Too much oppression in Nambodia, the royal oxen refuse to predict rice harvest for the dictatorial regime anymore?

Cambodia's annual royal plowing ceremony marks the beginning of the kingdom's planting season (AFP)

Cambodia's royal oxen fail to predict rice harvest

Saturday, May 21, 2011
AFP

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia's royal oxen shunned rice grain on Saturday during an ancient ceremony to predict the country's agricultural fortunes -- prompting fears of a poor rice harvest among superstitious farmers.

King Norodom Sihamoni presided over the ritual in a park outside the palace where thousands of people watched royal astrologers observing the animals' behaviour.

After a symbolic ploughing of a portion of the field, a pair of oxen were led to seven dishes -- rice, corn, beans, sesame, grass, water and alcohol -- laid out on trays.

They were seen eating only corn and beans, allowing the palace's chief astrologer Kang Ken to declare that this year's corn and beans harvests will be bountiful.

The war of rice harvest predictions: it's all bull

The Thai oxen predicted a strong harvest and plentiful rains

Thursday, 10 May 2007
Oxen disagree on harvest forecast

BBC News

Thailand's royal oxen have predicted plentiful crops and healthy rains in an age-old ceremony marking the start of the rice-planting season.

After ploughing a symbolic furrow at a Bangkok parade ground, the oxen were offered a variety of foods representing harvest outcomes.

They chose bowls of rice, corn and grass - good news for farmers.

But at a similar event in Cambodia, the oxen ate only a small amount of corn, meaning a lean harvest to come.

The majority of the populations of both countries are farmers and many of them put great faith in traditional methods of predicting the harvest.

The Royal Ploughing ceremony in Bangkok was presided over by Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and broadcast live on television.

Meanwhile, Cambodian member of parliament Son Chhay, who attended the Phnom Penh ceremony, said it was the worst prediction he had seen in more than 10 years.