By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
13 January 2010
Foreign Minister Hor Namhong on Wednesday condemned the use of the Cambodian flag in the production of a new line of footwear advertised on the Internet and reported in local media this week.
The shoes were designed with the iconic symbol of Angkor Wat, on Keds canvas, infuriating many Cambodians and irking the foreign minister, who lambasted the design before flying to Hanoi Wednesday.
“The shoe is insulting and defames Cambodian honor and dignity,” Hor Namhong told reporters at Phnom Penh International Airport. “This we cannot tolerate.”
Similar shoes were designed around the flags of many other countries, but Hor Namhong said he was concerned only with the image of Cambodia.
“In fact, the shoe issue affects our nation because Angkor Wat is a respectable [symbol] to the Cambodian people and the nation,” he said. “So Cambodia must investigate the production of the shoe. And then we will protest.”
Angkor Wat is a powerful national icon for Cambodians. In 2008, flip-flop sandals bearing the temple’s image appeared in markets in Vietnam’s Tai Ninh province, provoking a government investigation.
In November 2008, a Thai man was arrested for carving the temple’s image in a slab of concrete in front of a public toilet in Poipet, on the Thai border.
In 2003, unconfirmed rumors that a Thai actress had claimed the temple for Thailand sparked a night or rioting and looting in Phnom Penh that destroyed the Thai Embassy and many Thai businesses.
“Angkor Wat is the symbol of the Cambodian nation,” Hor Namhong said. “Angkor Wat and the national flag of Cambodia always stay in all Cambodians’ souls, hearts and minds. We cannot accept the production of these shoes, and the company must be responsible for violating Cambodia.
The shoes were designed with the iconic symbol of Angkor Wat, on Keds canvas, infuriating many Cambodians and irking the foreign minister, who lambasted the design before flying to Hanoi Wednesday.
“The shoe is insulting and defames Cambodian honor and dignity,” Hor Namhong told reporters at Phnom Penh International Airport. “This we cannot tolerate.”
Similar shoes were designed around the flags of many other countries, but Hor Namhong said he was concerned only with the image of Cambodia.
“In fact, the shoe issue affects our nation because Angkor Wat is a respectable [symbol] to the Cambodian people and the nation,” he said. “So Cambodia must investigate the production of the shoe. And then we will protest.”
Angkor Wat is a powerful national icon for Cambodians. In 2008, flip-flop sandals bearing the temple’s image appeared in markets in Vietnam’s Tai Ninh province, provoking a government investigation.
In November 2008, a Thai man was arrested for carving the temple’s image in a slab of concrete in front of a public toilet in Poipet, on the Thai border.
In 2003, unconfirmed rumors that a Thai actress had claimed the temple for Thailand sparked a night or rioting and looting in Phnom Penh that destroyed the Thai Embassy and many Thai businesses.
“Angkor Wat is the symbol of the Cambodian nation,” Hor Namhong said. “Angkor Wat and the national flag of Cambodia always stay in all Cambodians’ souls, hearts and minds. We cannot accept the production of these shoes, and the company must be responsible for violating Cambodia.
33 comments:
probably hor hai nam hong never seen american flag on the tiny bikini or in victoria secret that 's why he feels so offended.
What will CPP Hor Numhong do if found that these shoes are made in Vietnam?
What will the CPP do, have to wait an see and please KI follow through on the CPP finding and action taken?
Free publicity for tourism to Cambodia? But it doesn't have 'Cambodia' on the shoe.
If found that was made in Vietnam, the case is SRP or other Khmer Krom will be deep shit.
Next time we are gonna to put Angkor picture on tiny bikini for women to enjoy sexy looking.
Hey, isn't AngkorWat all about 'sex'?
Look at all the naked female carvings that decorated the temple.
Yep that's right pals !!!
some people just pretend to be high moral ground.
last year, Believe or Not. Hor Nam hong brought in couple young girls to his vacation villa for strip dancing with micro-bikini over his lap.
I want a pair! I think it's a great piece of art ; )
they are concerned about this but not concerned about the the Vietnamese encroachment on Cambodian land! What a hypocrite!
You can laugh and mock whatever you want but making sure you are outside Cambodia and your identities cannot be disclose. Otherwise you are in deep shit at the White Bush Prison.
Good luck!
I may want to design my GF's bikini having Angkor Wat cover her sweet pussy.
i think they're testing to the extreme like some crazy guy that burnt the US flag in america. well, make tyhe law against it, otherwise, it is baseless to charge a die-hard attitude, rude individuals who did this!
Please, please, please respect Khmer values--that is to respect our Khmer National icon--Angkor Wat.
You guys have gone to far to show disrespect to our Khmer own values. I don't care if you are westernized or not. Westernized is one thing, and respect is another thing.
