Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Thai national arrested for drawing Angkor Wat on bathroom floor

Tue, 11 Aug 2009
DPA

Phnom Penh - A Thai man was arrested for living illegally in Cambodia for more than ten years and for drawing an image of Angkor Wat on his bathroom floor, national media reported. Police arrested Salavout Khamsan, 35, in Poipet in western Cambodia after neighbours saw the drawing of Cambodia's famous temple and told the authorities.

Poipet police chief Nuth Ly said the man had "desecrated the precious temple which is a World Heritage site."

The provincial police chief, Hun Hean, said the explanation given by the man - that he drew the image out of affection for the temple, and not to demean it - was not good enough.

"It is just an excuse, because he could have drawn it on paper and posted it on a wall," he said. "Or he could buy a painting or a postcard with an image of Angkor, not draw it in front of a toilet and step on it."

Salavout Khamsan, a construction worker who entered Cambodia in 1998 through the Poipet checkpoint, faces up to six months in jail for visa violations.

Hun Hean said it is not clear which law will be used for punishing the alleged crime of drawing Angkor Wat on the bathroom floor.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

This info is wrong. He didn't draw, he carved an image of angkor wat on cement. And I think we khmer are too sensitive about this. Maybe we should just tell the man to not do it. Arresting a person for this?? Come on, so stupid.

Anonymous said...

this guy looks so uneducated by khmer way. look at how he dressed, no shoes, dirty clothes, etc... this idiot is playing with fire and must be educated not to do it again. if found the second time, then it is fair to punish him. authority should educate him about how to respect cambodia with khmer sacred symbol and khmer etiquette and culture, etc...

Anonymous said...

hey, drawing or carving makes no difference for cambodia, especially using it for toilet mat, etc... this is cambodia, not another planet, you know! learn proper khmer etiquette will take you a long way! the point is to khmer, angkor wat and more is a sacred symbol not to be used for this kind of thing, ok!

Allvira said...

That shows the negative affect towards Cambodia as like a Thai man is drawing an image of Angkor Wat on cemented floor. It is punishable & and I am also supporting the same.
Allvira
pass-guaranteed.com

Anonymous said...

It just make me want to kick this asshole in the face.

Anonymous said...

Cambodian refugees used to get hit and bashed by thai army by not promptly salute the thai flag, or just forgot to wear Id tag.

Though Thailand received equivalent quantity of goods for what ever UNHCR supplied to khmer refugees.

Anonymous said...

2:03Pm let me kick your face too! Who care about the fucking picture while the fucking CPP give all Ankor in name and property to the FUCKINGVIET!

Anonymous said...

Angkor pics are on just about everything...Shirts, towels, and knick-knacks to name a few.

Are we going to put people in jail for using Angkor shirt to wipe our sweat or clean our cars as well?

Stupid.

Anonymous said...

So funny...Sokimex which oversees Angkor operation is runs by Vietnamese.

So much for the outrage......

Anonymous said...

As a khmer I am very shameful to learn that a Thai national who drew (or carved) and walked on picture of Angkor Wat.
Do the Khmer Rouge did not do the same: for pettit, menial faults they kill people.
Do all Cambodian honor Buddha and Dharma and Sangha? Do they instead now trumple into ground the teaching of Buddha?
We majority Cambodian, inclusing the majority of the Sangha, had committed sins against Buddha. So why God punished us by using Khmer Rouge to eliminated Sangha from Cambodia.
Do now the majority Shangha stop to dishonour the Dharma and Buddha?

Anonymous said...

6:02 am, why should you be shameful? That siem guy who is the one that should be shameful if he has a bit of decency and morality.