via Khmer Times, 12 December 2023: The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in Cambodia clarified that UNESCO’s listing of Thailand’s Songkran festival as an Intangible Cultural Heritage does not diminish the significance of Cambodia’s own Moha Sangkranta festival. The term “Songkran in Thailand” indicates the festival’s celebration within Thailand, leaving room for other Southeast Asian nations’ celebrations, like Cambodia’s Moha Sangkranta, to be recognized independently. Moha Sangkranta, a major Cambodian festival, involves religious ceremonies and family gatherings, celebrating the New Year and Cambodian cultural heritage.
The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts spokesman Sum Map yesterday clarified facts concerniing UNESCO’s listing of Thailand’s Songkran festival on its “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.
Map said he noted that the UNESCO listing that recognises Thailand’s new year festival is called, “Songkran in Thailand”, and not “Songkran of Thailand.”
He added that the distinction is important because the recognition of Songkran in Thailand does not affect the significance of Cambodia’s own Moha Sangkranta festival, or those of any other country.
Source: Ministry clarifies the significance of Moha Sangkranta festival