There are good and bad things in Western society, but don't bring back to Cambodia the bad side.
RESPECT YOURSELF BEFORE OTHERS RESPECT YOU!!!
Khmer Angkor.
Hor Namhong cares about Angkor? Does he even know what Angkor is? Hor Namhong and people such as Hun Sen, Heng Samrin, Chea Sim are a bunch of uneducated jungle peasants who still wear their Rolex watches upside down and don't know what to do when they enter Buddhist temples.
The solution to this problem is simple! Just find the fucken source and what country permit the production of such shoe! And use the fucken flag of that country or something that similar value to Angkor Wat and make into the fucken shoe too! Now this is fair!
what kind of smarty pants question was that? "does mr. hor nam hong know what angkor is?" that's an outdated, ignorant, elitist question. hey, we all can read, you know!
Why do most of you Cambodians even care? Most of you probably already step all over your own Cambodian people in your daily lives every day. I bet you Hun Sen ordered a pair of this show for each of his family members.
it's a political attack to get even, i guess! this person failed to understand the cultural difference between the west and cambodia, i guess. that is so rude, to say the least, really! talk about extreme or radical group of people, i guess. no wonder, some country created law to protect their sacred symbol, etc! where is the respect in all of this? attack the flag is like attack the entire country. hey, again, there are more to cambodia than you and i, really! because not everybody in cambodia is bad, you know! please get educated already, thank you.
PUK AH PLUER KI HAVE NO RESPECT FOR CAMBODIA IDENTITY,YOU GUY ARE AMERICAN DOG NOT KHMER,YOU GUY JUST A AMRICAN'S RUBBISH. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE SIAM HOW YOU LIKE TO SEE BHUMIBOL FACE ON A WOMAN UNDERWARE AND POST IT ALL OVER INTERNET? DON'T MAKE ME DO IT CUZ I'LL DO IT.
hunsen, probably the one who got piss off after has seen the shoes. becuz it should rather his idea to make money out of it. now hunsen has another copy idea of making pair of shoes one side his head and another one thaksin, since he and thaksin are felt in love so much.
A very big deferent between a pant and a shoe and am not all of us like our national symbol to be design on a shoe.
Angkor Wat is belonging to all of us and not just for Mr. Hor Nam hong or Mr Hun Sen. It is very deep in us as Khmer and also the Unity Symbol of all Khmers around the world.
We Khmer just can't accept or tolerate.
Can anyone in Cambodia design a bikini with HO CHI MING's picture right on the pussy?.
Dear All commentators,
Pls remember, This is Cambodia and we're Khmer and Khmer has its own value and tradition. Don't mix Western culture in this case, it's our national identity and value.
If those idiots forgetting your root wanted to make Angkor Wat on Biniki to cover your GF's pussy, it's your right, but it's also our rights as Khmer citizen to sue you.
I find it hard to sometimes see those comments by some commentators, who has knowledge but acts so silly by insulting your own root.
CK
I find this type of blogger provoking more conflicts than peace nor positive impacts among own and other nationalities. I believe each and everyone has at least a sense of nationalism. With exposure to different environment/culture, people would see things differently. However, there's no right or wrong when people see things differently, and that should be the kind of respect we have for others when they don't see what we see. I appreciate the Minister of Foreign Affairs about his view and action in above article. Foreigners may see that nonesense...but that's because they don't understand Khmer culture.
Thanks,
Kaly
I think this shoe made in srok YOUN. Cause YOUN has all the machine making these kind of stuffs.
I doubt it that real Khmer did this regardless they are opposition or not. Cause Khmer value this icon a lot. I think YOUN instigate this issue.
UNACCEPTABLE!!! behavior whoever made these shoes will be prosecuted. Who in world would made this kind of stuff below your waist. WILL NOT BE TOLERATE AT ALL! NO, NO, NO, floor mats ever!
Could Cambodian government has the ability to investigate that? We must find the root cause of this problem... It is probably the same source who made Angkor flip-flop. This is an act of insulting our soul of nation. It must not be taken lightly...
2:42pm,
I wouldn't be that stupid to put Ho Chi Minh ugly skinny face to cover my GF's sweet puzzy, but I may put him at her azz instead.
9:11 PM
Who did this? It was ah Sok Kong ah Yuon bastard did it.
They found out where the source now. It is from California..
Hor Namhong is an idiot to complain.
i'm glad to see mr. hor nam hong saw and complained about it right away. it shows he's a good khmer leader to care about cambodia. all leaders should be like mr. hor nam hong of cambodia, really! good job, mr. hor nam hong.
Get to be yuon who did this.Yuon love to test our patience to the limit.And they always said; FUCK AH CAMBOT or ah CAMPUCHA.
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