CLARIFICATION OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE WORLD HERITAGE

The National Committee for the World Heritage is dismayed at the distortion of the facts voiced by a group
of Thai extremists who made a consecutive statement, reported on ASTV manager online, dated on 18
November 2010 that “UNESCO inscribed the Khmer Royal Ballet into the World Heritage List, though
both music and dance of its modern forms are of Thai characteristics.”
The National Committee for the World Heritage would like to provide an explanation to the above
unreasonable and baseless claim as follows:
The Kingdom of Cambodia and the 132 states parties (by 2010) to the Convention for the Safeguarding of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) are under duty to conserve and preserve the World Intangible
Cultural Heritage of common importance for present and future generations of humanity.
From the past day upto the present time, the Kingdom of Cambodia has still constituted a cultural loft of
both tangible and intangible heritage, and there is no doubt that Cambodian Royal Ballet was proclaimed as
a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage in 2003, and inscribed on the List of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. The Cambodian Royal Ballet was thoroughly evaluated and
studied by high professional Advisory Bodies before it was approved by the Intangible Heritage
Committee as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Royal Ballet existed in the history of Cambodia since the beginning of the Christian period and
continued to be performed during Angkorean, Post-Angkorean periods up to the present time, as depicted
on galleries of ancient Khmer temples and architectures.
Thus, what raised by the Thai extremists that UNESCO inscribed the Royal Ballet to Cambodia with Thai
forms of art is entirely a contempt of respectful and conscientious works of all the members of the
Committee for the Intangible Heritage, Advisory Bodies and States Parties to the Convention for the
Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Once again, the National Committee for the World Heritage strongly condemns the irrational and
irresponsible statement which badly tarnishes the honor of the Committee for the Intangible Heritage and
UNESCO.
Phnom Penh, 24 November 2010
The National Committee for the World Heritage