the truth. These landmine victims are normally outcasts in Cambodia and Vietnam where they frequently have to become professional beggars and cut themselves to attract more handouts. Lets help educate. Lets help these victims to know they truly are beautiful despite the loss of a leg. Lets get them some high tech jobs next so they can support themselves and their families.
hey stop picking on the appearance so much, it's the heart and soul that counts! wait until you too lost your leg or arm, then you will wake up!
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