CLARIFICATION OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE WORLD HERITAGE (24/11/2010)

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